Murphy's Market Minute | February 27, 2026

The main data release this week was Producer Price Index (PPI), which rose 0.5% versus expectations of 0.3%. Year-over-year PPI is now 2.9%, continuing its broader cooling trend despite the monthly bump. Mortgage rates dipped below 6% for the first time in over three years, with the 30-year fixed rate hovering around 6%. Some qualified borrowers are seeing mid-5% rates, though typically with points. Overall, rates are stabilizing. Jobless claims remained in line with expectations and had minimal market impact. Markets are largely flat year-to-date. The S&P 500 and Dow are modestly positive, small caps are outperforming, and large-cap tech is slightly negative — signaling rotation rather than broad weakness. Historically, similar early-year setups have often led to positive full-year outcomes, though we continue monitoring closely. Tariff adjustments and geopolitical headlines (including Iran developments) have not meaningfully moved markets so far. We are preparing to launch our upgraded client portal, designed to centralize your financial accounts, planning tools, estate platform, and communication hub in one streamlined dashboard. More details coming soon.