Is inflation making a comeback? Though generally moving in the right direction, economic variables likely won’t continue in a straight line to play out the season.

As the year came to a close, December brought a recalibration of investor expectations, primarily driven by the Fed’s quarter point rate cut around mid-month. 

A three-peat is a rare accomplishment for markets. As we start 2025, we’re watching a legitimate set-up for another potential three-peat congeal. 

Santa Claus may not have arrived to rally and instead, U.S. consumers and the economy may be responsible for the coal in socks this year. 

Vivid metaphors from the latest Federal Reserve press conference tee up the week.

Chip maker Broadcom recently became the newest member of the trillion-dollar market-cap club thanks to booming demand for artificial-intelligence processors.

While confidence is still there, inflation fears persist, and the Fed’s rate-cutting decision day is the biggest thing to watch for this week.

Private equity (PE) firms are feasting on opportunities in consumer-facing industries, carving out high-profile deals that reshape everything from how Americans dine to how they exercise and find childcare. 

Are unicorns still rare? The U.S. is home to 764 (or 49%) of the world’s 1,553 “unicorns” — privately held companies worth over $1 billion.

The total U.S. stock market climbed nearly 7% in November, with most of the gains coming in the days immediately following the election.

Big displays of confidence were literally everywhere in last week’s news, from Bitcoin surpassing the $100,000 mark to more mundane areas of the market, too. 

While the economy is showing signs of softening, the labor market is holding up, keeping the Fed hopeful that total and core inflation will be at 2% in another year.