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
(FORBES) Highs & Lows: 5 Lesser-Known Markets Hitting Extremes
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 …
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(LinkedIn) So you think your bond index is passive? Think again.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. While the saying is true for many narratives about financial markets, it does not apply to investing in passive equity and fixed income indices. Many investors view their passive exposure as “constant and consistent risk.”
(FORBES) Local Currency EM Bonds: An Asset Class Where Knowledge Is King And Lady Luck Is Queen
Investing in emerging market local currency bonds is not easy. To be successful it requires delicately balancing exposures to credit, interest rates and currency movement. Click here to read the entire post on Forbes
(FORBES) Thanksgiving For Investors: Finally Getting Paid To Own Safe Assets
Investors have a lot to be thankful for this year. Those who own risk assets are particularly happy. 2017, at least so far, has made many investors look smart: if you were invested in a diversified portfolio, chances are you are quite pleased with yourself. Click here to read the entire article on Forbes
(FORBES) When Good News Is Bad For Stocks
If you had a copy of the Wall Street Journal a day in advance, do you think you could use the information to predict the direction of the stock market? It would be like shooting fish in a barrel, right? I can tell you from experience – it’s not as easy as it sounds. Click here to …
(FORBES) Hidden Danger: The Bond Market Is Riskier Than You Think
Virtually every investor has at least some exposure to investment grade fixed income. The size of the exposure is a function of investment goals, need for cash flow, and the desire for “safety.” Changing dynamics in the bond market have made such allocations riskier than in the past. Investors should beware. Click here to read …
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(FORBES) 3 Reasons The VIX Is Low And Why It May Stay That Way
With the S&P 500 hitting new highs, the valuation debate is getting more intense. Some say the market is rich, pointing to lofty levels of cyclically adjusted price-earnings ratios. Others say it is fairly valued, sighting its relative cheapness to the bond market. Few will argue the equity market is complacent. Sentiment indicators, including the put/call …
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(FORBES) North Korea And The Markets: The Big Risk Is Trade
The U.S. markets are closed today. The UN Security Council is not. It met this morning to discuss the latest provocations of North Korea and the recent test of a hydrogen bomb. The Security Council has met 10 times this year already to discuss the issue. Are we any closer to a tipping point and …
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(LinkedIn) Corporate Golf Outing Horror Stories
It happens every year. The company golf outing. Golfers love it. Everybody else hates it. For some, it’s an opportunity to show off their talents outside of work. For others, it’s a chance to publicly embarrass themselves for an entire afternoon. Click to read the entire article on LinkedIn
