The Independent Market Observer

Sam Millette

Sam Millette is director, fixed income, on the Investment Management and Research team at Commonwealth. With the firm since 2013, he manages the fixed income research team, responds to advisor requests, analyzes individual bonds, and authors market research and commentary. Sam graduated from Tufts University with a degree in economics and is a member of the CFA Society Boston.

Recent Posts

Monday Update: October Retail Sales Disappoint

November 23, 2020

Last week saw a number of important economic data releases, with a disappointing October retail sales report and strong housing market updates serving as highlights. This week will be busy, as well as holiday-shortened, with a focus on November’s consumer confidence reports, the first look at durable goods orders in October, and the monthly personal income and spending reports.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: Inflation Remains Muted in October

November 16, 2020

Last week was relatively quiet on the economic update front, with a focus on October’s inflation reports, the weekly initial claims report, and the first look at consumer confidence in November. This week will be busier, with releases on retail sales, industrial production, and housing.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: September Employment Exceeds Expectations

November 9, 2020

Last week saw a number of important economic updates, with a focus on October’s business confidence and employment reports. The job report was a highlight, as more jobs were added during the month than expected and unemployment fell notably. This week will be relatively quiet, with updates focusing on inflation, the weekly jobless claims report, and the first look at consumer sentiment for November.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update (on Tuesday): Economic Data Shows Continuing Recovery

November 3, 2020

Last week was filled with economic updates, with reports that touched on various important sectors of the economy. The data was largely positive, with better-than-expected results for durable goods orders, the third-quarter GDP report, and September’s personal income and spending reports serving as highlights. This week will be another busy one for updates, with a focus on business confidence and the October jobs report.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: Housing Continues to Shine

October 26, 2020

Last week was relatively quiet on the economic update front, with a major focus on the housing market. Home builder sentiment and new home construction continued to show solid growth, supported by low mortgage rates and strong sales. This week will be jam-packed with updates touching on wide swaths of the economy.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: September Retail Sales Beat Expectations

October 19, 2020

Last week was packed with economic updates, with reports largely coming in mixed. Better-than-expected results for retail sales and consumer confidence were offset by rising initial unemployment claims and a disappointing decline in industrial production. This week’s news will largely focus on housing, with updates scheduled on home builder confidence, new home construction, and existing home sales.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: Service Sector Confidence Rises in September

October 12, 2020

Last week was relatively quiet on the economic update front, with reports on service sector confidence, the international trade balance, and initial jobless claims serving as highlights. This week will be busier, with updates focusing on September’s inflation, retail spending, and industrial production.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: September Employment Report Disappoints

October 5, 2020

Last week was filled with economic updates touching on broad swaths of the economy as we prepared to kick off the fourth quarter of 2020. Reports were mixed, with better-than-expected consumer confidence and spending data contrasting with a disappointing September jobs report. This will be a quiet week for economic updates, with reports scheduled to cover service sector confidence, the international trade balance, and the weekly initial jobless claims report.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: Housing Sales Keep Improving

September 28, 2020

Last week was relatively quiet on the economic update front, with a focus on August’s housing sales and durable goods orders reports. This week will be packed with economic updates, with a focus on consumer and manufacturer confidence and the September jobs report.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Monday Update: Retail Sales Slow in August

September 21, 2020

Last week was packed with economic updates, with a focus on housing, consumer confidence and spending, and the results from the Fed’s September meeting. The news for consumers was mixed, with better-than-expected confidence in September helping to calm concerns about slower sales growth in August. This week will be less busy for economic updates, with reports primarily focused on housing sales and durable goods orders.

Continue reading → Leave a comment

Subscribe via Email

Crash-Test Investing

Hot Topics



New Call-to-action

Conversations

Archives

see all

Subscribe


Disclosure

The information on this website is intended for informational/educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Please contact your financial professional for more information specific to your situation.

Certain sections of this commentary contain forward-looking statements that are based on our reasonable expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average performance of 500 widely held common stocks. All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly in an index.

The MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australia, Far East) Index is a free float‐adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada. The MSCI EAFE Index consists of 21 developed market country indices.

One basis point (bp) is equal to 1/100th of 1 percent, or 0.01 percent.

The VIX (CBOE Volatility Index) measures the market’s expectation of 30-day volatility across a wide range of S&P 500 options.

The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio divides the current share price of the index by its estimated future earnings.

Third-party links are provided to you as a courtesy. We make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided on these websites. Information on such sites, including third-party links contained within, should not be construed as an endorsement or adoption by Commonwealth of any kind. You should consult with a financial advisor regarding your specific situation.

Member FINRASIPC

Please review our Terms of Use

Commonwealth Financial Network®