Insights

Markets Are Expensive, But Companies Keep Delivering At the halfway point of the year, despite the war in Iran and various other challenges, the S&P500 is up nearly 10% on the year, on pace for another good year. As we have mentioned several times in past newsletters, the stock market is expensive and has been for a while. But, the reason is simple -- corporate profits have been very strong and seem to keep getting stronger. In the first quarter, companies in the S&P 500 repo

Markets Climb as Earnings Rise Sharply Corporate earnings are giving investors a surprisingly strong reason for optimism. Many companies are growing profits, protecting margins, and finding ways to perform well despite complications from the war in Iran, higher oil prices, and continued tariff uncertainty. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed out April at fresh records. Hopes for progress in the Iran conflict, lower oil prices, and another strong round of corporate earnings boosted

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