2020 began with the promise of continued strong economic and financial performance and a hint of uncertainty surrounding the November Presidential election. The nation’s unemployment rate was near sixty-year lows, and labor force participation rates were near sixty-year highs. The longest bull market in U.S. history was still running, despite concerns by some investors and analysts that it was getting…
Barring an extraordinary Santa Claus rally in the last week of the year, 2018 stands to be a disappointing year for domestic and international equity markets alike. Investors have enjoyed an uncharacteristically long bull market rally that has lasted almost a decade, so the recent downward market volatility we have experienced may seem very unsettling to many investors. It is…
Before the brief ten percent market correction that began on January 26th and ended on February 8th, domestic equity (stock) markets enjoyed the longest period of market calm in history. Prior to the recent period of volatility, the S&P 500 had not retreated by 3% over one day or several days since November 4, 2016. The streak shattered the previous…
No matter where I went over the holidays it seems there were three subjects everyone wanted to discuss. Whether it was a formal holiday party, or an informal gathering of old friends, discussions centered around 1) The new tax plan and what it would or wouldn’t do for the economy, 2) The job Donald Trump has done as President in…
Heading into the year, 2017 was viewed by many investors with a great deal of trepidation and concern. Political turmoil in the US, uncertainty in the global economy, rising tensions in the middle east, strained relations with North Korea, and an eight year-old domestic bull market gave many investors pause for the prospects of 2017. For all the potential causes…
If I were to postulate that Sir Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) was one of the most brilliant minds the human race has ever seen, I would have ample evidence to support my position. The English physicist and mathematician is legendary in his contributions to the advancement of mankind. Newton is credited with inventing the reflecting telescope in 1671. Newton…
Openfolio, a company dedicated to providing information and transparency to investors, recently released some data about how investors performed in 2016. Openfolio aggregates the performance data from over 70,000 subscribers who voluntarily and anonymously share their investment portfolio information with Openfolio. The idea is that sharing data among its users should help them realize better investment performance. We will discuss…
Volatile markets are generally viewed as a prime opportunity for active managers to shine and demonstrate their stock-picking and market-timing skills and prowess. Equity markets don’t get much more volatile than they were in the first quarter of 2016, but the investment results for active managers were disappointing. How volatile did equity markets get? Well, consider that the S&P 500…
