Weekly Market Commentary
Has Stock Market Exuberance Become Irrational?
June 29, 2026
LPL Research examines current market and investor sentiment in an effort to gauge current levels of exuberance.
Kevin Warsh Could Shake Up the Fed
June 22, 2026
LPL Research examines Warsh’s evolving Fed approach, infrastructure-led growth, and the impact of China demand on oil prices.
Introducing the IPO Class of 2026
June 15, 2026
LPL Research explains the IPO process, reviews high-profile candidates, and provides context on potential market impacts.
Is Bad News Already Priced into the Bond Market?
June 8, 2026
LPL Research analyzes bond markets as yields rise, exploring Fed policy expectations, inflation trends, and whether bad news is already priced into Treasuries.
Add Context, and Stock Market Valuations are Fair
June 1, 2026
LPL Research analyzes stock valuations, finding them fair given growth, rates, inflation, and AI-driven earnings outlook despite risks.
Seeds of Opportunity: The Case for Agriculture Investments
May 26, 2026
LPL Research explores opportunities in agriculture as supply risks and fertilizer constraints reshape commodity markets and support potential gains.
Energy Shock Expected to Hit Prices Harder Than the Economy
May 18, 2026
LPL Research examines rising inflation risks amid geopolitical tensions, while resilient growth and strong investment support continued expansion.
A New Fed Regime: Warsh, Policy Direction, and Treasury Market Consequences
May 11, 2026
LPL Research explores how a potential Warsh-led Fed could reshape policy, Treasury markets, and volatility amid rising deficits and shifting demand.
AI Wave Continues to Power Technology Earnings Boom
May 4, 2026
LPL Research examines overlooked tech growth, assessing strong earnings, AI skepticism, and valuation opportunities for investors.
American Industrial Renaissance: Fact or Fiction?
April 27, 2026
LPL Research assesses the case for an American Industrial Renaissance, focusing on manufacturing investment, supply‑chain resilience, and energy costs.
Rethinking Fixed Income Allocation in a Multi‑Polar World
April 20, 2026
LPL Research examines the fixed income space as global bonds broaden yields and reduce U.S. concentration, offering diversified income and resilience via non‑U.S. developed and emerging markets.
The Economy Takes Multiple Shocks in Stride
April 13, 2026
LPL Research reviews inflation, growth, and global financial conditions, showing why the economy continues to withstand multiple shocks.
Lessons From Past Conflicts for Today’s Stock Market
April 6, 2026
LPL Research looks to the past for lessons on geopolitical uncertainty and its potential impact on equities.
Earnings Likely to Grow Double-Digits Again; Will Markets Care?
March 30, 2026
LPL Research explains why solid earnings, AI investment, and economic resilience underpin stocks, even as oil prices and volatility pressure markets.
Private Credit Under Pressure: Liquidity Mismatches in an AI-Disrupted Cycle
March 23, 2026
LPL Research examines recent private credit activity in the face of growing sophistication from AI.
Why Oil Prices Matter Less — But Still Move Headline Inflation
March 16, 2026
LPL Research explains how America’s declining reliance on oil and rising geopolitical risks shape inflation, growth expectations, and volatility in 2026.
Markets Tested as Iran Conflict Continues
March 9, 2026
LPL Research reviews how the Iran conflict is affecting markets, highlighting energy risks, market resilience, and what investors should watch in the weeks ahead.
How LPL Research Thinks About Dividends
March 2, 2026
Looking beyond recent dividend strategies' performance, LPL Research asks and answers the question, “How should I think about dividend stocks or building an equity income portfolio?”
LPL Research’s 2026 Strategic Asset Allocation
February 23, 2026
Explore LPL Research’s 2026 SAA update, featuring equity shifts, bond strategy, and purposeful diversification to support steady long‑term portfolio outcomes.
From Bubble Fears to Disruption Risk: The New AI Market Narrative
February 17, 2026
LPL Research analyzes recent market activity, AI anxieties, and possible directions the new technology could be heading in.
Five Reasons the Run in Emerging Markets Could Continue
February 9, 2026
After a stellar 2025 in which emerging market (EM) equities returned 34%, 2026 is off to a good start with the MSCI EM Index up 7% year to date. Last year’s near doubling of the S&P 500 return was driven mostly by a weakening U.S. dollar, which propped up EM returns, but attractive valuations and artificial intelligence (AI) investment played a role. This week we highlight five reasons we’ve warmed up to EM.
Dueling Mandates: The Fed’s Policy Caution and Treasury’s Growing Borrowing Needs
February 2, 2026
The Federal Reserve (Fed) enters 2026 navigating potentially constrained policy conditions as resilient growth and above‑trend inflation intersect with an increasingly unsustainable fiscal trajectory. Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized that federal debt growth requires eventual corrective action, even if near‑term market risks remain limited. Rising primary deficits at near full employment further limit long‑run policy flexibility, while expanding Treasury financing needs — and a growing reliance on short‑duration bills — heighten rollover risk and amplify sensitivity to the Fed’s policy rate.
The Productivity Advantage: Powering Economic Growth in 2026
January 26, 2026
Productivity growth is the key mechanism that allows the U.S. economy to expand above its long‑run trend without reigniting inflation. Recent data show U.S. nonfarm business productivity rising 4.9% in Q3 2025, a surge strong enough to counter inflationary pressures even amid solid economic growth. Beyond containing inflation, faster productivity growth also helps offset structural headwinds from slowing population growth, a shrinking labor force, and an expanding retiree cohort. Technological innovation is poised to provide the backbone for this productivity boost. The U.S. remains among the world’s productivity leaders — it ranks near the top of major advanced economies, placing it ahead of Germany, France, the U.K., Japan, and Canada.
Unearthing the Metals Melt-Up
January 20, 2026
In this week’s Weekly Market Commentary, we explore the drivers behind the strength in metals, the associated risks, and the outlook for the durability of the rally.
Evaluating Our 2025 Forecasts: Equity, Fixed Income, and the U.S. Economy
January 5, 2026
With 2025 behind us, it’s a good time to celebrate some of our better forecasts from last year while also reviewing some misses we can learn from. In our view, we got more right than wrong last year, but there were some misses among our tactical asset allocation recommendations. For the second straight year, as the bull market marched on, the most impactful decision we made was probably to recommend investors stay fully invested in equities at benchmark levels throughout the entire year despite elevated valuations.
Navigating Neutral: Fed Policy Key for Fixed Income Markets in 2026
December 22, 2025
2025 was a good year for most fixed income markets but we’re approaching 2026 with caution. All-in yields are still attractive for most markets, but spreads (the additional compensation for owning riskier debt) are low, suggesting investors aren’t getting paid to take on a lot of credit risk right now. Federal Reserve (Fed) policy will be key, though, in determining returns in 2026, but with a new Chair expected at the helm by May, rate volatility could remain elevated.
Policy Tailwinds and Artificial Intelligence to Power Stocks in 2026
December 15, 2025
The bull market appears poised to extend its run in 2026, fueled by ongoing enthusiasm around AI and further easing of monetary policy from the Fed. However, with valuations running high and midterm election years often bringing more volatility, gains may be more tempered in 2026. LPL Research suggests investors maintain current allocations near long-term targets and stay patient for pullbacks to selectively increase equity exposures. Here we feature LPL Research’s stock market for 2026, taken from Outlook 2026: The Policy Engine.
More Keys for Markets in 2026: LPL Market Outlook Sneak Peek
December 1, 2025
In our Weekly Market Commentary on November 17, we previewed our Outlook 2026 publication, due out on December 9. We highlighted several keys for markets next year, covering the U.S. economy, stocks, and bonds. This week, we broaden our preview and tease some other factors investors will want to consider when thinking about investing in 2026.
Corporate America Cleared a High Bar This Earnings Season
November 24, 2025
Third quarter earnings season winds down over the next couple of weeks and has once again met Wall Street’s high expectations. After tariff-muddled first quarter results, companies did a good job adjusting to tariffs in the second quarter and continued to do so last quarter. A strong beat rate and another quarter of double-digit earnings growth proved corporate America’s resilience, bolstered by mega cap technology’s artificial intelligence (AI) investment. Here we recap third quarter earnings season, when more stayed the same than changed. Hat tip to profit margins.
Early Market Keys to 2026
November 17, 2025
In a year that could easily be defined by a few different words — including but not limited to tariffs, technology, or more broadly, uncertainty — capital markets have plugged along splendidly. Despite a near-bear market correction in April, the S&P 500 and U.S. stocks more broadly have powered higher, hurdling obstacles nearly without interruption. The bond market has also done more than hold its own, while outside of markets, the American economy has displayed resilience as well amid a challenging backdrop. As 2025 nears its final 100 calendar days, market focus is already beginning to turn forward and attempt to reconcile what market drivers could remain in place, and what could change in the first year of the new half-decade. While not an exhaustive list, here’s some of our early keys to 2026.
AI Infrastructure: A New Pillar of Economic Growth
November 10, 2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) makes daily headlines, and investors are questioning if businesses’ AI-related investment can continue at this pace. The money spent on data centers, software, and other AI-related investments reveal the structural shifts occurring in the economy. The latest on Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Loans gives us insights into the sustainability of this trend. If an economy wants to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, and scientific development, businesses need a stable macro environment with price stability, strong property rights, and dynamic capital markets that can fund great ideas.
From Micro to Macro: A Busy Week of Market-Moving Data
November 3, 2025
There was no shortage of headlines on both the micro and macro levels last week. Earnings season ramped up as nearly half of the S&P 500’s market cap reported third quarter (Q3) results, including a handful of mega cap companies. Monetary policy captured most of the economic spotlight as the Federal Reserve (Fed) delivered on expectations of another 0.25% interest rate cut and announced an end date to its quantitative tightening (QT) program. The European Central Bank (ECB) held rates for a third straight meeting and noted monetary policy is in a “good place,” while the Bank of Japan (BOJ) also kept rates unchanged as expected. Geopolitical headlines centered on the trade truce reached last week between the U.S. and China. While the agreement is temporary, it should help ease some tariff pressures and reduce the risk of further trade escalations between the world’s two largest economies.