Warren Buffett popularized Ben Graham’s notion of “Margin of Safety” when evaluating the quality of an investment. The idea is that the future is unpredictable and we have to allow for the chance that our projections may be wrong, so we need a cushion in our analysis to protect us when things don’t go according to plan. …
Continue reading “The Bond Market Needs A Margin Of Safety, Too”
What happened to the synchronized global upswing? In just a few short (but memorable) months, it finally seemed possible that we could put an end to proclamations of the “new normal” and “secular stagnation“. 2018 was supposed to be the year of accelerating growth, but so far, in Chinese calendar terms, it looks more like …
Global markets were volatile again last week. Here are some of the major movers and indicators that investors should be watching. Click here to read the entire post on Forbes
When I say “Jump”, you say “How high?” That describes the relationship between the bond market and the stock market over the last ten years. Whenever there was a bout of equity volatility, which usually was associated with a sharp drawdown, investors could count on their safe-haven US Treasuries to offset some of the loss. …
Financial advisors want to help you navigate the investment minefield, but please don’t ask them these questions. Click here to read the entire article on Forbes
There are serious signs of stress in the US money markets. Commercial paper and LIBOR spreads have soared over the last couple of months to the highest levels since the 2008 financial crisis. The difference between LIBOR and OIS, a popular gauge of distress in the banking sector, has widened to 0.57% today from 0.10% just …
Continue reading “Does The Spike In LIBOR Signal The Next Financial Crisis?”
If you are like most investors, you probably have some extra cash sitting in your brokerage account. The cash may come from interest or dividends and may be considered temporary, it may be a result of a short-term asset allocation decisions, or it could be a strategic allocation to get exposure to fluctuating money market …
Continue reading “A Risk-Free Way To Improve Your Portfolio Return”
Many eyes are watching emerging markets economies. The economies of countries such as China, Thailand, and South Korea, along with their stock markets, soared last year and are outpacing developed markets so far in 2018. Click here to read the entire article on Forbes
U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, appeared on CNBC last Friday to talk about a variety of different issues. He spoke about the new trade tariffs, national security, and, of course, he faced the inevitable questions on interest rates. Click here to read the entire article on Forbes
The S&P 500. Bitcoin. The VIX Index. Most investors are aware of these markets and indicators that they are stretching to record levels. It is an environment ripe with optimism (some say speculation), impacting all asset classes in all geographies. Equities and bitcoin dominate the headlines, but there are other developments in the financial markets …
Continue reading “Highs & Lows: 5 Lesser-Known Markets Hitting Extremes”
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