By Benjamin Lau, CFA, Chief Investment Officer I dislike generalizations like “the market,” but last year deserves an exception. In 2018, every market was down, and the best investment was cash. Stocks at home and abroad were down, as were bonds (high- and low-quality) and commodities. Cash, as they say, was king. The downturn started
By Alan Ahmatovic Just as the Green Day song goes, “wake me up when September ends!” In case you’re unfamiliar, here is a quick link to the song for some context (Youtube Link). It wasn’t just Apriem that felt this late summer lull, as investors across the globe faced lower returns and higher volatility. Some
By Chris Whitaker, CFP® The year is 1948. Your friend Roger, who is wearing a plaid sport shirt tucked in near his belly button, excitedly tells you that the BBQ place on West 14th Street has now re-opened as a burger place called “McDonalds.” You park your Chevy Fleetmaster, and walk up to a small
There was love in the air in February and it was not only on Valentine’s Day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the stock market index comprised of 30 largely publicly owned companies and a common benchmark for the US economy, hit 12 record closing highs in a row and broke the 1987 streak (today’s streak
President Donald Trump’s wall, relations with Mexico, phone talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, a temporary ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Whenever you turn on the television or your computer, the inescapable, unrelenting conversation ensues. When it comes to investing and your portfolio, it is only natural to focus on the short-term
Historically, floating-rate loans outperform the broad bond market in flat- and rising-rate environments. Given that the Fed raised rates in December and with more increases expected in 2017, floating rate bonds can benefit from it. Floating-rate loans, also called bank loans or leveraged loans, are below-investment grade corporate debts. They are called “floating rate” because
Looking back at 2016 it looks like we had a remarkable year. The year did not start off so bright though. Facing a slowing economy and a drop in corporate profits America equity markets started the year off slowly. Those concerns caused a rush of money into safe haven assets. From Treasury bonds and boring
I admit, I love this kind of stuff. I was up late watching the Brexit vote and I was up late last night watching our presidential election. As Trump closed in on 270, I also loved watching the stunned faces of many broadcasters. Just as Brexit, last night’s election has proven that modern day polling
What an ugly year for politics. Depending on which aisle you prefer, it is hard to debate that this is one of the ugliest Presidential elections we have seen. With both candidates having some of the worst likability rating in history, American voters have a big choice to make in the next few weeks. Currently,
The US market has reached record highs supported by historically low level interest rates. However, the Fed is seeking the right time to raise rates while other central banks across the globe are implementing expansionary measures. These divergences in central bank actions make considering additional opportunities within the global markets essential. We recently attended
