A good investment strategy is a lot like a championship-winning sports team: you need a great offense and a great defense. With investing, the concept of defense can often be complicated. Just look at the 60/40 portfolio (60% stocks and 40% bonds), which many investors relied upon for decades as an offense/defense strategy. The uncomfortable truth arose last year as investors had to be reminded that there is no inherent relationship that requires bonds to go up when stocks go down. In fact, we are in the type of environment where it is likely that both can go down at the same time.
Nobody really knows with certainty where the market will go. Rather than time the market, investors could allocate at least 20% to a strategy that is designed to thrive over the long-term in both bear and bull markets by playing both offense and defense in the same portfolio.
Nobody really knows with certainty where the market will go. Rather than time the market, investors could allocate at least 20% to a strategy that is designed to thrive over the long-term in both bear and bull markets by playing both offense and defense in the same portfolio.
If your investment portfolio feels derailed this year, you are not alone. Few investments are holding up well. For 2022 year-to-date, stocks are in bear market territory and bonds are close. Even the historically safer 60/40 stock/bond portfolio is close to bear market territory.
If your investment portfolio feels derailed this year, you are not alone. Few investments are holding up well. For 2022 year-to-date, stocks are in bear market territory and bonds are close. Even the historically safer 60/40 stock/bond portfolio is close to bear market territory.
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.
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.
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.
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.