The average return doesn’t exist (2020 edition)
Here’s this year’s update of the ‘average return doesn’t exist’ blog showing that the average return on equities is mostly a statistic, and is seldomly seen in reality. And last […]
Category Archives: EQUITIES
Why Eurozone stocks have lagged
Since the low point for the equity markets during the global financial crisis in 2009, Eurozone equities have lagged their US counterparts by an impressive 300%. Why is this? By […]
Is the ‘great rotation’ upon us?
Stock markets have been fairly quiet in recent days, moving higher most of the time. But underneath, a spectacular rotation has been going on. Value stocks – which have lagged […]
Where is the decline?
The chart above, created by JP Morgan, shows the calendar year returns on the S&P 500 Index and the intra-year drops that occurred during those years. This reveals an interesting […]
Equity v Bond Returns
Charts showing massive divergence are interesting to look at most of the time. And the ‘gap’ chart between US equity and bond returns is no exception. Since the start of […]
Earnings growth is not a prerequisite for higher equity prices
With global growth leveling off, investors are more focused than ever on corporate results. These reveal a less rosy picture than in previous years and company expectations are very muted. […]
The far-reaching effects of central bank policy
The impact of central banks should not be underestimated. And I don’t just mean their impact on economic growth and interest rates. Central banks are also a driving force of […]
Recession indicators are overrated for stock returns
Equity investors are always looking for signs of the next recession. Recessions mean higher unemployment, lower spending, lower earnings and ultimately more defaults, all of which are bad news for […]
Miniblog – Chinese profits down again
Profits of Chinese industrial companies fell 1.9% year on year in December, marking the second consecutive month of earnings decline. For 2018 as a whole, profits rose 10.3%, half the […]
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 […]
