Week of August 19, 2024 Just like that, the correction is over?  The Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index closed near its all-time high last week following a tumultuous prior week.  The political fireworks begin this week as the Democratic National Convention convenes in Chicago this week.  Policy initiatives will begin to take shape from … Continued

Week of August 12, 2024 Over the last year, the 10-year U.S. Treasury Note yield has fallen from around 5% to just under 4%.  This reflects concerns over global and domestic economic conditions. We are changing our US Treasury Note Signal from green to yellow. (Rumor has it that the stock market experienced notable volatility … Continued

A fiduciary is a person or organization that holds a legal or ethical relationship that requires the prudent care of money or other assets for another person.  A fiduciary is not tasked with addressing society’s problems. On February 8, 2023, we posted a blog titled, “ESG Meet Fiduciary,” in which we discussed the issue of … Continued

Week of August 5, 2024 Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned investors at a conference in February that it had become “…impossible to separate geopolitical risk from capital allocation.” These days, investing isn’t only about company-specific fundamentals; one must also manage potential impacts of political instability (i.e., China, Russia, Middle East). It is … Continued

A new report from the Global Literacy Excellence Center shows that the average American scored less than 50% on a financial literacy test.  If that isn’t scary enough, on average, Gen Z correctly answered only 37% of the index questions in 2024.  This is more than just disconcerting.  With a decrease in the number of … Continued

Week of July 29, 2024 The money rotating out of the high-flying technology sector “dazzlers” (punctuated by Nvidia) and into “laggards” has precipitated the notion at least that valuations across the Standard &Poor’s 500 stock index are veering towards average. The recent joint actions by the Russian and Chinese militaries to bring planes near US … Continued

Week of July 22, 2024 President Biden removed one electoral uncertainty in withdrawing his nomination as the Democratic candidate for President on Sunday, a foregone conclusion we recently posited. Now the electoral calculus focuses on his replacement – Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, or “player to be named later?” This will have enormous and obvious implications for … Continued

Several weeks ago, a reported 51 million people saw the “great debate”.  The media reaction ranged from OMG to, “where’s the problem?”.  This range of media response would seem to confirm our view that investors should seek a diverse exposure to information, as articulated in our blog, “The Importance of Maintaining Diverse Media Exposure“, posted … Continued

Week of July 15, 2024 History was made last Friday in Northville, Michigan when President Biden stopped in at a restaurant a few doors down from our offices for a campaign event. Then, one day later – the shot heard around the world!  An assassination attempt on Trump’s life. Was this inevitable? That’s hard to … Continued

For investors, the time horizon is a crucial element in formulating a portfolio strategy.  It is important to understand the difference between near term cash requirements and longer-term investments that, for many, are directed toward providing for a comfortable retirement. On the other hand, the political class is focused on the next election cycle, which, in … Continued

Week of July 8, 2024 The intrigue in DC continues. Enjoy the summer weather, barbecues, and bright sunshine!  Tune in next week. Our Sigma Signals remain unchanged. Bob Bilkie, CFA 

Many investors and individuals tend to focus on financial and general news that confirms their existing world view.  In order to make informed decisions, it is important to understand both sides of an argument.  After all, if you were a juror in a trial, would you make a decision after hearing only one side, i.e., the prosecution … Continued