Insights

War Grabbing Headlines, Much More Happening he first quarter ended with markets a bit rattled, though the selloff remains fairly contained. After a strong rally on the last day of March, following signs that Iran may be open to negotiation, the S&P 500 is down about 4.5% on the year. The Nasdaq has done a little worse, while the Dow has held up a bit better. The war with Iran has clearly changed the tone. Oil prices jumped, inflation moved back into focus, and the Strait of H

Quartz Partners has been named to the PSN Top Guns list for Q4 2025, receiving independent recognition across both equity and fixed income strategies for the period ending December 31, 2025. Awarded by Zephyr, one of the industry’s most widely referenced performance databases, the designation reflects gross-of-fee returns evaluated within defined peer universes over 1-year and 3-year periods.

Boom and Bust, All at Once It’s rare to see a market that feels optimistic and uneasy at the same time. Artificial intelligence continues to generate eye-popping numbers, yet is now creating doubts about the future. Nvidia, currently the most valuable company in the world by market cap, just reported quarterly revenue up 73% year over year. The company exceeded expectations across the board, and the shares still slipped. Investors seemed to question whether the companies buyi

Optimism, Volatility…and a Lot of Noise January reminded investors that markets don’t move in straight lines. Stocks pushed to new highs early in the month, sold off sharply, and then rebounded again—ending a bit higher for the month. It was a volatile start to the year, driven in large part by renewed tariff threats tied to President Trump’s push on Greenland. Markets reacted quickly, then just as quickly moved on. That pattern repeated itself throughout the month. Headlines

A Chaotic Year, a Strong Finish The U.S. stock market wrapped up 2025 on a surprisingly strong note, with the S&P 500 up over 16% for the year and flirting with new highs. It’s a strange way to wrap up a year that brought tariff jolts, an AI investment boom, a spring pullback, and constant warnings about a slowdown. But markets are near records again, the economy is still steady, and investors are trying to figure out what matters most for 2026. That paradox of slower job gro

AI Delivers, Investors Reassess November revealed investor nerves, as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both slipped and the Dow eked out a tiny gain for the month from a good last day. The big tech and AI names that have carried most of the year did the heavy lifting again, but this time with more mood swings. Several leaders dipped early in the month not because anything was wrong, but because investors suddenly seemed to realize that expectations were possibly unrealistic. Meanwhile