Blog

What’s on our mind? You can read about it in our blog. Here is where we post our quarterly review, portfolio company insight memos, comments on market developments, and our thoughts about personal wealth management. Once in a while, we may throw in some music or other surprise. So keep checking in. We are glad to have you as a member of our community. 

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Looking to prepare for possible tax cuts and the Jobs Act Sunset. While we haven’t yet said goodbye to 2023, it’s not too early to begin thinking about any tax changes that may be on the horizon. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act...

Monday, November 20, 2023

Stocks extended their November rally last week as investors cheered lower-than-forecast inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.94%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 2.24%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose...

Monday, November 13, 2023

A powerful Friday rally left stocks higher last week, extending the market’s early November gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.65%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.31%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Monday, November 6, 2023

Stocks ripped higher last week on a dramatic retreat in bond yields triggered by easing inflation and a slowing labor market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 5.07%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 surged 5.85%. The...

Monday, October 30, 2023

Amid a busy week of corporate earnings reports, stocks slumped on cautious earnings guidance, fears of higher interest rates, and growing anxiety over the increasing amount of Treasury bonds and notes coming to market. The Dow Jones...

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Monday, October 23, 2023

Rising bond yields and uncertainty over whether this was the close of the Fed’s rate-hike cycle dragged markets lower last week despite solid corporate earnings results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 1.61%, while the...

Monday, October 16, 2023

Stocks ended mixed last week amid the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East and higher-than-expected inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.20%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 0.45%. But the Nasdaq...

Monday, October 9, 2023

A Friday rally overcame a shaky week, sending stocks mostly higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.30% for the week. Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 0.48%, and the Nasdaq Composite index added 1.60% for...

Monday, September 25, 2023

Rising bond yields and fears of a government shutdown hammered stocks last week, with technology shares bearing the brunt of the retreat. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.89%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 2.93%...

Monday, September 11, 2023

Concerns that the Fed may raise interest rates soured investor sentiment, sending stocks lower in a holiday-shortened trading week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.75%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined 1.29%....

Monday, August 28, 2023

Stocks fluctuated last week, jostled by fitful bond yields and headline news, before ending strongly following Fed Chair Powell’s comments on the monetary outlook. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.45%, while the...

Monday, August 21, 2023

Stocks extended their August declines last week as higher yields and weak economic data out of China soured investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.21%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 retreated 2.11%. The...

Monday, July 31, 2023

A Friday surge pushed stocks solidly into positive territory last week, ignited by cooling in an inflation gauge closely tracked by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.66%, while the Standard &...

Monday, July 24, 2023

Stocks moved to the rhythm of earnings season last week, initially rising on positive earnings surprises and faltering later in the week on key earnings disappointments. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.08%, while the...

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Better-than-expected updates last week on consumer and wholesale price inflation buoyed investor sentiment, driving stocks higher and lower bond yields. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.29%, while the Standard &...

Monday, July 10, 2023

Rising concerns about further rate hikes sent stocks lower to kick off the second half of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.96%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 retreated 1.16%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Monday, June 26, 2023

Stocks took a breather last week as investors digested the previous week’s surge and the month-to-date solid gains.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.67%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 1.39%. The Nasdaq...

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Stocks climbed last week as reassuring inflation data boosted investor hopes that the rate-hike cycle was nearing an end amid fresh economic data pointing to continued economic resilience. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.25%,...

Monday, June 12, 2023

A late-week rally sent stocks into positive territory, with the S&P 500 index closing just shy of the 4,300 mark.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.34%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 0.39%. The Nasdaq Composite...

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Stocks surged higher in the closing days of a holiday-shortened trading week, ignited by a political resolution on raising the debt ceiling and a strong employment report.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.02%, while the Standard...

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Markets moved in sync last week with perceived movement in debt ceiling talks, weakening early in the week and then surging on news of progress. A solid quarterly report and guidance from a mega-cap technology company helped with...

Monday, May 22, 2023

Stocks rallied last week, propelled by growing optimism over reaching a deal on raising the debt ceiling and avoiding a technical debt default by the U.S.The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.38% higher, while the Standard &...

Monday, May 8, 2023

A Friday rebound, triggered by a big tech company’s earnings beat and a strong jobs report, shaved much of the week’s accumulated losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Monday, April 17, 2023

The combination of an improving inflation outlook resulted in a week of uneven, albeit positive, performance, in which cyclical and financial stocks rallied while technology, real estate, and utilities lagged. The Dow Jones...

Monday, April 10, 2023

Stocks ended a shortened week of trading mixed amid revived recession fears on Wall Street triggered by weak economic data.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.63%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.10%. The Nasdaq...

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

First Quarter (Q1) 2023 SummaryStocks ended Q1 mostly higher, up for the second straight quarter even as worries rippled through the banking sector and the Fed hiked rates further. Some of 2022’s worst performing sectors like...

Monday, April 3, 2023

Stocks rallied last week on receding fears of a widening banking crisis, led by resurging investor interest in technology and communication services names. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.22%, while the Standard & Poor’s...

Monday, April 3, 2023

GPM Aspire ETF Portfolios - Fourth Quarter (Q4) 2022 SummaryStocks ended Q1 mostly higher, up for the second straight quarter even as worries rippled through the banking sector and the Fed hiked rates further. Some of 2022’s...

Monday, March 20, 2023

Amid the reverberations of two U.S. banks being taken over by regulators and the spread of uncertainty to European banks, stocks trended higher last week on the strength of the technology sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was...

Monday, March 13, 2023

Stocks tumbled last week as investors reconsidered their interest rate expectations after Fed Chair Powell’s Congressional testimony that rates may need to go higher. Stocks also were rattled when a west coast bank was placed...

Monday, March 6, 2023

A late-week surge, triggered by reassuring Fed-speak, propelled stocks higher last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.75%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.90%. The Nasdaq Composite index picked up 2.58% for...

Monday, February 13, 2023

Stocks drifted lower as a week of mixed earnings reports and resurgent worries over Fed monetary policy dragged on investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.17%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined...

Monday, February 6, 2023

Stocks were mixed last week following better-than-expected corporate reports and increasing optimism over a slowdown in interest rates.The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged lower, slipping -0.15%. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose...

Monday, January 30, 2023

Stocks added to their early 2023 gains amid a busy stream of mixed corporate earnings results and conflicting economic data.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.81%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 2.47%. The Nasdaq...

Monday, January 23, 2023

Stocks showed mixed results last week as recession fears resurfaced in response to weak economic data and a tepid start to a new corporate earnings season.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average skidded 2.70%, while the Standard &...

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Stocks rallied last week thanks to fresh confirmation of inflation’s cooling trend and growing optimism that an inflation slowdown may provide the Fed with space to ease up on future rate hikes.The Dow Jones Industrial Average...

Monday, January 9, 2023

A strong Friday rally triggered by fresh signs of moderating inflation pushed stocks into positive territory to begin the new year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.46%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.45%....

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Fourth Quarter (Q4) 2022 Summary Stocks ended Q4 mostly higher, snapping a three-quarter losing streak; posted big gains in October and November before a pullback in December after the Fed hiked rates.Bond returns were positive in...

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

GPM Aspire ETF Portfolios - Fourth Quarter (Q4) 2022 Summary Stocks ended Q4 mostly higher, snapping a three-quarter losing streak; posted big gains in October and November before a pullback in December after the Fed hiked rates...

Monday, January 2, 2023

In a holiday-shortened week, erratic trading left stocks marginally down for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.17%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.14%. The Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.30%. The MSCI...

Monday, December 19, 2022

Hawkish comments by the Fed and weak economic data heightened investors’ recession concerns and sent stocks lower last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.66%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 retreated 2.08%. The...

Friday, December 16, 2022

We define a GPM Grade company as one with a management team focused on long-term sustainable growth and products or services for which demand can be created and broadened, with the size and scale to compete and win worldwide. GPM...

Monday, December 5, 2022

Stocks ended higher last week as investors navigated the crosscurrents of a potential easing in future rate hikes and continued strength in the labor market.The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.24% higher, while the Standard &...

Monday, November 28, 2022

Growing optimism that the Fed may be ready to ease future interest rate hikes sent stocks higher in a quiet trading week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.78%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 1.53%. The Nasdaq...

Monday, November 21, 2022

The stock market edged lower last week as it digested a crosscurrent of conflicting economic data and contrasting comments from Fed officials.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat (-0.01%), while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Monday, November 14, 2022

A cooling inflation number ignited a powerful rally on Thursday, sending stocks to strong gains for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4.15%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 5.90%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Monday, November 7, 2022

Hawkish comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, following the announcement of another 75 basis points interest rate hike last week, cast a pall over financial markets, sending yields higher and stocks lower.The Dow Jones Industrial...

Monday, October 31, 2022

Stocks overcame poor earnings results from some of America’s largest companies to post gains last week as investors cheered positive earnings surprises, easing inflation and a rebound in economic growth.The Dow Jones Industrial...

Monday, October 24, 2022

A positive start to a new earnings season and late-week hopes for a near-term easing in Fed rate hikes lifted investors’ spirits and powered stocks to gains for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 4.89%, while the...

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Stocks were mixed last week amid wide intra- and inter-day price swings, as technology shares bore the brunt of the downdraft.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.15% for the week. Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Monday, October 10, 2022

A powerful two-day stock rebound cemented a positive week for investors as a new trading month began.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.99%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 1.51%. The Nasdaq Composite index increased 0...

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Third Quarter (Q3) 2022 Summary Stocks ended lower in Q3 after rebounding 18% from June lows and surrendering all by quarter-end. Now down three-straight quarters in 2022, following SP500 gains of 31.2%, 18.2%, and 28.8% in 2019, 2020,...

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

GPM Aspire ETF Portfolios -Third Quarter (Q3) 2022 SummaryStocks ended lower in Q3 after rebounding 18% from June lows and surrendering all by quarter-end. Now down three-straight quarters in 2022, following SP500 gains of 31.2%, 18.2%...

Monday, October 3, 2022

Rising recession fears and uncertainty in the bond and currency markets sent stocks to new 2022 lows last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 2.92%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slumped 2.91%. The Nasdaq Composite...

Monday, September 19, 2022

A hotter-than-expected inflation report sent stocks sharply lower last week as investors faced the prospect of more aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve for perhaps a longer period.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell...

Friday, September 16, 2022

HEICO continues its consistent execution since GPM provided our initial insight into the company last August. The Flight Support Group (FSG) is on its fifth consecutive quarter of 20%+ organic growth. In Q3 2022, FSG's sales were $330...

Monday, September 12, 2022

In a holiday-shortened week of trading, stocks posted healthy gains despite more tough talk on monetary policy from Fed officials.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.66%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 3.65%. The...

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

The overhang of Fed Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole speech the previous week carried over into last week as investors recalibrated stock valuations amid a seemingly more assertive monetary policy stance.The Dow Jones Industrial...

Monday, August 29, 2022

A comprehensive sell-off on Friday following comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell drove stocks to losses for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 4.22%, while the Standard & Poor's 500 dropped 4.04%. The Nasdaq Composite...

Monday, August 22, 2022

Stocks tumbled on Friday, sending stocks to a weekly loss after an otherwise quiet August week of trading.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped -0.16%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 1.21%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Monday, August 15, 2022

An improving inflation outlook buoyed investors’ spirits last week, helping lift stocks to solid gains.The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 2.92%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 3.26%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Monday, August 8, 2022

Stocks turned in a mixed performance last week as investors struggled with headlines suggesting that the Fed was unlikely to soon ease up on its current monetary tightening policy.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.13%, while...

Monday, August 1, 2022

Undaunted by another Fed rate hike and news of a contracting economy, the stock market rallied last week on better-than-expected corporate earnings.The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 2.97%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Stocks rallied last week as investor spirits lifted thanks to a better-than-expected start to the second-quarter earnings season.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.95%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 2.55%. The...

Monday, July 18, 2022

A record-high inflation report, the prospects of a more aggressive Fed, and growing recession fears sent stocks lower– though losses were pared by a Friday rally.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.16%, while the Standard...

Monday, July 11, 2022

In a holiday-shortened trading week, stocks rallied despite mixed economic data and vacillating energy prices and bond yields.The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.77%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 1.94%. The...

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Second Quarter (Q2) 2022 Summary: Stocks slid into a bear market in Q2, pressured by inflation, Fed rate hikes, supply shortages, China Covid lockdowns, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and fears of global recession.

Monday, July 4, 2022

GPM Aspire ETF Portfolios - Second Quarter (Q2) 2022 Summary: Stocks slid into a bear market in Q2, pressured by inflation, Fed rate hikes, supply shortages, China Covid lockdowns, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and fears of global...

Monday, June 27, 2022

Prospects of cooling inflation powered a rally in stock prices last week despite growing recession concerns.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 5.39%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 climbed 6.45%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Stocks moved lower last week as recession fears deepened following a Fed hike in interest rates and weak economic data.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.79%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 5.79%. The Nasdaq...

Friday, June 17, 2022

"Any product around the world, if there is power applied to it, either plugged-in or battery, then it uses a Microchip part." - Steve Sanghi. General Instrument spun off GI Microelectronics in 1987 into a new company called Microchip...

Monday, June 13, 2022

A higher-than-expected inflation report triggered a sell-off on Friday, leaving stocks in the red for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 4.58%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 5.05%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Monday, June 6, 2022

In a holiday-shortened week of volatile trading, stocks surrendered some of the previous week’s strong gains.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.94%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined 1.20%. The Nasdaq Composite...

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Many of our clients have been expressing a desire to enhance their financial literacy and look to us as their financial advisors for guidance. We believe in empowering our clients to have the knowledge and information that is critical to..

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Stocks posted solid gains for the week, buoyed by the release of Fed meeting minutes and upbeat earnings from mid-size and discount retailers.The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 6.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced...

Monday, May 23, 2022

Recession fears grew last week following weak earnings reports from major retailers, sending stocks lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.90%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 3.05%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Monday, May 16, 2022

In a volatile trading week, stocks extended their losses as economic growth and inflation concerns soured investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.14%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 2.41%. The Nasdaq...

Friday, May 13, 2022

Founded in 1954 by Walter, Eric, and Evan Nord in Amherst, Ohio, Nordson is a $12 billion market cap company today that sells hoses, nozzles, valves, pumps, and more to industrial customers. These industrial customers have production...

Monday, May 9, 2022

With the Fed in focus, the markets experienced wide price swings over the course of last week, as technology companies led the market lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Monday, May 2, 2022

On Friday, a sharp sell-off sent major stock market indices into negative territory for the week, capping a volatile close to April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 2.47%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 tumbled 3.27%....

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Hawkish comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell overshadowed many largely positive earnings results, sending stocks lower for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.86%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 2.75%...

Monday, April 18, 2022

Stocks posted losses in a holiday-shortened trading week as the first-quarter earnings season kicked off and investors digested new inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.78%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Monday, April 4, 2022

Stock indices worldwide fell in Q1 as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hot inflation, and higher interest rates converged to weigh on sentiment. Notably, U.S. Treasury yields have already risen to

Friday, April 1, 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hot inflation, and Fed rate hikes converge as difficult-to-compartmentalize uncertainty.

Monday, March 28, 2022

With growing confidence in the economy’s resilience, stocks posted another week of solid gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.31%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.79%. The Nasdaq Composite index picked...

Friday, March 25, 2022

Willis Carrier was an American engineer who invented the electrical air conditioner in 1902 and later founded Carrier in 1915. Air conditioning quickly became a hit with people seeking better working conditions and more comfortable...

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

With the Fed embarking on a new course of monetary tightening amid continued fighting in Ukraine, stocks staged a powerful, broad-based rally last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 5.49%, while the Standard & Poor’s...

Monday, March 14, 2022

Intensifying hostilities in Ukraine continued to unsettle markets, as investors grappled with the war’s impact on the global economies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.99%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 2...

Friday, March 11, 2022

Ray Stata and Matthew Lorber founded Analog Devices in 1965 with its first amplifier the size of a hockey puck. Fifty seven years later, Analog is a global leader in semiconductor technology and engineering, employing over 25,000...

Monday, March 7, 2022

War in Ukraine weighed on stocks as investors assessed the economic impact of continued hostilities, expanding economic sanctions, and potentially higher inflation due to rising oil prices and new stresses on the global supply chain....

Monday, February 28, 2022

Investors rode a rollercoaster of emotions as rising hostilities at the Russian-Ukrainian border sent stocks sharply lower before a powerful late-week rally erased early losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat (-0.06%),...

Friday, February 25, 2022

Founded in 1974 as Charter Med in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UnitedHealth Group grew into one of the largest companies by revenue in the world today with $288 billion in 2021. This is the fifth most revenue of any company in the...

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Stocks closed lower for the week as escalating tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border added to existing jitters over higher inflation and a pending tightening of monetary policy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.90%, while...

Monday, February 14, 2022

A hot inflation print and the growing concern of a Russian invasion of Ukraine sent stocks tumbling late in the week, leaving major indices lower for the five-trading days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average skidded 1.00%, while the...

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Miles Lowell Edwards founded Edwards Lifesciences in 1958. Along with Dr. Albert Starr, Edwards invented a life-saving aortic valve prosthesis that has gone on to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients. Baxter acquired...

Monday, February 7, 2022

Stocks managed to gain ground last week as investors turned their focus to corporate earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.05%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.55%. The Nasdaq Composite index picked up 2.38%...

Monday, January 31, 2022

An exceptionally volatile week, marked by wide intraday price swings, whipsawed investors with stocks ending higher following a surge to the upside on the final trading day of the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.34%,...

Monday, January 10, 2022

A jump in yields sparked by a more aggressive sounding Federal Reserve sent the market lower to start the new year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.29%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined 1.87%.

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

U.S. stock indices posted robust gains in 2021. Globally, most developed markets also advanced in local currencies. Trillions of government stimulus funds in the system and the end of COVID lockdowns in the summer powered a surge in the..

Sunday, January 2, 2022

Aspire Stock ETF Portfolios posted solid gains in the fourth quarter and 2021. Portfolio performance was led by gains in tech, large-cap growth, and dividend payers. With the sharp rise in COVID infection spread, our medical device maker..

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Monday, December 20, 2021

Stock prices retreated last week as global central banks joined the Federal Reserve in taking steps to tighten monetary policy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.68%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 1.94%. The...

Monday, December 13, 2021

A more benign reassessment of the possible economic risk posed by Omicron sent stocks sharply higher last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 4.02%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 3.82%. The Nasdaq...

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Salesforce was founded in 1999 in San Francisco by Marc Benioff (the current co-CEO) and three others. The company sells customer relationship management (CRM) software. What differentiated Salesforce from other enterprise software...

Monday, December 6, 2021

Stocks took investors on a wild ride last week as the Omicron variant and Fed comments upended market expectations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.91%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 stumbled 1.22%. The Nasdaq...

Monday, November 29, 2021

News of a new, highly virulent COVID variant triggered a market sell-off on Friday, sending stocks into negative territory for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.97%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slumped 2.20%....

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Alphabet is the holding company formed in 2015 for Google and its other businesses. Today, Alphabet is the third largest company in the world with a market cap near $2 trillion, trailing only Apple and Microsoft (two other GPM Grade...

Monday, November 22, 2021

Stocks were mixed last week in choppy trading as investors battled the crosscurrents of good economic data and a troubling rise in COVID-19 infections globally.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.38%, while the Standard &...

Monday, November 15, 2021

Stocks posted small declines last week as investors digested recent stock market gains and an unexpectedly high inflation read. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.63%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 retreated 0.31%. The...

Monday, November 8, 2021

A Federal Reserve announcement on tapering, a fresh batch of corporate profits, and encouraging economic data lifted stocks to another weekly gain.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.42%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Friday, November 5, 2021

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the largest company in the world today by market cap. Its $2.5 trillion market cap recently put it ahead of another GPM Grade Company, Apple. Microsoft is best known by its Microsoft 365 offering which...

Monday, November 1, 2021

A fresh wave of positive corporate earnings surprises sent markets to new record highs last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.40%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 1.33%. The Nasdaq Composite index picked...

Monday, October 25, 2021

Stocks rallied last week on a stream of positive corporate earnings surprises.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.08%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.64%. The Nasdaq Composite index gained 1.29% for the week....

Friday, October 22, 2021

Visa began in 1958 (then known as Bank Americard) when Bank of America sent thousands of credit cards unsolicited to households in Fresno. At the time, households had an inconvenient amount of credit cards from different merchants, so...

Monday, October 11, 2021

The overhang of bumping against the federal debt ceiling was lifted last week with an agreement to extend the debt ceiling through early December, helping propel stocks to a weekly gain.The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1...

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Stocks stumbled in September. Q3 ended mostly lower. The rise in COVID infection rates dampened broader optimism. Economic demand seems solid, but supply chains remain variably hampered. Bonds lost ground.

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Stocks stumbled in September. Q3 ended mostly lower. The rise in COVID infection rates dampened broader optimism. Economic demand seems solid, but supply chains remain variably hampered. Bonds lost ground.

Monday, September 27, 2021

Stocks prices were whipsawed last week, dragged initially lower by financial contagion worries and later lifted by a supportive Fed policy statement.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.62%, while the Standard & Poor’s...

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Apple is the largest company in the world with a market cap of $2.5 trillion. The numbers are incredible: in the last twelve months, Apple had revenue of $347 billion, gross profit of $142 billion, and $95 billion of free cash flow. In...

Monday, September 13, 2021

In a quiet week of news, stocks moved lower amid simmering concerns over the Delta variant’s effect on the progress of economic reopening.The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 2.15%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

GPM recently posted an updated Open Stock holdings and metrics document, which can be seen here. You may notice quite a few of the companies listed, including our largest holdings Microsoft, Google, and Apple. GPM's approach to...

Monday, August 30, 2021

The stock market powered to record levels last week amid talk of Fed tapering and a deceleration in new Delta variant cases.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.96%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 increased 1.52%. The...

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

HEICO (Ticker: HEI/A) is a leading aftermarket supplier of parts for the aviation industry. The company is led by CEO Larry Mendelson, Co-President Eric Mendelson, and Co-President Victor Mendelson. Larry has been CEO of HEICO since...

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Kansas City Southern (KCS) is a railroad operating in the United States and Mexico. The company's high growth over the last ten years comes from its mix towards chemicals and petroleum customers, along with cross-border volumes, which...

Monday, August 16, 2021

Looking past inflation figures and Delta variant trends, stocks last week found a way to climb higher and set fresh record highs in the process.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.87%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Friday, August 6, 2021

This week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic (BLS) released the employment situation summary for the month of July. It showed that total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 943,000 in July, and the unemployment rate declined 0.5 points...

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

CoStar Group was founded by Andrew Florance in 1987 and went public in 1998. CoStar owns a collection of top brands in the real estate industry, including CoStar, LoopNet, and Apartments.com. According to Morningstar, in a survey of...

Monday, August 2, 2021

The stock market posted small losses last week despite a very strong showing by corporate America.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.36%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 0.37%. The Nasdaq Composite index dropped...

Friday, July 30, 2021

This week the five largest companies reported earnings results. First off, Amazon reported revenue of $113B (+27% y/y). AWS net sales of $14.8B (+37% y/y). CFO Olsavsky said, "We continue to be very pleased with the Prime member growth...

Friday, July 23, 2021

Earnings season was in full swing this week. According to Zacks Research, for the 73 S&P 500 members that reported results already, total earnings are up 108.2% on revenues 15.5% higher. The triple digit earnings growth is due to easy...

Monday, July 19, 2021

Despite a good start to earnings season and some solid economic data, worries of slower second-half economic growth led to a pullback in stock prices last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.52%, while the Standard &...

Friday, July 16, 2021

To start with, this week the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) released CPI (Consumer Price Index) data for June which showed a jump in the index above market expectations. Bloomberg shared a chart showing the largest contributors to...

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Founded in 1993 by Kent Taylor, Texas Roadhouse operates over 600 restaurants located in the United States and internationally, serving hand-cut steaks and made-from-scratch sides.

Friday, July 9, 2021

To begin with, the S&P 500 finished up last quarter for the fifth quarter in a row. Ryan Detrick recently shared a chart showing future returns of the S&P 500 after a 5-quarter up streak ("win streak"): This shows that after the S&P...

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Stock indices powered higher in Q2 as the uptrend remained intact. Global reopenings gained momentum and support broader optimism. GPM portfolios continued to perform well in Q2 as large-growth and technology sectors..

Friday, July 2, 2021

To begin with, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson was on CNBC's Mad Money discussing reopening trends around the world. He stated, "Consumer mobility shot through the roof and ... we started seeing traffic increasing in our stores." In...

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Stock indices powered higher in Q2 as the uptrend remained intact. Global reopenings gained momentum and support broader optimism. Bonds rebounded nicely. GPM Aspire ETF portfolios continued to perform well in Q2 as large-growth and...

Friday, June 25, 2021

NIKE: Consumer direct and digital transformation drive exceptional growth across the business. A core GPM holding for many years, NIKE has iconic brands with remarkable underlying strengths and is a strong promoter of sport...

Friday, June 18, 2021

"Adobe is at the center of 3 massive market opportunities across creativity, digital documents, and customer experience management, which will fuel growth in the near and long term. Businesses must transform to deliver a personalized...

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Costco Wholesale is the third largest global retailer with over $175 billion of sales over the last twelve months and 275 thousand employees. About 70% of Costco's 803 warehouses are located in the United States. Costco's second...

Friday, May 21, 2021

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) and the global chip shortage. The well documented global chip shortage continues to impact a broad range of manufacturers. Some components are considerably more bottlenecked than others. As technology has..

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Most stock indices continued higher with wide performance variation in Q1. Investor optimism is driven by vaccines, government stimulus, and reopening. Bonds lost ground. GPM portfolios performed well in Q1.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Stocks powered higher in Q4. Most major indices ended the year at all-time highs. Investors expect a gradual vaccine-led economic recovery in 2021 with more monetary and fiscal support. GPM portfolios had a strong Q4 and 2020.

Friday, October 2, 2020

COVID-19 continues to weigh heavily on the lives of nearly everyone worldwide and remains the wildcard for financial markets. Global economies are reeling from varied shutdowns and re-openings and clearly recovering, but unevenly. While...

Thursday, July 2, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic and far reaching government response have touched all aspects of life – at home, our families, communities, how we work, small and large businesses and society broadly. Over the past few months, we’ve...

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

We hope you are healthy and staying safe. All GPM team members continue to work safely and remotely from our homes. We look forward to returning to our office to be together and engage with clients and others face-to-face. Feel free to...

Thursday, April 2, 2020

First Quarter (Q1) 2020 Review April 2, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has weighed heavily on global financial markets since late February. All asset classes except safe haven Treasuries came under swift selling pressure that intensified...

Monday, March 23, 2020

March 23, 2020 Dear Friend and Client, We hope you and your family are safe and well. We know this is a challenging time full of uncertainty and worry.We want to let you know that all GPM team members are working remotely from our...