NEWS & MEDIA

The annual MMI/Barron's Industry Awards recognize innovation and leadership in the investment advisory solutions industry. Now in their 15th year, the Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and honor firms that have raised the bar by delivering superior solutions for financial advisors and investors over the past year.

An impressive number of nominations were received this year which is indicative of all the great work being done in the advisory solutions space.

Winners will be determined by an online vote of designated contacts at each MMI member firm. This process ensures that all member firms are equally represented in the final voting process.

Congratulations to the finalists and all the firms that were nominated!

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Sierra Mutual Funds. This and other information about the Fund is contained in the prospectus and should be read carefully before investing. The prospectus can be obtained on our website sierramutualfunds.com or by calling toll free 1-866-738-4363 (1-866-RETIFND). The Sierra Mutual Funds are distributed by Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

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In a span of two days, Apple Inc. has seen roughly $200 billion (about the size of the whole of McDonald's Corp.) of its market value wiped out. And it looks like the blame rests with China, which announced plans to expand a ban on the use of iPhones to government-backed agencies and state companies. Several agencies have begun instructing staff not to bring their iPhones to work, the Wall Street Journal reported, which Bloomberg then confirmed. What's more, Beijing plans to extend that restriction far more broadly to other state-owned enterprises and other government-controlled organizations.

If authorities follow through, such a ban risks eroding Apple's position in a market that yields about a fifth of its revenue, and from where it makes the majority of the world's iPhones through sprawling factories that employ hundreds of thousands of people. Apple, after all, considers China its biggest foreign market and global production base.

The thoughts and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the person speaking as of 9/8/2023, and not necessarily those of Sierra and are provided for informational purposes only. Any opinion or estimate contained in this article is made on a general basis and is not to be relied upon by the reader as advice. The reader must make his/her own assessment of the relevance, accuracy, and adequacy of the information contained in this article, and make such independent investigations as he/she may consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of such assessment.

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James St. Aubin, chief investment officer at the Sierra Mutual Funds, says that while conventional thinking has moved away from a recession being imminent, more difficult conditions for consumers in the fourth quarter will create an economic slowdown that is likely to become a mild recession early in 2024. St. Aubin says stocks might tolerate the downturn well, in part because of the bear market of 2022, and in part because the economic downturn is unlikely to last more than two quarters. Azish Filabi of the American College of Financial Services talks about a survey showing the factors that help consumers develop, establish and maintain trust in working with financial advisers. Plus, forensic accountant Tracy Coenen discusses 'gray divorces' and the challenges that break-ups at older ages create for a fair split of assets, and Chuck answers a listener's question about pre-nups, trusts or both for providing financial security.

The thoughts and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the person speaking as of 09/05/2023. The discussion of individual companies should not be considered a recommendation of such companies by the Fund’s investment adviser. The viewer must make his/her own assessment of the relevance, accuracy, and adequacy of the information contained in this article, and make such independent investigations as he/she may consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of such assessment.

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Jerome Powell’s much-anticipated speech Friday did little to resolve the conflict gripping markets late this summer: whether a rapid climb in interest rates spells doom for the surprising 2023 stock-market rally.

The Federal Reserve chair said inflation remains too high and officials are open to raising rates again, if needed, in his address at the Kansas City Fed’s annual symposium. He suggested that interest rates could stay high for the foreseeable future, keeping borrowing costs elevated and, in turn, pressuring stocks as investors more deeply discount the value of future corporate earnings.

The thoughts and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the person speaking as of 8/27/2023, and not necessarily those of Sierra and are provided for informational purposes only. Any opinion or estimate contained in this article is made on a general basis and is not to be relied upon by the reader as advice. The reader must make his/her own assessment of the relevance, accuracy, and adequacy of the information contained in this article, and make such independent investigations as he/she may consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of such assessment.

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The big question now is whether a further unraveling of Big Tech’s advance will take the broader market down with it, or whether other corners of the market will help to pick up the slack. Together, the biggest tech stocks are responsible for roughly 40% of the valuation of the Nasdaq-100 following last month’s special rebalancing.

James St. Aubin, chief investment officer at Sierra Investment Management, said it looks like traders have been content to rotate into other areas of the market that aren’t quite as richly valued as the Big Tech names.

“The leaders are fading, but the laggards are coming up right behind them,” St. Aubin said during a phone interview with MarketWatch. “If money was flowing out across the board and going into cash and bonds, that would be a bit more concerning.”

The thoughts and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the person speaking as of 8/11/2023. The discussion of individual companies should not be considered a recommendation of such companies by the Fund’s investment adviser. The viewer must make his/her own assessment of the relevance, accuracy, and adequacy of the information contained in this article, and make such independent investigations as he/she may consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of such assessment.

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