Timely and Relevant News: Let's Talk about Ukraine and Russia

Our continued thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine and everyone impacted by the war and humanitarian crisis.

As it relates to past geopolitical events, market disruptions have been short-lived, especially if the US economy is strong. The consumer makes up about 70% of GDP. Last month, consumer spending was up by 2.1% and retail sales were also up by 3.8% - way more than expected.

LPL Research does not predict a recession for the U.S. economy based on healthy consumer data and a strong corporate earnings backdrop. The Federal Reserve will likely take a more dovish stance on March 15-16th than what was expected two weeks ago.

We encourage you to watch the brief video below from Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategies with LPL Research.

If you have specific questions related to your own investments or financial planning needs, we welcome you to contact us to set-up time to discuss how we can assist you. 

Disclosures:

This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that the views or strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. Any economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and are subject to change.

References to markets, asset classes, and sectors are generally regarding the corresponding market index. Indexes are unmanaged statistical composites and cannot be invested into directly. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment and do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.

Any company names noted herein are for educational purposes only and not an indication of trading intent or a solicitation of their products or services. LPL Financial doesn’t provide research on individual equities. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.

All index data from FactSet and MarketWatch.

This Research material was prepared by LPL Financial, LLC.