Equity markets ended the quarter with modest gains as investors’ attention shifted between crises in Greece, China, and Puerto Rico. During the month of June the aforementioned captured headlines on a nearly daily basis, while discussions about the timing and amount of the Federal Reserve’s first rate hike took a back seat. Undoubtedly, each of these crises has its own set of extenuating circumstances and risks, but long term investors...
Few things can compete with a good book in the summertime. Whether you've migrated to the world of digital ink or prefer something in hard cover or paperback, finding a good book is a treasure, and these next few months offer an extra-special invitation to sit outside and get lost in absorbing stories and characters. One book flying off shelves (and servers) right now is David McCullough’s “The Wright Brothers,”...
Managing Director Brian Crawford recently sat down with Privcap, a media company serving participants in the global private capital markets, to share Colonial’s insights about investing for foundations and endowments and considerations for investing in private capital. During the interview, Mr. Crawford discussed Colonial’s approach and how its unique characteristics help distinguish it from other firms to provide in-depth investment advisory services so that its clients meet their financial objectives...
Following a familiar story, major central bankers’ accommodative monetary policies continued to flood the global markets with cheap capital to cajole investors into maintaining sufficient confidence to contribute to stable, healthy economic growth which occurs in part through acquisition of risk assets. Declining commodity prices and inflation expectations have allowed for even more fiscal interventions across Europe and Asia. Globally, an impressive 17 stock indexes set fresh highs, and another...
Thirty five years - in May, Colonial Consulting will have reached this age. While some on our staff were not yet born in 1980, quite a few of us are now in our third decade with the firm and quite proudly state that we remain consumed with almost child-like levels of curiosity, alongside the more mature recognition, of how much more there is to learn.Amongst the fascinating aspects of the...
It’s wintertime here in New York, and with both the Giants and Jets once again post-season bystanders, and the Knicks and Nets preparing to follow in their footsteps, many New Yorkers are already looking forward to baseball season. For Yankees fans, the upcoming season will be the first in almost twenty years that a recognizable face will not be manning the shortstop position. Derek Jeter played his final game this...
The US equity markets continued their upward trajectory in 2014, with the S&P 500 posting a gain of 13.7% for the year. This is the sixth consecutive year of gains for large-cap US equities in what has become the longest bull market since the 1970’s. The US economy has exhibited remarkable resiliency over the last six years, while Europe and Japan have struggled with how to reinvigorate their economies; US...
In the third-quarter, U.S. large-cap equities posted modest gains of 1.1%, while small-cap equities and high yield declined by 7.4% and 1.9%, respectively. Positive news regarding employment and manufacturing continued to paint a picture of an improving domestic economy. Investors generally ignored geopolitical events, such as the conflict in the Ukraine and the spread of ISIS in Iraq, and seemed more concerned that improving economic trends, especially increased strength in...
Looking across time at the intricacies of human behavior, it is quite common to run into fixed mindsets that put undue weight on present facts and circumstances. Yet, this trait is not universal as some have been able to foresee change either through creativity and/or a deep understanding of the past. The rare few that comprise this group are justifiably held in very high regard, although not immediately, as their...
Equity and credit markets ended the quarter on a high note, with the S&P 500 and the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index appreciating 5.2% and 2%, respectively. Investors’ appetite for risk assets remained steady in the face of a surprisingly large negative revision to U.S. first-quarter GDP growth, uncertainty surrounding future monetary policy, and political unrest in the Ukraine and the Middle East. During the quarter, the S&P 500 completed...