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AAM Has Released Its 2022 Best Ideas and Investment Outlook
After a tumultuous data deluge over the last two years, 2022 may begin to see the economic silt settling a bit, even as the waves of reaction to uncertainties continue. Check out our 2022 Investment Outlook covering the Housing Market, Interest Rates, Fiscal Stimulus, Inflation, & Market Returns.
Life’s Certainties: Death, Taxes…and Municipal Bonds?
In a November 1789 letter addressed to his good friend, Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin shared that America was off to a great start and the recently established U.S. Constitution showed much promise but immediately added, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”
1Q 2021 Review and Market Outlook
AAM CEO Scott Colyer and Chief Investment Strategist Matt Lloyd recap Q1 2021 and share their market outlook for the coming months. See their insights and expectations
To view all of AAM’s Market Commentary videos, please visit our video gallery page. Here, you can subscribe to our video channel, to receive AAM’s newest videos straight to your inbox. Video topics include market updates & insights, media appearances, & firm updates.
Advisors Asset Management: 40 Years Strong
AAM has been providing carefully sourced, vetted, and supported solutions for over 40 years. We offer access to a diverse range of investment solutions to meet today’s challenges. See why we are a trusted resource for financial professionals.
To view all of AAM’s Market Commentary videos, please visit our video gallery page. Here, you can subscribe to our video channel, to receive AAM’s newest videos straight to your inbox. Video topics include market updates & insights, media appearances, & firm updates.
What Keeps AAM 40 Years Strong
AAM CEO & CIO Scott Colyer, reflects on 40 years in the financial industry and how Advisors Asset Management has evolved as a leader in empowering financial advisors to succeed. “We started as an advisor-centric firm back in 1979, and are still an advisor-centric firm 40 years later.”
The U.S. Household: Connecting the Dots
The state of the U.S. household is in one the best shapes it has been in throughout history; though depending on how you look at it, it may corroborate your skepticism or optimism. At a recent discussion, a key debt figure was triggering doubt about this optimism.
The 2018 Economic Playlist: Carry the Tune
Since the dawn of time music has played a pivotal role in the defining of the times and the progression made. We would like to utilize the artistic genius of these maestros to bring some context to the current pivotal point in the economy and capital markets.
The Relationship of Suds and Bubbles
The proliferation of news, information, opinion and fact (which all come across in the same way) has had an overwhelming effect on the common investor and the instructional as well. Attempting to delineate the crowded trade from the minority viewpoint is a far greater task currently. Though this increased dissemination of information is beyond the recognition of the investor’s psyche, it does have a more pronounced positive impact.
European Forecast: Clouds Lifting
We understand the general public’s concern with regard to Europe. Just when you get your hands around a cease fire in Ukraine, the “Greexit” hits the newsstands with hardline headlines. If this Greek drama ever ends - which is unlikely as we noted two weeks ago detailing Greece’s restructuring –-rescheduling or outright default on debt occurs over 45% of the time since 1800, one still has to deal with the constant threat of a deepening recession.
Deflation: Consternation Not Elation
Deflation has been around ever since there was an excess supply of something or when demand had plummeted. The term “deflation” has now become mainstream in the general public’s lexicon, though the understanding of the declining economic growth that corresponds with it is often disregarded until it wreaks havoc on the consumer’s paycheck. When we see deflation permeating global economics, market movements and NFL games, the general public will become acutely aware of the other major impact from deflation, the increasing symbiotic nature of all the global economies.
Oversold Market Poised to Rebound
The distinction between ?bear market? and ?interruption? is important in understanding and assessing the ultimate upside potential of this cycle. The DJIA had a terrific advance between October 2002 and 2007 of nearly 100%, but when the advance resumed in March 2009 with much of the market?s longer term sector leadership still intact, it soon became apparent that the financial debacle had presented only an interruption of the bullish cycle that began in 2002.
Energy: Technology Disruption, but not to all
Disruptive Technologies are the gold vein every entrepreneur seeks, but rarely find. Clayton M. Christensen, the patriarch of observing disruptive technologies, noted in his seminal book The Innovators Dilemma in 1997 that each breakthrough can be categorized as either disruptive or sustaining.
Consumer Spending & Economic Recoveries: What They Mean Going Forward
As a follow-up to the discussion on the rollover of the duration of the unemployed, the byproduct of an accelerating improvement in the undercurrents of the job market is consumer spending. The measure of consumption has a primary correlation to wages and income workers receive. As such, the benign improvement in wages has an obvious correlation to the benign improvement in consumption. There is a strong secondary driver which we will discuss shortly.
Numbness to Numbers
Ive often pondered the continuing headlines over the lack of progress in the area of mathematics in the United States relative to our peers and think the issue may lie in one area. The rest of the world has adopted the metric system, while we are only peripherally aware of it. As such, when standardized scores are compared, maybe translating from the metric system is needed and we may score higher.
The High Tide in China
One axiom that has been used over the last couple decades is that high tide lifts all boats; meaning that a rise in economic or market conditions will lift every component of an economy or market to some degree. While true, we deal with relative measurements when discussing returns comparable to a benchmark. So, while the high tide does lift all boats, if the boat is tethered too tightly, you may be higher than being beached, but you also could still be underwater.
European challenges and outlook
The constant debate of leading and lagging indicators is one that spills over to the political components as well. The timing of demographic shifting, recent economic events, geopolitical tectonic shifts taking place globally and neo-creative monetary policy have all been pointing to voter sentiment evolving. We have seen this represented in Europe for some time and the recent European Parliament election saw more than sublime results.
Shale Reserves Are No Shell Game
Since the times of Ancient Greece, ?The Shell Game? has been a confidence trick used to convince bystanders into believing they have a legitimate shot at guessing correctly and doubling their bet. We are currently in one of the more transformational periods of energy consumption, distribution and discovery seen in some time. The technology of extracting once undiscovered pools of energy is reverberating throughout economies and potentially causing tectonic shifting of political structures.
Viewpoints from AAM - Navigating the New High Landscape
December, historically the best month to own equities, has begun with a whimper with the S&P 500 closing at a loss each of the first four days of the month. If you include the last trading day of November, that makes five days in a row of red-filled screens for a total loss of 1.23% for the S&P 500. In the grand scheme of things that is a pretty small loss but it already has pundits dismissing the chances of a "Santa Claus Rally" and others saying the recent new market high of 1807.23 for the S&P 500 reached on November 27 might be its last.
The Impact of the Great Recession and Federal Reserve Accommodation on Households
The latest release of macro data came out today from the Fed Flow of Funds report generated by the Federal Reserve. We monitor this with great anticipation so as to measure possible direction changes or momentum of a current direction. There are a myriad of data points, however, a few select charts should continue to raise confidence in the direction of the economy and, at worst, a liquidity-driven backstop to maintain consumption at minimum agreeable levels.
Looking Back 40 Years, What Can We Learn About This Current Corporate Debt Market?
I recently wrote a blog post detailing the potential opportunity in municipals as it has historically rebounded after a negative total return. Accordingly, I have been asked if this pattern was representative in the investment grade corporate arena.
The Markets in a Tug of War in the Short Run
As the damage to sentiment that was brought about by the Washington Drama Club, a somewhat cautious number has come about. On October 21, 2013, the Wall Street Journal had an article detailing margin debt hitting new highs which counteracts some of the investor sentiment numbers that are detailed by several sources. To get a better understanding, we ran the margin debt as a percentage of corporate equities over the last 25 years.
Government Shutdown Could Lead to a Buying Opportunity
As we approach yet another self-induced the sky is falling and the other guy is to blame environment, recall that this situation is not uncommon. We have had 17 of these budget debt ceiling deadlines and yet we have unbelievably (said with extreme rolling of the eyes) been able to overcome our elected officials calls for the end of the world. The most recent time when the U.S. government shutdown was in November 1995 concluding in January 1996,when arguably the animosity and polarization was as pronounced as it is today.
Time to Kick the Ick Factor for Energy and Materials
Basic materials have been the biggest loser of an asset class for 2012 as well as thus far in 2013. Everything tangible, from gold and copper to coal and steel, has acquired an ick factor that makes the asset class nearly uninvestable. Shares of companies in these categories are trading at values not seen since 2009 market lows. We are beginning to see some very important developments that might make the group more palatable. In fact, we believe that metals, mining and energy could again become Wall Street darlings.
Trampled By the Crowd? Logic Briefly Abandoned Creates Opportunity
The past two week slide in asset prices has caused a resurgence of doomsday pundits warning of impending calamity. The negative interpretation of Fed Chairman Bernankes comments regarding the U.S.economys future upgraded prospects is simply not logical. A careful review of what Bernanke said at his press conference was entirely consistent with what the Fed has said and done in the past.
Guide to Working with Monetary Napalm
Napalm is a highly incendiary form of jellied fuel. It was used extensively in the Vietnam War to quickly ignite massive fires over large areas of land. In the world of financial incendiaries, the Feds overwhelming monetary stimulus has ignited asset prices in the United States with the force and effectiveness of napalm. Is the fire short lived? Are the gains in asset prices temporary or can they be believed? Are the housing and stock markets on fire just because of the Feds quantitative easing (QE) or could there be a much more fundamental reason?
All That Glitters Is Not Gold
This quote from Shakespeares Merchant of Venice is apropos given the nosedive in the gold markets today. In our 2013 Best Ideas piece we labeled gold a neutral as gold had not had a significant correction since 2008. Our research indicated a significant slowing of bullion purchases by gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in 2012 versus 2011. We looked for a correction and now need to contemplate whether we are in the end of the commodity bull market or merely a pause that refreshes.
Waiting on Weakness?
On Tuesday, March 5, The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) set a new record close at a level of 14,253.8 (old record of 14,164.5 was set on 10/09/07). Since then it has gone on to set four more consecutive record-closing highs. The S&P 500, at a closing level of 1556.2 on 3/11/13, is still about nine points shy of its record high of 1565.2 (also set on 10/09/07), but it is up seven days in a row and the odds of that occurring are about 1.17%.
Dividend Growth Continues to Impress
The S&P 500 posted a very solid price appreciation of 5.14% (total return of 5.18%) for the month of January which marks its best January since logging a total return of 6.25% in January 1997 (16 years). However, it does pale in comparison to the best January of the last 50 years which saw the S&P 500 return 13.47% in January 1987. Perhaps equally noteworthy, but clearly not garnering as many headlines, is the continued impressive growth of dividends.
Crosscurrents and Contradictions: Which Way Will Municipal Bonds Go?
The two possible scenarios outlined are quite different with very different outcomes for municipal bonds, and that is what makes any 2013 municipal bond outlooks difficult to offer with certainty. Scenario 1 will likely have a relatively benign impact on municipal bond values while the impact of Scenario 2 will be more negative. Of course, the possibilities municipal bond investors will face this year include more than just the two stark contrasts presented above.
Charting the U.S. Employment Situation
The continuing jobless claims relative to past measurements has been a chart we like to detail to show the more psychological impact of where we stand and the sentiment about the employment situation. As we have shown, the current level is just below the high points of past recessions (recessions denoted by gray rectangles). Although we are approaching the long-term average, currently 6.7% above the 30-year average, the negative sentiment is understandable.
Political Small Ball and Its Impact On Municipal Bonds
In politics, making a grand bargain might be compared to the big inning where big things are accomplished in a big way. Given the serious issues we currently face regarding government spending, deficits, and the need for entitlement and tax code reform, it is not surprising many investors and the public generally have been feeling the need for a big inning or grand bargain from our political players.
Don't Confuse Market Hiccups for Economic Heart Attacks
The daily bombardment of moving toward an agreement on the fiscal cliff only to see a hesitation on the advancement is symptomatic of the tango that we have been bombarded with over the last several years. It does appear though that we are becoming a bit desensitized to the two-steps forward to two-steps back pattern we have been accustomed to in similar debt ceiling deadlines or budgetary standoffs. In looking at the markets move and comparing statements from the two parties involved, it does appear we are at least in the same ball field for negotiations.
Earnings Cliff?
We are now about 63% (316 of the 500 S&P 500 companies have reported) of the way into the third quarter earnings season and the popular opinion seems to be that the earnings are disappointing, that this current earnings cycle has peaked and that earnings going forward will fall sharply (earnings cliff). In a nutshell, we don't believe that this is the case and will begin with the former, that the current crop of earnings reports are disappointing.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Economic Armageddon
After the recent announcement by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) that they would begin to engage in what has been deemed "QE3," there has been a lot of skepticism that such a plan could actually work. The Fed is attempting to carry out their dual mandate of price stability and full employment by engaging in a new round of asset purchasing targeted at the mortgage market.
Results 1–50
of 134 found.
