Friday, 3/20/2026 p.m.

• Stocks close lower amid geopolitical uncertainty and higher bond yields – U.S. equity markets closed sharply lower on Friday, weighed down by rising bond yields and persistent geopolitical uncertainty. The 10-year Treasury yield closed just below 4.4%, up from below 4.0% at the end of February, as higher oil prices have pushed inflation expectations higher and reduced expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. On the geopolitical front, oil prices edged higher amid continued uncertainty over the duration of the conflict, following reports that the U.S. is increasing military support in the Middle East. In terms of market leadership, energy and financials were the only S&P 500 sectors to finish higher, while interest-rate-sensitive sectors such as utilities and real estate, along with growth-oriented sectors such as technology, were among the laggards. The U.S. dollar strengthened against a basket of currencies and has risen by roughly 2% in March, reflecting its traditional role as a safe-haven asset during periods of uncertainty.
   
• Earnings expectations holding steady despite uncertainty – The conflict involving Iran has contributed to recent market volatility, with the S&P 500 closing 5% below its January 27 all-time high yesterday. That said, we would remind investors that volatility and market pullbacks are a normal part of investing and that, historically, geopolitical conflicts have generally had only a short-term and limited effect on financial markets. On average, the S&P 500 experiences approximately three 5% pullbacks and one 10% pullback each calendar year.** Meanwhile, expectations for earnings growth in 2026 remain constructive. S&P 500 earnings are projected to grow by nearly 17% in 2026, supported by continued strength in the technology sector. Earnings growth is expected to be healthy overseas as well, with MSCI ACWI ex USA earnings forecast to rise by nearly 18% this year. In our view, opportunities in equity markets remain attractive, and we continue to favor U.S. equities, emerging-market equities, and developed international small- and mid-cap equities.
   
• Global monetary policy in focus – Monetary policy was in focus this week, as central banks in the U.S., Canada, Japan, the euro zone, and the United Kingdom all concluded their March meetings and opted to leave policy rates unchanged. Global bond markets were under pressure following a shift in tone from the Bank of England (BoE). While the BoE’s February monetary policy summary suggested a path of gradual easing, the March summary struck a more hawkish tone, removing commentary around expectations for future rate cuts and instead emphasizing the need to return inflation to its 2% target. The U.K. 2-year government bond yield rose 0.26% yesterday and has increased more than 0.7% this month. The Bank of Canada and the European Central Bank each struck a more measured tone, underscoring a wait-and-see approach, while the Bank of Japan signaled that it would likely continue raising interest rates if economic activity evolves broadly in line with its expectations. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve also released an updated set of economic projections at this week’s meeting, raising its forecasts for headline and core inflation in 2026, citing upward pressure on goods prices from tariffs and higher oil prices.* Despite the firmer inflation outlook, policymakers maintained their projection for one interest-rate cut in 2026.* In our view, the Fed’s rate-cutting cycle remains intact but has likely been delayed, with cuts now unlikely until later in 2026 or 2027.

Brock Weimer, CFA ;
Investment Strategy

^{Source for all data not cited: FactSet. 
Source for data cited: *Federal Open Market Committee, March 2026 Summary of Economic Projections
**FactSet, Edward Jones.} 

Thursday, 3/19/2026 p.m.

• Markets close lower amid energy supply concerns – Equity markets finished lower on Thursday, with pullbacks in materials and consumer discretionary stocks leading the decline. In international markets, Asia and Europe were also down. In energy markets, WTI oil pulled back from its recent high as Israel's Prime Minister commented that Israel would support U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Despite near-term volatility, we continue to see opportunities across markets and asset classes. Within equities, we favor U.S. large- and mid-cap stocks, supported by robust AI‑related capital investment and steady U.S. economic growth. We think the recent pullback in international markets could present an attractive entry point for long‑term investors. We favor international developed small‑ and mid‑caps and emerging‑market equities, which could benefit from relatively attractive valuations and healthy global earnings growth expected in 2026. Within fixed income, international bonds can add diversification through exposure to different economic and interest-rate cycles, while emerging-market debt may also enhance income.
   
• Jobless claims lower than expected – Initial jobless claims ticked down to 205,000 this past week, below the 215,000 consensus. Continuing claims — reflecting the total number of people receiving benefits — rose modestly to 1.86 million, as expected, suggesting some workers are taking longer to find new employment. We think these trends remain consistent with a stabilizing labor market. Slower job creation alongside a moderate pace of layoffs should help keep wage gains running above inflation. However elevated oil prices could push inflation higher, at least temporarily, potentially raising the bar for real wage gains.
   
• Bond yields tick lower – Bond yields declined modestly, with the 10-year Treasury yield near 4.26%. However, the broader trend in recent weeks has been higher. Over half of that increase is attributable to rising inflation expectations, a key component of bond yields. Market-implied 10-year inflation expectations in Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) markets have climbed about 15 basis points (0.15%) this month to 2.4%. Bond markets are also reflecting the view that higher inflation — partially influenced by rising oil prices — could delay Fed rate cuts. Markets have pushed back the implied timing for the next rate cut out to September 2027, followed by another in December*. That would represent a slower pace of easing than the Fed's latest projections released just yesterday**. We think the Fed remains positioned to continue cutting rates, though the path will likely be gradual. The steady labor backdrop should allow policymakers more time to confirm that the Fed's preferred personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation — currently 2.8% — is easing sustainably toward the 2% target before proceeding with additional cuts.

Brian Therien, CFA ;
Investment Strategy

^{Source for all data not cited: FactSet. Source for data cited: *CME FedWatch **U.S. Federal Reserve}

Wednesday, 3/18/2026 p.m.

• Markets close lower as Fed holds rates steady – Equity markets finished lower on Wednesday, as producer price inflation through February came in hotter than expected at 3.4% annualized. Declines in consumer staples and consumer discretionary stocks led the pullback. In international markets, Asia finished higher overnight — led by South Korea's Kospi index — while Europe was down. The U.S. dollar strengthened against major currencies, as investors likely seek the relative stability of the world's reserve currency. In energy markets, WTI oil traded higher as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East constrain supply. We continue to see opportunities across markets and asset classes. Within equities, we favor U.S. large- and mid-cap stocks, which we believe stand to benefit from their higher quality and broadening leadership. We also see potential in international developed small- and mid-cap and emerging-market equities, supported by global economic resilience and relatively attractive valuations. Within fixed income, we think international bonds can add diversification through exposure to different economic and interest-rate cycles, while emerging-market debt may also enhance income.
   
• Fed holds rates steady, as expected - The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concluded its March meeting today, holding the target range for the federal funds rate steady at 3.5%-3.75%, in line with forecasts. The Fed also updated its quarterly projections, maintaining its expectations for the Fed funds rate, still indicating one cut this year and another next year. FOMC hiked its outlook for inflation for 2026 and 2027, citing the temporary impact of higher oil prices and lingering tariff effects, while upgrading its estimate on stronger expected productivity. Monetary policy appears roughly neutral, with the fed funds rate near 3.65% and the Fed's preferred personal consumption expenditure (PCE) inflation measure at 2.8%. A neutral policy rate is generally estimated to be 0.75%-1% above inflation*. Bond yields rose, with the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield at 4.27%. We still think the Fed remains on its rate-cutting path, likely moving the policy rate into the 3.25%-3.5% range by year-end. However, the labor market that is characterized by slower hiring and fewer layoffs should give policymakers more time to confirm that PCE is cooling sustainably toward the 2% target before delivering additional cuts. Additional monetary policy easing should help gradually reduce borrowing costs for households and businesses, likely supporting consumer spending and corporate earnings.
   
• Producer price inflation higher than expected – Producer price index (PPI) inflation rose to 3.4% annualized through February, above expectations to hold steady at 2.7%. More than half of the February rise in wholesale prices were attributable to services, which are up 3.8% year-over-year. We believe these readings indicate that inflation pressures remain sticky. Wholesale inflation is now significantly higher than CPI at 2.4%, even before factoring in higher energy prices. Because some components of PPI feed through to PCE, the Fed is likely to remain cautious over the near-term, in our view.

Brian Therien, CFA ;
Investment Strategy

^{Source for all data not cited: FactSet. Source for data cited: * Federal Reserve Bank of New York}

Tuesday, 3/17/2026 p.m.

• Markets build on Monday's rally – Equity and bond markets moved tentatively higher today despite a rise in oil prices, building on the improvement in sentiment seen yesterday. WTI hit $96 per barrel at close despite bullish comments from President Trump that the conflict in Iran was moving way ahead of schedule, with markets reacting to news of attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East overnight. The S&P 500 index was up 0.3% over the day, with the small cap Russel 2000 index reporting a firmer 0.7% gain. This more upbeat tone continues to help push bond yields lower, with the 10-year U.S. Treasury note down 2 basis point today (0.02%) and around 10 basis points over the week so far (0.1%). Finally, we are seeing the dollar give back some of the safe-haven driven gains seen during the latest geopolitical shock, with the greenback now down 0.75% from its peak against a basket of trade weighted currencies.
   
• Gas prices continue to rise – Elevated oil prices continue to translate into higher prices at the pump for American households. The daily national average unleaded gasoline price has now risen to $3.80 per gallon, a full dollar higher than the 2026 low seen in January. In those states with the highest gas prices, like California, the cost of gas hit $5.50 yesterday. This means that the average cost of filling the tank of a midsize SUV in the U.S has risen by around $15 so far during the Iran crisis, and further increases are possible as we continue to see a pass through from higher crude oil. Then good news is that gas accounts for just 3% of total consumer spending according to weights used in the CPI basket, around half the share seen a decade ago on account of lower prices and shifting consumption patterns. However, higher energy prices will be felt across other inflation components, with diesel prices, a key input for freight, agriculture and construction, rising above $5 per gallon for the first time since 2022. The hope is that a relatively short-lived spike in these costs will limit their size, persistence and economic/market implications.
   
• Central banks in focus – We will get a sense of central bank reactions to the oil price shock this week amid a flood of central bank meetings. The Fed will garner most attention, with markets having responded to the spike in oil prices by trimming expectations for interest rate cuts, with current pricing pointing to just one 25 basis point (0.25%) cut later this year. This is consistent with forecasts provided by FOMC members back in December, and it will be interesting to see if the committee's median forecast at this meeting continues to point to at least some further policy easing in 2026. We think a spike in short term inflation will make the Fed more cautious around cuts in coming months, but still see room for a cut later this year should oil prices moderate from here. Elsewhere, we look forward to central bank meetings in Europe (UK, Eurozone, Sweden) and Japan, with market attention turning to potential hikes in these markets. We suspect these central banks will tread carefully given the potential fragility of local growth to higher oil prices, even as inflation spikes in the short term. The same dynamic applies in Canada, where the Bank of Canada will meet this week, and we do not expect policy tightening this year given signs of weak domestic activity rates.

James McCann ;
Investment Strategy

^{Source for all data: Bloomberg, FactSet.} 

Monday, 3/16/2026 p.m.

• Stocks and bonds bounce on lower oil – Markets started the week on the front foot helped by a decline in WTI oil to $94 per barrel. The dip in oil prices reflected rising hopes that more oil tankers will be able to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. allowing Iran to ship its oil through this channel. President Trump meanwhile called on U.S. allies to send warships to help escort tariff through the Strait, although none have, as yet, offered this support. Finally, the International Energy Agency has signaled that it could release more energy reserves if needed. The S&P 500 index jumped 1% over the session, bringing the decline in this U.S. benchmark large cap index to just over 2% year-to-date. Lower oil prices also provided some relief in bond markets which have struggled in recent weeks, with a rally across the yield curve helping push yields on U.S. government bonds 4-5 basis points lower (0.04%-0.05%). Finally, the dollar, which has performed well during the latest geopolitical shock, depreciated today amid a more upbeat tone in markets.
   
• Signs of improving manufacturing momentum – before the latest shock – The manufacturing sector built on its strong start to 2026 in February, with output up 0.2%m/m, adding to an upward revised 0.8%m/m gain in January. This matches the better tone we have seen reported in manufacturing survey data, with the ISM manufacturing PMI pointing to a renewed expansion in a sector hit by trade policy uncertainty last year. More broadly, Q1 U.S. GDP growth looks to be tracking a strong start to the year through January and February data, with fading in government shutdown disruptions also likely to boost growth. However, it remains to be seen how large a dent to short term activity the latest oil shock, and uncertainty around the geopolitical outlook, will generate. The Empire State manufacturing sentiment survey for March deteriorated more than expected this morning, although this was driven by worse current conditions as opposed to expectations for future activity. We will be watching a wider sweep of survey data this month to try and understand how businesses are reacting to the threat of higher energy prices.
   
• Fed in focus this week – The Fed meets on Wednesday in the face of uncertainty over the outlook for oil and associated short term inflation pressures. Markets have responded to the spike in oil prices seen thus far by trimming their expectations for interest rate cuts, with current pricing pointing to just one 25 basis point (0.25%) rate cut later this year. This is consistent with the forecasts provided by FOMC members back in December, and it will be interesting to see if the committee's median forecast at this meeting continues to point to at least some further policy easing. Additionally, we will be listening carefully for hints from Chair Powell around how the Fed might balance the upside risk to inflation and downside risk to growth from an oil price shock. However, there are a couple of reasons to take any signals from this meeting with a pinch of last. First, a swing in oil prices in either direction could quickly change the Fed's thinking, and second, markets might slightly discount messages from Powell Chair given this will be one of the last of his term.

James McCann ;
Investment Strategy

^{Source for all data: Bloomberg, FactSet, Atlanta Fed.}