2017 saw a spike in investor confidence and complacency, as volatility fell significantly and appetite for risk fueled many stocks higher. Chad Morganlander, Portfolio Manager at Washington Crossing Advisors, was with us to discuss whether he expects more of the same for the year ahead.
Morganlander says we are at point in the market cycle where global growth is predictable in the short-term. His firm is somewhat optimistic, but aware that valuations are becoming quite stretched, he adds. Morganlander believes markets are entering a period of low growth for next several years, predicting a 4% to 6% return in U.S. equities.
One of Morganlander's top picks for the year is Hershey’s. He suggests investors stick with "big and boring" companies. With Hershey's, investors can go to sleep for 3-5 years and wake up with tremendous returns, according to Morganlander. Hershey's has also entered a bid for Nestle's U.S. confectionary business, which includes brands such as Butterfunger and Baby Ruth. The potential acquisition is not baked in to Washington Crossing Advisor's outlook. He also recommends shares of Hormel Foods and Dr Pepper Snapple.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Oracle soars as it cashes in on the AI boom, Plus: Starbucks shares continue to fall under its new CEO, and does anybody actually want a new iPhone Air?
Swedish buy now, pay later company Klarna is making its highly anticipated public debut on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, the latest in a run of high-profile initial public offerings this year. The offering priced at $40 Tuesday, above the forecasted range of $35 to $37 a share, valuing the company at more than $15 billion. The valuation easily makes Klarna one of the biggest IPOs so far in 2025, which has been one of the busier years for companies going public. Other popular IPOs so far this year include the design software company Figma and Circle Internet Group, which issues the USDC stablecoin..
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison wrested the title of the world’s richest man from longtime holder Elon Musk early Wednesday as stock in his software giant rocketed more than a third in a stunning few minutes of trading. That is according to wealth tracker Bloomberg. A college dropout, the 81-year-old Ellison is now worth $393 billion, Bloomberg says, several billion more than Musk, who had been the world’s richest for four years. The switch in the ranking came after a blockbuster earnings report from Oracle. Forbes still has Musk as the richest, however, valuing his private businesses much higher.
