by Connor Darrell CFA, Assistant Vice President – Head of Investments
The abbreviated week brought no respite for equity investors as global markets slid lower. U.S. stocks sold off the most, with the S&P 500 losing 3.77%. Losses were largely broad based but were a bit larger in the energy and technology sectors. However, we continue to see strong evidence that the U.S. economy remains on firm footing. A report issued by Adobe Analytics – which tracks transactions for 80 of the top 100 U.S. e-commerce retailers – suggested that Black Friday online spending was 23.6% higher than last year, providing further evidence of the strength of U.S. consumers. We continue to anticipate a very strong holiday shopping season.

Despite Agreement, Brexit Negotiations Remain a Factor
After more than 20 months of negotiating, the 27 member nations (excluding Great Britain) of the European Union approved the terms of Britain’s withdrawal. The terms of the deal will now need to be reviewed and approved by British Parliament, which is scheduled to vote on December 11. However, according to the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy based in New York, there is a high probability that the agreement will be voted down, potentially forcing Prime Minister Theresa May into a difficult position. The official “break” date, where the UK will no longer be considered a member of the EU is March 29, 2019, and if no agreement has been approved by that date, there could be considerable ramifications for both European and British businesses. It is likely that these ramifications (which include higher costs and supply chain disruptions) will be large enough to incentivize leaders from both sides to continue working toward a final agreement, but the uncertainty surrounding a potential “no-deal” Brexit remains prominent and has been a significant contributor to the underperformance in European equities so far this year.