Content provided by Case Eichenberger, CLS Client Portfolio Manager 2015 was no doubt a tough year for the stock market. In fact, the average investor lost about 3% for the year. While not even close to bear market territory, these are disappointing gains nonetheless. Of the major asset classes, only the S&P 500 had a… Continue reading 2015: A Look Back At Income-Producing Strategies
Category: Personal Finances
January’s Market Volatility
Content provided by Case Eichenberger, CIMA, Client Portfolio Manager What’s scaring market participants today? Will this be known as the China scare of 2016? The oil crash of 2016? It’s always hard to blame market turmoil on one event, but slowing global growth is usually a culprit. When combined with slumping demand for oil/an overabundance of… Continue reading January’s Market Volatility
The Key Principles to Managing Portfolio Risk
Content provided by Joe Smith, CFA, CLS Senior Market Strategist Volatility has gradually picked up this year. This should be no surprise to investors since we have seen exceptionally low volatility over the last few years. Volatility inevitably reverts back to historical trends and should be expected to rise as markets focus on company-specific fundamentals and… Continue reading The Key Principles to Managing Portfolio Risk
Party Like It’s 1999!
Content provided by Rusty Vanneman, CFA, CLS Chief Investment Officer The current stock market environment feels a heckuva lot like the late 1990s. Large-cap growth stocks, particularly some high-profile Internet companies, are leading the way now, just as they did then. Value-oriented investors, including some of the most well-known portfolio managers, are getting shellacked. The… Continue reading Party Like It’s 1999!
5 Factors for 2016 and Beyond
Content provided by Kostya Etus, CLS Associate Portfolio Manager 2015 is coming to a close which means it’s time to reflect on the year that was. But, more importantly, it’s time to plan for the year that will be. Planning for the future (for anyone and anything) has to start with the three basic questions:… Continue reading 5 Factors for 2016 and Beyond
Likelihood of Interest Rate Hikes and Their Effect on Your Portfolio
Content provided by Josh Jenkins, CFA, CLS Portfolio Manager Recent guidance from the Federal Reserve (Fed) suggests it may finally be ready to lift interest rates at its next meeting on December 16, and the market has taken note. According to Bloomberg, as of December 10 the probability of a hike was 80%. Bloomberg has… Continue reading Likelihood of Interest Rate Hikes and Their Effect on Your Portfolio
Fixed Income ETFs: A Don’t Buy?
Content provided by Marc Pfeffer, CLS Senior Portfolio Manager One of the newest trends in the densely populated world of ETFs now includes fixed income. As investors turn to the safety of bonds in anticipation of higher interest rates, fund companies are launching new, and increasingly complex, fixed income ETFs. But as I recently told… Continue reading Fixed Income ETFs: A Don’t Buy?
Recency Bias, Emerging Markets, and the Lost Decade
Content provided by Case Eichenberger, CLS Client Portfolio Manager I recently had the opportunity to study at the world’s first recognized collegiate business school – the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. I was there for a week-long program as part of my CIMA certification, where I was able to learn from some of… Continue reading Recency Bias, Emerging Markets, and the Lost Decade
Fed Takeaways: December is Alive!
Content provided by Marc Pfeffer, CLS Senior Portfolio Manager We saw two key changes in the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)’s October statement. First, the committee removed this earlier mention: “recent global and financial developments may restrain economic activity somewhat and are likely to put further downward pressure on inflation in the near term.” That… Continue reading Fed Takeaways: December is Alive!
Back to the Future!
Content provided by Grant Engelbart, CFA, CLS Portfolio Manager October 21, 2015 was a great day. It was the day that Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled to in Back to the Future Part II! The “prophecy” failed to be completely true – the Cubs still haven’t made it to the World Series despite their… Continue reading Back to the Future!