Content provided by Vinila Thallavajhula, CLS Business Analyst The first car I ever bought was a pre-owned, 1996 Honda Civic. It was a fun ride… Winter With streets hiding under a blanket of snow, houses beautifully lit and decorated, and festive spirits all around, everything about Christmas Eve was just perfect. Living alone at the… Continue reading Car Chronicles
Author: CLS Investments
Some Thoughts about Energy Commodities
The Fed’s easy monetary policy has supported the U.S equity and bond rally since 2009. However, energy commodities have lagged equities and bonds due to global investors’ fear of prolonged deflation. It is interesting to see that since its inception in 1982, the S&P GSCI energy index always outperformed the S&P 500 index in the… Continue reading Some Thoughts about Energy Commodities
Miner Forty-Niner(s)
Two seasons ago (2010), the San Francisco 49ers finished 6-10 in the regular season for third place, in statistically, the worst division in the NFL. If one looks at the two-year returns of all 154 sub-sectors of the S&P 1500 SuperComposite index*, five of the bottom 12 sub-sectors were the metals and mining sectors that… Continue reading Miner Forty-Niner(s)
Achieving Goals for You and Your Clients
Someone once told me that if you write goals down you are far more likely to achieve them. I recently achieved one of my long term goals, receiving my graduate degree. I had planned on getting my masters while I was still an undergrad, but of course after graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I decided… Continue reading Achieving Goals for You and Your Clients
Disciplined Risk Management Addresses Brain’s Idiosyncrasies
I will risk embarrassing myself to help illustrate why risk budgeting is a valuable service that CLS provides for our clients. As a neuroscience major in undergrad, I learned that the reasonable, logical part of the brain is not always in charge. Even worse, I learned that because of limitations, the brain does not always… Continue reading Disciplined Risk Management Addresses Brain’s Idiosyncrasies
What’s (Not) in Your Wallet
By now most Americans have received at least one paycheck in the new year, and most of us probably reacted with a resounding “Oh come on!” (mild version…) when we saw the amount. Granted two percent doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but with the majority of people living paycheck-to-paycheck it can have an effect. … Continue reading What’s (Not) in Your Wallet
Japan’s Central Bank Enters the Devaluing Fray
I read an interesting article this weekend by Ray Dalio, of Bridgewater Associates, about deleveraging. He contends that all countries pass through a similar cycle of leveraging up through the use of credit, followed by a phase of deleveraging to return debt-to-income ratios to manageable levels. Deleveraging can occur in four different ways: 1) debt… Continue reading Japan’s Central Bank Enters the Devaluing Fray
Flu 101: Important Things to Know About Flu Season
1) The medical term for the “flu” is Influenza. Contrary to popular belief, it is a respiratory illness. 2) The flu often peaks in January or February, but vaccines are given from September through March, and cover the 3 main strains of influenza that research has shown to be most common during the upcoming season.… Continue reading Flu 101: Important Things to Know About Flu Season
Bulls Are On The Move
How does this bull market in the S&P compare to past bull markets? In short, the economic recovery may be below average, but the stock market strength is clearly above-average. The bull market’s length is now over 1400 days. This is longer than 70 percent of all bull markets. The gain in the S&P is… Continue reading Bulls Are On The Move
A Quick Look at Fixed Income
For approximately the past four years both stocks and bonds have had positive returns for investors. The Federal Reserve has been printing money at a record pace and it continues to do so. However, that gravy train may finally be coming to an end and some investors are starting to become concerned about what to… Continue reading A Quick Look at Fixed Income