David P. Nolan

Senior Investment Strategist

In his role as Senior Investment Strategist, David serves as the chair of the Investment Strategy Committee and is responsible for oversight of all McKinley Carter investment programs. He is also a member of our Risk Management Specialized Practice Group.

Licensing and Education

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Wake Forest University
Series 7 and Series 66 Licenses (1979-84)

Accomplishments and Honors

Prior to McKinley Carter, David worked for BB&T Corp. and its predecessors, serving as senior vice president and portfolio manager in the Asset Management (RIA) division where he managed multiple public equity mutual funds. He also managed an equity common trust fund that transitioned into a public mutual fund (1993) for 24 years. In 2006, the fund was named a "Category King" by the Wall Street Journal due to its status as a "Lipper Leader” for consistent, long-term performance.

David was named by West Virginia Executive Magazine as a member of the 2023 Sharp Shooters class in recognition of his career achievements and community involvement. He has appeared on CNBC TV, Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg Radio and was featured twice in The Wall Street Transcript. He has been quoted in other media outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Online, and Smart Money Online.

Community Involvement

David has been active in his church since 1979. He currently serves as chair of its Finance Committee. David has also chaired the Board of Trustees, Fellowship and Recreation Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and coached church league basketball for 41 years. He represents his church on the Charleston Church Recreation Association Board.

David served as the chair of the Investment Subcommittee of the Presbytery of WV and is a member of the Investment Committee of the YWCA of Charleston. He is also a former board member of the Charleston Children’s Theatre and Daymark (serving at-risk youth). Additionally, David has facilitated McKinley Carter’s status as the financial services advisor to the FPC Hope Center, a non-profit whose mission is to assist young adults in successfully transitioning out of foster care.

Selected Recognitions

2023: Senior Investment Strategist David Nolan Selected as 2023 WV Sharp Shooter Award Recipient by WV Executive Magazine

Selected Resources

David’s Articles

3d rendering humanoid robot analyze stock market 493806 6172

Investing

A.I.: Rise of the Markets

In the Terminator movie franchise, the third installment was titled Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and continued the original movie’s theme of how the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) would ultimately lead to the end of civilization, as AI would discover that it no longer had need of humans. Fortunately, as AI is still in its infancy, the stock market is pricing in only the positive aspects of the technology. While graphic chips provider Nvidia (up 82% in Q1) has served as the poster child for Artificial Intelligence investments, many other technology companies (such as Super Micro Computer – up 255% in Q1) with some connection, or perceived connection, to AI rallied strongly in the first quarter. This led to an overall positive market sentiment throughout the period that lifted the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ 100 higher.

Ultimately, we believe the most powerful trend in AI will be the productivity enhancements experienced by many companies across a wide swath of industries. Read more about our thoughts on market trends and our look ahead to the remainder of 2024.

Investing

Elvis Has Left the Building – Has the Fed Declared Mission Accomplished?

"Elvis has left the building" is a phrase that was often used by public address announcers at the conclusion of Elvis Presley concerts in order to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an encore.

With that in mind, we believe that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has strongly hinted that when it comes to the Fed’s rate-hiking cycle that began in March of 2022, Elvis (future rate hikes) has now “left the building.”

Read more about Senior Investment Strategist Dave Nolan's 4Q2023 market review and what may be ahead for 2024.

Investing

Tricks or Treats – What Comes Next?

As a kid, I always enjoyed Halloween. I would dress up in some particularly fun costume, usually something scary. As I went from house to house gathering candy with my friends, I would often see someone’s carved pumpkin lying in the road, clearly a victim of some hooligan’s prank. It was a reminder that, even in good times, negative influences exist around us.

Today, as we approach the Halloween holiday, we wonder whether the rest of the year will find our meticulously carved pumpkin (stock and bond) portfolios smashed on Wall Street. Just as we see on Halloween, there are now many frightening and disturbing “tricks” in the economy today, and we’re hoping to safely make it home (the end of the year) to enjoy what “treats” we hope to have in our investment bags.

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