Blog | Stuart Financial Group

Congress Approves Stimulus

An open-ended commitment by the Federal Reserve to support American businesses and capital markets along with the passage of a $2 trillion aid package improved investor sentiment and drove a strong rally in stock prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 12.84%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 10.26%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 9.05% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, increased by 12.03%.

A stunning string of Federal Reserve initiatives and the passage of a $2 trillion aid bill buoyed stocks this week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping by over 11% on Tuesday, its best day since 1933. Stocks continued to strengthen the following day, registering their first…

Key Takeaways

The one certainty of investing is that your portfolio will experience volatility.
Volatility can often lead to irrational decisions, such as exiting markets prematurely. Evidence shows that market timing is a poor investment strategy.
For long-term equity investors, the most powerful factor is time. An investor’s time horizon is directly correlated with the likelihood that his or her portfolio will experience a positive return.

The US stock markets entered bear market territory after coronavirus was declared a pandemic, ending the longest bull market in US history just days after its 11th anniversary. The bear market reflects a 20 percent drop from record highs. Looking forward, a sustained rally will likely require three key developments. First, evidence of a successful virus containment in developed markets. Second, clarity on the economic impact of the virus, and finally a concerted global policy response. Market volatility is likely to remain as progress towards these three developments continue, leaving investors wondering… Read More

More Coronavirus Volatility

The stock market suffered through another volatile week as it wrestled with the health and economic fallout of the domestic spread of the coronavirus. Swift and decisive actions by the Federal Reserve and policy responses from the federal government did not keep stocks from recording losses for the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 17.3%, while the Standard & Poor 500 lost 14.98%. The Nasdaq Composite index declined 12.64% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 6.64%.

The stock market continued its retreat amid fears of a darkening economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic. Despite a Sunday night announcement by the Federal Reserve that it was cutting its…

Volatility Continues

Markets remained exceptionally volatile, buffeted by the spreading impact of coronavirus, uncertain responses from federal policymakers, and the sudden drop in oil prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 10.36%, while the S&P 500 declined 8.79%. The Nasdaq Composite index slid 8.18% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, dropped 17.75%.

A dispute between Saudi Arabia and Russia over oil production cuts, mounting fears of the coronavirus, the declaration of the COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, and the news of a travel ban from…

As the Coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, so do phishing attacks disguised as helpful information on the outbreak. Security experts report an uptick in phishing messages being sent to businesses and individuals on the topic. Many appear to be checklists and fact-sheets PDFs with information on cleaning or remote work. Clicking on these links or attachments will instead download malware on your machine that can hold your data for ransom or act as spyware.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also reports that hackers are sending phishing emails appearing to come from the WHO. The organization has reminded people that it will never require you to log in to view safety information or email attachments you did not request.

How to avoid identity theft this tax season

Verify the sender: Hover your mouse over the “from” line to detect the true sender. If you do not recognize the email address or it does match the organization it claims to be from, do not click.
Check all links: Before clicking on any links in the email, hover your mouse over the URL or button to ensure the link is going where it says it is.
Do not open attachments: Do not open any attachments from an unsolicited email or if you are unsure.
When in doubt, delete: If you are unsure, delete the email and contact the sender or organization directly to verify that they sent the information.

Be vigilant online and remember the 10-second EMAIL rule: Examine Message and Inspect Link. If you receive an attachment or link in an unsolicited email—do not…

Rallies and Retreats

Heightened coronavirus fears, falling yields, and Super Tuesday primary results sent stocks on a rollercoaster ride of sharp price swings, leaving stocks marginally higher for the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average improved 1.79%; the S&P 500, 0.61%; the Nasdaq Composite, 0.10%. Outside the U.S., developed equity markets tracked by the MSCI EAFE Index rose 2.60%.

Wednesday morning, the Federal Reserve lowered its short-term interest rate by 0.5% to a range of 1.00%-1.25%, making its biggest cut since 2008. Addressing the media, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said…

The Virus Becomes the Focus

Stocks fell sharply last week as Wall Street considered how the coronavirus outbreak might influence global business activity and household spending.

The selloff became a correction for the U.S. markets. The S&P 500 retreated 11.49%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 12.36%; the Nasdaq Composite, 10.54%. The MSCI EAFE, tracking developed stock markets outside North America, had fallen 6.75% week-over-week by Friday’s closing bell.

On Friday afternoon, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that central bank officials were willing to…

Welcome to your February Savvy Cybersecurity newsletter. As always, we saw many cybersecurity happenings this month including breaches at Sprint, Google Photos, and more.
Read on to learn more about the cybersecurity happenings this month including:

How to avoid identity theft this tax season
An update on the Equifax breach
What you must do to your Google Nest devices
A new USPS scam making the rounds
And more

How to avoid identity theft this tax season

Tax identity theft has been on the decline in recent years due mostly to education and outreach, but many individuals, businesses, and tax preparers still fall victim to tax-related fraud every year. This type of fraud can vary from fraudulent tax returns to phishing messages asking for tax information. Last year, there was a spike in phishing messages sent to tax preparers attempting to get client information.
This year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has created Identity Theft Central, a new webpage to help individuals, businesses, and tax preparers prevent tax identity theft and handle it if… Read More

Virus Anxieties Affect Stocks

Traders paid close attention to coronavirus developments and earnings last week, while wondering how the former might eventually impact the latter. Concern over updated infection numbers moderated risk appetite.

A pair of key stock benchmarks posted similar weekly losses. In New York, the S&P 500 declined 1.25%; the MSCI EAFE index (of developed stock markets away from North America) lost 1.24%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 1.38% for the four-day trading week; the Nasdaq Composite, 1.59%.

Last month, members of the Federal Open Market Committee felt the near-term outlook for the economy had improved slightly since the last Fed meeting in December. The minutes did note that the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak “warranted close watching.” Some analysts have wondered, if the coronavirus threat…

Table of Contents

Congress Approves Stimulus

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

More Coronavirus Volatility

Table of Contents

Volatility Continues

How to avoid identity theft this tax season

Table of Contents

Rallies and Retreats

Table of Contents

The Virus Becomes the Focus

How to avoid identity theft this tax season

Table of Contents

Virus Anxieties Affect Stocks