Investment Strategy Insights

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.

Let’s connect the dots as U.S. investors to see if there’s any obvious allocation decisions we can make based on the definition of core. Largely, when an investor decides to invest in a “core” passive vehicle, it’s an index ETF and when they choose an active fund, performance-chasing is often the primary driver of the fund selection.

Let’s connect the dots as U.S. investors to see if there’s any obvious allocation decisions we can make based on the definition of core. Largely, when an investor decides to invest in a “core” passive vehicle, it’s an index ETF and when they choose an active fund, performance-chasing is often the primary driver of the fund selection.

In September 2019, I wrote “NFIB Survey Trips Economic Alarms,” Of course, it was just a few short months later the U.S. economy fell into the deepest recession since the “Great Depression.” The latest NFIB survey is sending a strong warning to investors piling into small-cap stocks.

In September 2019, I wrote “NFIB Survey Trips Economic Alarms,” Of course, it was just a few short months later the U.S. economy fell into the deepest recession since the “Great Depression.” The latest NFIB survey is sending a strong warning to investors piling into small-cap stocks.

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.

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.