We hope everyone had a nice Presidents’ Day yesterday, and by nice we hope you got the day off work!

In honor of George Washington, starting in 1971, the third Monday in February was originally celebrated as a Federal holiday to honor our country’s first president, but over time the day has changed to honor all the US presidents.

“Although Presidents’ Day is a nice day to get a deal on a washing machine or car, it is also a time to reflect on all of the great leaders our country has had over the past 200 plus years,” explained LPL Financial Senior Market Strategist Ryan Detrick.

Productivity is a key ingredient in keeping this aging economic cycle afloat, and a nice bounce in 2019’s fourth quarter productivity may be a step in the right direction. Ideally, we’d like to see the global economy stabilize and capital expenditures (capex) pick up again so the U.S. economy can reach its full potential. With the U.S.-China phase-one trade deal signed, the stage could be set for an economic rebound in 2020.

Productivity Pickup

Productivity bounced back nicely in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Nonfarm productivity, which measures hourly

U.S. stocks rose for the second straight week, setting more new record highs along way despite the threat of global economic disruption from the coronavirus outbreak. Encouraging commentary about the economic outlook from Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell and another generally well-received batch of earnings results helped offset news that reported coronavirus cases had increased.

All four U.S. indexes we track posted solid gains during the week, led by the Nasdaq Composite and small cap Russell 2000 Index, which gained 2.2% and 1.9% respectively. The largest growth sectors—consumer discretionary and technology&m

We continue to receive many questions about stock and economic performance during election years, which we’ve tackled in our recent blogs, “Another Look at Election Years” and ”A Closer Look at Election Years.”

What about Congress? We have divided government in Washington. Do we think they will be able to kiss and make up in time for Valentine’s Day? Odds are slim that will happen, but there is a silver lining. A split Congress historically has seen better stock market performance and economic growth, measured by gross domestic product (GDP). Remember, the Republicans currently have control of