Tag Archives: Risk

The Need to Diversify; Regression to the Mean (Bonds)

AOL RCA

Just as another warning, beware of companies and industries that are going to change the world.  They may well do so, but that is no guarantee that they will make money for investors.  In December 1999 I wrote a paper making a fairly compelling parallel between radio in the 1920s and the Internet in the 1990s (“AOL, RCA, and the Shape of History”). Nearly three years later, I was able to publish the following chart, which superimposes the stock prices of RCA and AOL during their booms and busts.  Net-net no money was made in the market, though radio and the Internet did indeed change the world.

The Big Tranisition: A Letter to an Entrepreneur Friend | Tocqueville

Regression to the Mean

 

 

bonds

 

Long-term bonds probably should offer a 6% to 6.5% coupon if history is any guide.

 

This is it!

NYSE-investor-credit-SPX-since-1980

NYSE-margin-debt-SPX-growth-since-1995

vix

SPX-10-yr-yield-and-fed-intervention

http://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/NYSE-Margin-Debt-and-the-SPX.php

COM-Traders-Stampede-to-Cash-06282013

But who do we sell to?   (Let’s not forget the risks as new highs are made every-hour-of-every day since good news is good news and bad news is good news).

http://www.hussmanfunds.com/wmc/wmc130722.htm

RISK!

MUSEUM

Risk is a function of market participants having a perception of lower risks while governments increase their intervention of market prices.–Chicago Slim

One Sign of Increasing Risk: GOFO

The lack of liquidity in the leasing market for gold has pushed the gold forward rates (“GOFO”) into negative territory, meaning that gold for forward delivery is trading at a discount to the physical spot market price–a rare situation that has only occurred a few times in the past twenty years–the last time in Nov. 2008 when a scramble for physical spurred a sharp rally in the dollar price of gold.

This week the GOFO rate did something it has only done a handful of times in its long history–it went negative out to three months which means somebody was willing to pay to have gold instead of dollars right now.

Be careful out there!

My BEST DAY EVER!

 

Crowded Pit

My Best Day Ever.

No, I am not talking about today, though all my stocks are rising like soybean futures in an August drought.  Why?

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/02/s-500-off-to-best-start-since-97.html

I don’t know what the future will bring, but I do know risks are rising. Values are out there, but with more uncertainty attached.  Experience has taught me to deal with excruciating pressure such as whether to buy the yellow Lamborgini Yellow

or the red Ferrari. Red

I am thinking of putting in a fur-lined sink or is that too much? How about I finally do something for the boy scouts. Boy Scouts I’ll hire a bus to New York City for a visit here:

Back Twenty-Four Years Ago in Chicago

But I remember the best day of my life 24-years ago back when I was a young pit trader on the Chicago Open Board (Mid-Am Exchange) doing this, Chicago Pit

when–within 24-hours--I went broke, my fiancé nixed our wedding day, and my suicide attempt failed. Oh, and the Cubs lost again.

Never would adversity teach so much to an arrogant, ignorant, selfish, and insane twenty-two year old.  To be continued………………

Have a Great Weekend!

PS: Three-minute kindergarten course on investing. It is never too late to get started.