Helping Clients Navigate Financial Markets

Dow Jones Milestone: The DJIA closed at 46,108, its first-ever close above 46,000 — a significant psychological level for equity markets.
Goldman Sachs Outlook: GS expects no recession, with S&P 500 potentially rising another 2% by year-end following the Fed’s rate-cutting cycle.

Labor Market: The U6 unemployment rate rose to 8.1%, its highest since Oct 2021. This measure includes discouraged workers and involuntary part-timers, signaling hidden stress in the job market.
Consumer Spending: Restaurant comps softened across the board; August national foot traffic slowed 175 bps vs. July.
Debt & BNPL Risk: LendingTree reports 40% of BNPL users hold multiple loans, with 23% holding three or more. BlackRock warns that half of U.S. workers are struggling financially.

US Dollar & Global Investing: BlackRock is urging investors to look internationally given expectations for a weaker dollar.
Housing Market: Foreign buyers increased purchases of U.S. homes for the first time in eight years — a potential new demand driver.

Nintendo: Switch continues to sell strongly — 153M units over eight years — despite no new franchises.
Private Markets: Apollo, Blackstone, and KKR now have 4× AUM vs. a decade ago.
Public Company Reporting: Wall Street is lobbying the SEC to allow semiannual reporting instead of quarterly, which could reduce compliance costs and spur IPO activity.
Cybersecurity: Hackers breached NY blood centers, stealing donor health data — underlining that modern cyberattacks target sensitive personal information, not just money.

Risk-Off Shift: August saw a move from equities to conservative bonds within 401(k) portfolios.
Alternative Investments: Almost 50% of 401(k) participants would allocate to private equity or private credit if offered.

Annualized price increases (May–Aug):

Employer Health Insurance: AON projects 9.5% cost surge in 2026 (nearly double-digit).

Coke or Pepsi? (A classic debate to end the week!)