As political events in Washington become ever more chaotic, investors are starting to wonder if and when these developments will influence the equity and fixed income markets. With the economy this strong and corporate earnings booming, we still see good gains to be had in the market for at least this year and next. The months leading up to the midterm elections may present more volatility than we’ve seen so far this quarter, but we’re looking to capitalize on fluctuating asset prices.

One thing’s clear, the markets have bounced around since the end of 2017. From a year with no volatility, comes a bumpy road. Recent corporate earnings announcements continue on the upside, but investors remain weary. Geopolitical tensions and tariffs continue to rattle markets despite the positive domestic data. Peter C. Karp outlines where we see the markets now and where we see them heading for 2018.

The new year started off with a bang, and the fireworks kept going for the month of January, with equity markets skyrocketing to all-time highs. Investors’ expectations of higher corporate returns (due to a slashing of the corporate tax rate) and marginally higher economic growth increased bullish expectations for equity valuations. The quick gains for the month had some investors on edge, asking themselves “Is this too much, too quickly?"