1st Half Review Julian Fellowes, mastermind of the hit series Downton Abbey, could not have written a more compelling script for financial markets in the first half of 2016. Investors watched episodes of panic and anxiety, scenes of disorder and chaos, installments of resilience and recovery, and were left in suspense as to what may…

Bartlett on BREXIT ~ June 27, 2016 The United Kingdom last Thursday voted to leave the European Union. British Prime Minister David Cameron, who instigated the referendum as an election pledge and campaigned vigorously for remaining in the EU, resigned on Friday in the aftermath of the exit vote. The “BREXIT” decision was not anticipated…

Defying the Skeptics “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”              – John Adams The latest facts on the U.S. economy have been favorable and encouraging. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported continuing employment growth…

2015 in Review The Dow Jones Industrial Average began the year at 17,823 and ended at 17,425, this venerable index of thirty blue-chip companies showing the stagnation in U.S. equity markets. Broader U.S. and foreign equity benchmarks had similarly weak performance. Bond and cash returns remained subdued amid historically low interest rates. Source: Interactive Data…