Monthly Thoughts
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1Q 2026 Recap & 2Q 2026 Outlook
Jeffrey L. Corliss, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® CASL®Managing Director, Westport Key Updates on the Economy & Markets The first quarter was eventful for markets. Stocks traded higher to start the year, with the S&P 500 posting a modest gain in January. However, the market traded lower in March due to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle…
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Software Stocks, AI Disruption, and the Importance of Diversification
Jeffrey L. Corliss, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® CASL®Managing Director The software industry has declined nearly -30% from its peak last October, one of the largest non-recessionary drawdowns in over 30 years. Figure 1 puts the decline in historical context alongside the other major software selloffs. The two largest drawdowns before the current one, the dot-com bust…
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Market Leadership Broadens as Rotation Continues
Monthly Market Summary Market Leadership Continues to Broaden Amid Questions About AI’s Impact The rotation away from mega-cap tech stocks that started in January extended into February. While the S&P 500 traded lower, the average stock, as measured by the equal-weighted index, gained over +3%. The rotation was broad-based: small caps outperformed large caps, value…
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Why Two Identical Salaries Can Lead to Very Different Retirement Lifestyles
Jeffrey L. Corliss, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® CASL®Managing Director Many people spend their careers focused on reaching the next salary milestone or securing a promotion, but financial progress shouldn’t be measured by your paycheck alone. The decisions you make in your peak earning years are just as important as the size of your paycheck. One of…
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Stocks Trade Higher as Market Leadership Broadens
Jeffrey L. Corliss, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® CASL®Managing Director, Partner Monthly Market Summary Economic Activity Remains Solid Despite Weak Sentiment Economic data continues to highlight a widening gap between how people feel and how the economy is performing. Measures of real activity, such as retail sales and industrial production, indicate the economy ended 2025 with solid…
