Insights
Cumberland Advisors Market Commentary offers insights and analysis on upcoming, important economic issues that potentially impact global financial markets. Our team shares their thinking on global economic developments, market news and other factors that often influence investment opportunities and strategies. Our readers appreciate its timeliness, depth of analysis, and quality of research.
Author(s): David W. Berson, Ph.D., CBE | Fri August 7, 2026
Much weaker than expected – but was it really weak? Nonfarm payrolls fell by 23,000 for July, with downward revisions over the prior two months totaling 103,000 – much less than market expectations
Author(s): John R. Mousseau, CFA | Fri July 31, 2026
We saw a convulsive reaction to Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s press conference on Wednesday July 29th, following the Fed’s decision to keep the fed funds target rate at 3.50–3.75% for the fifth meeting in a row.
Author(s): John R. Mousseau, CFA | Thu July 30, 2026
Our midyear outlook is an overview of Cumberland Advisor’s thoughts on the financial markets. Clearly the overriding theme for the financial markets has been the war in Iran, which began at the end of February, and the accompanying effects from the resulting price of oil.
Author(s): David W. Berson, Ph.D., CBE | Mon June 8, 2026
Strong, strong jobs! Markets looked for a nonfarm payroll (NFP) gain of around 85,000 for May – but the reported increase of 172,000 blew that out of the water.
Author(s): David W. Berson, Ph.D., CBE | Thu May 14, 2026
About as expected – consumers spending at a modest pace. Retail sales rose by 0.5 percent in April, just shy of market expectations. This figure was held down by a small decline in auto spending...
Author(s): David W. Berson, Ph.D., CBE | Tue May 12, 2026
Inflation up, but not worse than expected. The April CPI rose by 0.6 percent for the month, with the core rate (excluding the volatile food and energy components) rising by 0.4 percent.
Author(s): David W. Berson, Ph.D., CBE | Fri May 8, 2026
A reasonably strong report. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 115,000 for April, above market estimates of about 50,000.
Author(s): Patricia Healy, CFA | Tue April 21, 2026
Municipal credit quality continues to be resilient. S&P reports that upgrades exceeded downgrades in most sectors in 2025, elevating average municipal ratings. Smith’s Research, which combines three rating agency actions, shows similar positive-weighted activity.
Author(s): David W. Berson, Ph.D., CBE | Fri April 10, 2026
Ugly overall, but some good news inside. The March CPI jumped by 0.9 percent (equal to market expectations), bringing the 12-month trend rate up to 3.3 percent – the fastest pace since September 2023.
Author(s): John R. Mousseau, CFA | Mon March 23, 2026
The war against Iran is about to begin its fourth week this Sunday. We have seen bond yields rise in both taxable and tax-free bond markets, reflecting mostly the rise in the cost of oil due to shipping stoppages through the Strait of Hormuz...