Markets and Economy
Read our latest market commentary on of-the-moment trends so you can make informed investment decisions
Markets and Economy content
On Investing
Cooper Howard explains how municipal bonds can offer potentially attractive after-tax income, especially for higher earners, but require careful evaluation of tax brackets, credit quality, and relative value versus Treasuries and corporate bonds.
Washington Wise
Tokenization is often associated with cryptocurrency, but now Wall Street is looking to tokenize stocks. What do investors need to know about a digital stock market?
Bond Insights
Certificates of deposit (CDs) and Treasuries both can offer steady, predictable investment income—but how to decide between them? Here are five factors to help you choose.
As Kevin Warsh takes over as Federal Reserve chair with his own goals, he may face challenges even beyond rate policy, from inflation to independence to a bulbous balance sheet.
On Investing
Inflation remains elevated, keeping the Fed on hold and pushing rate cuts out of view, while energy prices and geopolitical tensions complicate the outlook.
Emerging market stocks have rebounded to new highs following their correction at the onset of the Iran war. The recent rally has been concentrated around AI. Can this continue?
On Investing
Collin Martin and Inga Rachwald discuss the critical role of diversification in constructing a multi-asset portfolio.
Washington Watch
This report is current as of May 8, 2026
To a surprising degree, 2026 has been dominated by geopolitical developments. From the brief military action to remove the president of Venezuela to the kerfuffle over Greenland to the war in Iran, foreign policy has been in the headlines on an almost daily basis. The uncertainty around these events has produced a roller-coaster market that saw a first-quarter decline in all the major indexes, followed by a relief rally in which the S&P 500 and Nasdaq not only recovered—but set new all-time highs by late April.
Market Outlook
S&P 500 first quarter 2026 earnings are tracking at nearly 28% year-over-year, with rising profit margins suggesting the strong run could persist.