From President Biden’s announcement that he will not be seeking re-election, to a rotation out of tech stocks and into small caps, recent events have added to market uncertainty. The S&P 500 recently declined 2.9% from its all-time high, while the Nasdaq pulled back nearly 5%. It’s natural for investors to be concerned about where the market is headed, especially as the presidential election season heats up and the Fed prepares for its first rate cut this cycle. However, history shows that it’s important for investors to stay focused on the long run and not overreact to every news headline. More than ever, staying levelheaded is the best way to achieve long-term financial goals.

The stock market has continued its historic rally with the S&P 500 gaining 19% year-to-date with reinvested dividends, contributing to a total return of 61% since the market bottom in 2022. While much of this performance has been driven by large cap technology stocks over the past 18 months, there are now signs that other parts of the market are benefiting as well.

These shifts highlight the important fact that while investing trends may come and go, it’s the tried-and-true principles of investing that help investors grow their portfolios and achieve their financial goals over years and decades. What should investors know about diversifying across sectors and styles over the next several quarters?

As we enter the second half of the year, it’s important for long-term investors to maintain perspective on the major events that have driven markets. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, the stock market has experienced a strong rally as investors anticipate the first Fed rate cut and the rally in artificial intelligence stocks continues.

As the presidential debate season kicks off, the current and former presidents’ divergent approaches to taxes will be on display. Naturally, this is a controversial topic fueled by strong political views on our nation’s priorities, government spending, entitlement programs, fairness around taxation, and much more. While taxes affect all parts of our financial lives, their impact on the stock market is not what many might guess. As the rhetoric from both sides of the aisle heats up, how can investors stay level-headed and stick to their long-term financial plans?

The path of interest rates has been highly uncertain over the past few years due to inflation, economic growth, and the Fed. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, for instance, jumped from 3.8% at the end of last year to a high of 4.7% in April, before settling around 4.2% more recently.

Higher rates have defied the expectations of investors and economists, creating a challenging environment for the bond market, since rising rates push down bond prices. However, with inflation beginning to improve, many finally expect the Fed to begin cutting rates by the end of the year. What perspective do diversified investors need to stay balanced in the months ahead?