Financial Advisors Knowledge Center

The SEI Advisor Network publishes a wealth of information to keep advisors in-the-know about the latest investment trends, market insights and technology tips.

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    • 30 August 2010
    • A Shot of Espresso
    • All things need to be re-energized from time to time. Find out why the Federal Reserve (Fed) needs to step up to the challenge and provide the economy a “shot of espresso” to help propel it through the soft patch and return to acceleration. [... More]
    • 27 August 2010
    • Weekly Market Update: 27 August 2010
    • Our weekly market update on the economy, stocks and bonds. [... More]
    • 20 August 2010
    • Weekly Market Update: 20 August 2010
    • Our weekly market update on the economy, stocks and bonds. [... More]
    • 18 August 2010
    • Video: July 2010 Macro Summary
    • A recap of market activity and performance for the month of May. We remain cautiously optimistic on the economy at this point in time, ruling out the prospects of a double-dip recession.  Also available as a podcast. [... More]
    • 17 August 2010
    • Podcast: August 2010 Federal Open Market Committee Meeting
    • As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee left the lending rate unchanged, holding it in the range of zero to 25 basis points during its recent two-day meeting. Although divided by its members’ opinions, the FOMC didn’t disappoint the market. [... More]
    • 17 August 2010
    • Podcast: July 2010 Jobs Data
    • Mixed economic data was capped off by July’s nonfarm payroll report. The current uncertain environment affects not only the consumer but also employers and their hiring practices. Employers remain cautious, juggling the uncertainty around new government regulations as well as the threat of added healthcare costs. [... More]
    • 17 August 2010
    • Podcast: July 2010 Macro Summary View
    • A recap of market activity and performance for the month of May. We remain cautiously optimistic on the economy at this point in time, ruling out the prospects of a double-dip recession. Also available as a video. [... More]
    • 13 August 2010
    • Weekly Market Update: 13 August 2010
    • Our weekly market update on the economy, stocks and bonds. [... More]
    • 12 August 2010
    • July 2010 Market Update
    • During July, investors were able to look past much of the weak global economic data and instead focus on positive corporate earnings releases. [... More]
    • 06 August 2010
    • Weekly Market Update: 6 August 2010
    • Our weekly market update on the economy, stocks and bonds. [... More]
    • 06 August 2010
    • Investment Update: The Summer of Our Discontent
    • Bad news seems to be everywhere these days, affecting a majority of the drivers of economic growth. But the news isn't all bad. Solid companies are trading at reasonable valuation levels. The European sovereign debt crisis is looking less dire, and the “stress tests” conducted on banks in Europe were largely positive.  We believe the worst thing investors can do is take no action. [... More]
    • 31 July 2010
    • Weekly Market Update: 30 July 2010
    • Our weekly market update on the economy, stocks and bonds. [... More]
    • 23 July 2010
    • Weekly Market Update: 23 July 2010
    • Our weekly market update on the economy, stocks and bonds. [... More]
    • 21 July 2010
    • Fixed-Income Purgatory
    • There is no better way to describe the current fixed-income environment than “fixed-income purgatory.” However, all hope is not lost. Although economic growth has shown signs of slowing, indicators still point to growth. [... More]
    • 20 July 2010
    • Second Quarter 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • Optimism in the first quarter turned to skepticism in the second quarter, as the sovereign debt crisis in peripheral Europe and a mixed bag of economic data raised questions about the sustainability of a global economic recovery. [... More]
    • 13 July 2010
    • Economic Outlook: Staying Upbeat in a Down Quarter
    • The Global Portfolio Strategies Team recently released a quarterly economic outlook report. [... More]
    • 30 June 2010
    • Podcast: June 2010 Federal Open Market Committee Meeting
    • Commentary on the June 23 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), including the release of the Committee’s statement and the market’s initial reaction. With the labor market still healing and the economic recovery still developing, there is no reason for the Committee to risk credibility or risk capping economic growth by making major shifts in policy too early. [... More]
    • 17 June 2010
    • May 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • May was characterized by continued anxiety surrounding the Greek sovereign debt crisis. Although many global economic indicators continued to support the view that recovery has taken hold, worries about worldwide growth remained. In SEI's view, the global economy should continue to improve, but growth will not be uniform across all regions. [... More]
    • 09 June 2010
    • Podcast: May 2010 Jobs Data
    • Commentary on the jobs data for May, including the nonfarm payroll number and the market’s initial reaction. This commentary looks at the fundamentals of the economy, including the health of the labor market. [... More]
    • 09 June 2010
    • Podcast: May 2010 Macro Summary View
    • A recap of market activity and performance for the month of May. Macroeconomic data continues to point to a global economic expansion, albeit at a slower expected pace of “two steps forward, one step back.” [... More]
    • 03 June 2010
    • Investment Update: Why U.S. Investors Should Care About the Euro
    • Why should U.S. investors care about the sovereign debt troubles of Greece and other European countries? These issues can have a significant impact on domestic investments. [... More]
    • 02 June 2010
    • Investment Update: Market Volatility Continues
    • From a market perspective, the month of May had more than its fair share of challenges. In SEI’s view, the global economy should continue to fight its way forward, but it won’t be uniform across regions. [... More]
    • 18 May 2010
    • April 2010 Market Update
    • During April, investors displayed caution as tensions escalated regarding the Greek sovereign debt crisis. Economic data continued to be mixed, as global labor markets remained weak and the slow pace of growth stayed largely the same. [... More]
    • 17 May 2010
    • Podcast: April 2010 Market Recap
    • Regulatory proposals made headlines domestically and abroad as concerns continued to swirl around impact to the financial sector. Risk started to be re-priced toward the end of the month as the battle waged on between improving fundamentals within the U.S. economy, spread markets and the European debt crisis. [... More]
    • 12 May 2010
    • Podcast: April 2010 Jobs Data
    • April’s payroll report helped renew confidence within the labor market as it grew for the third time in four months. [... More]
    • 03 May 2010
    • April FOMC Podcast
    • Commentary on the April 28 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, or FOMC, including the release of the Committee’s statement and the market’s initial reaction. The FOMC concluded its scheduled two-day closed-door meeting on Wednesday and as expected, the Committee left the lending rate unchanged, holding it in the range of zero to 25 basis points. [... More]
    • 22 April 2010
    • Podcast: March 2010 Market Recap
    • Investors were hit with concerns about sovereign debt and state budgets as well as regulatory changes. Even with all the distractions, participants remained involved, investing additional dollars in fixed income investments. The Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index remained positive in 2010, returning -0.12% for the month of March and 1.78% year to date. [... More]
    • 20 April 2010
    • Commentary: First Quarter 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • In SEI’s view, the global economy should continue to improve, but growth will not be uniform across all regions. Emerging markets are the clear leaders so far. The key concern continues to be the exit from governmental stimulus packages. Read the full commentary. [... More]
    • 15 April 2010
    • Economic Outlook: The Emergence of Divergence?
    • It is evident that the world’s economies are no longer marching in tandem. Instead, it has become a three-track world. Read a summary from our Global Portfolio Strategies Team and request the full-length paper. [... More]
    • 08 April 2010
    • March 2010 Jobs Data Podcast
    • The hope that the unemployment rate peaked in the fourth quarter at 10.1% continues to hold— at least in the near term. At some point we may see a modest tick higher, as temporary employment created to spur economic growth comes to an end and currently discouraged workers attempt to reenter the workforce. [... More]
    • 18 March 2010
    • Commentary: February 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • Although the tone for February was cautious due to concerns about possible government bond defaults and mixed economic data, investors pushed equity markets higher on hopes of further economic recovery. Market activity for the month reflected our view that the global economy is on the path to recovery but still faces hurdles along the way. [... More]
    • 11 March 2010
    • Podcast: February 2010 Jobs Data
    • February’s payroll report was the most widely talked-about release so far this year. While the recovery will take some time, we believe we are getting close to the tipping point where the labor market will start to add jobs. There is a high likelihood that we may see job growth as soon as next month. The question is whether or not this job creation will be sustainable.  [... More]
    • 11 March 2010
    • Podcast: February 2010 Market Recap
    • Changes within the economic climate continued to affect the fixed-income markets. Pockets of weakness still exist in the labor market, housing market and consumption figures, unsettling many market participants. Although these negative trends are not new, there was hope that they would show consistent signs of improvement. [... More]
    • 24 February 2010
    • Commentary: January 2010 Market and Performance Update
    • Global equity markets fell on concerns that tighter regulations will stymie growth, Greek government bonds were downgraded and Japanese government bonds were warned of a possible downgrade, and the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar strengthened against sterling and the euro. [... More]
    • 18 February 2010
    • Podcast: January 2010 Market Recap
    • The economic landscape continues to show signs of improvement. As the economy recovers, the overall tone of the fixed-income market remains upbeat, despite hiccups along the way. [... More]
    • 12 February 2010
    • Podcast: January 2010 Jobs Data
    • Even without the expansion in employment, the overall tone of the report was positive, headlining with the fact that the unemployment rate ticked lower to 9.7%. [... More]
    • 05 February 2010
    • Podcast: January 2010 Federal Open Market Committee Meeting and Initial Market Reaction
    • Plain and simple, there were three points that needed to be covered by the FOMC. First, the Committee needed to provide comments around inflation and confirm that the inflation environment remains benign. Second, language in the FOMC’s statement around the intent of the Committee to hold rates at a low level for an extended period of time needed to remain intact. And lastly, it was necessary to confirm that the economy continues to strengthen and that the Committee remains cautiously optimistic regarding the economy. [... More]
    • 03 February 2010
    • 2010 Economic Outlook
    • We expect a sustained economic recovery in 2010, although there remain obvious areas of weakness — the household sector, small business, state and local governments and construction. Download our 13-page commentary. [... More]
    • 18 January 2010
    • Commentary: Fourth Quarter 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • SEI believes there have been continued signs of improvement in the world economy during the past quarter, which should keep the recovery in the global financial markets on track, although the pace of gains is likely to be more tempered in the months ahead. [... More]
    • 13 January 2010
    • Podcast: December 2009 Jobs Data
    • Overall, the report was a mixed bag, with the overriding tone continuing to be negative and the unemployment rate holding steady at 10%. However, a glimmer of hope could be found in November’s revision from a loss of 11,000 jobs to an increase of 4,000, which was the first time we have seen job growth since December 2007. [... More]
    • 08 January 2010
    • Podcast: Themes for 2010: Hoping for Less Excitement
    • The year 2010 will likely be a “rebuilding year,” as market participants continue to put the pieces back together. We should see a continued recovery within both the markets and the economy, albeit at a slower and choppier pace than most would like. [... More]
    • 21 December 2009
    • Podcast: December 2009 Federal Open Market Committee Meeting and Initial Market Reaction
    • Expectations within the investment community were pretty much unanimous that the Committee would leave the overnight lending rate unchanged at the range of zero to 25 basis points. Since this was already widely anticipated, investors were really looking for clarity and guidance. [... More]
    • 18 December 2009
    • Commentary: November 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • SEI believes there have been sufficient signs of improvement in the world economy in recent months to keep the recovery in the global financial markets on track, although the pace of gains is likely to be more tempered in the months ahead. [... More]
    • 15 December 2009
    • Podcast: November 2009 Market Recap
    • Risk appetite has returned, which can be seen from the performance of the equity markets and high-beta credit names. However, setbacks are expected—for example, Dubai World announced it may need to restructure its debt to avoid missing coupon and interest payments. Hopefully, this is an isolated incident and not the start of a domino effect. [... More]
    • 11 December 2009
    • Podcast: November 2009 Jobs Data
    • The Treasury market will remain volatile in upcoming weeks as we approach year end. Economic data is likely to remain choppy, sending mixed signals to investors. [... More]
    • 18 November 2009
    • Commentary: October 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • We believe there have been sufficient signs of improvement in the world economy in recent months to keep the recovery in the global financial markets on track, although the pace of gains is likely to be more tempered in the months ahead. In particular, we would expect to see a more balanced performance between high- and low-quality stocks, large versus small companies and developed versus emerging markets. [... More]
    • 16 November 2009
    • Podcast: October 2009 Market Recap
    • Historically, October is a challenging month, and October 2009 was true to form. Greater volatility, wider bid/ask spreads and an overall thin market have created this year’s hurdles. [... More]
    • 16 November 2009
    • Podcast: October 2009 Jobs Data
    • After a modest rise in September, October’s non-farm payroll number showed some signs of improvement. However, improvement is in the eye of the beholder, as it is difficult to view a loss of this magnitude in a positive light. [... More]
    • 28 October 2009
    • Commentary: Third Quarter 2009 Market and Performance Update
    • A combination of improvement in economic indicators and an increasing appetite among investors to take on additional risk continued to drive stock and bond markets higher over the third quarter. [... More]
    • 16 July 2009
    • Commentary: Stop Bashing the Buck
    • In our opinion, deficit spending and aggressive monetary easing have been appropriate responses to the crisis, preventing an even steeper downturn (and the associated revenue drain from the government’s coffers) than might have otherwise occurred. [... More]
    • 22 June 2009
    • Goals-Based Investing: Now More Important Than Ever
    • A short video overview highlighting the beneftis of a goals-based approach to investing. [... More]
    • 13 March 2009
    • Stimulus Package: An Overview and Outlook
    • At the present time, we see nothing in the stimulus package that would lead to changes in our asset allocation recommendations. Active managers can be expected to find opportunities in this environment. [... More]
    • 10 December 2008
    • Commentary: Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
    • The recent spread widening in the commercial mortgage-backed securities sector has been driven more by technical conditions, rather than a real deterioration of credit fundamentals. That is not to say that the fundamental credit outlook for the commercial real estate sector is positive. [... More]
    • 10 November 2008
    • Commentary: Timeline of Central Bank and Government Action During Credit Crisis
    • SEI has created a timeline of action taken by governments and central banks of the US, UK and Europe to deal with the continuing credit crisis. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of every action taken, but should include all significant steps taken through November 7, 2008. [... More]