Last week, the Federal Reserve met and kept rates unchanged with a target range of 5.25% to 5.5%. Despite investors anticipating this, markets responded negatively.
The recent failure of three U.S. banks has dominated news headlines for the past few weeks and has spread to Europe. Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second largest “global systemically important bank” and latest institution teetering on collapse, was purchased by UBS in a $3.2 billion deal brokered by regulators, making it Europe’s most significant banking merger since the 2008 financial crisis.
It’s no secret that this year has been full of market and economic uncertainty. Inflation, the Fed, geopolitics and more continue to be on most of our radars.
With high inflation, the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, and the economy contracting for two consecutive quarters, the possibility of a recession doesn’t seem far-fetched.
As climate change disasters such as wildfires, floods, and intensifying storms seem to be increasingly common, many people are looking for a way to encourage companies to enact positive change, while casting a “vote” against the worst offenders. Enter the world of sustainable investing options, which have steadily grown in popularity over the last decade.
As we close out the year, you’ve probably noticed that the stock market’s been on a bit of a wild ride. Markets dropped sharply on Black Friday as news of the omicron variant emerged and have continued to seesaw as markets try to decipher how this new development will impact travel, consumer spending, interest rates, and more.