John Mark Rogers, Senior Vice President/Investments - Stifel

08/24/2026

The dog days of August may be providing a glimpse of what investors should expect following the midterm elections. The resulting gridlock is likely to mean that Congress will be limited in what it can pass. Instead, it is expected that the regulatory agencies and the Federal Reserve are to be the venues where the policy action takes place.

Read more in Potomac Perspective from Brian Gardner: https://livesocial.seismic.com/aD_KKl

08/21/2026

One year ago, our team joined Stifel, and what a year it has been!

We've celebrated successes, navigated challenges, strengthened client relationships, and grown together as a team. Looking back, I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished and even more excited about where we're headed.

A heartfelt thank you to our clients for your trust and confidence, and to our Stifel colleagues for your partnership and support throughout this journey.

Here's to continued growth, partnership, and success in the years to come!

08/17/2026

Our CIO Office recently highlighted the lofty expectations for second quarter earnings. With reporting season now largely complete, companies did more than meet that elevated bar. In this week's , our CIO Office revisits the expectations outlined in July, assesses where results stand today, and discusses what stronger-than-expected earnings, accelerating revenue growth, and continued AI-driven spending could mean for investors.

https://stifel.info/SL081726

08/13/2026

News reports suggest that President Trump is considering proposals to cut the capital gains tax. The idea that the Treasury Department can act independently to change the rules for the capital gains tax has been floated before, but doubt that it has the authority to act. Absent administrative action, Congress would need to change the law and that is unlikely to occur in 2026. In this note, Brian Gardner, Stifel's Chief Washington Policy Strategist reviews some of the options and describes the significant hurdles that each proposal would face.

Read more here: https://livesocial.seismic.com/a-Oo5T

08/06/2026

Two meetings into Kevin Warsh's tenure as Fed Chair, a new communication framework is beginning to take shape. In this week's , our CIO Office discusses what the Fed's reduced forward guidance, more visible internal debate, and evolving approach to policy communication could mean for investors.

https://stifel.info/SL080626

08/03/2026

U.S. equities were choppy and two-sided in July. The S&P 500 started the month strong before pulling back, then rebounded into month-end to finish little changed.

Read the full piece here: https://livesocial.seismic.com/a6DaER

07/30/2026

This month, Stifel's Chief Investment Officer, Michael O'Keeffe shares a mid-summer update across five fronts: the path forward after the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, an economy resilient despite risks, a "higher for longer" rate backdrop, equity valuations and earnings in focus, and the long-term themes – led by artificial intelligence – defining the future.

Read the full report here: https://stifel.info/ISB072026

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07/29/2026

Recent developments in the Middle East suggest the path to peace may be more complicated than it appears. In this , our CIO Office discusses why escalation and negotiation can be part of the same strategy, what coercive diplomacy means in practice, and why a Managed Off-Ramp remains the most likely outcome despite rising risks and uncertainty.

https://stifel.info/SL072826

07/27/2026

In this Potomac Perspective, Brian Gardner discusses what a Democratic win could mean for certain sectors and how policy may, or may not, change. Following that, they explain why they think a Democratic takeover of the House is likely, but by a smaller margin than has occurred in past elections. They also present the reasons why they think that Republicans are currently favored to win the Senate.

Read more here: https://livesocial.seismic.com/aV4ckB

07/22/2026

In addition to working on another reconciliation bill and a stopgap funding bill for the fall, Congress is working on a cryptocurrency bill (yes, still!) and a community bank deregulatory bill. Despite some positive headlines about both bills, there are reasons to be skeptical about their prospects. Also, data centers and their impact on energy costs are getting more attention in the House. We are uncertain if legislation will pass in 2026, but the issue will stick around.

Read more in today's Potomac Perspective from Brian Gardner, Stifel's Chief Washington Policy Strategist:
https://livesocial.seismic.com/aAUT0q