Week of February 20, 2023 The art and science of investing is always a contest between long-term goals and short-term events. It is easy to lose sight of the long-term when encountering particularly fear-provoking issues. A focus on historical returns often helps to control one’s emotions and the ability to adhere to strategy. No changes … Continued

Week of February 13, 2023 Last week we suggested a tilt into international stock ETF’s. The Wall Street Journal published an article this week titled “Investors Flee U.S. Stock Funds” and too noted the interest in non-U.S. equities. The trend might have short term “legs” but it would be appropriate to monitor underlying economic and … Continued

ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) is a framework designed to be embedded into an organization’s strategy that considers the needs and ways in which to generate value for all of the organizational stakeholders, including, employees, customers, suppliers and investors.  A fiduciary is a person or organization that holds a legal or ethical relationship that … Continued

According to recently reported data for the year ended June 30, 2022, the US population is continuing a recent trend of slow growth, with an increase of just 0.4%, or 1.3 million, only marginally better than 2021’s 0.1% gain.  Key factors include 245,000 more births than deaths and approximately 1.0 million net immigrants. Economic growth … Continued

Week of January 23, 2023 Treasury yields across the maturity spectrum spiked to levels not seen in a decade or more. Interest rates appear poised to plateau, and therefore we are moving our US Treasury signal from green to yellow. With commodity prices softening, we believe inflationary pressures might moderate. Certain Federal Reserve Board governors … Continued

It is becoming increasingly clear that there is a major effort to accelerate the development of renewable energy.  Unfortunately, what was already likely to be expensive, is now facing unexpected cost increases.  For example, there have been recent reports that offshore wind developers are facing financial challenges that may impede several East Coast projects.  Supply … Continued

Week of January 16, 2023 Notwithstanding positive developments on inflation from CPI data released last week, comments from varying Federal Reserve Board Governors suggests an unwavering stance towards subduing the inflation beast. In the short term, this can be construed as a negative (although equity prices have largely advanced in 2023 as intermediate term interest … Continued

We have always believed that management was important, as noted in our blogs of July 18, 2013, “Does Management Matter?” and October 12, 2015, “Management Matters.”  Recently, management seems to have become, more than ever, headline news.  Consider Bob Iger’s return to Disney and the antics of Elon Musk and his unfathomable purchase of Twitter.  … Continued

Week of January 9, 2023 “Stair-Climbing Wheelchairs, Closed-Caption Glasses: Assistive Tech Gains at CES in Las Vegas” reads the headline in the Wall Street Journal article of January 6, 2023. With the Fed fighting inflation, and the Russians attacking the Ukrainians, it is easy to lose sight of developments that cumulate to advance the cause … Continued

Wikipedia defines due diligence as the investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is normally expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party. While much is still unknown regarding the debacle associated with FTX, one thing is abundantly clear, there was an almost universal and appalling … Continued

Week of January 2, 2023 The new year equates, for many, to a fresh start. Still, we are reminded of time tested principles that have resulted in long term success and wealth accumulation in investing. In large part, this is a function of productivity growth, which leads to enhanced enterprise profitability. Innovative companies are the … Continued

Week of December 26, 2022 According to Forbes, in a publication dated October 2, 2022: “Since 1950, there have been 18 midterm election cycles, and in the 12 months following each of those cycles, the stock market has had positive returns… with an average return of 18.6%”. Our Signals remain unchanged. Bob Bilkie, CFA