INSIGHTS

The GameStop situation illustrates not only the unique risks associated with investing in a single company, but also the manufactured risks that can result from the activity of traders and investor behavior.

Despite the challenges that were unveiled in 2020, there are reasons for celebration. This was a year of massive scientific discovery and technological advance. In an extremely compressed time frame, the scientific community was able to produce a vaccine for COVID.

Positive developments around a COVID-19 vaccine were recently released which bolstered stocks and steepened the curve of government yields. A highly effective vaccine is expected to restore confidence and improve nominal growth.

Almost every component of GDP fired on all cylinders in the third quarter. Expenditures grew in consumer spending, housing, and in businesses as inventories and investments were rebuilt.

Investors are being pulled into stocks, which is good and can help retool the economy. This allows companies to access cheap capital through equity markets and make investments in labor and assets.

Some of the US stock indexes have gone on to meet new all-time highs in what was a surprisingly fast recovery. That is a pretty good leading indicator that the economy is moving in the right direction.

Despite the recent economic challenges, global equities have rebounded tremendously off of the deep lows experienced in March.

The magnitude of monetary stimulus in the economy has reignited the debate on inflation. Government debt markets are pricing in growing inflation expectations in the coming years.

The pandemic of COVID-19 remains a relevant topic weighing on the concerns of public-safety and in financial economics. Improvements in the number of daily cases are being made in North America and Europe, but new cases are growing in many of the emerging market economies.

US legislatures have passed multiple spending bills, which now exceed $3 trillion, since the start of the outbreak. The ability to get cash in the hands of Americans is crucial in times like this and it helps buy time when waiting for the next economic recovery.