In the travel industry, prevention of accidents is at the top of its agenda. Safety drills for airplane takeoffs and landings are routinely practiced. On ships, passengers are assembled for lifeboat drills as soon as they board the vessel. Every passenger’s name is called out and checked off; both the passengers and crew take the drill very seriously in view of the fact that just a few years ago the Italian ship Costa Concordia ran aground on the coast of Tuscany and toppled on its side. Ship captains and sailors are in constant touch with weather stations, downloading data into their computers for the most up-to-date weather forecast and analysis.
Will Derivatives Be The Next Black Swan?
“It's déjà vu all over again.” – Yogi Berra
The stock market has long been classified by economists as a leading indicator of the economy. It tracks and reflects the nation’s economy and industry fundamentals. The market often seems able to anticipate positive or negative change before it happens. Since the beginning of the bear market in August of 2015, the prices of many bank stocks, especially European and Japanese banks, have declined steadily and precipitously. Deutsche Bank has lead the way by dropping below the level it reached in 2009. Shares of HSBC, Citibank, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs as well many other big banks have also taken a beating of 25-45%.
The Market Is Broken: Thoughts on Big Investors and Lack of Oversight
In the financial markets, we have always had two important components: investors and regulators. Today, we are seeing governments as significant market participants that impact global markets. Sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds around the world are now among the largest owners of publicly traded stocks and bonds. China and Japan alone represent $5 trillion in public funds out of an estimated total $30 trillion of investments owned by 160 countries. No doubt these are investors of great size that can crowd out individual and institutional investors.
Watch out! Negative interest rate policy is coming to the US sooner than later
Last August, Runnymede Capital warned our readers that a financial hurricane was coming. Over the past six months, the stock markets around the world tumbled and the US has followed suit in 2016. Our clients, who gave us permission to raise cash reserves, were fortunate and their assets were protected.
The Global Bear Market has Reached US Soil
You are probably aware that the US markets are off to their worst start in recorded history. However, many media commentators are bear market deniers and believe that there isn't a bear market at all. Stocks will go up forever. If there is a correction, deniers believe that the Fed will just restart its quantitative easing programs, and stocks will continue their ascent to infinity.
I'm sorry to tell you that if you look at the data, the global financial markets are already in a deep bear market, and the world central banks have been ineffective in printing their economies out of recession. Today, I believe that the US is being pulled down by international forces beyond our control. Therefore, the US economy is likely headed for recession in 2016. Let's take a quick look around the world to see the carnage.
They Say The Sky Is Clear, We Say Take Cover
Bubbles are the only things that matter. The rest of it is boring. You show up for work, markets are at normal levels, and there's not much you can do. It's all trivial. But in a great bubble you can get your clients' arses out of the way, and the money you can save can be quite legendary.”” – Jeremy Grantham
The financial services industry generally frowns upon market prognosticators. “”Stay the course,”” they say. This is especially true in recent years since passive investments have outperformed active ones. Admittedly, peering into one's financial crystal ball and voicing an opinion can be a risky endeavor. Besides the obvious risk of being wrong, another risk is being labeled a perma-bull or perma-bear. In article after article that I read, the media loves to turn to its favorite go-to bulls and go-to bears for an appropriate quote. Unfortunately, few individuals are permitted to change their minds and even fewer do it well.
At Runnymede, we do a lot of research, and our view is dynamic, not fixed. Ultimately, our market outlook is reflected in the positioning of our clients' portfolios.