Talbot Financial Designs

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Talbot Financial Designs

Eliminate the confusion in your financial world and create your own Finanacial Journey

Robert Talbot is a Registered Investment Advisor and Fiduciary registered in the state of Iowa.

05/21/2026

Exciting Family News from Talbot Financial Designs

Many of you have had the opportunity to work with Holly over the years. I wanted to share some exciting personal news with you: Holly had her baby last week, May 13th!

For those who may not already know, Holly is my daughter, and this will be her and Kevin’s first baby. Mom and Dad had chosen to be surprised, so we were all excited to learn that it was a baby girl, Kenna Joelle.

We appreciate your patience, prayers, and understanding during this very special time for our family.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

05/06/2026

Tech Stocks In The News:

AMZN (Amazon-owned in the G33 & Core Select) delivered a strong beat, with AWS growing 28% — its fastest pace in over three years. Shares rose 2.73% for the week.

AAPL (Apple-owned in the G33 & Core Select) also exceeded expectations,driven by solid iPhone demand and continued strength in China. The company recently announced a CEO transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus in September 2026. Shares gained 4.68%.

META (Meta-owned in the G33 & Core Select) reported better-than-expected
earnings, but reported their first user decline and raised Capex estimates by
another $10B (now $125–$145B), sending shares 10.30% lower.

MSFT (Microsoft-owned in the G50, G33 & Core Select) posted strong results led by Azure growth, but softer guidance on revenue and margins, alongside higher capex, weighed on sentiment. Shares fell 2.44% for the week.

GOOG (Google-owned in the G50, G33 & Core Select) stood out as the top
performer, with revenue up 22%, Google Cloud surging 63%, and backlog
nearly doubling. Shares gained 9.96%.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

04/21/2026

The Week in Review:

Major US indexes extended their rally for another week, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching new all-time-highs. The Nasdaq surged 6.84%, followed by the S&P 500, up 4.55%, and the Dow Jones, which gained 3.19%. Small cap stocks also surged, with the Russell 2000 up 5.57% — also reaching a new all-time-high. Growth stocks (Russell 1000 Growth) outperformed value stocks (Russell 1000 Value), gaining 6.72% and 2.41% respectively.

In fixed income, bond yields fell, pushing prices higher. The US Aggregate Bond index yield fell to 4.45%, resulting in a 0.55% gain for the week.

Meanwhile, oil prices pulled back notably last week as shipping disruptions eased in the Middle East. US crude traded at around $83 per barrel on Friday, down from $96 a week earlier.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

04/14/2026

Market Outlook:

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in higher-than-expected, with headline inflation rising 0.9% month-over-month, marking the largest increase in four years, driven largely by a 21% increase in gas prices. This pushed year-over-year CPI to 3.3%. Economists expect further inflationary pressures in the near future, as higher energy costs begin to filter into a broader range of goods and services beyond gasoline.

Elevated inflation also weighed on US consumer sentiment. The University of
Michigan's consumer sentiment survey, released Friday, showed the weakest
reading in its more than 70 year history, with consumers increasingly concerned about rising energy costs.

Looking ahead, first-quarter earnings season kicks off this week, led by major
banks. Analysts are expecting S&P 500 companies to report double-digit earnings growth for the sixth consecutive quarter, although growth expectations have moderated slightly. As of Friday, analysts surveyed by FactSet were forecasting an average earnings growth rate of around 12.6%. Just a couple of weeks earlier, earnings were expected to rise 13.2%.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

04/07/2026

The Week in Review:

Major US indexes rebounded during last week's holiday-shortened trading week, snapping a five week losing streak. The Nasdaq led gains with 4.46%, followed by the S&P 500, which rose 3.38%, while the Dow Jones was up 2.98%. International markets also showed signs of recovery, with international developed equities posting a gain of 3.08% and emerging markets rising a more modest 0.34%.

Despite last week’s rebound, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq declined for a second consecutive month. For the first quarter of 2026, all three major US indexes recorded their largest quarterly losses in nearly four years.

Meanwhile, oil prices spiked again as the ongoing Middle East conflict refueled concerns about a prolonged interruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. US crude oil prices traded around $112 per barrel last week — the highest since mid-2022.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

03/31/2026

The Week in Review:

It was another challenging week for US equity markets, as ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment. The Nasdaq declined 3.22%, followed by the S&P 500, which fell 2.10%, while the Dow Jones was down 0.90%. Both the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones entered correction territory last week, each falling more than 10% from their most recent record highs. International markets were mixed, with international developed equities posted a modest gain of 0.09%, while emerging markets declined 1.73%.

With the first quarter of 2026 now behind us, market behavior closely resembled the volatility experienced in the first quarter of 2025, characterized by sharp price swings. This year, geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has been the primary driver of uncertainty, whereas tariff-related concerns fueled volatility during the same period last year. Despite different catalysts, both environments raised similar concerns around potential inflationary pressures and slowing economic growth.

Looking ahead, US and most international markets will be closed on Friday, April 3 in observance of Good Friday.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

03/24/2026

Market Outlook:

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged last week, in line with expectations. Market attention centered on chair Powell's comments on persistent inflationary pressures and heightened uncertainty of energy prices amid the ongoing Iran conflict. Powell emphasized that the economic implications of the conflict for the US remain uncertain at this stage. Globally, other major central banks, including the European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, and Swiss National Bank, also held interest rates steady, as they navigate renewed inflation risks tied to rising energy prices.

Oil prices showed signs of stabilization last week following prior volatility. Crude Oil settled around $99 per barrel on Friday, slightly up from $98 the previous week, and remains well above its recent February low of $65. Year to date, oil prices are up 74%.

Looking ahead, market focus will remain firmly on developments in the Middle East, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply that continues to drive volatility in oil markets.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

03/17/2026

How is, and will, the conflict in the middle east continue to impact our markets and in what ways?

Gradient Investments says, "For investors, the current situation reinforces a familiar mantra: focus on fundamentals, not headlines."

To read their take on things, use this link to go to their market reflection: https://gradientinvestments.com/about/market-reflection

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

03/10/2026

Market Outlook:

The ongoing war in the Middle East, rising oil prices, and a disappointing jobs
report weighed on markets last week.

Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical shipping route for global energy supply — have largely stalled as Iran blocks the narrow sea passage. Roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption typically flows through this route, and the disruption has pushed energy prices sharply higher. Oil prices rose significantly during the week, reaching $91 per barrel on Friday before climbing to over $100 per barrel over the weekend, a level not seen since July 2022.

Economic data also disappointed. Last Friday’s US jobs report showed the
economy lost 92,000 jobs, versus expectations for a 50,000 gain, while the
unemployment rate rose to 4.4%.

Looking ahead, investors will monitor developments in Iran and their impact on energy markets, along with upcoming inflation data including the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) reports later this week.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

03/03/2026

Market Outlook:

Q4 2025 earnings season is largely in the books and the constituents of the
"Magnificent 7" group continued to drive a broad share of the market's overall
earnings growth. These seven stocks generated an average Q4 2025 earnings growth of 27.7% compared to 9.8% for the other 493 companies in the S&P 500. Notably, earnings growth for the "Magnificent 7" has exceeded 25% in 10 of the past 11 quarters. Looking ahead to 2026 expectations, analysts are again projecting double-digit earnings growth for the broader S&P 500, with expected growth of 23.5% for the "Magnificent 7" and 11.8% growth for the remaining companies in the S&P 500.

Over the weekend, the United States and Israel conducted a military strike on Iran. Investors will be closely monitoring potential market implications in the days ahead. Historically, geopolitical events have tended to result in short-lived market volatility. However, the impact will largely depend on the severity and duration of the conflict, as well as whether it expands to other regions. Oil prices will also be a key focus, given that the conflict impacts key oil supply routes in the Middle East.

You can use this link to set up a meeting (https://calendly.com/talbotfd/60min) or text me (515-575-9282) to set up a time to talk.

Rob

Address

604 Buddy Holly Place
Clear Lake, IA
50428

Website

http://WWW.TalbotFD.com/

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