Peanut butter and jelly, Laverne and Shirley, Foster and Motley. All of these iconic pairs have changed the game in their own right.
For more than a year, the financial planners and investment managers at Foster and Motley have shared their knowledge and insights on this podcast. But how did the firm come to be?
In this episode, Dave Foster and Mark Motley share how they started their careers in finance and built a successful business relationship with each other. Dave and Mark walk down memory lane to share insight into how they have run their business, maintaining its success through the years.
Dave and Mark share more about:
The history of their relationship, including how Foster & Motley was formed
Why company growth has never been a driving goal for Dave and Mark
How they’ve built their team to meet the needs of clients
Historic shifts and challenges in the market that Foster & Motley have faced head-on
The first half of 2022 was the worst first half of a year for stocks in over 50 years, with the fear that inflation was right around the corner.
In this episode, Mark Motley, CFA, shares a brief market update from the second quarter of the year, outlining the impact of inflation, the prospect of a recession, and what all these key changes mean for you.
Mark shares more about:
Why the federal reserve changed its posture from accommodating to restrictive
A glimpse into the effects of inflation
What market changes you are expected to see this month
Excerpts from prior Updates as mentioned in the episode:
1/4/2021 Market Update
Another near-term concern is the possibility of rising inflation. The money supply has risen nearly 25% over the past year … that’s a significant concern as we move later into 2021. It’s well known that the Federal Reserve has committed to an accommodative monetary policy for an extended period. We think that characterization is inaccurate. Instead, we think the Fed intends to remain in an accommodative mode essentially forever to the extent tame inflation allows, and that it will do so until inflation increases … the reason higher inflation is likely to have severe consequences for markets is that it would be the catalyst to change the Fed’s posture.
2/1/2021 Market Update
Inflation: We’ve written of this danger before … we note the most common measure of the money supply has expanded nearly 27% in the past twelve months … [we] are entirely confident a higher inflation scenario, should it occur, would greatly upset markets since it would force the Federal Reserve to reverse its easy money policy.
4/2/2021 Market Update
Many think the … $1.9T stimulus bill may be over-stimulus, eventually leading to inflation and a need for the Fed to tighten. And close on the heels of the last give-away comes talk of much, much more and perhaps too soon, as some are beginning to fear this porridge may too soon become “too hot”. If a rude discovery is made that free money isn’t free, that may not sit well with either the economy or markets.
7/1/2021 Market Update
That inflation turned up significantly was no surprise. The question is whether higher inflation will be transitory or persistent. … We’ll have to see. What we do know is this is the most urgent unanswered investment question of the hour … The reason is any moderation in accommodative Federal Reserve policy will be dictated by future inflation, Fed policy in turn defines liquidity, and liquidity drives markets …
10/4/2021 Market Update
If higher inflation is not transient, the Fed will be unable to remain accommodative and markets would likely retrench. We don’t know how this will play out, but we recognize danger to markets from inflation that may be stickier than markets currently expect, and this may not be sufficiently appreciated …
… conditions remain positive for markets, but it’s a fragile positive, and inflation appears to be the thing with the best chance of upsetting it. The world is awash in created money that has bid up stock and home prices. That’s nice, of course, but underlying, intrinsic values have not risen as much and inflation may test that, particularly if it forces the Fed to a tight money mode.
1/3/2022 Market Update
Economic growth is booming. However, inflation remains a looming question, and the Federal Reserve, which had formerly labeled the price surge “transitory,” recently removed that word from its communication, implying more concern about inflation as a longer-lasting problem. “Owner’s equivalent rent” represents nearly a fourth of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the … lags built into the convoluted calculation of this part of consumer inflation mean home price jumps which have already occurred are likely to boost inflation readings for several months to come.
Some events make the world a different place, seemingly overnight. Since the invasion of Ukraine, it appears the Post-Cold War era is over and prior norms will not revert as long as Putin controls Russia.
While much has changed in recent days, the benefits of Foster & Motley’s core investment strategy have not. Seeking to build all-weather portfolios has always been an important aspect of our investment team’s approach.
In this episode, Mark Motley, CFA, shares a quarterly market update, including how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has affected the global economy and in turn investors’ portfolios, and what that means for you.
Mark shares more about:
The economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions
An update on US economic growth and unemployment
First quarter data on the stock market and bond index
How Foster and Motley’s approach to investing is playing out in the midst of the turmoil
