Written by: Brian Jacobsen PhD, JD, CFA®, CFP®, CAIA, CBE | Chief Economic StrategistSeptember 1, 2026 (data and market prices through August 31) August gave investors plenty to celebrate. The S&P 500 gained 2.6%, the Nasdaq Composite rose 3.9%, and the Dow added...
by Brian Jacobsen, PhD, JD, CFA®, CFP® Comments based on information available as of 9:15 a.m. CT on August 28, 2026. Growth: Strong Core, Tired Edges The economy looks stronger the deeper you dig, but consumers look less convinced. Second-quarter GDP growth was...
by Brian Jacobsen, PhD, JD, CFA®, CFP® Comments based on information available as of 5:15 am CT on 8/14/2026 Growth: Help Wanted After last week’s disappointing jobs report, this week’s data offered an important counterpoint: businesses don’t appear...
Comments based on information available as of 5:15 am CT on 8/7/2026 Growth: Dog Days of Summer The week’s two Institute for Supply Management (ISM) surveys agreed on the big picture: the economy is picking up speed. Manufacturing jumped to its strongest reading...
August 5, 2026 (data and market prices through August 4) July was a month when the scoreboard hid the game. The Dow Jones Industrial Average returned 0.3%, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite fell 3.2%, and the Nasdaq-100 lost 6.6%. The sharpest...
