Staples, Health Care, & Utilities Provide Unlikely Leadership

Bonds and “bond-like” stocks look very overvalued versus the stock market. Strangely, though, economically defensive sectors do not.
-Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer, Leuthold Funds

The Time to Lower Holdings in Expensive Stock?

It was another impressive week for stocks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 setting new record highs.
-David W. James, director of research, James Investment Research

‘Soft Patch’ or Slowdown?

Investors are wrestling with the same question that has surfaced repeatedly over the past three years: Are we experiencing a summer "soft patch," or is this the beginning of a more serious recessionary economic slowdown?
-Wasif Latif, VP of equity investments, USAA Investments

The Implications of Falling Participation

After a flurry of recent activity, the week ahead should prove to be much quieter, with little in the way of economic data to move markets.
-David Kelly, chief global strategist, JP Morgan Funds

The U.S. economy — a gain in GDP?

The April 26 advance estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.5% in the first quarter, below expectations of an increase of 3.0%.

-Marie M. Schofield, cheif economist, Columbia Management

The Japanese Experiment

Japan’s aging population mutes the potential impact of both the wealth effect and animal spirits.
-Mohamed A. El-Erian, CEO and co-chief investment officer, PIMCO

Looking at Leverage Outside the Box

Yield-seeking investors have been boxed in by the near-zero US rate environment, and it seems like there are few ways out.
-Franklin Templeton

Case for Owning Commodities When No One Else Is

Sometimes following where money is being invested is a solid course of action to gain alpha; other times, a better opportunity lies in going the opposite direction, i.e., thinking contrarian.
-Frank Holmes, U.S. Global Investors

In Treasuries, the Risks Outweigh the Rewards

Following a notable downturn two weeks ago, stock prices managed to stage a recovery last week, but did falter on Friday in the face of a first-quarter gross domestic product report that was a bit worse than expected.
-Russ Koesterich, global chief investment strategist, Blackrock

Understanding and exploiting recent developments in commodities and Japanese financial markets

Japanese equity markets and the yen have responded to a new and aggressive monetary policy, designed to weaken the yen and push inflation up enough to spark new spending, economic growth, and export earnings.
-Paul Christopher, chief international strategist, Wells Fargo