Rolling the Dice

The third quarter is officially in the books, and it ended a dicey one. Global stocks ended the quarter squarely in correction territory, the FTSE Global All Cap Index was down 10.5% for the period. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 was down 7.3%, the EAFE was down 10.1%, and emerging markets were the worst at … Continue reading Rolling the Dice →

Never a Wrong Time

Market volatility picked up significantly in August and US stocks have been teetering in and out of correction territory ever since. Uncertainty is pervasive and investors' nerves are rattled. At times like these, it's more important than ever to manage expectations and maintain appropriate expectations. A market correction is generally defined as a pullback of … Continue reading Never a Wrong Time →

Red is the New Green

After more than doubling since 2014, China's stock market has fallen about 30% over the past couple of months. That has investors holding their breath and scratching their heads at the same time. Everyone wants to know what's behind the selloff -- and there are many theories to meet the demand. I don't know why … Continue reading Red is the New Green →

Looking Abroad

With about every major US equity index making new highs, many investors are nervous about US stocks. I don't know if there's an impending stock market crash, but regardless at BCM we favor foreign developed market equities for the time being. Here are a few reasons why. Western Europe appears to be trailing the US … Continue reading Looking Abroad →

The February Barometer?

US stocks got off to a choppy start in 2015. The S&P 500 ended January down 3% and some took it as an omen for the year ahead. But the market bounced back 6% in February and is now up 2.88% for the year. So much for the "January Barometer?" Whether you use them … Continue reading The February Barometer? →

Anything and Everything for Russia

Today S&P announced it cut the credit rating on Russian sovereign debt to junk status. The Russian equity market slid about 8% on that news, but the damage wasn't as bad as some may have thought. That's because the downgrade was widely expected, and of course, the Russian market is already down more than 60% … Continue reading Anything and Everything for Russia →

Third Quarter Recap

Following a calm start to 2014, financial markets ended the third quarter with a spike up in volatility. Global stock prices fell by 3.79% in the third quarter but still managed a year to date return of 3.80%. Risky asset prices, in general, were down across the board. Most notably, foreign developed market stock prices were … Continue reading Third Quarter Recap →

Mid-Year Summary

Despite a surprise slowdown of US economic growth in the first quarter, the stock market has continued to climb higher. The S&P 500 is up by over 7% year-to-date. US equity REITs have been especially strong, already returning more than 17% so far in 2014. Meanwhile, the benchmark 10 year US Treasury yield has fallen … Continue reading Mid-Year Summary →

How Speculative is Tesla?

Tesla stock is up by over 1000% since it's IPO. At this point, some think the stock is trading at outrageously speculative levels. The problem is, as with any high-growth stock, that fair value is very difficult to estimate, but we'll try our hand in this post none-the-less. Reality for Tesla California-based Tesla has grown … Continue reading How Speculative is Tesla? →

More Than Camaradarie

Those who follow BCM know that I've been watching Russian equities for some time. In the past, I've joked that Russia has more to offer than just stiff vodka and camaraderie -- but it's true. For example, Russia has vast deposits of natural resources including coal, timber, minerals, and natural gas. A little-appreciated fact … Continue reading More Than Camaradarie →

A Complicated Relationship

Many people talk about how interest rates can affect bond prices. However, rates can also affect stock prices. Here's a quick summary of the reasons behind that relationship Interest Expense: Interest rates represent an expense for any company that uses credit. As interest rates rise so do the costs of borrowing. All else equal, … Continue reading A Complicated Relationship →

Defense in The Crosshairs

US defense spending continues to be a target of government budget cuts on Capitol Hill. While this clearly impacts US defense companies, industry leaders may do better than expected. Home of the brave and their weapons The US spends more on defense than any other country. According to SIPRI, the US was responsible for roughly … Continue reading Defense in The Crosshairs →