Macro & Markets Update: Dec 2019

I haven’t posted anything in a while because every time I’m about to write an update, a new piece of pretty big news develops that potentially shifts the picture.  So here’s a high level overview of my thoughts from the past month.   There’s a debate going on right now if the current slowdown will…

A Case of Deja Vu

The move in the S&P 500 since January 1st (the selloff, bounce, weak test of the lows and a big surge afterwards) has been so eerily similar to the Aug-Oct move a few months back that it’s a little weird…  Even the multiple 2-day retracements in the middle of the surge. The August selloff unfolded after…

Why I Don’t Trust this Bounce in Stocks

One of the most important determinants of stock market returns in the short/intermediate term is investor appetite for risk.  When investors in the market are confident and display risk seeking behavior, we tend to see assets (like stocks) ignore bad news and rally on good news.  However, the reverse occurs when investors are displaying a…