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Results 101–147
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Games People Play
My mother taught me how to play Monopoly ? the game ? and the markets over 40 years past have taught me how to play Monopoly ? the financial economy. Financial markets and our finance-based economy are actually quite similar to the game in terms of the rules and strategies it takes to win. Monopoly?s real-time bank (the Fed) distributes money to players at the beginning and then continues to create more and more credit as the economy passes go.
Inflection Points
U.S. equities surged over the last six years as the economy regained its footing after the financial crisis, and companies underwent substantial cost cuts to improve profitability. Today, many international companies and regional economies are early in the process of making similar positive, transformative changes.
How Could They?
Punch and Judy fought for a pie. Punch gave Judy a sock in the eye. Said Punch to Judy, "Would you like any more?" Said Judy to Punch, "No my eye is too sore." Mother Goose nursery rhyme. Ah, nursery rhymes! Intended for kids no less! The above little ditty could serve as a modern day NFL domestic playbook, I suppose, while a century ago it was but one of many lesson plans on what not to do when you grow up.
How the Long Bond Stole the Trophy
The aggressive bet many investors made on long-end rates in 2014 was the equivalent of betting on a Hail Mary pass to win the game. It has been rewarding, but is it repeatable? Probably not. Janus Fixed Income CIO Gibson Smith reflects on why he believes consistency beats the long shot, in sports and in investing.
The Trouble with Porosity and Prosperity
I am a philosophical nomad disguised in Western clothing, a wondering drifter, masquerading in a suit near a California beach. Sand forms the foundation of my being and its porosity is at once my greatest strength and deepest wound. I have become after 70 years, a man who believes that no belief is sacred. I have ideals and moral standards, but I believe them specific to me. Had I inherited your body and ego, I could just as clearly have assumed "yours." If so, I wonder, if values are relative, then what are mortals to make of them, and what would a judging God make of
Stay the Course in Small Caps
Small-cap stocks sold off in the third quarter, but now is not the time to abandon the market cap segment. In this article, Jonathan Coleman, Co-Portfolio Manager of the Janus Venture Fund, gives his perspective on current small-cap valuations, and why an allocation to small caps is beneficial in an environment where the U.S. economy is on stronger footing than the rest of the world.
Global Evolution a Game Changer for Real Estate
As investors consider rising rates and the impact on yield-based assets, it is time to address a couple of common misperceptions about real estate. Patrick Brophy, Portfolio Manager of the Janus Global Real Estate Fund, explains why rising rates are not directionally bad for real estate equities. He also explains why real estate can be more than just a source of income for portfolios.
You Only Dance Twice
Dancing, or better yet as the beginning of my Investment Outlook suggests, being asked to dance, seems to have become an important part of my life over the past month or so. Having first been asked by my wonderful wife, Sue, and now by Dick Weil and Janus from a business standpoint, I write to you today from my desk in a new Janus office in Newport Beach, California.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Investors could soon face an environment of rising U.S. interest rates and heightened rate volatility. Already, the Federal Reserve has begun setting the stage by tapering its quantitative easing program. Once rates start to rise, its difficult for a fixed income portfolio to make up lost ground if its not already positioned for higher rates. We think its crucial for investors to diversify their yield curve exposure by investing abroad.
Beware of the Theme and a Dream
Mid-cap equities generally remain attractive, but momentum has driven up stocks tied to several hyper-growth industries. The bubble around these stocks began to pop in March, and we believe limiting exposure to those areas of the market will be critical to maximizing returns going forward.
The Race for Speed
Much attention has been given recently to the complexities of U.S. equity market structure, and the potential for predatory high-frequency traders to work within that complex structure in a way that negatively impacts other market participants. There is no question the market structure faces challenges, but there are a number of tools and best practices that asset managers can utilize to mitigate the negative impact of high-frequency trading.
Sell-Off in Health Care Sector Overlooks Strong Fundamentals
After a strong run over the last two years, stocks for biotechnology, pharmaceutical and specialty pharmaceutical companies have fallen significantly in recent weeks. While a couple of near-term headwinds surfaced recently, in our opinion much of the sell-off was driven by momentum investors who had indiscriminately bid up stocks for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Breakthrough
The funny thing about crises is that we tend to feel as if they occur suddenly, on one day. For me, that day was when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy protection on September 15, 2008. I remember looking at my Bloomberg screen and thinking I was witnessing the end of the financial markets.
China's Great Leap
Chinas government just announced it would take a big step back...and let its economy take a giant leap forward. We believe Chinas proposed economic reforms will transform the economy and should allay investors main concerns about Chinese markets. In Janus latest Equity Monthly, our equity team offers its perspective on Chinas Great Leap.
What Price for Growth?
Cloud computing and social media are bringing a level of disruption and innovation not seen in the technology sector since the dot-com era. The troubling aspect is that valuations for many of these companies seem just as stretched as Internet stocks were back then. We think investors may be paying too much for the growth inherent in these companies.
Nowhere to Hide: Navigating Rising Rate Risk in High-Yield Markets
Over the past few years, investors have flocked to high-yield credit, many believing it a good way to mitigate their interest rate risk as well as capture additional yield. However, they may not realize the level of rate risk that has followed them. High-yield indices, negatively correlated to five-year Treasury bond yields over the past 15 years, have been positively correlated for the past year.
Momentum in Europe
We think now is a good time to be investing in Europe. European equity valuations are at the lowest level in more than 40 years, by some measures, and we are seeing green shoots in the regions downtrodden economy. Meanwhile, European companies in several industries have right-sized their cost structures or refocused their businesses, setting them up to be more competitive on a global scale.
Rising Rate: Challenge and Opportunity
While the prospect of rising interest rates generally strikes fear into the hearts of fixed income investors, its important to remember that periods of rising rates are normal and can create opportunities for active bond managers. Since 1970 there have been 21 periods in which interest rates rose significantly. While each has had its own unique characteristics, over the past 20 years equities have rallied during these periods, which has tended to support corporate credit markets.
Currency Wars: A Case for the U.S. Dollar
In recent years, the U.S. dollar has tended to lose value when the global economy improves, as investors are more willing to take risks. We believe that pattern has changed and that the U.S. dollar will outperform the Japanese yen, the euro and the British pound over the medium term, even if the global economy continues to improve. In our view, current conditions justify a material deviation in currency exposure compared with certain global fixed income benchmarks, such as the Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index.
Emerging Markets: Reasons for Optimism
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
Emerging market equities are lagging developed markets this year. However, the underperformance creates an opportunity in our view, and does little to change our long-term outlook for emerging markets, where we believe some of the strongest growth opportunities lie.
Straight Talk: Janus Balanced Fund
In today's ever-shifting economic landscape, many investors are looking for a cautious approach. Marc Pinto answers five questions on Janus Balanced Fund, including how he navigates uncertain markets, where he's seeing compelling investment opportunities, and why the partnership between Janus' equity and fixed income teams may benefit investors.
Living in Lake Wobegon
Are we normal? For many quarters, I have counseled investors that we are going through extreme market conditions and that patience was the best strategy. As the panic fades in the rear-view mirror and the road ahead looks less bumpy, I stand by the advice. But I dont need to repeat it.
New Highs
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a new record high the first week of March, breaking its previous closing high reached in October of 2007. The new record is symbolic more than anything else, but it still has some positive implications for equity markets.
A Different Playbook
Asia's handset market is developing quite differently than in Europe or the U.S., creating an entirely different playing field for Apple and other handset makers. Major brands are being challenged by the rise of cheap, but very capable generic smartphones. If major brands cannot innovate above and beyond the new offerings of these emerging cheap smartphones, they will not be able to command the high prices, and corresponding high profit margins, that have underpinned their success.
A Gross Underestimate
As we enter 2013, we felt it would be an appropriate time to revisit one of last years most controversial predictions of future equity performance. We acknowledge that equities in general may not continue to deliver the same real rate of return they have over the last century; however, we believe the glum outlook for the asset class forecasted by Bill Gross last year misses the mark. Our estimates of future equity returnsbased on three different approachesall point to a meaningfully higher forecast than Gross' pessimistic prediction.
Partial Deal: Perspectives on the U.S. Fiscal Policy Agreement
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
The U.S. Congress and President Barack Obama have patched together a deal that avoided the January 1 fiscal cliff. However, Washington has postponed a full resolution of fiscal and tax issues, creating continued uncertainty that can be expected to weigh on business and consumer spending and potentially keep U.S. gross domestic product growth below 2% in 2013.
Cliff Concerns
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
As negotiations over the fiscal cliff go down to the wire, potential tax hikes and spending cuts threaten a number of industries. Our sector analysts share their insights on the key issues facing the industries they cover. While we are monitoring the fiscal cliff's impact on sectors and individual companies, our portfolio managers are not making major changes based on unpredictable political outcomes.
Obama Wins: What's Next?
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
U.S. President Barack Obama has been re-elected for another four years, while Democrats will continue to control the Senate and Republicans the House of Representatives. We believe this outcome was largely anticipated by the markets before Election Day. However, U.S. Treasury markets likely will gain and risk assets could decline as investors remain concerned about sluggish economic growth, the impact of the impending "fiscal cliff" and the effects of continued Federal Reserve (Fed) intervention.
China Forges Ahead
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
Economic headwinds loom on the horizon as we approach 2013, including a sovereign debt crisis in Europe and pending fiscal cliff in the U.S., but we think you can cross China off your list of worries. Economic data pointing to a slowdown in China has troubled investors. Many even question the reliability of that data, and suggest things could be worse than reported.
A Case Study of a Fiduciary Breakdown
A recent case offers several lessons for Plan Sponsors and Service Providers. One of the most critical issues in the case was the failure of the company to follow its own Investment Policy Statement. This case illustrates the need for plans to create a proper process for Fiduciary Risk Management - emphasizing the Investment Policy Statement as the foundation for a prudent process.
Market Performance and the Party in Power: Is There Really a Connection?
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
The relationship between domestic securities market returns and U.S. Presidential elections is a favored topic of Wall Street commentators. As the 2012 Presidential election heads toward the tape, the pundits are in full swing once again, and claims about the impact of a Democratic or Republican victory on U.S. stock and bond markets pop up almost as frequently as political ads. In this paper, we address the question, Should investors take these prognostications to heart and, more importantly, apply them to their asset allocations?
Growth for the Long Run
"I skate to where the puck is going, not where its been." Wayne Gretzky. Many investors would love to be as successful as The Great One when it comes to their portfolios. Yet investors are often heavily influenced by the past, losing sight of where they need to be going. This seems to be especially true today: mistrust of equities is running high after a decade of disappointing returns and excessive volatility.
Equity Monthly: Drought Aftermath
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
Ramifications of this summer's once-in-a-generation drought in the United States stretch much farther than Midwestern farms. The drought's impact will be felt most in emerging markets, and how leaders in those countries choose to interpret higher food prices in the context of overall inflation will merit close watching in the next 12 months. While rising food prices will pinch consumer budgets and wreak havoc on input costs for food service companies, we also see some investment opportunities tied to the drought.
The Federal Reserves Next Move: QE3? Perspectives on U.S. monetary policy
by Team of Janus Henderson Investors,
We believe the Fed will take additional action by mid-September to stimulate the economy, probably through a third round of quantitative easing. U.S. economic growth remains well below potential and is slowing, and the Fed is not meeting its dual mandate to ensure price stability and full employment. We recently reduced our 2012 GDP growth estimate to between 1.5% and 1.7%.
Results 101–147
of 147 found.
