August 2025

Summary Through the final days of summer, it was smooth sailing as markets cruised ahead.  Major asset classes posted strong positive gains into the Labor Day holiday. Small caps shined, and non-U.S. stocks pushed past 20% year-to-date returns by August’s close. Blue chip U.S. equities stumbled late in the month, but still managed respectable gains,…

Read More

July 2025

Summary Domestic markets climbed alongside the summer temperatures in July, while non-U.S. stocks saw their first pullback of the year. U.S. trade policy offered a few glimpses of clarity on tariffs with important partners in Japan and the European Union, in moves that were cheered by U.S. markets, but met with mixed reviews internationally. The…

Read More

Is Your 401(k) Ready for Private Assets? A Look Beyond the Promise

photo credit: Ideogram As the landscape of retirement savings continues to evolve, new proposals and potential opportunities emerge, promising enhanced returns and greater diversification for plan participants. Recently, discussions in Washington, D.C. have centered on the possibility of allowing private assets to become a more accessible component of 401(k) plan lineups, either as standalone options…

Read More

The E&F Advocate: Now a Law – The One Big Beautiful Bill Implications for Endowments & Foundations

  The recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) represents the most consequential legislative package for U.S. endowments and foundations in over a decade. While sweeping in scope, its most significant implications for our community fall into three categories: tax reform, climate and infrastructure capital, and university governance provisions. Tax Code Overhaul: Pressures on Investment…

Read More

June 2025

Summary Both stocks and bonds rallied in June, shrugging off geopolitical tensions and modest economic data. Emerging markets led the way, buoyed by continued dollar weakening, trailed closely by U.S. equities. Duration provided a tailwind for the month as rates fell across the yield curve and credit spreads held their levels. Equities U.S. stocks rose…

Read More

May 2025

Summary U.S. equities recovered nicely from the turmoil of April, and international and emerging stocks continued to shine in 2025. Bond returns were negative as Treasury rates crept higher in May. Credit spreads retraced much of April’s widening to return near historical tightening. The Federal Reserve maintained the status quo on policy interest rates in…

Read More

The E&F Advocate: Endowment Turbulence – A Crisis at the Crosswinds of Politics, Policy, and Portfolio Strategy

photo credit: ideogram.ai Back in calmer times, larger endowments operated with seeming invisibility—quietly compounding capital over decades, shielded from public glare. Fast forward to today, these capital pools sit squarely in the eye of a brewing political and financial storm. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia—once synonymous with strategic patience and long-termism—are now recalibrating rapidly. The…

Read More