STILL WAITING FOR SPRING SNAPBACK   Economic Data Economic headlines in July were dominated by global risk hotspots (Greece, China) and falling commodity prices, but behind the headlines, U.S. economic data told a story of slow but steady economic improvement…  

In the second quarter of 2015, the possibility of a June rate increase by the Federal Reserve came and went quietly, with markets unsurprised when rates remained the same. Speculation continues for the date of “liftoff” and there are plenty of arguments for and against rate increases. In the short term, it appears the Fed will raise rates 0.25%…

The second quarter of 2015 brought with it the tenth consecutive quarterly gain for stocks; unfortunately that gain was only 0.3%. After positive economic news helped drive gains throughout much of the quarter, stocks surrendered nearly all of those gains in June when concerns about Greece, China, and Puerto Rico all contributed to a 1.9% drop in the S&P…

MORE SIGNS OF A SPRING ECONOMIC REBOUND   Economic Data Stronger and more consistent signs of an economic rebound from first quarter weakness were the main themes in June’s data releases (which largely reflect economic activity in May). An upward revision to Q1 2015’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth, from -0.7% to -0.2%, also shed a somewhat more positive light on the prior quarter…  

STILL WAITING FOR SPRING SNAPBACK   Economic Data May 2015’s economic reports (which largely reflect economic activity in April 2015) extended the recent theme of a slower than expected snapback from the first quarter economic weakness, which was due largely to temporary factors (unusually harsh winter weather in areas of the country, a major West…

Meet Our Investment Team One of the core values of The Trust Company of Virginia is what we call “The Art of Partnership.” Focused exclusively on wealth management and guided solely by our one-on-one client centered approach, one of our major strengths is the close relationship we maintain with each client…

The Federal Reserve removed the word “patient” from their forward guidance, effectively making the timing of the first Federal Funds rate change in the last 5 years completely data dependent. Yes, the last time the Federal Funds rate has moved at all was in February of 2010. However, Chairwoman Janet Yellen told us…

The first quarter of 2015 was eerily similar to the first quarter of 2014 when the Polar Vortex put the economy on hold. This year cold weather was only one factor: a West Coast port strike and the impact of a strong dollar on exports also hindered economic activity, while lower capital expenditures by the…

April Update | As of March 31, 2015 ECONOMY: WINTER DOLDRUMS CONTINUE WITH SOME EARLY SIGNS OF A SPRING SNAPBACK Economic Data March 2015’s U.S. economic data (which largely reflect economic activity in February 2015) continued the prior month’s trend of weaker than expected numbers that increasingly point to soft growth in the first quarter…

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