Income Insights

A Summer Surge: August 2024 HANDLS Monthly Report

After a challenging July that saw investors sell off high-flying technology stocks, buyers returned to the market in August, bidding up risk assets across the board.

Knocked Down Inflation: July 2024 HANDLS Monthly Report

After a red-hot June built on expectations that the Federal Reserve may succeed at killing inflation without killing the economy, July saw investors begin to question the soft-landing narrative.

Carry Traders Get Carried Out

It looks like a big margin call started in Japan. The Japanese Yen has become a funding currency in recent years, a source of cheap financing with the proceeds reinvested in better returning assets – such as US$ listed AI stocks.

June Retail Sales Report Leads to More Questions

Today's retail sales release has us scratching our heads. The posted number showed strong retail sales for the month of June (ex-autos) with the control...

The Fed is Fighting Yesterday’s Problem & Creating Tomorrow’s Economic Challenge

While the first quarter's CPI prints this year were above expectations, one needs to 'look under the hood' to have a better view on inflation (where it was and where it is going).

Is the 60/40 Portfolio Dead? Exploring Alternatives for Smarter Asset Allocation

For a long time, the 60/40 portfolio was the cornerstone of financial planning for advisors. This simple strategy, allocating 60% to stocks and 40% to bonds, offered a balance between growth potential and stability. However, recent market trends are challenging the effectiveness of this traditional approach.

A Showery Spring: April 2024 HANDLS Monthly Report

While March signaled gains, April proved challenging, culminating in widespread losses.

Equity Runs While Fixed Income Falters: February 2024 HANDLS Monthly Income Report

Much like the Las Vegas Hotel on the Strip that appears to be right next door, investors are discovering in 2024 that interest rate cuts are farther away than they seem.

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What’s the Real Value of Active Management?

In my opinion, true active strategies have a very important role in portfolios as complements to passive, cheap beta. Advisors need to understand what they own.

Election Trepidation: October 2024 HANDLS Monthly Report

October was marked by continued volatility across fixed income and equity markets as investors faced various challenges, including persistent inflation concerns, rising yields, tightening monetary policy, and the backdrop of a U.S. Presidential election.

The Election Results Are In. The Market Likes the Results.

As an investor, it’s nice to know what we should expect from President Trump, because we have seen the movie before in 2017 – 2021. Apart from the early part of the Pandemic period, the economy and stock markets generally performed well.

Thematic Investing Can Add a Ton of Value to Portfolios

Remember, our investment in stocks is a De facto vote of confidence on the economies in which we invest. Earnings, revenue, margins, free cash flow, and the growth of these important metrics is what drives stocks up or down over time.

Investing in Big Rivers is a No-Brainer, Common Sense Decision.

The discretionary sector struggled as did all growth and quality-oriented areas of the market in 2022. That was a classic re-set and a raging opportunity to add exposure.