Week of July 6, 2026 Brent crude has returned to the price level it traded at a year ago, before the conflict with Iran began. Capital markets appear to be signaling expectations for a favorable resolution to the conflict—though likely not one that benefits Iran. Meanwhile, an unexpected shift in domestic politics, highlighted by the election … Continued

Over the years, Sigma has posted several blogs relating to Freedom of the Seas.  Our blog posted May 14, 2013, “Freedom of the Seas”, highlighted the risks to world trade posed by the existence of several choke points, including Gibraltar, Suez, and the Strait of Hormuz, to mention a few. Historically, Great Britain maintained the … Continued

Pandora’s box is an artifact of Greek mythology and the idiom “to open Pandora’s box” has come to mean that this action could start something that will cause unforeseen problems.  A modern equivalent is, “to open a can of worms.” California’s proposed billionaire ballot initiative would ostensibly impose a one-time tax of 5 percent on … Continued

Week of June 22, 2026 Our Monetary Policy Signal remains green. Inflation has proven more persistent than expected, reducing the need for additional Federal Reserve stimulus. New Fed Chair Warsh, a committed monetarist, reinforced this outlook during his first meeting, signaling that policy decisions will be driven by economic data rather than market or political … Continued

Week of June 15, 2026 Two issues currently confront the capital markets. In the near term, investors remain focused on the peace agreement with Iran. Will Iran honor the agreement to the satisfaction of the opposing parties to the agreement?  Any break from the region’s historical pattern of instability would represent a meaningful step toward … Continued

Wikipedia defines alarmism as the excessive or exaggerated alarm of a real or imagined threat.  Alarmists are generally pushing an agenda and attempting to excite fears or give warnings of great danger in a manner that is amplified, overemphasized, or unwarranted. This is not a new phenomenon.  Thousands of years ago, diverse cultures were led … Continued

Week of June 8, 2026 S&P Global confirmed that they are not waiving their GAAP profitability and “seasoning” requirements for inclusion into the widely followed S&P 500 index. This decision comes in the days leading up to what is slated to be the largest IPO in history, SpaceX. The inclusion requirements ensure that passive index … Continued

If you think you are a long-term investor, you need to have a time horizon measured in years, not days.  Some “investors” think that overnight is long term.  If you are reading this blog, that is probably not you.  The successful long-term investor believes that, over time, the global economy will continue to grow, providing … Continued

Week of June 1, 2026 Markets remain sensitive to U.S.-Iran negotiations, but the risk of prolonged disruption is easing. The United States retains significant economic and geopolitical resilience.  Speculation has increased in parts of the domestic equity market, particularly technology and semiconductor stocks.  Enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure has pushed valuations to … Continued

In a recent client conversation, we were discussing how dramatically the various sector weightings in the S&P 500 change over time.  As an example, the Technology Sector currently represents about 35% of the index compared with about 18% fifteen years ago.  Going back to the 80’s energy, basic materials, healthcare, and industrials were among the … Continued

Water is essential to human life and has a long history of shortages and strife.  Water rights in the American West have always been controversial, giving rise to a quote attributed to Mark Twain, “whiskey’s for drinking, water’s for fighting.” One of the most common and successful solutions to water shortages is desalination. On January … Continued

Week of May 25, 2026 We have changed our U.S. Interest Rate Signal to yellow, reflecting the arrival of the “new sheriff in town.” Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, a monetarist in the mold of Paul Volcker, is likely to tolerate somewhat higher interest rates as he works to anchor longer-term inflation expectations. Meanwhile, the ongoing … Continued