Featured Archives - Catalyst Insights

0 min

Signs of Exuberance Warn of Correction

During the past couple of weeks, I have discussed the rising levels of exuberance in the markets. Importantly, that exuberance combined with surging margin debt levels warns of an impending correction.

View Post

4 min

Behavioral Economics: The Psychological Shifts Driving the Current Financial Ecosystem

Throughout 2020 and so far in 2021, consumers, investors, and politicians have attempted to navigate an unpredictable coronavirus pandemic, heated U.S. Presidential Election, and turbulent international relations. We saw in real-time the transformation of individual consumer decisions and the pre-pandemic status quos.

View Post

5 min

The Right Sector Mix for 2021 Portfolios: Consumer Staples, Technology, and Healthcare

You certainly did not need 20/20 vision to see that 2020 was not an ordinary year. From a global pandemic, civil unrest to an election like no other, news headlines took many twists and turns throughout the year. Despite the vast amount of negative news, financial markets ultimately shrugged off the bad news.

View Post

7 min

How the ETF Industry Grew In 2020 and What to Expect in 2021

While 2020 brought difficult times for cruise operators, airlines and restaurants, U.S. ETF sponsors shook off an early hiccup and cruised to one of the most successful years in the history of the industry. Starting the year with $4.4 trillion in assets under management (AUM), ETFs rode a wave of in-flows and a powerful stock market rally to finish the year with more than $5.4 trillion of AUM, a 23.4% increase from the end of 2019.

View Post

1 min

The Case for Senior Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities

Legacy or seasoned senior RMBS were issued prior to the U.S. housing market collapse in 2007. Today, these bonds are supported by a resilient housing market, are backed by seasoned mortgages with lower LTVs, possess low interest rate sensitivity, and can benefit from refinancing/prepayment because they tend to trade at a discount.

View Post

7 min

Volatility as an Asset Class

When it comes to investing, I attempt to be as realistic as possible. My life of following the markets began in the mid-90s when I saw the tremendous rise in prices associated with the tech boom, only to see subsequent crashes and recoveries. The lesson many have taken away from the market is that if I just buy and hold, I will be fine.

View Post

0 min

Why There Is Literally No “Cash on the Sidelines”

In the later stages of a bull market advance, the financial media and Wall Street analysts start seeking out rationalizations to support their bullish views. One common refrain is “there are trillions of dollars in cash sitting on the sidelines just waiting to come into the market.”

View Post

1 min

Featured

Catalyst Insights Top 5 Articles of 2020: China, Elections and COVID-19

2020 was quite a year! We want to thank all of our contributors for providing us with so much timely content during a historic time period. Our contributors came up with compelling content and found new ways to bring the content to life. We also want to thank our readers! Catalyst Insights topped 300,000 views this year! Here's a look at the top 5 articles from 2020:

View Post

6 min

2021: Consumption Trend Change

As human beings, we consume from the day we are born until the day we pass. Personal consumption is the largest and most predictable phenomenon there is. Seven billion people spending money to acquire things they want and need always offers interesting investing opportunities. Sometimes, however, certain spending categories become more important than others.

View Post

6 min

The Housing Market Remains a Shining Star amid the Real Estate Market’s Unprecedented 2020

Throughout 2020 economic dislocations ran rampant. However, one segment of the economy that we believe has fundamental strength and has remained vibrant throughout this pandemic is the U.S. housing market. Social distancing, historically low mortgage rates, robust refinancing appetite, a mass exodus from densely populated cities, and increased demand for suburban residential housing continues to enable the U.S. housing market to surge from the March lows.