Markets are returning from the extended weekend on the wrong foot, with hotter-than-expected economic data and weak corporate guidance from Home Depot and Walmart battering asset prices.

The recent blockbuster jobs report has also created a narrative that perhaps the Fed can achieve the ever- elusive 'soft landing.' However, as I write this blog post, the consensus is still projecting negative GDP to show up in the second and third quarters of this year.

The strong retail sales data for January, combined with a hotter than expected CPI yesterday and the burning hot jobs number from 12 days ago, continues to weigh on the disinflationary outlook.

The increasing use of digital payments in the United States is driving demand for tap-to-pay options and providing cost-effective solutions for merchants to digitize.

Short-term interest rates and the dollar are continuing their rapid advances today, but it appears that equity traders are torn between nervousness and the recent rekindling of their love affair with buying dips.

As investors put 2022 in the rearview, January's average ETF inflow was doubled, with non-US equities leading the charge.

The gradual comeback in China could spur economic growth, potentially providing support for the global economy during 2023, as international equities outperformed U.S. equities in January.

Is the bear market over? That's a question I've been asked a number of times in recent weeks, and my answer is the same: let's give it a little time.

Global growth will slow into 2023, with US and European growth not much above zero. Risks are to the downside with sub-trend growth extending into 2024.

Warmer-than-normal temperatures have reduced natural gas demand in the U.S. and Europe, leading to a decline in prices. However, have prices fallen too much in response?