GARDNER BROWN ASSOCIATES, INC.

BIO

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Louis A. Gardner, President of Gardner Brown Associates Inc., has been in the Financial Services industry for over 30 years. Over the span of his career he has served as an Executive with three major insurance carriers.

Gardner Brown & Associates, Inc was started in 2008 with the objective to allow our firm to work directly with individual and corporate clients in the vast area of financial advisement.

Louis has been named one of the nation's Best Advisors by Medical Economics due to his vast knowledge and expertise in the area of financial advisement. Gardner Brown Associates is able to assist  corporate clients in devising executive, core and voluntary benefits and individual clients in all areas of financial matters.

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From tackling personal decisions to reaching important milestones, Gardner Brown Associates, Inc. guides you on the path to financial success. As a professional financial planning firm, Gardner Brown Associates, Inc. guarantees optimal results based on your specific needs. We are fueled by our commitment to excellence and go the extra mile to make sure our clients are fully satisfied with the services provided. Get in touch with us today for a free financial advisement consultation.

Securities offered through Lion Street Financial, LLC, member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory products and services offered through Lion Street Advisors, LLC, an investment advisor registered with the SEC. Lion Street Financial, LLC and Lion Street Advisors, LLC are affiliated companies but neither is affiliated with Gardner Brown and Associates. Neither of these companies provide tax or legal advice. Representatives may transact business, which includes offering products and services and/or responding to inquiries, only in state(s) in which they are properly registered and/or licensed.

Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck.

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CONTACT ME

(949) 375-2008 (Tel)

BUSINESS HOURS

Mon - Fri: 7am - 6pm (PST)

​​Saturday & Sunday: By appointment only

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THE MONTH IN BRIEF

Investors and traders found much to like in October. The S&P 500 gained 2.04% during the month, topping 3,000 again. The Federal Reserve made its third interest rate cut of the year. Word came that the U.S. and China could be headed toward the first phase of a new, bilateral trade agreement. The United Kingdom failed to meet its extended Brexit deadline, but the European Union granted it more time. While some fundamental U.S. economic indicators were underwhelming, Wall Street got a lift from the latest earnings season. 1  

DOMESTIC ECONOMIC HEALTH

On October 30, the Federal Reserve made its third interest rate cut in three meetings. The Federal Open Market Committee voted 8-2 to cut the federal funds rate by another 0.25%, taking its range to 1.50-1.75%. Earlier in October, the Fed announced that it would soon start buying about $60 billion in Treasuries per month and continue doing so for at least the first half of 2020. The central bank’s latest monetary policy statement noted that exports and business investment “remain weak.” 2  

Certainly, the ongoing Sino-American tariff dispute has affected both exports and business investment. Last month, it looked like there was some progress toward a resolution: following an October 11 meeting at the Oval Office between top-level U.S. and Chinese negotiators, President Trump announced that both sides were close to approving “phase one” of a new U.S.-China trade pact. President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping planned to sign off on this initial installment of a trade deal during a November 16-17 economic conference in Chile, but that summit was canceled by the Chilean government in view of that country’s current social unrest. The White House believes an accord can still be signed “within the same time frame.” 3,4  

The jobless rate fell 0.2% in September, according to the Department of Labor’s latest employment report. It hit a 50-year low of 3.5%. The U-6 rate, which counts both the unemployed and underemployed, declined 0.3% to 6.9% (the all-time low is 6.8%). Even so, the economy generated 136,000 net new jobs in September; economists polled by Dow Jones forecast 145,000 new hires. 5

Consumer spending rose 0.2% in September, by the estimation of the Department of Commerce. Speaking of shopping and buying, retail sales were down 0.3% in that month. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index came in at 125.9, a slight decline from its September level. The other closely watched gauge of household outlooks, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index, rose to 95.5. 6

On the factory front, the data could have been better. U.S. industrial production fell 0.4% in September, while manufacturing output slipped 0.5%; meanwhile, hard goods orders weakened 1.1%. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) spent another month below 50, falling 1.3 points to 47.8; a number below 50 means activity in the sector is slowing. (ISM’s PMI for the much larger U.S. service sector was in better shape at 52.6, though it dropped 3.8 points in September.) 6,7

In other news, the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated third-quarter gross domestic product at 1.9%, and the Department of Labor said that the Consumer Price Index was flat for September, leaving its yearly advance at just 1.7%. 6,8

GLOBAL ECONOMIC HEALTH

The United Kingdom missed its Halloween deadline for a Brexit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and representatives of the European Union crafted a revised Brexit agreement during the month, yet while Parliament voted in favor of the deal, lawmakers requested more time to review all its details. Per the U.K.’s request, the E.U. pushed the Brexit deadline ahead to January 31, while stating that this extension would be the last. 9

The World Bank sees China’s gross domestic product (GDP) at just 6.1% for 2019; that would be a slip of 0.5% from 2018. It estimates that economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region will weaken to 5.8% for 2019, with trade tensions being the prime factor, and dip further to 5.7% for 2020 and 5.6% in 2021. The region grew 6.3% last year. 10

Some foreign economies seem to be losing momentum. The U.K.’s economy just contracted for the first time in seven years. Germany, Mexico, and Brazil are on the cusp of recessions, and the economies of Italy and Hong Kong have both entered recessionary phases. The International Monetary Fund sees the global economy expanding just 3.0% this year, and that would make 2019 the poorest year for world GDP since 2008. 11

WORLD MARKETS

MSCI’s EAFE index, a benchmark for stocks in developed markets around the world, rose 3.50% during October. MSCI’s All-Cap Asia-Pacific index added 3.80%. Many other indices posted large gains as well, and October brought just three notable monthly losses. 1,12

The Nikkei 225 had another great month, climbing 5.38%. Germany’s DAX improved 3.53%; Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, 3.12%. China’s CSI 300 rose 1.89%. The multi-country Euro Stoxx 50 index rose 0.98%, and France’s CAC 40 index added 0.92%. Spain’s IBEX 35 ended the month 0.14% higher. Canada’s equity market benchmark, the TSX Composite, settled 1.05% lower for the month, and Australia’s ASX 200 fell 1.18%. The United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 fell 2.16%. 12

MONTHLY TIP

As the year ends, fraudsters  may approach older, high-net-worth households, pretending to be representatives of credit card issuers, banks, charities, and even federal agencies. If a stranger calls or emails you and asks you for your money or financial information,  hang up or disregard the message , and report it to organizations, such as Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or AARP ElderWatch.