May was a good month, with financial markets around the world rising and strong gains in the U.S. Still, we’ve had political and economic concerns, with the first quarter of the year being quite slow. But the data in May suggests this slowdown was temporary: Jobs came back, consumer spending was up, and consumer confidence remained high. We also saw growth in business investment.

April was another good month for markets around the world. Although worry over the French election weighed on performance, markets rallied in the last week of the month as a centrist candidate secured a spot in the final round. 

Yet again, all I can say is wow. It was a decent month and a great quarter for markets, both in the U.S. and around the world.

February was another "wow" month for markets. All three major U.S. indices rose substantially, and markets around the world also did quite well.

Last month was a great month for stock markets, and from a financial market perspective, the world is in good shape. In fact, we’re seeing the first synchronized global expansion since the financial crisis. So, what’s the problem?

Last month was all about confidence: for the consumer, for business, and in the stock market.

Looking back on last month, the first word that comes to mind is wow . . .

As expected, October was a tough month for markets, as uncertainty surrounding the upcoming election and the future of interest rates continued to rattle investors.

September was a volatile month, with markets dropping only to bounce back at month-end. Large companies in the S&P 500 were down slightly, while smaller companies and those outside of the U.S. did well. Plus, as I discuss in this month's Market Thoughts video, there was a larger-than-expected pullback in the service sector, yet consumer confidence reached a nine-year high.

August was a quiet but good month, as indices and the stock market were up in the U.S. and abroad. Hiring was strong, consumer confidence surprised to the upside, and consumer spending continued to grow. Still, as I discuss in this month's Market Thoughts video, the big questions concern volatility: Why is volatility so low, and is it going to continue?