Phillips and Company Wealth Strategies

The wall of worry investors are facing continues to expand, and as we wrote last week, the policy volatility is not alleviating any tension. However, much of the worry is still noise. https://lnkd.in/dFCnQedR

As discussed in last week’s post, the Friday charts on inflation told us a lot about the direction of interest rates and the economy. Fortunately, according to the Federal Reserve’s favored indicator (PCE), inflation is back to trending favorably. https://lnkd.in/gFmkr9Hv

This week, all eyes are on the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, with the January 2025 data set to drop on Friday, February 28th. As of today, economists and market watchers are buzzing with expectations – and for good reason. Inflation trends shape Fed policy, stock valuations, bond yields, and even the U.S. dollar's strength. Let's break down what's anticipated and how markets might react. https://lnkd.in/gDwC45Tm

I often have to catch myself when things look a little grey on the macro picture. We’ve had a spate of economic releases and earnings expectations that suggest maybe things are slowing, or at least not as rosy as we would like. https://lnkd.in/gziUHpP2

As we enter another busy week of economic brinkmanship with tariffs, tax proposals, and spending cuts, it might be time to frame the mathematical challenge. https://lnkd.in/gnE-yTNi

This weekend, President Trump announced broad-reaching tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China. The measures include a 25% tariff on almost all goods from Canada (excluding energy resources) and Mexico, along with an additional 10% tariff on goods from China. Canada has already announced retaliatory measures, and Mexico indicated they will make an announcement soon. https://lnkd.in/gSmserUj

Meet Kristin Anderson, Operations Specialist https://lnkd.in/g7WbcdWP

Despite this morning’s market turbulence sparked by Chinese startup DeepSeek’s low-cost AI model challenging tech valuations, the latest wave of Q4 earnings reports has injected fresh optimism into market sentiment, particularly following upbeat results from major financial institutions in the first two weeks of reporting. https://conta.cc/40R5oeH

Meet Serah Pope, Accounting Associate https://lnkd.in/gwqrFA-s

Standing at the threshold of one of the most anticipated periods on the financial calendar – corporate earnings season – we find ourselves getting back to what matters most for equity markets. This time of the year, companies from various sectors open their books, unveiling their financial performance for the quarter. It is a moment that holds the potential to sway market sentiment, influence stock prices, and provide a plethora of insights into the broader economic landscape. https://lnkd.in/gsG2YRsF