Given elements of uncertainty tied to COVID-19, geopolitics and policy decisions to come in the United States and across the globe, our K2 Advisors team believes the current environment may favor nimble, shorter-term strategies.
High-yield bonds can generally offer more income in a very low-interest-rate world. However, if the economic or stock market outlook deteriorates, it could be a bumpy ride.
The pandemic has amplified four long-term macroeconomic disruptors, and fiscal policy – a key swing factor – may hold the key to upside or downside surprises. Read our long-term outlook and learn implications to consider when investing.
Despite stellar equity returns over the last decade, the funded status for many defined-benefit plan sponsors has either stagnated or fallen. Here's why.
Sports betting and financial markets have a lot in common. The wisdom of the crowd is setting prices and the markets are highly efficient, making it difficult to outperform.
Given the United States is the world’s largest economy, investors around the globe will be watching the US presidential race—and market implications—with keen interest.
Investors should try to avoid getting distracted by the feuding political parties within the U.S. A lot of the infighting is being fueled by outside actors, who thrive on the chaos and the division. Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi Jinping are delighted that we’re so divided right now.
Policy will continue to be carefully calibrated as China walks a tightrope between supporting growth and maintaining financial stability.
Is there any other business on earth where an owner can be as incompetent as Fred Wilpon and come away richer than ever?
The pandemic has changed investor behavior. It has altered the qualities and services investors look for in a financial advisor.
Even as markets were rocked by uncertainty as the coronavirus lockdowns began, the seeds of stability were sown in the massive fiscal and monetary policy response.
You may have seen headlines questioning whether this is the end of the gold rally. Hardly. Corrections are normal and healthy. During the rally of the 2000s that culminated in gold hitting its previous record high of $1,900, there were several significant pullbacks, some of them exceeding 20 percent.
Our election 2020 coverage begins with fiscal policy, security risks that are slowing foreign investment, and legislative standstills.
Launched in September 2020, the CFO Principles for Integrated SDG Investments and Finance are designed to help create a market for corporate SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) investments.
This “exodus,” as some are already calling it, may end up being among the biggest in U.S. history, or at least the biggest since the 1950s and 60s. A record 27.4 percent of homebuyers sought to move out of their metro areas in the second quarter, according to Redfin data.
The facilities will bring products closer to customers, making shopping online about as fast as a quick run to the store.
Market crashes, such as we experienced in March at the onset of the pandemic, drive assets to the safe haven of government bonds. But our research shows this flight to safety mindset did not translate to an increase in demand for annuities.
One of our favorite natural resource companies, Ivanhoe has returned more than 146 percent in the past six months alone as investors anticipate the start of production at the Kakula Mine, which has the potential to become the world’s second-largest copper mining complex, with annual output projected to be 800,000 metric tonnes a year.
The snarky comments about financial engineering practically write themselves: An exchange-traded fund investing in collateralized loan obligations? What could go wrong?
Seven reasons Americans are “nowhere near as alienated from their democratic system” as Germans in the 1920s.
Evaluating the unusual characteristics of the profitability factor
In a low-yield environment, advisors need to use financial planning tools like no-commission annuities to improve after-tax, after-advisory fee bond returns.
Research based on Morningstar’s “globe” ratings, which measure a fund’s adherence to ESG standards, shows that most conventional funds indeed prioritize sustainability in their mandates, and that highly rated, five-globe funds don’t perform any better than one-globe funds.
Supply is getting tight. Helium is notoriously difficult and expensive to store, for the very good reason that it escapes every known container over time.
My learning goal each year is to read at least 40 business-related, non-fiction books – the “stay at home order" has allowed me to read 63. So here is my eighth annual compilation of the ones I’ve read from September 2019 through August 2020.
Five companies now comprise 26% of the market capitalization of the S&P 500® Index, making for the most concentrated U.S. equity market in the last 40 years. What are the potential dangers of this for investors?
While listening to Rob Arnott on a recent Morningstar podcast, I became enamored with something that Arnott was emphatic about. He pointed out that the structural advantage of being a contrarian isn’t being smarter. Every winning purchase in the stock market comes as an opportunity cost to the seller.
The new subscription program is dubbed Walmart+.
Its 800 members have raised their cash holdings to 19% of their total assets on concerns over the economic consequences of the covid pandemic in the U.S.
Investors flock to municipals to meet safety, income and after-tax return goals. But investors should consider how they gain exposure to the asset class.
This November’s US presidential election pits Donald Trump against Democratic nominee Joe Biden, a longtime politician who represents a more progressive policy approach. Our Head of European Fixed Income David Zahn breaks down the implications of the US election for Europe, and why many of Biden’s policies line up more closely with European views.
Although many suggest that wealth inequality is attributable to globalization and technological advancements, what they miss is the role of speculative finance and the complicity of the central bank in driving this process.
The number of Americans filing for initial jobless claims this week spiked above 1 million, while the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 remains above 1,000 a day. But there was much else to celebrate.
We believe the global economy appears to be working its way out of a deep recession. Read on for a visual snapshot of GDP growth around the globe.
The massive pullback in business travel is apt to inflict the deepest economic pain, but there's also a growing risk that older travelers, a mainstay of tourism, will hunker down for years to come.
For the week, airlines stocks increased 9 percent, its best weekly performance since early June. Wheels up!
As the global economy continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still opportunities for investors, says Franklin Equity Group Portfolio Manager Don Huber. He has an eye on international companies able to navigate the crisis period—particularly those in regions where recovery is happening faster.
Any advisor who refuses to clearly present fees on their website cannot claim to be operating a transparent practice.
Despite the drumbeat of narratives about the reversal of the growth trade and even some advocating for outperformance on the part of small cap value, the bigger picture trends have not changed.
In 1832, Martin Van Buren helped Andrew Jackson decide precisely when he would end the charter for the Second Bank of the United States – the only American central bank of issue before the establishment of the Federal Reserve.
Two companies in the metals and mining space I’m looking forward to hearing from are Ivanhoe Mines and Franco-Nevada. Both are scheduled to report next week.
About two-thirds of this month’s comment is about COVID-19 and the risk of a second wave. This is not only for the sake of public health, which would be enough, and not only to contribute to a better understanding of the epidemic.
A true goals-based wealth management (GBWM) approach can help you control for behavioral biases — both yours and your clients’ — and deliver desired financial outcomes for your clients. Coaching clients throughout your relationship can help combat emotional decision-making and maximize the likelihood of achieving success. Join SEI and Capital Group® for this session which will:
John, J., and Chris will be available to answer your questions following the presentation.
The pandemic creates a good opportunity to make Social Security more sustainable.
Anyone still expecting the fixed interest payments from Treasuries, or even high-quality corporate bonds, to outpace inflation in the coming years is just setting themselves up for disappointment.
The odds of a stagflation environment are continuing to rise in our opinion. Over the past few weeks/months we have made this view clear by looking at both sides of the coin, growth and inflation. Over that time, the evidence continued to mount in favor of our view.
Markets rebounded during the second quarter, aided by monumental support from the Fed. We expect the economy to continue improving, but given the recent wave of Covid cases we also expect some bumps along the way.
We all know that past performance is no guarantee of future results, but you can see in the chart below that the white metal could possibly be setting up for another epic run-up. At this stage of the bull market, silver’s current price appreciation is ahead of any previous rally.
The U.S. and EU deliberate how to disburse aid, China’s recovery carries risks, and U.S. mortgage rates find a floor.
