2018 Market Outlook Webinar Recap

Time to read: 3 minutes | 

After a record-breaking year in 2017, equity markets continue to reach all-time highs and the US economy continues to show little threat of a recession.  Because of this, our portfolios remain overweight equities – primarily US large cap and diversified international companies. Here are our key takeaways from Stratos Private Wealth’s most recent Market Outlook Webinar:

• Pros: Secular bull markets tend to last a long time.  We are eight years into the current secular bull, suggesting there is still room to run.  Earnings growth is the strongest it has been in years, Ned Davis Research’s measures of economic breadth have remained at healthy levels, and the global economy is showing signs of synchronized expansion.

• Cons:  Sentiment and consumer confidence are in extremely optimistic levels, which typically does not bode well for equities.  High valuations combined with excessive optimism could foreshadow the next inevitable correction.

Now is a good time to review risk tolerance, large holdings of employer stock, and account allocations for investments outside of Stratos Private Wealth.  We will continue to closely monitor our indicators for signs of a pullback or a shift in investment strategy.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.

Economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.