Posts Tagged ‘stocks’

Better Than Best

January 24th, 2020 by Kurt L. Smith

Asset prices were high months ago and as stock prices continue to set records what appeared to be best is now better than best. What a great period to have been an investor!

Bond prices have been higher (and interest rates lower) but not appreciably. While prices have trended lower since their Labor Day high prices and low yields (per Bloomberg), movement so far is at the speed of a glacier.

Gold prices are also near their highest since their 2011 peak of $1921, trading at $1611 earlier this month. And then there are stocks, which appear to be in their own stratosphere. In my November letter I noted how both bonds and gold spurted about twenty percent to their peaks. I didn’t give stocks a chance for a similar nod; I was wrong.

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The Coming Change

October 15th, 2016 by Kurt L. Smith

If you frame the world in the context of long-term financial trends, you may see a world without change. Thirty five-plus year bull markets for stocks and bonds are where we have been and where we currently are. Not only have interest rates fallen from all-time record highs in the early 1980’s to all-time record lows lately, but the prospect for lower interest rates longer is the consensus for as far as the eye can see.

Market moves of this historic magnitude are what books are made for, not a monthly letter. After thirty five-plus years, what’s another one year, or five years? The consensus is lower longer. In other words, the consensus is for no change.

Yet the conditions for change continue to swell. Some people are angry, very angry, about our economic situation. Sure we have had one of our worst rebounds from a recession possibly ever. Some young people are asked to assume more and more debt while facing an insecure economic time. But angry? We are discovering the business model for pension funds is not working. Older workers, increasingly teachers, police, firefighters and other municipal workers are becoming increasingly aware how the ongoing lower longer outlook will impact them dramatically. (more…)

High Prices Good!

December 16th, 2015 by Kurt L. Smith

One of the lasting lessons learned from the financial crisis is how much better the world seems to be when asset prices are high(er). Balance sheets are strong when prices are strong. Loans look better when collateral prices are higher. As we saw in 1999 and again in 2007, higher prices make for a wonderful investor world. (more…)

The Trend Is Not Your Friend

November 11th, 2015 by Kurt L. Smith

Investors look to the Federal Reserve for economic leadership. Looking backward, one might say the Fed helped get the economy back on track with lower interest rates, higher asset prices and lower unemployment. Looking forward, the Fed continues to feed us the line that next month or next quarter will be better. (more…)

“Welcome To The Everything Boom”

July 20th, 2014 by Kurt L. Smith

The July Letter almost didn’t make it as the same old, same old markets continued their gravity defying ways. On July 7th however, The New York Times saw fit to publish this headline as their front-page lead: “From Stocks to Farmland, All’s Booming, or Bubbling.” (more…)

The Fed Chooses To Punt

October 7th, 2013 by Kurt L. Smith

The Federal Reserve Board chose to do more of the same in September and will continue to buy bonds at a $1 Trillion annual pace. All that hub-bub earlier in the summer about pulling back, now coined as tapering, well you can just forget that. The Stock market is at recovery highs and why rock the boat? (more…)

Tell Me You Are Not Surprised

June 1st, 2012 by Kurt L. Smith

Behold, Helicopter Ben Bernanke’s best laid plans are coming up short. Asset prices are no longer rising, nor are they holding. Asset prices are falling and the US Dollar is rising. Think this is just temporary? Asset prices peaked a year ago and once again they are moving in the direction of the long-term trend: down. The sound you now hear from the Federal Reserve is uh oh; the next sound we may hear is oh… (more…)

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