By: Matt Garrott What Happened in 2025 The S&P 500 continued its streak of double digit return years with a 17.9% return in 2025, including dividends. Due in part to a weaker US Dollar, Developed International stocks did even better at 31.9%, while Emerging Markets stocks topped both at 34.4%. Bonds turned in [...]
As the SEC opens the door for dual-share-class ETFs, many advisors are taking a measured approach. In a recent InvestmentNews article, Director of Investment Research _Matthew Garrott shares Fairway’s view on dual-share-class ETFs. "As part of our due diligence, we don’t just look at performance and expenses; we pay close attention to how funds are [...]
By: Matt Garrott The S&P 500 squeaked out a small gain for November, up 0.25%, including dividends. The result was boring, but it was a turbulent month for the index with headlines driving dips and rebounds. It’s times like these that it’s tempting to lean on creative market indicators. A personal favorite of [...]
Director of Investment Research _Matthew Garrott was featured in World Finance Magazine’s winter issue discussing the birth of modern investing, the Errol Morris documentary titled “Tune Out the Noise,” and the efficient market hypothesis. “There is a continuum of less efficient to more efficient. Markets with more pricing events like US large cap stocks are [...]
By: Matt Garrott The S&P 500 Total Return Index rose 8% in the third quarter, bringing returns to almost 15% on the year. Taxable bonds saw a 2% increase while municipal bonds rebounded 2.5% as supply and demand dynamics normalized. As usual, pessimistic headlines were more noise than signal. The S&P 500 has [...]
By: Matt Garrott It’s officially Pumpkin Spice Season and it recently came to my attention that pumpkin spice is actually a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. This mélange doesn’t smell like the inside of a pumpkin at all, thankfully. Is there a lesson for investors on how a mix of [...]
By: Matt Garrott The S&P 500 jumped almost 11% this quarter while US bonds gained roughly 1%. Diversification returned with gusto as developed international stocks were up almost 20%, emerging markets stocks popped 15.5%, and international bonds saw a 7% return. The US Dollar has declined 11% year-to-date, bolstering already strong international returns. [...]
By: Matt Garrott The S&P 500 was down slightly in April at -0.76%. Bonds rose 0.39%. If you haven’t been paying attention to the news, congratulations, it was a quiet month. Don’t read the rest of this commentary. To borrow a zombie apocalypse movie trope, if you’re reading this, it’s already too late. [...]
By: Matt Garrott When markets are sharply up or sharply down, attention seems to focus on the one asset class that is doing the best. There is a temptation to abandon the diversified financial plan (which will never beat the best performing asset class, by definition) and load up on what everyone is [...]
By: Matt Garrott What Happened in 2024 The S&P 500 gained 25% including dividends in 2024, its second 25%+ calendar year in a row. The S&P 500 is up 72% from the bottom of the bear market in 2022. Returns haven’t been without setbacks, though. We’ve seen a regional bank crisis, war, and [...]
