Equities ended the week lower as investors digested hawkish sentiment from Thursday's Federal Reserve meeting and considered compounding economic threats.

It is quite normal for investors to occasionally check the balance of their investment accounts. After all, that balance is often the result of a lifetime spent working hard, saving well and delayed gratification; and can serve as a good barometer for financial health.

Equities ended the week relatively flat as investors digested a bevy of economic data and news releases. Continued uncertainty regarding the path of monetary policy and elevated bond yields challenged higher valuation multiples. Style trends reversed as value outperformed growth while size factors were mixed with mid-cap stocks underperforming large and small-cap.

Equities retreated last week as the economy continued to show strength. Despite a relatively light week for economic releases, market participants once again prepare for the possibility of further rate hikes.

U.S. stock indexes rallied on a mix of economic data. Indications of moderating inflation and a loosening labor market gave investors confidence that the Fed rate hiking cycle is nearing the end.

Time is perhaps the most influential piece in the financial planning puzzle. In his days, Albert Einstein contributed extensively to humanity’s understanding of the complexities of time, and he has provided some of the absolute best, uncomplicated, explanations of what time is and represents.

Earlier this year the dreaded “R” word - Recession - was on everyone’s mind. And with good reason. Fears of a recession have subsided as the US economy has remained buoyant. Analysts are lately forecasting that 2023 will end on a high note giving hope to investors of clawing back some of the nest egg value lost in last year’s decline.

U.S. stock indexes ended the volatile week mixed as investors were left to digest mixed economic signals and debate the course of monetary policy.

U.S. stock indexes closed the week with losses as sentiment appears to have taken a hit from the sharp increase in longer-term bond yields, and fears of a sharp slowdown in China have grown.