As we sit here in mid-July and reflect on the first half of 2024 there is so much good news to talk about regarding the US economy, the global capital markets, and the exciting wave of technology innovation being driven by Artificial Intelligence. US markets have reached all times (S&P 500 closed the quarter at 5,460 +53% from its Oct. 12, 2022, low); US GDP rose 1.4% in Q1 and 2.9% Year over Year; Headline CPE moderated slightly to 3.3% and the Fed’s preferred metric PCE was at 2.6%, much closer to their 2% target. Outside of the US, emerging markets have returned 7.7% YTD through June and developed international markets have returned a solid 5.7% over the same period.