MARINER Selected Statistics
The war in Iran has now been ongoing for five weeks. Brent crude spot prices surged to approximately $127 per barrel at peak levels in early April from roughly $71, an increase of about 79% since the start of hostilities on February 28. US gasoline prices are also showing upward pressure (see chart above), rising from $2.89 per gallon on February 27 to $4.05 for the week ending April 10, a roughly 40% increase over that five-week period. This will likely weigh on consumers. The situation remains highly fluid and warrants close monitoring, but it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about long-term effects. Sources: US Energy Information Administration (Gas prices).
Despite the broad-based decline in the index year to date, what is happening beneath the surface is equally important. Market returns are becoming less concentrated, both across sectors and at the individual stock level. The S&P 500 is no longer being driven by a narrow group. As the chart above shows, the equal-weighted S&P 500 has continued to outperform the traditional capitalization-weighted index. We believe this trend can continue, supported by a broader improvement in earnings expectations and more attractive valuations for the equal-weighted index relative to its capitalization-weighted counterpart. Data Sourced: FactSet, as of 3/31/2026.
New York-Newark-Jersey City Consumer Price Index — March 2026: Area prices rose 0.8% over the month and 4.0% over the year. (https://www.bls.gov/regions/northeast/news-release/consumerpriceindex_newyork.htm)
New York State seasonally adjusted unemployment rate — January 2026: The unemployment rate held steady at 4.6% in January 2026. (https://dol.ny.gov/labor-data)
Empire State Manufacturing Survey — March 2026: The headline general business conditions index fell 7.3 points to -0.2. (https://www.newyorkfed.org/survey/empire/empiresurvey_overview)
The information herein was obtained from various sources believed to be accurate; however, Mariner does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. This report was prepared for general information purposes only. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed constitutes an offer to buy or sell any securities, options, or futures contracts. The data release date has been noted. TR=Total Return, NR=Net Return, BBg=Bloomberg, USD=US Dollar. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For further information, visit Mariner.com or call 866-586-8100 and ask for David W. Henion, CPA, or Larry H. Rabinowitz, CPA/PFS.


























