Newsletters

Claire Anne Ashton joined the Ashton Family on February 7th at 4:17PM. She weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 20 inches long. Both Anne and Claire are doing very well and are enjoying their time together this spring.

The word “retirement” means something different to everyone and often changes as we move through each stage of our lives. We go from our 20s where we almost cannot fathom retiring, to our 40s where our lives are so busy we wish retirement were tomorrow, and into our 60s, where suddenly it has become a reality.

On the heels of their worst December since 1931, U.S. stocks opened 2019 by scoring their best quarter since the financial crisis. Larger-cap U.S. stocks gained 13.6%, placing the S&P 500 Index’s performance in the top decile of quarterly market returns since 1950. Not to be left behind, foreign equities, which were by far the most battered coming out of 2018, generated double-digit returns.

The financial environment continues to feel like a game of tug of war. On one side, we have a still-solid U.S. economy that has grown for a record number of consecutive years. While measures of manufacturing activity are slowing, global services activity, which represents upward of 70%-plus of the global economy (and more than 80% of U.S. GDP) still looks solid.

I think we are all glad to see the 3rd quarter of 2019 in the rearview mirror. If you turned on the news at any point this summer, odds are you wish you had walked out the door and onto a quiet trail instead. Even though Q3 ended the best consecutive three quarters since 1997, it didn’t feel that way for many. We did not have the quiet summer in the markets that many of us have come to expect.

It seems that winter has arrived early to Montana and snow has covered the mountains surrounding Bozeman. This is an exciting time of year for Morgan whose favorite winter activity is spending time with friends and family on the ski slopes. Over the last couple of years, Morgan has another reason to be excited: he has taken his passion of skiing and channeled it into volunteering with the Bridger Bowl Foundation (BBF).

Having trouble fitting volunteer work into your busy life? It may help to know that while spending your time in community service is viewed predominantly as a selfless activity, volunteering may be just as good for you as it is for your community and the cause you are helping. In fact, studies show that volunteering can provide multiple, sometimes unexpected, benefits.

Our portfolios generated strong returns for 2019, a bullish year for nearly all financial markets. The positive broad-based returns marked a dramatic (and welcome) turnaround from 2018, a year in which nearly all asset classes faltered.

Over the course of this year, Leah was searching for ways to expand her career and increase the value of the support she gives to the Owen Legacy Group. In the fall, Leah embarked on a 12-week learning course to earn her Financial Planner Qualified Professional™ certification.

Oliver Burnham Owen was born to Marisa Nicole Owen and Morgan Fletcher Owen at 9:08 p.m. on March 27, 2020. He weighed 7 lb, 9 oz and was 21 inches long. There were no complications other than being born during the coronavirus pandemic, and the entire family is safely social distancing at home.

After 25 years at 529 E. Main Street in Bozeman, D.A. Davidson is moving. Even though we are excited for the new office, we are sad to leave behind our well-known address.

Election season is upon us. If you have made the transition to only subscription entertainment, you may not be being inundated by negative ads, but out in the world it is hard to escape. In almost every conversation we have with clients, inevitably someone will ask, “how will this election affect my portfolio?”

For most of the second quarter, financial markets seemed to defy grim economic news, the continued spread of COVID-19, and worldwide protests against racial inequality. Global equities performed strongly for the quarter and rewarded investors who remained invested.

So you are stuck at home and watching the market go up and down, or watching your kids slowly drive each other crazy, you have cleaned everything...twice... and finished the pile of books on your nightstand and wishing there was something you could do. Since it always feels good to do something productive, and we are all going to need a break from binging on Netflix and the news, we are issuing a COVID-19 challenge.

We are living through an extraordinary period in history that none of us will ever forget. The impact on our families, communities, and country has been profound. While several weeks ago we had reason for cautious optimism that the coronavirus might be largely contained to China, it is now obvious that is not the case.

Getting in touch with her Montana roots, Brenda is fully embracing the outdoor lifestyle this summer, with a new camper and golden retriever puppy. The majority of her weekends have been spent with family exploring nearby lakes, rivers and parks.

In the 2019 Q2 newsletter we featured an article written by Bronnie Ware—a nurse and counselor who for several years cared for people who were terminally ill, many with less than 12 weeks to live. The takeaways are inspiring.

The first half of 2019 saw robust gains across most asset classes, but it certainly wasn’t a smooth ride. Global stock markets got a jump start on the year thanks to progress in US-China trade negotiations and a newly “patient” Fed, but an abrupt breakdown in the trade talks (announced via Presidential tweet) spurred a sharp market sell-off in May.