Inflation slows, yields peak, the market pops, and fizzles into the holiday. – C.J. Lawrence – Market Commentary – 12/19/22

As we prepare for the holiday, the market looks like stale Champagne. There was an initial 900-point pop in the DOW on the better inflation number for November (CPI) at 7.1%. Markets were ready to pop the cork and declare inflation dead. That quickly fizzled when Fed Chair Jay Powell delivered anoth...
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Fed blinks; Inflation cools; America votes; China buys vaccines; Crypto implodes; Putin retreats. – C.J. Lawrence Market Commentary 11/11/2022

Turning to the September inflation report, headline CPI year-on-year for September was down slightly at 8.2%, in line with the previous three declines.  The all-important core inflation which excludes food and energy was unfortunately up again....
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Two steps forward, two steps back. High inflation remains front and center. – C.J. Lawrence – Market Commentary – 10/7/2022

Markets finished the week up 1.8%.  Recent economic data continues to be good for workers and bad for markets. We are still adding jobs at a healthy 250,000+ monthly rate.  The unemployment rate remains at a very low 3.5%.  This is consistent with tight labor markets and continued inflationary pr...
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Relative Strength Indicator (RSI) Back to Extreme Oversold Condition – C.J. Lawrence Market Commentary – 9/23/2022

It has been a tough couple of weeks for the bulls. The S&P500 is back to the June low at 3693, wiping out the strong momentum we saw in August and back to extreme oversold conditions as measured by the relative strength indicator (RSI).  The culprit is core inflation or what is often called PCE...
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Back to Work for Labor Day! Introducing INFLATION PROOF Investing 1.0 – C.J. Lawrence Market Commentary – September 2, 2022

We had another strong employment report today. August added another 315,000 jobs, ahead of expectations. Labor force participation also rose to 62%, indicating that workers are returning to work. As a result of the higher labor force participation, the unemployment rate rose to a very low 3.7%. This...
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Reversal of Fortune? Dr. Copper pointing to lower inflation ahead. – C.J. Lawrence – Market Commentary – June 25, 2022

Markets on Wednesday rejoiced with a nice broad-based rally once the Fed confirmed the 75bps raise to the Fed Funds rate at its regular meeting. Fed Funds now stand at 1.50-1.75%. Even the Swiss National Banksurprised, raising rates by 50bp, a first in 15 years, lifting negative rates from -0.75% to...
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Expensive Turkeys and Supply Chain Glimmers, Terry Gardner, CJ Lawrence Market Comment 11.22.21 – YouTube Video & Transcript

In this video, C.J. Lawrence Portfolio Strategist, Terry Gardner, discusses the strong 1Q21 results being delivered by S&P 500 companies, examines profit margins and margin expectations, assesses the "market playbook", and advocates investing in IRP (Innovation at a Reasonable Price)....
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Strong Earnings, Peak Margins, and 2022 Headwinds, Terry Gardner, CJ Lawrence Market Comment 11.3.21 – YouTube Video & Transcript

In this video, C.J. Lawrence Portfolio Strategist, Terry Gardner, discusses the strong 1Q21 results being delivered by S&P 500 companies, examines profit margins and margin expectations, assesses the "market playbook", and advocates investing in IRP (Innovation at a Reasonable Price)....
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Post Election Market Commentary & Outlook by Bernhard Koepp – C.J. Lawrence – 11/10/2020 – YouTube Video & Transcript

In this video, Bernhard Koepp, CEO of C.J. Lawrence discusses his economic outlook post election, the game-changing covid-19 vaccine and its implications for GDP growth in 2021, potential black swan events, worries about inflation and the US Dollar, as well as the debate on growth versus value inves...
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Climbing the Wall of Worry – by Bernhard Koepp – YouTube Video & Transcript

In this video, Bernhard Koepp, CEO of C.J. Lawrence discusses discusses 6 points: 1) Market nearing a new high; positive fundamentals remain with the crowded trade. 2) Economy- The parade of eye-popping Q2-GDP data is out but GDP outlook looks positive; Inflation – “Fed will tolerate higher infl...
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C.J. Lawrence Weekly – Economic Fears Feed Market Volatility but Slow Stable Growth and Tame Inflation Could Be Bullish for Stocks in 2019

Positioning portfolios for next year and beyond will be challenging for top down investors and managers. The 2019 and 2020 economic and corporate profit outlooks are murky and investors who remember the sting of the 2008 downtown may choose to remain in safe ports rather than face the risk that the...
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C.J. Lawrence Weekly Market Comment – Growth Remains Attractive…Comparisons to the “Nifty Fifty” and Internet Bubble Periods Miss the Mark

Some growth doubters have likened today’s environment to that of the “Nifty Fifty” period in the 1970s, or to the new economy stock mania in the late 1990s prior to the bursting of the internet bubble. But deeper analysis suggests that those comparisons don’t stand up. The original “Nift...
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C.J. Lawrence Weekly Market Comment – Supply-Demand Imbalance Bodes Well for Rebound in Housing Related Stocks

The growth in the pace of housing completions, now at a 1.26 million seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR), suggests that the U.S. housing market remains under-supplied and is only inching its way back to balance. At the same time, millennials are entering the housing market at a rapid pace, h...
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C.J. Lawrence Weekly – The Tug‐of‐War Between Lower Valuations and Faster Earnings Growth Still Skews Towards Growth

The race between earnings growth rates and the rate of decline in the market’s P/E multiple is on. Along the way, the 10-30 year treasury bond spread may provide insights into the appropriate market multiple to apply. The challenge for equity investors will be to find stocks with earnings growth r...
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