QUARTER REVIEW The fourth quarter capped what can only be described as a breath-taking year for the markets (and the world). The global equity market rose +15.15% in 2020, as measured by the MSCI ACWI. While that doesn't look outstanding by itself, keep it mind that was after clawing back a -34% decline from Q1 … Continue reading Tactical Allocation Update, Q4 2020
THE DEATH OF VALUE The death knell for "value-investing" has rung many times over the years. And after a decade of lagging explosive growth stocks (like "FANGMAT") it rings louder than ever. The divergence between growth and value has reached historical levels and now looks even more stretched than during the 1990s dot-com boom. Is … Continue reading Long and Short of Value
MACRO OVERVIEW Global equity markets notched a new all time high in early September only to pull back since. The rise in market volatility has some fearing another meltdown. To be clear, nobody knows what happens next, but it's worth noting how current economic and market conditions contrast with Q1. Figure 1: Global Equity Market … Continue reading Macro Value Update, Q3 2020
QUARTER REVIEW Global equity markets continued their ascend from their Q1 lows. As of September 30, the MSCI ACWI (global stock market) is +1.89% year-to-date. That doesn't sound like much, but that's after recovering the -36% peak-to-trough decline from Q1. From that perspective, this year has been nothing short of remarkable. Figure 1: Global Equity … Continue reading Tactical Allocation Update, Q3 2020
Global equity markets have continued an "unprecedented" rally and in the US the S&P 500 has notched a new all-time-high. Many intelligent investors have watched in disbelief as stocks shot up despite dismal economic conditions. But the seemingly irrational market may be more logical than it appears. Caution and Uncertainty BCM was certainly in the … Continue reading For Better or Worse
MACRO OVERVIEW "Unprecedented" is the word of choice among investors trying to make sense of the market's wild swings this year. After one of the fastest bear markets ever in Q1, global equities surprised with an equally furious comeback in Q2. But the rally has been at odds with deteriorating fundamentals, clear in the divergence … Continue reading Macro Value Update, Q2 2020
QUARTER REVIEW: PRECEDENTS Equity markets set back to back records year to date. In Q1 the MSCI ACWI (global stock market) suffered one of the fastest bear markets in history only to claim one of the fastest rebounds ever in Q2. Full circle the ACWI is down -6% as of June 30. Figure 1: Global … Continue reading Tactical Allocation Update, Q2 2020
US equities bounced hard off their March lows. The disconnect with fundamental data has many intelligent investors trying to explain the rally with acronyms like FOMO and TINA. But the best explanation may come from the original Intelligent Investor Benjamin Graham who said, "in the short-run, the market is a voting machine, but in the … Continue reading Stupid Acronyms
An excerpt from my article published at SeekingAlpha.com. We just experienced one of the fastest bear market drawdowns in history and the S&P 500 was down -36% from peak to trough. Since then, we've also had a quick bounce of +27%. The whipsaw has everyone guessing if the stock market bottomed in March. Of course, … Continue reading A Hopeless Bottom
MARKET SUMMARY After a strong 2019, global equity markets made an abrupt move to the downside in the past month. Most major stock markets have officially entered into bear market territory and are down between 20% to 30%. Figure 1: Global Equity Markets YTD Price Returns With markets already uneasy about slowing economic conditions, the … Continue reading When Boring is Better
An excerpt from my article published at SeekingAlpha.com. Last month, I wrote a piece on coronavirus and China. This month it's clear COVID-19 has become a global concern. While people all over the world are still grappling with the viral pandemic, markets are overcome by a fear pandemic and already in correction territory. Markets are … Continue reading Fearing the Pandemic
An excerpt from my article published at SeekingAlpha.com. Fear is in the air It used to be "when America sneezes, the world catches a cold," but recent market action shows China may be the new snotty-nosed kid on the block. I mean the now-notorious coronavirus. Since its outbreak, the news flow has been frantic and … Continue reading When China Sneezes…
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