Emerging stocks could make a comeback in 2019
2018 wasn’t a pretty year for equity markets in general, and for emerging markets in particular. Global stocks fell 4.1% (in euros), whereas emerging market equities realized a negative return […]
Author Archives: jsblokland
Volatility feels more extreme than it actually is
Markets have seen a sharp increase in volatility in recent weeks, with the S&P 500 experiencing its worst December month since 1931. But, looking back at the history, the total […]
The average return doesn’t exist (2019 edition)
Every year I post an update of the ‘average return doesn’t exist’ blog to show that the average return on equities is mostly a statistic, and is seldomly seen in […]
A quick overview of negative calendar year returns
Since its inception in March 1957, the S&P 500 price index has realized a negative return in 17 calendar years. Including 2018. This means that the index records a negative […]
2018 in (tweeted) charts!
2018 in (tweeted) charts! This blog aims to give a relatively concise overview of financial markets in 2018 using a selection of charts I tweeted throughout the year. While this […]
A year in which ‘nothing’ worked!
2018 has proven to be a very challenging year for financial markets. This is summed up by today’s chart, created by Deutsche Bank, which shows that in US Dollars terms, […]
The pieces of the puzzle are slowly falling into place for emerging markets
Emerging market stocks often produce paltry returns when the US dollar strengthens. But recent developments point to a change in this trend, making emerging markets a more attractive investment prospect. […]
The Confident Consumer
US consumer confidence rose for the fourth consecutive month in October, and has now reached an 18-year high. But while this is certainly an impressive milestone, the sharp increase hasn’t […]
Midterm Elections – Stock markets tend to go up from here
The US midterm elections are behind us. As expected the Democrats took the House while Republicans hold the Senate. So what happens now? Surely we can’t tell, but if history […]
Why is the euro not trading at parity with the dollar?
The divergence between the Eurozone and the US is growing. And I’m not just talking about the difference in bond yields. Significant gaps have also developed between equity markets and […]
