Markets were volatile in the third quarter as investors faced political turmoil and increased uncertainty about future economic growth, but the return of Fed rate cuts and solid corporate earnings helped to offset those political and economic anxieties, and the S&P 500 hit another new all-time high and finished the quarter with strong gains. In the third quarter, we began to see other stocks (the 493) participate in the stock market’s rise. Learn more.

Way back in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act established a brand new program to encourage investment into economically disadvantaged communities. This program, called the Qualified Opportunity Zone program, offered real tax incentives for investors through potentially deferred gains, a step up in basis, and tax-free growth. At the outset, investors with large realized capital gains were given the opportunity to reinvest and potentially save more by holding onto their investment longer; but with the capital gains tax deferral deadline coming up on December 31, 2026, can it still make sense to look at Opportunity Zones for tax savings? The first step in answering this question is to understand what is a Qualified Opportunity Zone and how investors interact with them. Learn more.

While "The Few, The Proud, The Marines" is a recruiting slogan for the U.S. Marine Corps, in the stock market, the “Few and the Proud” have been the “Magnificent 7” stocks (Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla) and their performance reminds one of the stampeding effects of charging elephants. Like these large pachyderms, the “Mag 7” have run roughshod over the broad stock market this year and have left most other stocks lagging far behind. Much of the excitement surrounding these companies is focused on their dominance in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment landscape. Learn more about our 2Q2024 market review.