Presented by Mark Gallagher

Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for June. It was a mixed month, as U.S. markets went down with the Dow and up with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. Bond markets pulled back a bit on rising rates. There was also pullback abroad, in both developed and emerging markets. Still, the fundamentals are good, and a step-up in second-quarter growth is expected. Job growth is strong, consumer spending is accelerating, and business investment is solid. Are there headwinds ahead? Stay tuned to learn more. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.

Mark Gallagher is a financial advisor located at Gallagher Financial Services at 2586 East 7^th Ave. Suite #304, North Saint Paul, MN 55109. He offers securities and advisory services as an Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network^®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. He can be reached at 651-774-8759 or at mark@markgallagher.com.

Presented by Mark Gallagher

Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for May. It was a good month, continuing the recovery from the pullback we saw at the start of the year. In the U.S., markets were up almost across the board. Consumers continue to spend, and businesses remain confident—with manufacturing doing particularly well. Plus, the government is contributing to this growth by cutting taxes and spending more. When we look at emerging and developing markets, however, it’s a different story. Stay tuned to learn more. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.

Mark Gallagher is a financial advisor located at Gallagher Financial Services at 2586 East 7^th Ave. Suite #304, North Saint Paul, MN 55109. He offers securities and advisory services as an Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network^®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. He can be reached at 651-774-8759 or at mark@markgallagher.com.

Presented by Mark Gallagher

Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for April. It was a good month, as both U.S. and developed markets were up. This news was encouraging, indicating that the economy seems to be bouncing back after two down months. In fact, the fundamentals are quite strong, with company earnings surprising to the upside to a degree we have never seen before. Plus, sales beat expectations, which is a positive reflection of the markets and the economy. But will these trends continue? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.

Mark Gallagher is a financial advisor located at Gallagher Financial Services at 2586 East 7^th Ave. Suite #304, North Saint Paul, MN 55109. He offers securities and advisory services as an Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network^®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. He can be reached at 651-774-8759 or at mark@markgallagher.com.

Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for March. Last month, both U.S. and international markets saw losses. It was the second down month in a row, something we haven’t seen in a while. This was due, in part, to markets becoming uncertain on the news of tariffs on China—which rattled companies around the world. Plus, Fed Chair Powell was seen as more hawkish than expected, introducing uncertainty around interest rates. Despite all this, do the fundamentals remain solid? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.