Monica (Ness) McCarthy, CFA®, CDFA®, CPWA®
April 2022- Surging inflation, the war in Ukraine, and recession fears made for a difficult start to the year for both equities and fixed income. Equities are experiencing their first correction since March 2020. The S&P 500 has dropped nearly 13% and the NASDAQ over 20%. Volatility remains the dominant force as the market digests Federal Reserve rate hikes, geopolitical turmoil, and continuing macroeconomic imbalances. Bonds, faced with sharply higher and rising interest rates, failed to fulfill their traditional role as defensive ballast. The average bond, as measured by the Barclay’s US Aggregate Index, is down 9% year to date.