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Equity markets rallied this week as investors looked past mixed corporate and economic headlines, with developments in artificial intelligence, telecommunications, consumer spending, and interest rates driving much of the conversation. Investors weighed SpaceX’s ambitious push into the wireless industry, signs of slower-than-expected growth in the AI boom, evolving consumer trends from snacks to used cars, and whether elevated bond yields may ultimately prove more beneficial to the economy and markets than many initially feared.

September tested the resilience that had carried equity markets higher through much of the year. The S&P 500 was little changed during the month, while the Dow Jones fell nearly 4% as rising Treasury yields, persistent inflation, and renewed concerns over higher-for-longer interest rates weighed on sentiment. Technology shares proved more resilient, setting the stage for the Nasdaq to reach a new all-time high following the close of the month on October 2nd. Beneath the surface, however, weakness in economically sensitive areas of the market suggested investors were becoming increasingly selective as the economic and interest-rate outlook grew more uncertain.

Equity markets were mixed, as the tech-heavy Nasdaq outperformed the more value-oriented Dow Jones. Bonds endured another difficult week, pushing long-term Treasury yields to 25-year highs. Meanwhile, cooler inflation and labor market data reduced the likelihood of an October rate hike, trimming expectations for additional hikes from four to three.

Equity markets moved lower this week as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision and continued to assess the outlook for inflation, interest rates, and economic growth. While the Fed’s message reinforced its commitment to maintaining price stability, recent inflation data suggested that underlying price pressures remain persistent, contributing to higher Treasury yields and renewed volatility across financial markets.

Plimoth Investment Advisors is pleased to announce the promotion of Mark J. Gendreau, CFP®, to President and Chief Executive Officer.

Equity markets posted a modest but positive week, supported by strong gains in technology stocks as upbeat earnings from software companies and Nvidia reinforced confidence in AI-driven growth.

Markets edged lower this week as investors tracked progress in cancer treatment, Treasury liquidity reforms, and Bitcoin’s rebound.

Equity markets were largely unchanged this week following the strong rally that pushed major indexes to record highs.

Despite the holiday-shortened week, the S&P 500 extended its rally, notching a ninth consecutive weekly gain as the bull market remains firmly intact. Key barometers of the AI trade such as Micron and Dell continue to fuel the advance, helping drive broader market momentum.

The Energy sector in the U.S. and international equity markets continued to lead the charge thus far in 2026, the year of the Fire Horse. Read about the ongoing sources of inflation stickiness and more financial markets details you need to know.

U.S. equities had a major rotation in sector leadership, the Fed hit the pause button, oil prices jumped and precious metals lost their luster. Read all about the key financial markets information (changing faster than an Olympic ice luge) you need to know in the latest Plimoth Investment Advisors monthly newsletter.

With the calendar now turned to September, it is time once again to be mindful of the yellow school buses transporting young students through our towns and neighborhoods to and from their next formative year of education. We, of course, need to be particularly mindful of the occasional young scholar running full steam to their designated stop to… get on the bus. Equally important to investors this month will be gauging the willingness of the 12 voting members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to get on the bus as well; the interest rate cut bus.

Market Update from PIA | June 2025 Bulls Didn’t Let Tariff Talks Rain on their Parade The well-known expression “don’t rain on my parade” was popularized by the song of the same name featured in the musical Funny Girl in 1964.  While the phrase appears in print going back to the early 1900s, it took […]

Dive into the heart of Social Security and retirement planning through our on-demand webinar. Our specialist will walk you through the key elements of Social Security – from eligibility criteria, benefits, and beneficial strategies to boost your benefits.

The summer blockbuster movie Barbie has quickly made its way into an elite group of only six film productions in the post pandemic world, with over a billion dollars in global receipts. The slope of a ticket sales chart is steeper than even the red-hot recovery of U.S. equities this calendar year, with no signs of the hype abating.

Investor fear tends to cloud judgment during sharp market pullbacks. The anguish of experiencing declining portfolio values can lead nervous investors to feel inclined to “sit things out” for a while, with an intention of “jumping back in” when things settle down. If this feeling should arise, your trusted and experienced account officer at Plimoth Investment Advisors is only a phone call away.

As tax time rolls around, it is important to understand how to report your crypto assets.

Investors in U.S. equities decided to shake it off and found a way to move on from the bleak financial market environment experienced in calendar year 2022, making shares of downtrodden stocks nearly as desirable as tickets for the latest Taylor Swift tour.

There are ample reasons for an enthusiastic welcome to a new calendar year after a long list of challenges marred 2022. Investors in volatile financial markets may be anxious to put the worst year for U.S. equities since the financial crisis, and one of the worst years ever for bond investors, in the rearview mirror and not look back.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments after the release of the Federal Open Market Committee’s latest meeting minutes, followed by further dovish remarks at the Brookings Institute, made progress toward appeasing the grizzled bears on Wall Street. The majority of Fed officials leaning into the idea of a pause on rate hikes in the new year moved major stock indices further away from recent bear market lows.

The talented staff members at Plimoth Investment Advisors are cooking up a special treat for you! They’ve put together a cookbook with their favorite recipes of the season.

After months of tricky-to-maneuver volatility in the stock market, equity investors were afforded a fall treat just in time to load up on (higher-priced *) Halloween candy. Equity volatility remained above historical long-term averages during the month, but fortunately the rapid move in stock prices in the later part of October was to the upside.

Avid readers of this newsletter may recall an introduction to the acronym “TINA” (There Is No Alternative), popularized at a time of rock bottom interest rates on fixed income instruments and coined by market pundits to describe the rationale for focusing attention entirely on equity investments. The rapid rise in short-term rates has made “lending” capital (purchasing bonds and other fixed income instruments in return for a set interest payment) both attractive and profitable again. Enter “TARA”, the newest cocktail party acronym… “There is A Reasonable Alternative”.

Planning a trip to Europe anytime soon? You may find that your dollar stretches further than it has in the past when you exchange your greenbacks for euros. Last month, the U.S. dollar and the euro reached 1:1 parity for the first time since the early days of the euro in 2002.

It seems that if you aren’t happy with something, you can attempt to simply redefine it. Take the dreaded word “recession” for example. Per the textbooks I studied and with the guidance of my excellent professors, I have always stuck to the basic definition – two consecutive quarters of negative real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The nuances of labeling the stages of a business cycle, however, are not quite that simple.

Asked and answered. U.S. stocks closed in a bear market last month, driven down further by fears of sustained inflation, aggressive Fed tightening and economic slowdown. Although it has been a bear of a time for investors for much of this year, it is now official and in the books.

The Bear, or Not the Bear, that is the Question – As perhaps a Shakespearean soliloquy might ponder… Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind of the investor to suffer the 20% closing decline known as a bear market and move on, by means of slings and arrows in the pursuit of opportunistic fortune, or to merely approach such chasm and never gain the menacing label of sold off markets past?

I expect some readers will recall an electronic board game called “Operation” from their youth. Despite knowing the artificial “jolt” would eventually come it was uncanny how the human reaction was to jump with each eventual failure. This reaction comes to mind when considering the response of fixed income investors to the first rate hike in the monetary tightening cycle which began in March.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised short term rates in March for the first time since 2018. Maintaining their proclivity for transparency, they quickly announced expectations for the possibility of six more hikes this calendar year (with the market already pricing in more) to slow the pace of rising inflation.

Americans switch jobs often — every five years on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Switching may be great for satisfaction and pay, but it can complicate retirement planning.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine overshadowed all other news in the final trading week of February.  The initial panic selling on Wall Street turned around quickly on the day of the military attack.

The stock market was incredibly volatile in the first month of 2022, reflecting fears of Fed policy tightening. Higher interest rates meant lower stock prices, as investors able to earn higher yields on risk-free U.S. Treasury bonds were less interested in buying technology stocks with questionable profitability.

Make it your goal: this is going to be the year you start investing to grow your money. Don’t worry that you’re too late —as the saying goes, the best day to start investing was yesterday, and the second best day is today.

Target date funds are risk-based retirement investment funds that are generally designed to be used as a single investment option. Over time, the mix of stocks and bonds included in a target date mutual funds automatically becomes more conservative as you near retirement.

When you want to take control over your finances and invest properly, you’ll have the choice of turning to a professional or do it yourself.

When you set up a trust, you’re telling people how you want to manage your assets so that no one is left wondering about your intentions.