Dear Clients: The S&P 500 enjoyed a stellar first half of 2024, hitting 31 all-time highs. After posting a total return of 10.6% in the first quarter (11th highest since WWII, according to CFRA Research), the S&P 500 continued its upward trajectory in the second quarter with a total return of 4.3%. [...]
Midyear 2024 Market Recap - Podcast Director of Client Service Zach Greiner, CFP and Chief Investment Officer Mark Foster, CFA look back at the first half of 2024 after the markets hit its 25th all-time high of this year on June 6th. Mark and Zach once again discuss inflation and why the [...]
Did ‘fishy’ shrimp deal ultimately end Red Lobster? Mickey Kim and Roger Lee / June 7, 2024 Red Lobster, a $2 billion in revenue American seafood institution, was truly an innovator both as one of the first casual, full-service dining chains and the first to make seafood [...]
Risk and failure indispensable to investment success Mickey Kim and Roger Lee / May 3, 2024 We’ve all heard “no risk, no reward” or similar pearls of wisdom. While the assumption of risk is an indispensable part of successful investing and it seems intuitive the more risk [...]
To view a PDF version of this quarter’s letter, please click here. Dear Clients: U.S. stocks posted exceptionally strong performance in the first quarter of 2024, building on the significant gains from the fourth quarter of 2023 and capping a 12-month period that saw the S&P 500 Index generate a total return [...]
Keep calm and don’t mix politics with your portfolio Mickey Kim / April 5, 2024 Now that a November rematch between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump is a fait accompli, it’s time for investors to prepare themselves mentally for the impending political storm. I [...]
Are new Bitcoin ETFs “Déjà vu” all over again? Mickey Kim and Roger Lee / March 8, 2024 —Franklin Templeton Investments’ official Twitter account (January 17, 2024) The SEC's approval on January 10 of eleven spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has been met with enthusiasm by cryptocurrency [...]
Kirr, Marbach's Tax Guide: 7 Things to Know Now With Tax Day quickly approaching, we've compiled seven things to keep in mind as your prepare for 2023 taxes and beyond. 1. Income tax brackets shifted slightly. Federal income tax rates are tied to tax brackets that change yearly for inflation. The good news [...]
NFL coaches, investors—focus on process, not outcome Mickey Kim / February 9, 2024 Economist John Maynard Keynes said a successful investor must be “eccentric, unconventional, and rash in the eyes of average opinion.” The difficulty is, “if he is successful, that will only confirm the general belief [...]
2024 Personal Finance At A Glance A new year means new contribution limits. We've compiled key considerations for the 2024 tax year, as well as highlighted important SECURE Act 2.0 changes going in to effect this year. Click on image below to view and be sure to reach out to Zach (zach@kirrmar.com) [...]
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Associate Director of Client Service |
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Current Board Member and Vice President of Sans Souci. Past president of Sans Souci and Columbus Young Professionals. Finance Mentor for Turning Point’s Dance Marathon. Leadership Bartholomew County – 2014 and Coalition for Collaborative Learning – 2015. Zach was previously a Credit Analyst and Commercial Lender for MainSource Bank and, most recently, Financial Advisor for Raymond James. Zach joined KM in 2018. |
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Associate Director of Client Service |
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Current member of Heritage Fund Bartholomew County Grants Committee and First Presbyterian Preschool Policy Board. Before joining KM in 2018, Maggie was a financial analyst at Cummins, Inc. |
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Roger Lee, CFA, CPA
Senior Research Analyst |
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Roger joined KM as a Senior Research Analyst in 2016. Prior to joining KM, he sharpened his research skills while on the investment teams of Pacific View Asset Management, the Artisan Partners Global Equity Fund, and Tradewinds Global Investors, a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments. He began his career in assurance services at Ernst & Young. Roger has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York since 2010. |
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Collin Foster, CFA
Research Analyst and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager |
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Collin joined KM as an Equity Analyst in 2015. Prior to joining KM, he worked as a credit analyst and credit manager at MainSource Bank. |
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Mickey Kim, CFA
Managing Partner, Chief Operating/Compliance Officer |
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Mickey was Senior Research Analyst at Driehaus Capital Management, a Chicago investment management firm, from 1982 to 1985. Mickey joined KM in 1986 and has been the firm’s Chief Operating Officer since 1996 and Chief Compliance Officer since 2004. |
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Mark D. Foster, CFA
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Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager |
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Mark was formerly associated with American Fletcher National Bank (now JP Morgan Chase, Indiana, NA) as a research analyst from 1980 to 1982 and with Merchants National Bank as a portfolio manager/research analyst from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1987 he was associated with Merchants Investment Counseling Inc. as Director of Equity Strategy, directly responsible for managing approximately $200 million of equity assets. Mark joined KM in 1987 and has been the firm’s Chief Investment Officer since 1997. |
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Matt Kirr
Partner, Director of Client Service |
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Current Board Member of Heritage Fund Bartholomew County and Foundation for Youth. Past president of Foundation for Youth, the Day Nursery Foundation Board, and past vice-chairman of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Indiana. Matt was previously a Vice President and Private Banker for Bank One, N.A. and, most recently, McDonald Financial Group. Matt joined KM in 2005. |
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Darrell H. “Kip” Wright, CFA
Partner, Portfolio Manager, Senior Research Analyst |
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Kip was a Trust Investment Manager for various banks in Iowa from 1982 through 1995, most recently with Brenton Bank, N.A., with responsibilities of overall strategy and equity selection. Kip joined KM in 1995 and is a portfolio manager and senior research analyst. |
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Colin King, CFA
Senior Research Analyst |
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Colin joined KM as an Equity Analyst in 2012. Prior to joining KM, he worked in assurance services with Ernst & Young and in business valuation with Blue & Co., both CPA firms. Colin has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Indiana since 2012. |
