How can we beat inflation? Own assets. What type of assets? Assets that appreciate and/or produce income greater than inflation over time. While history is not a perfect predictor of the future, it does tell us what has happened in the past. And if the future is anything like the past, then history can be helpful. In this case, I believe history can be used as a guide. Over the past 10 years, the consumer price index (a proxy for inflation) has increased by just over 30%; which means that prices on a general basket of goods is 30% more expensive than they were 10 years ago. If you've bought anything recently you, know it's more expensive than it was 1 year ago, and quite a bit more expensive than it was 10 years ago. Knowing this, it's important to own assets that have, and will continue to grow faster than inflation. How do we overcome this general level of price increases?
Investors in gold, real estate, and the stock market have done well over the last 10 years and have kept investors significantly ahead of inflation. Will the future look exactly like the past, the short answer is no, but it won't surprise me if it looks somewhat similar. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA
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Valuation matters. What is valuation? It is determining what something is worth. In terms of the stock market, it’s determining what a company is worth. There are various valuation techniques that are available, some more precise than others. "Valuing a company," according to NYU Finance Professor Aswath Damodaran, also called the Dean of Valuation says, "is part science and part art." As valuation techniques require the idea of making forecasts about the future which is fraught with difficulty. They also require generating a compelling story around what the future might look like. Let’s review a couple of very successful companies where their valuation got ahead of their price. Back in 2000 Microsoft’s shares got as high a $58 a share (split adjusted), the company and stock had done quite well for many years leading up to early 2000. However, the future played out quite differently for shareholders who purchased in 2000. It took over 16 years for Microsoft’s stock price to get back to this previous high of $58 a share. During this 16-year period, the stock lost over 74% of its value at one point. What’s interesting, over this same time period, Microsoft’s revenue more than tripled, net income more than doubled, and earnings per share tripled as well. It’s important to consider if you bought the stock in 2000, and were 30 years old at the time, you would have needed to hold until you were 46 just get to back to even. All the while, during this same time the overall stock market gained 100%. This was a massive opportunity cost. Do you think you could have held Microsoft stock for 16 years only to get back to break-even while the overall market did quite well? Not many could. Microsoft tripled its revenue and earnings per share while the stock performed horribly. How can this happen? It comes down to valuation. It’s PE and PS ratios in early 2000 were 73 and 30 respectively, which by most historical valuation metrics is extremely high. Over the course of the next 16 years these ratios were pushed down to as low as 8 and 2. Before finally coming back to more historically long-term averages. It can get even worse. Cisco Systems reached a high of $80 per share in early 2000 and 23 years later is still 36% below its high from 2000. How has the underlying business done? Revenue over the last 23 years has almost tripled, and its earnings per share has grown over 500%. Back in 2000, Cisco’s PE and PS ratios were over 200 and 35 respectively. Investors who purchased 23 years ago have lost money as the company’s valuation has come down. This drives home two important points:
These are just two examples, however, there are countless others. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA
You'll read headlines about life hacks and shortcuts. If that’s what you're looking for, keep reading to learn anti-hack "secret." Becoming an expert, mastering a skill, and deep understanding takes time. I’m impressed with the people who put in the time and commitment to excellence, who are always striving to improve. Developing into a chess grandmaster, an Olympic athlete, or professionally playing a musical instrument takes countless hours of practice…in fact, it takes thousands of hours. Over the course of my martial arts training, I’ve executed more than 40 thousand front kicks along with countless other types of kicks. There are no short cuts, I put in the hours. Don’t get me wrong, there are smarter ways to train, but there is no short cut for putting in the time and concentrated effort. After almost 30 years of training, I am still working on improving. Ironically, the further down the path I go, the mirage of any actual destination has been replaced by the understanding that the journey is the destination. People who have a single-minded mission understand the idea of compounding. They understand consistently striving to make small improvements over time creates massive advances. Let’s take the simple idea of making a 1% improvement, and let’s say we do this every day for just 1 year. Initially, you might think over the course of a year would lead to an improvement of 365%, which would be a massive improvement from where you began, but you’d be wrong. Your improvement would actually be over 3,778% (1.01^365). This is the power of compounding small numbers consistently. How do we become an expert? It's a 1-step process:
Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea of the 10,000-hour rule, taken from research done by Professor Anders Ericsson, which states that to become an expert in anything, it takes 10,000 hours of diligent practice. More recent literature has modified that a bit, to say there is typically a range somewhere around that number. Either way, no matter where you start, often the most difficult part is starting. So start. The sooner you start, the sooner those hours of diligent practice will compound. Robert Greene wrote a book called "Mastery," and through his extension research on the subject he found when a person becomes a true master in their chosen field, they are able to see and make connections between disciplines that others cannot, they begin to think and move at a higher level, almost like operating in a higher dimension. Success in nearly every endeavor takes time and lots of diligent practice. Most people will only see the “finished” product of your effort, completely missing what it took to get there. The so-called "overnight" success takes countless hours of repetition, study, and self-reflection. Ironically, the secret to mastery is wrapped in hard work, and that’s the secret. It’s hidden in plain sight if people really want to look. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA What is an investment beast? An investor who doesn’t get scared out of their long-term plan. An investor who knows what they want and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Beasts are relentless. How do you become a beast? Do things that scare you a bit. You want to expose yourself to scary, uncomfortable, and difficult things. Over time, exposure to these stressors builds confidence. Confidence builds resilience, and resilience builds beasts. Right now, the so-called big scary topic of the hour is the debt ceiling. History of the Debt Ceiling. The debt ceiling was first established over 100 years ago by Congress. Prior to this, Congress was required to approve each issuance of debt in separate legislation. Since the end of World War II, our legislators have increased the debt ceiling more than 100 times, and it has increased from $300 billion to just under $31.4 trillion (over 100x). Repeat, Congress has raised the debt ceiling over 100 times. Be a beast, don’t let scary headlines scare you out of your long-term plan. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Economic chaos has been extremely hard on small businesses. With economic volatility, many businesses have had to take extreme measures in order to keep their doors open and continue to grow. We’ve put together some tips and tricks that will help you keep your small business growing despite the current uncertain climate. Try Out Several Digital Marketing Techniques The digital world is constantly changing, meaning it is important for small business owners to be flexible and experiment with different digital marketing strategies. Now more than ever before, it is important for businesses to be creative and reach out to potential customers through digital channels like social media platforms and email campaigns. Experimenting with different strategies can help you find the most effective way of connecting with your target customer base. Benefit from Financial Assistance Programs Many financial aid programs are available for small business owners who are struggling during this difficult time. These programs provide much-needed capital injections that can help businesses stay afloat while they navigate this uncertain economic period. Research which programs are available in your area so that you can take advantage of them if needed. Monitor Your Cash Flow When running a small business, managing cash flow is crucial to ensure its success, particularly during tough economic times. It is vital to keep track of expenses and create detailed budgets to understand where the money goes each month. Moreover, the timely collection of payments from customers will help maintain a steady cash flow and avoid any unnecessary disruptions. Reduce Spending During this challenging time, businesses should focus on reducing expenses to ensure their continued success. Carefully review all expenditures and consider cutting back on office supplies or switching providers in order to save money. Additionally, reducing employee hours, if feasible, or implementing remote working policies can help reduce overhead costs while keeping employees engaged. Reach out to your vendors and ask about ways to reduce fees paid to them. Utilize Accounting Software Investing in accounting software can help ensure accuracy and security when dealing with accounts payable and receivable tasks. It streamlines processes such as invoicing and payroll calculations — helping to avoid costly errors and giving you peace of mind. Accounting software solutions are excellent options for small businesses looking for an easy way to manage their finances without sacrificing time or accuracy. Maintain Employee Engagement and Motivation Small business owners must prioritize their employees’ engagement and motivation even during times of uncertainty, as happy workers are essential for a successful business. Clear communication about any changes made in light of recent events, as well as future plans, is imperative for creating a secure work environment for employees. Furthermore, offering incentives such as flexible working arrangements or reward bonuses can be effective in boosting employee morale and engagement. Improve Efficiency With a Project Management Platform Using a project management platform can increase team collaboration and productivity, as it provides a centralized location for sharing information, assigning tasks, and tracking progress. It helps businesses streamline their workflows, improve communication, and ensure transparency and accountability throughout the project lifecycle. Take a look at this software if you want features such as real-time updates, progress tracking, and analytics that can provide valuable insights to help businesses optimize their project management processes. During turbulent economic times, small start-ups can stay afloat with the right approach. By experimenting with digital marketing strategies, investing in project management software, and prioritizing e-commerce, businesses can better weather any storms that come their way. This guest article was written by Abby Holt of Craftability. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Since 2000, we have experienced.
In spite all these challenges, here are the facts:
How is this possible? The American people by and large wake up every day and want to improve their lives and improve the lives of their family. While far from perfect, our social structure allows almost anyone to pursue these dreams. Our unique time and place in the world is an incredible driver for opportunity, innovation, and growth...both individually and collectively. Charlie Munger recently said, "Never under-estimate a person who overestimates themselves." I would argue, this idea can be more generalized to the overall United States and its people. We have achieved more than what any other country could have imagined 247 years ago when our fledgling country fought for its independence. As Warren Buffett famously said during the financial crisis, "Never Bet Against America." -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Jamie Diamon is undoubtedly the most well-known and most respected banker in the world today. He has guided and has helped manage JPMorgan through some of the most difficult financial times, including through the Great Financial Crisis. The recent First Republic Bank transaction adds to Mr. Dimon’s legacy, it has become easy to draw comparisons between him and the man for whom his bank is named. Back in 1907, John Pierpont Morgan Sr. famously locked his Wall Street peers inside his office and refused to let them out until they agreed to join him in bailing out the panic-stricken financial system. Another nod to Jamie's stellar reputation came from Warren Buffett back in 2012, when Buffett suggested that President Barack Obama make Mr. Dimon Treasury secretary. While he wasn't interested in the Treasury position, Mr. Dimon is now Wall Street’s longest-serving C.E.O. "Most decisions are not binary, and there are usually better answers waiting to be found if you do the analysis and involve the right people." - Jamie Diamon, CEO of JPMorgan In terms of your finances, find your people that can help you with these non-binary decisions:
Life is full of decisions that are not answered with a simple yes or no. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Note: The term, "find your people," I first remember hearing many years ago from a friend of mine Vinny Catalano. I give him credit for igniting the idea of how important, powerful, and enjoyable it is when working with the right people. Thank you Vinny. We experience 4 seasons every year, with one season leading into another. Nothing we don't already know. However, I would argue that tax season is the only season that is year-round and isn't something to start thinking about just before they are due. There are two distinct considerations in terms of taxes.
Tax planning is a year-round endeavor, tax filing is not. Looking back at the minimum and maximum tax rates over the last 100+ years, it's imperative to know where you fall within the tax schedule, and how to plan and act accordingly. You would be hard pressed to find someone who thinks tax rates will be lower than they are today. What are you going to do now to capitalize on this? You can't change the past, but you can change your future. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA The chart below shows monthly stock returns going back over 70 years. Tons of volatility and pain. No wonder investing is hard. We live in the present, or at most, we live in the very recent past, say a month or so at a time. We tend think about what just happened, and then, most of the time, we think about a month or so in the future. Conversely, people who can successfully regulate their ability to sustain short-term pain have been handsomely rewarded. In less than 50 years, those painful monthly moments resulted in generating more than 1,200% returns, turning every $1 into over $120. Mic drop. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Warren Buffett has said more than once that “risk comes from not knowing what you're doing.” So let's take a look at a situation that arose from not completely understanding how things work due to details that might not be fully understood. There is an underlying idea that permeates the financial world that says bonds are safer than stocks. And at the top of this “safety” structure US Treasury bonds reign supreme, as they are backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. US Treasury bonds are considered the safest investment by investors the world over, and most, if not all interest rate products (mortgages, credit cards, bank savings rates, etc.) are related in some way to what US Treasury bonds are paying. So an investor who understands these ideas, decides that they wants to be super “safe” and invest in US Treasury bonds. And in doing so they also understand that there are U.S. Treasury funds available. Again, with the understanding that a fund adds diversity and can reduce risk further, this line of thinking makes intuitive sense. Let’s recap:
With the above criteria, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that investing in a US Treasury bond fund such as VGLT (Vanguard Long-Term Treasury) makes sense. If an investor bought this US Treasury bond fund just over 2 years ago (before the Federal Reserve started hiking interest rates), they would have experienced a -45% drawdown at one point, and would still be down over -37%. Ouch! How did the “risky” stock market do during this same time period? The max drawdown was -25%, and as of today the stock market is down -14%. So much for the blanket idea, that bonds are safe, and stocks are risky. So are US Treasuries actually safe? That’s a complicated question and answer. The devil truly is in the details, and why ALL medium to long-term bonds (not just US Treasuries) lost so much value. -Paul R. Rossi How Much Can You Afford? The first step in buying your vacation home is knowing how much you can afford; note that you may be required to put down 20 percent or more for a down payment. If you already own your primary home, CNBC notes that it might be easier to secure another property by refinancing your existing property to free up some cash for your future investment. Moreover, if you have managed to build up quite a bit of savings in a retirement savings account, then this could also help you to come up with most of the down payment amount required for your vacation rental. There might also be other costs that you'll have to consider from an affordability point of view, including property taxes, business insurance, property management costs, etc. If you have to apply for a mortgage, the amount you could qualify for and the interest rate you will be charged will be higher with an investment property as there is usually more risk involved. Look For Suitable Vacation Listings. The next thing would be to look for suitable vacation listings on sites such as HomeToGo and Mashvisor in your area to see what your options are before going ahead and purchasing a vacation rental just for the sake of it. This is where it may be helpful to compare property prices in the area to see what the going rate for similar properties are so that you can get all the features you are looking for at the most competitive price. What Will You Do with Your Vacation Rental? If you desire to rent it out to help supplement your expenses for now, then you'll have to consider all that goes along with renting out your vacation home to tenants. You will have to forgo your own vacation needs while you work on building up capital for one day when you can retire there without any financial worries. Then there is the issue of managing the property, which you may not have the time or expertise to do. A property manager can take over this responsibility, but it will come at a cost; it will then be up to you to decide if you can afford to take on this financial risk or not. Establishing a Business If you plan to launch your vacation rental business, you'll need to register it accordingly. If you register your vacation rental as an LLC, then you will be given the assurance that your personal assets will be protected from litigation. There are also other benefits, such as certain tax advantages, that might end up working in your favor. If you are unsure of how to start an LLC, then you can look this up online. The News Hub points out that a formation service can assist you with this at an affordable price. Looking ahead to purchasing a vacation rental is something that many look forward to with excitement and longing. Waiting until you're a little older, more financially savvy, and financially secure should provide an even easier pathway to achieving this dream. This guest article was written by Abby Holt of Craftability. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA You should not invest in the stock market, the bond market, the commodities market, or any market if you cannot handle volatility. Period. Why? Because, by nature these markets are volatile. If you cannot stomach seeing the value of your account go down, don't invest. People that cannot withstand this, will act counter to their best interests and many times will lose money. My professional advice would be to not invest. The chart below to an untrained medical professional might be mistaken for an EKG chart. But it's actually the 3-month price return of the stock market over the last 70+ years. No doubt about it, on a quarterly basis, the stock market is volatile, there have been several times that the market is down 20+ percent, and dozens of times it's down 10 percent. Like most things in life, you will see what you focus on. If you focus on the short-term, that is what you will see. Below are the price returns of 3 different rolling return time periods, from 5-years to 20-years. Revealing that when an investor who is willing to think and act long term is rewarded. Since 1950, historically there has never been a 20-year rolling period (purple line) that produced a negative return. So what do these charts tell us? Your likely hood of losing money in the stock market goes down significantly the longer you are willing to endure the pain of short-term volatility. If you have a difficult time experiencing volatility, then you have three choices:
-Paul R. Rossi, CFA I'm sure you've heard by now that Silicon Valley bank that was closed by regulators late last week. A little back story, interestingly enough, a little over 20 years ago, I worked for a bank that competed directly with Silicon Valley bank. The bank I worked for, The Venture Banking Group in Palo Alto, financed early-stage venture backed technology companies. We were a division of a larger regional bank called Cupertino National Bank which subsequently years later was purchased by Wells Fargo. Our parent bank, Cupertino National Bank was always mindful of not being overly concentrated in technology related startup companies and therefore our division was a relatively small group within the larger regional bank. This was for prudent risk management purposes. The 800-pound gorilla was Silicon Valley Bank, as they dominated the venture banking market. From what I've reviewed of Silicon Valley Banks balance sheet and read about the events that took place, there were two primary driving forces that caused their quick collapse:
The poor risk management was a mismatch between their short-term liabilities (bank deposits) and their asset base (customer loans and investments). Their huge misstep was purchasing long-dated treasuries and mortgage-backed securities. Bankers will tell you that it's imperative to match your assets and your liabilities. Silicon Valley Bank didn’t do this, and any hedges they had in previous years were taken off by the end of 2022. Credit quality was NOT the issue like it was during the financial crisis, it was a timing issue. A Very Simple Example: Imagine you said that you need money next month for a large down payment on a home, and instead of keeping the money in cash, you took the money and invested in something that could lose substantial value over the next month. This wouldn’t be prudent, even if the investment was guaranteed to do well over the long-term. In this example, your need for cash is short-term, but your investment was long-term. This is what’s called an asset-liability mismatch. What Does This All Mean? The various regulators stepped in and are guaranteeing that all depositors will be made whole. However, the investors (stockholders and bondholders) and executives will not get the government guarantee, so they are expected to lose a lot. Which I think is the right thing to do on both fronts. So how does this affect the overall banking industry and how does it affect the economy. The short answer is nobody knows exactly. But more than likely there will be some spillover effects as it seems reasonable that it will be more expensive for startup companies and early-stage tech companies to get financing. Typically, what causes a lot of short-term stress in the markets are all the 2nd and 3rd order effects which tend to be difficult to fully assess. How Does This Affect The Markets? We are already seeing some effects with other banks and the financial services sector in general. As I mentioned before there will be some spillover effects, but I think they will be very modest, fortunately overall the banking system is very secure. Most importantly, this event explicitly shows just how important diversification is – something Silicon Valley Bank learned the hard way. Because one company, or two companies, or even a handful of companies that fail should not hinder your portfolio from doing well over time - if you are properly diversified. As investors know, market gyrations cannot be avoided and are not a bug in the system, but rather a feature. Volatility in the market is unavoidable, while it's never pleasant or enjoyable sometimes great opportunities come from such volatility. In this case, it's advisable to look at this as the glass being half full, rather than the alternative. In real estate, when buying property, the key phrase that comes up time and time again is, Location, Location, Location. In the stock & bond market, it's Diversification, Diversification, Diversification. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA The S&P 500 Schiller CAPE Ratio, also known as the Cyclically Adjusted Price-Earnings Ratio, measures the S&P 500’s current price compared to the 10-year moving average of companies’ inflation-adjusted earnings. Invented by Yale economist Robert Shiller, the metric has become a popular measure for understanding long-term stock market valuations. A higher CAPE ratio tends to signal lower returns in the future whereas a lower CAPE ratio signals higher returns, as the ratio reverts back to its mean. “The stock market is not the economy,” but worries of a recession have been weighing heavily on investors’ minds, although the stock market is holding up pretty well. So what is the CAPE ratio saying after the S&P 500's strong start this year? The S&P 500 Shiller CAPE Ratio has a pretty strong track record of predicting market declines. Out of 21 major market declines (defined as a 10% or greater drawdown in our white paper) since 1950, the CAPE Ratio has provided warnings for 10 of them by breaching its long-term average. The chart below shows that relative peaks in the CAPE Ratio coincide with drawdowns for the S&P 500. Knowing the ratio is directly affected by declining equity prices, the question becomes: are we seeing a relative peak in valuations to start 2023? From a historical perspective, the S&P 500 is currently relatively expensive...although this is dependent on your lookback period. The CAPE Ratio reached a relative peak of 30.99 just before the pandemic selloff, then climbed to 38.58, its second-highest value ever, near the end of 2021. With stocks rallying to start 2023 the CAPE has climbed to around 30.38, meaning prices for stocks in the S&P 500 are nearly par with their February 2020 levels. But interpreting the CAPE’s relative level is not a straightforward exercise, like many things, it has to be analyzed and interpreted in context of many factors. Years ago, the well-regarded economist, John Maynard Keynes, warned, "the market can remain irrational a lot longer than you and I can remain solvent. A longer-term lookback shows the degree to which valuations (purple) have risen over recent years as the market has marched higher (red line). Using the CAPE along with other indicators can provide an idea where the market sits in terms of valuation and what future returns might look like. While the CAPE ratio isn't perfect in predicting crashes and short-term gyrations, as you can see from the 1-year stock market returns above vs. the starting CAPE ratio. It does do a pretty good job over the medium term, as valuations tend to mean revert over time. See the 5-year return of the market vs. the beginning CAPE ratio below.
Like a good superhero, it may be well worth your time to make sure your CAPE fits before leaving the house. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Probably the most famous formula in finance is what's called the Black-Scholes Model and it's a model to help value options. The inputs below are what go into the Black-Scholes model.
-Paul R. Rossi, CFA Let’s assume that you have determined the price you are willing to pay for a particular stock or a stock index. And let’s also assume that you are not willing to pay more than what you determined to be a fair price. Let me share a way that sophisticated investors buy stock. A good way to describe this strategy is to use an example: Let’s assume your account is currently 100% in cash and the S&P 500 index is currently trading at 4,000, but you don’t want to buy at the current level, you believe the market is overvalued and will only buy if the market is at or below 3,600 (10% lower than the current price). There are a couple of strategies you can employ: First option: If you are willing to wait, you could just hope that the stock market falls to 3,600 and then place your order. If the stock market never drops to 3,600, your account will remain in cash. - This is the non-sophisticated way. Second option: You could sell a Put Option. By selling a Put Option, you will collect what’s called the option premium. - This is the sophisticated way. So how does this work? For example, you could sell a 1, 3, 6, or 9-month 3,600 Put Option on the S&P 500 index and receive a credit in your account immediately. There are 3 things that can happen at expiration of the Put Option that you sold.
If the stock market remains above 3,600 at expiration, you can roll into another option position to collection premium once again. You can continue to do this as long as you'd like or until you end up purchasing the shares. To add another level of sophistication to this strategy and increase your returns even further, you can purchase US Treasuries (instead of holding cash in your account) to support the Put Option position to generate additional returns. In a nutshell, if you are going to buy the index when it hits 3,600 anyway, why wouldn't you pick up an additional few percentage points in a relatively short period of time by using this strategy? On a side note, this strategy typically pays out more when it's employed to purchase individual securities. There is almost an infinite number of ways to implement this strategy, as you can change the expiration date and/or the price you are willing to pay, which is called the strike price. In other words, your premium amount could be substantially more or less depending on these factors (and others). To corroborate this strategy, Microsoft and other companies in the 1990's executed this strategy for several years and made hundreds of millions of dollars. In some quarters, Dell Computer made more money selling put options than selling computers. Click here for learn more about how options are valued. This strategy is typically reserved for sophisticated investors who understand the nuances of stock and index options. However, if you do understand them, it can feel like you took the red pill from the movie The Matrix. It can pay to know your options. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Important Note: Options should only be used by investors who know and understand the risks involved. Options are complex financial instruments. The value of option contracts are based upon many factors that need to be understood before buying or selling options. Did you know that Neil Armstrong was very close to never stepping on the moon? The Apollo spacecraft had traveled over a quarter of a million miles and commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin were preparing to land, when they had mere seconds to decide if they needed to abort their mission. As the astronauts were descending toward their landing site, the lunar space craft's computer system started flashing error code 1202. It was well rehearsed during training that if certain error codes came up, the astronauts were to abort the mission, no matter how close they were to landing. Mission control and the astronauts had to make a quick decision to abort or proceed, and the decision fell to a 24-year-old engineer sitting at mission control. He understood what the 1202 error meant, and if it could be ignored or not. The 1202 code was an indicator that the computer system was overloaded, causing the program to temporarily halt, but he determined it didn't pose significant risk to landing the spacecraft. So mission control overrode the flashing 1202 error code and gave the Apollo crew the "Go" order to continue their landing sequence, and as they say...the rest is history. Investing signals, much like the Apollo 11 computer system, can be quite complex as investors use large amounts of data to generate predictions about the market and economy. And just like the Apollo’s computer system that can become overloaded, economic models are vulnerable to false alarms, which can lead to incorrect investment decisions. Investors must exercise caution and use multiple indicators to confirm investment decisions. Just as the astronauts had to trust their extension training and experience to make a critical decision in the face of an error code, smart investors should use a systematic approach to make informed investment decisions. Investors can mitigate the risk of false signals by using several market and economic indicators. Relying on a single data point, or a small data set can be problematic at best. The Apollo 11 error code 1202 and investing signals share similarities; they are vulnerable to false alarms, which can lead to incorrect decisions. Investors can mitigate this risk by having a well-designed plan that provides a course of action should a 1202 error code start flashing or for any error code that might start flashing. Having a well-designed plan inherently means that the plan has flexibility as new information comes to light, conditions change, or the goal posts have moved. Expect error codes to flash from time to time, that's part of the journey. Also understand your success will be determined by how you react to them. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Albert Einstein is widely recognized as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century. He made numerous contributions to the fields of physics and mathematics, but his wisdom extends far beyond the scientific realm. Here are a few quotes by Einstein that are relevant to investing, along with explanations of how they can be applied to the financial world. "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." In the context of investing, this quote can be interpreted as the idea that market downturns and economic recessions present opportunities for smart investors to pick up undervalued assets at a discount. While it can be tempting to sell in a panic during a market crash, those who take a long-term perspective and have the discipline to stick to their investment strategy can reap significant rewards. "The only source of knowledge is experience." This idea emphasizes the importance of learning from experience, both in investing and in life more broadly. Investors can gain valuable insights from their successes and failures, allowing them to refine their strategies and make better decisions going forward. Additionally, it's important to seek out advice and information from experienced investors and financial professionals to help increase your knowledge and understanding of the markets. "Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." This quote, which is often attributed to Einstein, highlights the power of compounding, which is the process of earning interest on both the original investment and any interest earned in previous periods. By investing early and consistently over a long period of time, an individual can take advantage of the power of compounding to grow their wealth significantly. "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." This quote speaks to the importance of continuous learning and self-improvement. In investing, it's important to stay informed about economic trends and developments in the market, as well as to continuously educate oneself about different investment strategies and tactics. By staying curious and open-minded, investors can remain flexible and adapt to changes in the market. "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." Einstein nails it with this one, it highlights the danger of being too rigid in one's thinking and approach. In investing, it's important to remain open to new ideas, new approaches, and new economic conditions, even if they conflict with what has worked in the past. By being willing to challenge one's own beliefs and assumptions, investors can stay ahead of the curve and identify new opportunities. Albert Einstein's insights and wisdom can be applied to the world of investing in numerous ways. By embracing the power of compounding, embracing opportunities during difficult times, continuously learning, and remaining flexible, investors can make informed decisions and work toward achieving their financial goals. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Options are a type of financial instrument, (also called derivatives) that give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specified price on or before a specified date. They can be used in an almost unlimited way in investment portfolios, let's take a look a few ways they can be used:
Options are not for everyone and understanding the risks and potential benefits are important before using options. However, for certain individuals and under certain circumstances, options can be a great tool. The more tools in your proverbial toolbelt the better. If your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA Most of us have heard the saying, "Comparison is the root of all unhappiness." And I would agree...most of the time. However, when it comes to BEER and investing, I would have to disagree. More on this in just a minute. First things first. Investing really boils down to opportunity costs. Opportunity cost: is the potential benefit or gain that is given up when an individual or organization chooses one course of action over another. It is the value of the next best alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Opportunity cost is a key concept in economics and decision-making. It helps individuals and organizations weigh the costs and benefits of different choices and make the most efficient use of resources (time and money). Opportunity costs should be considered in the context of your priorities and goals. In terms of investing, let's use this idea of opportunity cost to evaluate investment options...and that's where BEER comes in. Before we get to BEER, let's quickly talk about what's called "Earnings Yield." Earnings yield is a measure of the profitability of a company or index when compared to the price being paid. The earnings yield is calculated by dividing the EPS (earnings per share) of the index by the current price. It is the inverse of the well-known P/E ratio. In the simplest terms and all else being equal, the higher the earning yield the better. The power of the earnings yield is the ability to use it as a comparison tool...and now that's where BEER comes in. BEER stands for Bond Equity Earnings Yield Ratio. The bond equity earnings yield ratio (BEER) is a tool that can be used to evaluate the relationship between bond yields and the earnings yield in the stock market. BEER has two parts, the numerator is represented by a benchmark bond yield, such as the two, five, or ten-year Treasury Bond, while the denominator is the current earning yield of a stock benchmark. A comparison of these two numbers can be used to get an idea if bonds or stocks are more attractive relative to each other. The idea behind the BEER ratio is that if stocks are yielding more than bonds, then they are undervalued; inversely, if bonds are yielding more than stocks, then stocks are overvalued. For example, if the P/E ratio of the S&P 500 is 18, then the earnings yield is 1/18 = 0.056 or 5.6%. And it is easier to compare this number to bond yields than to compare the P/E ratio to bond yields. Some investors believe if the ratio is above 1.0 the stock market could be said to be overvalued; a reading of less than 1.0 indicates the stock market is undervalued relative to bonds. BEER Highlights
Limitations of BEER
It's important to understand that BEER is not a standalone measure, and it's important to consider other factors such as economic conditions, company performance, and overall market sentiment when making investment decisions. BEER can be a useful metric for comparing the relative value of bonds and stocks. It can be used to help investors make decisions about how to allocate their investments between the two asset classes. However, it is not a standalone measure, and other factors must be considered when making investment decisions. So go enjoy a nice cold beer as you use BEER to help you make more informed investment decisions. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA There’s a so-called term in the Wall Street lexicon called “Smart Money.” Smart Money are institutional investors, endowments, pension funds, ultra-high net worth individuals, etc. Supposedly these institutions, organizations, and people, know more than everyone else in the room. They believe they can see around corners; they understand the markets at a deeper level and are better informed. And the media is constantly parading them around as such. The insinuation is that if you're not "Smart Money," then by default, you must be "Dumb Money." Some other definitions of Smart Money Investopedia says, “Smart Money is the capital that is being controlled by institutional investors, market mavens, central banks, funds, and other financial professionals.” Jason Zweig of the Wall Street Journal wrote in his somewhat satirical book, The Devil’s Financial Dictionary, that "Smart Money" is defined as, "those investors who know which stocks to buy, when to sell them, every tidbit of information that can influence the price, what the companies' executives are thinking, how geopolitical events will affect every market, and so on - as in “the smart money isn't buying yet” or “the smart money is dumping emerging market stocks now." He goes on to say, “the Smart Money is in fact an imaginary being, something like the three headed hydra of Greek mythology. Cut off one of its heads and two will grow back although both will be empty as “the smart money” is nothing more than an illusion fabricated by people who enjoy picking others pockets." Let’s review just a couple of recent happenings that prove Jason's Zweig's point. FTX FTX had a who’s who of finance and celebrities pushing this as a great investment. Well known venture capital firms like NEA, Sequoia Capital, Softbank, and celebrities like Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neil, Seth Curry, and billionaire investor Kevin O’Leary all got fleeced. They invested hundreds of millions of dollars, and it's gone to zero. The FTX fiasco is still unfolding, and it will probably be months if not years before all the details emerge and we learn how deep the rabbit hole goes. Theranos This company was touted as a breakthrough health technology company when it was founded back in 2013. Founded by 19-year-old Stanford student Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos ended up raising more than $700 million from venture capitalists and private investors. At one point it was valued at $10 billion. Theranos had a who’s who on their board, this included: U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, William Perry (former U.S. Secretary of Defense), Henry Kissinger (former U.S. Secretary of State), Sam Nunn (former U.S. Senator), Bill Frist (former U.S. Senator, senate majority leader and heart-transplant surgeon), Gary Roughead (Admiral, USN, retired), Jim Mattis (General, USMC), Richard Kovacevich (former Wells Fargo Chairman and CEO) and Riley P. Bechtel (chairman of the board and former CEO at Bechtel Group). The company claimed that it had developed a quick, inexpensive, and easy way to test blood. These claims were later proven to be false and a fraud. Elizabeth Holmes has recently been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Investors lost all their money. This so-called term "Smart Money" is a farce. They would like you to believe that they are so much smarter than everybody else and they’re working in a higher dimension of space-time that only they and Einstein can comprehend. The truth is, you’re smart if you:
Don’t get pulled off of your strategy by others, whoever they may be, and whatever background they may have. Peter Lynch said it best in his book, One Up On Wall Street, "Dumb Money is only dumb when it listens to the Smart Money.” -Paul R. Rossi, CFA
In the span of just a few days, cryptocurrency exchange FTX, the world’s third largest cryptocurrency exchange with more than 1 million users, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A few days later, cryptocurrency lender BlockFi announced that it was "not able to do business as usual" and paused client withdrawals as a result of FTX’s implosion. Then the lending arm of crypto investment bank Genesis Global Trading announced it was pausing new loan originations and redemptions. The FTX fiasco is reminiscent of Bernie Madoff, the mastermind of the biggest investment fraud in history after he defrauded more than 40,000 people of over $65 billion. Considered by many to be the archfiend of the financial world, his Ponzi scheme will haunt the financial industry for years and the FTX debacle is resurrecting some of the same fears in the minds of investors and regulators. The epic Ponzi scheme Madoff ran and the spectacular collapse of FTX both underscore a harsh reality: Many folks don’t understand how investment firms operate, what they are invested in, and not sure what to look out for. It’s important for investors to understand:
So how do you make sure you don’t run into the next Bernie Madoff or FTX? One way is to assure that your advisor does not oversee every part of your investing. Here are four questions to ask your advisor:
Madoff controlled the first 3 exclusively. And for the 4th, he was able to find a small outside auditor to help him with his scam and sign off on the phony returns. Your advisor might be selecting securities for you but listen carefully to how they answer the next three questions. Do Your Homework Investors need to ask lots of questions and if anything doesn’t feel right, or your advisor balks at your 4 questions, or doesn’t want to provide you with their Form ADV…don’t walk away. Run. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA I'll ask it again, why are we surprised? Several legendary investors have been pounding the table for years and no one wanted to listen. Jamie Diamon, the head of JPMorgan Chase who successfully navigated the bank through the financial crisis and who many consider to be one of the finest bank CEOs has called it "worse than tulip bulbs" and a "fraud." Warren Buffett, the greatest investor of all time hasn’t been shy about his views, saying "it will come to a bad ending." And Charlie Munger has called it "rat poison squared." More recently, Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock the largest asset manager in the world which manages over 10 trillion in assets has said, "I actually believe most of the companies (crypto related) are not going to be around." So why are we surprised that we’re seeing crypto companies, crypto assets, and related investments crash and file for bankruptcy. How does this happen? One powerful force that drives people to make irrational decisions is that it's next to impossible to argue against someone, when that someone wants to get rich quick...and many crypto enthusiasts thought they could get rich quick. As an individual investor, do you really think you have More Insight, More Experience, Deeper Knowledge, and a Better Understanding than these three individuals when it comes to investing? Read that last sentence again. Really, do you? I'm proud to say, my firm never promoted, never endorsed, and never believed in crypto investing. Many financial institutions (including Fidelity Investments) and advisors (like Ric Edelman) have pushed their clients into this so-called "asset class." Yes really. Investors are paying their financial advisors for sound investment advice, not for get-rich-quick schemes that in the end never work out well. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA
You’ve spent years building a retirement nest egg, then the market takes a nosedive. You’re down $150,000, then $250,000 or more. Now you think maybe you should change how you invest or maybe investing isn’t for you. You are not alone in your thinking. The financial adage says, “A recession is when your neighbor loses their job, a depression is when you lose your job.” We all think we can handle loses in the market until it actually happens to us. “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns a lesson he can learn in no other way.” - Mark Twain Making financial decisions alone, especially during times of market volatility, can be especially challenging. It’s easy to make the wrong choices when you see hard-earned money disappearing. But when it comes to investing, having a steady head and hand is crucial. If you make spontaneous decisions based on emotion or the ever-present ebbs and flows of the market, then you risk turning your carefully invested funds into little more than gambling money. How do you keep yourself from becoming a gambler?
When the stock market takes it on the chin, you really learn whether you are a gambler or an investor. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA
There are three individual company factors that influence a stock’s performance. The first is the company’s earnings, the second is the expected future growth of those earnings. The third factor is how investors value both the current earnings and the expected growth of those earnings - which is called sentiment. A company’s financial reports tells us how well the business has just performed, however, it does not tell us anything about investors’ sentiment. One way to measure investors’ sentiment is the Price-to-Earnings ratio (P/E). The P/E ratio can tell you a great deal about what investors think of a particular stock AND the sentiment of the overall stock market as well. Components of the P/E Ratio The P/E ratio for a stock is computed by dividing the share price by the company’s annual earnings per share. If a stock is trading at $40/share and its earnings per share are $2, then its P/E ratio is 20 ($40/$2). Enthusiasm on the part of investors can lead to what’s called “P/E Expansion,” and conversely a lack of enthusiasm on the part of investors can result in “P/E Contraction.” P/E Expansion refers to when investors’ perceptions improve, and as a result, they are willing to pay more for a dollar’s worth of earnings. On the other hand, P/E Contraction refers to a period when investors’ perceptions worsen, and as a result they are willing to pay less for a dollar’s worth of earnings. For example, if the average P/E ratio for stocks falls from 19 to 15 (21% decrease), while overall earnings remain unchanged, this is an example of “P/E Contraction.” In short, investors sentiment drives P/E ratios. Different companies and different industry groups can trade at very different P/E ratios even if they are generating the same level of profit per share. In other words, two companies may both report earnings of $1 per share, but one stock will trade at $20/share while the other trades at $30/share. This can be due in part to several factors, like the quality of the earnings, the consistency of earnings, the expected future growth in earnings, expectations of the sector/industry, etc. If investors are excited about a particular company, the companies’ shares may be driven up and therefore its P/E ratio is driven up right along with the stock price. On the other end of the spectrum, if investors feel that future earnings look weak, its P/E ratio may deteriorate and remain low. It's important to understand whether the current P/E ratio is presently relatively “high” or “low.” This can be quite challenging, although it can be done. There are three ways to assess a company’s P/E ratio:
Generally, if the current P/E is at the lower end of a company’s own historical P/E range, or if the company’s current P/E is below the average P/E of similar companies, the stock may be
Ideally, if a company is able to consistently grow its earnings, investors may become enthusiastic about the company’s long-term prospects and place a higher value on it and therefore it will trade with an above average P/E ratio. That being said, emotional buying and selling at the extremes can push stocks into overbought or oversold levels. Conversely, a stock’s P/E ratio might be low simply because its future earnings prospects look weak. And this may or may not represent a good value at that price. The stock may not rebound in any meaningful way until investors perceive there to be some catalyst to the company’s earnings. This can create a “value trap,” where a stock looks cheap, but its cheap for a reason. As a stock’s price rises, investors need to pay close attention when a stock gets bid up to an excessively high P/E level. In the heat of a bull market, it is not uncommon to find “hot” stocks trading at a P/E of 50 or more. While this can go on for some time, eventually a stock’s price and P/E ratio comes down when its future prospects are more in line with the overall market. When this happens, the ensuing price decline can be swift and painful. Exceptionally low or high P/E ratios can highlight potential opportunities or dangers. Understanding what is driving a stocks P/E ratio is important, as it is not uncommon for a stock or the overall stock market to have an unusually high or low P/E ratio for an extended period of time due to the above factors. And there you have it, now you understand how the P/E ratio can be used to determine the sentiment for an individual company as well as the overall market. -Paul R. Rossi, CFA |