Do I think there’s a market pullback ahead? I appeared on CNBC’s Power Lunch on Friday to discuss this and more. 

Last week, economic updates were largely positive, with seven of the eight releases beating forecasts. This week will be very quiet, with only two major updates scheduled, both on Monday morning.  

Do I think we’re going to avoid a recession next year? I discussed this and more today on Yahoo Finance’s On the Move.

Last week, the Fed left interest rates unchanged at its final meeting of the year. Muted inflation and falling unemployment support this wait-and-see approach from the central bank. This week will be filled with economic updates, including reports on the housing sector and industrial production. Regarding consumers, we’ll get a look at income, spending, and confidence numbers.

This morning, the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary voted to advance two articles of impeachment against President Trump to a vote by the full House of Representatives. The forthcoming event will mark only the fourth time in U.S. history that the full House has been set to consider impeaching a president. If, as is likely, the House votes to impeach, the trial will take place in the Senate, where President Trump is expected to be acquitted. Although this political shock from Washington, DC, has been widely anticipated, it’s still driving headlines now that it has occurred. But, despite the frenzy, it’s an open question whether we should care. As citizens, we certainly should. As investors—no. 

Last week, we saw a number of important economic updates as we kicked off December. Business confidence fell unexpectedly last month, but a better-than-expected jobs report and increased consumer confidence bode well for future growth. This will be a relatively quiet week for economic updates, with November’s inflation figures and the retail sales report highlighting the release calendar.

What should we expect from the markets in 2020? Yesterday, I appeared on CNBC's The Exchange to discuss this and much more.

Last week was filled with economic updates, as we finished out the month of November. The highlight was the second estimate of third-quarter GDP growth, which showed faster economic growth than previously reported. This week, data releases will focus on business and consumer confidence, international trade, and November’s employment report.

Brad here. Today, we’re launching a new monthly column in which members of Commonwealth’s Investment Management and Research team will share their learnings and viewpoints on various topics with you. Our first post is from Nicholas Follett, manager of fixed income. Enjoy!

Last week, the housing sector continued its recent rebound, as low interest rates and increasing consumer confidence helped deliver potential home buyers to the market. Despite the holiday, this week will be busy again. Tuesday and Wednesday are packed with economic updates as we head toward month-end.