Unlike bond prices, which tend to go down when yields go up, stock prices might rise or fall with changes in interest rates. Should stock investors worry about changes in interest rates? Research shows that, like stock prices, changes in interest rates and bond prices are largely unpredictable.[1] It follows that an investment strategy based upon attempting to exploit these sorts of changes isn't likely to be a fruitful endeavor. Despite the unpredictable nature of interest rate changes, … [Read more...] about When Rates Go Up, Do Stocks Go Down?
The Fed, Yields, and Expected Returns
On December 14, 2016, the Federal Open Market Committee (Fed) concluded its final meeting for the year and announced its decision to raise the federal funds target rate from its range of 0.25%-0.50% to 0.50%-0.75%. As we have mentioned before, Fed watching is a favorite pastime for many market participants who often presume that Fed actions will lead to specific market outcomes. On December 16, 2015, the Fed raised the federal funds target rate for the first time since 2006. As a result, some … [Read more...] about The Fed, Yields, and Expected Returns