Talking Points

1. Global growth is stabilizing, but leadership has shifted back to developed markets. The U.S. and parts of Europe are driving the latest improvement in business activity, while several large emerging markets have lost mo

The S&P 500 towed an anchor for much of the summer as a historic momentum and leverage unwind under the surface dragged on the equity benchmark before breaking out to fresh records last week. While these mechanical drivers received most of the bl

Depending on the lookback period, it very well can be the best or worst of times. While the majority of the commodity trading advisor (CTA) industry does feature characteristics of medium-term trading programs; managed futures is still just an umbrel

As advisors gathered at FOCUS 2026, conversations at the LPL Research booth highlighted a common theme: advisors are looking for ways to scale their businesses, enhance portfolio implementation, and deliver increasingly sophisticated strategies for c

Demand continues to outpace record supply. Municipal bonds remain an attractive income opportunity in a market where the Federal Reserve (Fed) is likely to remain on hold and carry is driving returns. Despite record issuance of roughly $50

For generations, investors have operated within the framework of fixed exchange trading hours. That model is increasingly being challenged as global markets evolve. In July 2026, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) unveiled plans for LSE 24, a new tradin

While real estate is often treated as a single asset class, investors access it through two distinct markets: public real estate, primarily via publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), and private real estate, through direct ownership o

The Quick Take

• Advisors asked for greater customization — so LPL Research built it. Our new building block model portfolios let advisors tailor exposures one component at a time, then combine them for personalized portf

The S&P 500 settled a whirlwind July moderately lower but maintained healthy year-to-date gains. Just one month into the second half, some of our key market themes cited in LPL’s Midyear Outlook 2026 wasted no time making themselves known.

Sometimes our Investment Manager Research team is asked whether we are biased for or against boutique investment managers as compared to larger-scale managers. In a word, no. Generally speaking, bias is a four-letter (“bad”) word. We aim