April 2019 Capital Markets Update
April 2019 Capital Market Commentary by Dave Harris, CEO
MCF Insights: Will Dividends Make a Comeback in 2019?
The current bull market celebrated its 10th birthday in March of 2019 and equity investors celebrated as the S&P 500 delivered returns north of 400% over the past 10 years. And it seems everyone wants to talk about growth stocks, IPOs and capital gains, but no one wants to talk about the other source of stock returns: dividends.
MCF Insights: Bankruptcies, Pensions, & the Dodo Bird
When a company announces bankruptcy, employees usually lose their jobs and benefits. But what happens to former employees who were promised pensions or other benefits? Well, a federal judge just ruled that the Westmoreland Coal Company – one of the largest coal companies in the country – could end the health benefits for its former miners and families.1 And the decision has many retirees worried about their own health care and pensions. And rightly so.
MCF Insights: Our Overtime is Costing Us Dearly
The relationship between work hours and productivity follows the economic law of diminishing returns. Productivity peaks at a certain point and then declines. Work too long and you get to the point where you’re achieving nothing; or are even doing damage.
MCF Insights: What Good Are Those Buy, Sell and Hold Ratings?
Interestingly, an investor should have done the opposite in 2018