ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISION
April 3, 2020 | The Next Global Debt Crisis Isn’t Coming–It Has Arrived
A good little primer on global debt waves in this segment. Every debt is counted as an asset on the balance sheet of lenders and investors, and these have been levered as collateral underlying trillions in other spending, loans and asset purchases of all kinds over the last decade. As defaults spread and asset prices […]
April 2, 2020 | REIT Liquidity Crunch in Motion
Yield-seeking buyers indiscriminately ballooned the price of real-estate-for-let and real estate investment trusts (REITs) in recent years. The real estate deals were highly levered to start with and then REIT holders borrowed against their shares to spend and buy even more. A lot of private equity, pensions and family offices heavily bet in this space. […]
April 1, 2020 | Understanding the Third Cyclical Bear Since 2000
A new report from economists at ING (which you can download here) looks at which economies are being hit hardest by the coronavirus supply chain shock and concludes Canada and Germany are the biggest losers: “Of the world’s 10 largest economies, Canada suffers most from the fallout of foreign supplies and Germany suffers most from weaker […]
March 31, 2020 | Good Outcome From Pandemic Shock: Buybacks have Slowed Dramatically
Corporations buying back their own shares was the largest source of equity demand manufactured in the 2009 to 2019 expansion cycle. Borrowing funds to do so was the go-to genius financial gimmick to boost prices and earnings per share. It is also one of the main reasons that publicly traded corporations are today at record […]
March 30, 2020 | 60 Minutes Australia: COVID-19 Whistleblowers Silenced by China
Travelling in Spain over Christmas, I came down with terrible flu: head and body aches, fever, violent dry cough, exhaustion. I was on the couch for a few days and coughing for a couple of weeks. I did not pass it on to my family, amazingly, and I think this suggests it was not a […]
March 27, 2020 | Beware Bullish Bounce Back Enthusiasts
Today as the Bank of Canada follows other G7 nations in slashing its policy rate to the .25% low of the 2008 financial crisis, it also expanded its bond-buying programs to include the recently frozen commercial paper market. Borrowing costs for corporations at record indebtedness have spiked just as revenues are vaporizing–this is not a […]
March 26, 2020 | Proactively Manage Your Finances: Do it for You!
Our neighbour is a plastic surgeon with a busy cosmetic practice; his licence plate reads “DOIT4U’. It’s become something of a punchline at our house when commissioning our kids, home from school for the summer, to help with jobs around the house. ‘Do it for you,’ we joke. In reality, of course, there is a legit […]
March 25, 2020 | Fiscal Hopium Rally Brings Another Opportunity to Reduce Risk
Global risk markets have experienced the steppest 30 percent decline in history over the last month. We should expect to see some big reversal rallies punctuating the downtrend–even while the trend continues down. Today, as algos key on the promise of a big US federal aid package and a G7 pledge to do “whatever is […]
March 24, 2020 | The Health Toll of Reckless Financial Policies
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2018 found that a sudden loss of wealth—negative wealth shock—can trigger health problems and reduce longevity. With limited years remaining to regain losses in older age, researchers noted that the health consequences of such shocks can be long-lasting. The effect was most marked if […]
March 23, 2020 | Implications for Canadian real estate as layoffs surge
As I have noted many times, the seeds of financial crisis and panicked liquidation have been sown through the last decade of reckless lending, borrowing and price-indiscriminate asset-buying. Highly indebted companies, households and speculators were already cash-strapped before the coronavirus shutdown. This clip from BC real estate analyst Steve Saretsky notes some key impacts moving […]
March 20, 2020 | Market Carnage: What May Come Next
Worthwhile discussion in this 1-hour clip from two other people who also do their daily measuring work, and so, also saw this bear market coming. Global markets are in an historic tailspin and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better anytime soon. You don’t need us to tell you that. What you may […]
March 19, 2020 | Managing Risk Effectively is the Measure That Matters Most
Yesterday, we sent a note to our clients acknowledging the stress of our present times and wishing them good health. We also noted that their accounts with us have been rising in value throughout, and although not there yet, we are optimistic about the progress underway toward our price targets on corporate assets we’ve been […]
March 17, 2020 | Beware False Prophets Who Never See Bear Markets Coming
As risk-markets tank worldwide, the Canadian TSX has followed suit with a loss of 30% in less than a month and is already back fathoming the 12,400 level it first reached in December 2006–more than 13 years ago. This is a good start. The TSX is now just 9% higher than where it topped in […]
March 16, 2020 | Cash Needed for Operating and Realty Buys Should be Nowhere Near Equity Markets
It is a classic financial error to put funds that are needed for operating expenses, or a capital purchase like real estate, or another asset, into publicly-traded financial products like equities, corporate debt (or funds and ETFs of them). Unfortunately, many people have been foolishly doing this in recent years, and now, as financial markets […]
March 13, 2020 | Friday the 13th: Another Opportunity to Review Risk Exposure
A big bounce this morning affords another opportunity to review capital risk for the masses who have come into this downcycle imprudently exposed, unprepared and illiquid. The damage of the past week has been dramatic and widespread and the knock-on effects are not yet fully evident for many funds, managers and traders. Fallout is in […]
March 12, 2020 | Time for Sober Review and Wise Choices
As I have explained repeatedly, COVID-19 is a catalyst, not a cause, of the global financial panic now unfolding. This is no time for irrational responses, but neither is it a time to passively watch risk-exposed life savings plunge. It is never too late for sober review and wise choices. If you would like me […]
March 10, 2020 | Not a Time to Panic nor Freeze
As I explained in February, coronavirus is a catalyst not a cause of a much-deserved and synchronized repricing in global asset markets. If you thought rising corporate security prices the past couple of years were justified, but that recent declines are ‘irrational’, you’ve missed the plot here. If your financial adviser or manager is telling you this, […]
March 9, 2020 | The Predictable Lift and Crash of High Leverage
When it comes to rising profits and asset prices, financial leverage (credit) often looks genius on the way up, then reckless and financially suicidal as trends reverse. Highly levered companies, households and investors have less ability to ride out income reductions and falling prices before a cash crunch threatens their ability to meet payments and […]
March 6, 2020 | Lacy Hunt on “Flailing” Fed and Deteriorating Financial Conditions
Dr. Hunt of Hoisington Management is one of the rare seasoned analysts who’re both independent (not paid to sell corporate securities to the public) and disciplined in his macro measurements. This video discussion (taped on February 7) offers many useful insights and context for our present conditions and likely next developments. Since the Federal Reserve […]
March 3, 2020 | Irrational is as Irrational Does
Stocks bounced sharply yesterday after February’s drubbing. If you were shaken by losses in February and elated yesterday, your portfolio is not ‘defensive’ or well managed, and now would be another good opportunity to fix that. It’s typical of momentum-easy-riders to take credit for gains on the way up and then distance themselves from any […]
March 2, 2020 | Grant: Rate Cut Unlikely to Stop the ‘Value Restoration Project’
The idea that central banks are at the end of once-in-a-generation asset inflation tricks is, understandably, terrifying long-always allocators and the corporate-sponsored media. In this clip, panic in the hosts is palpable. Those with financial and investment discipline, on the other hand, welcome downcycles as a much needed ‘value restoration project.’ Just a few months […]
March 1, 2020 | Danielle on CBC Weekend Business Panel
Our weekend business panel discusses the plunge in global markets this week as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads around the world. Plus, a look at the impact of the rail blockades on the supply chain in Canada. Here is a direct video link.
February 28, 2020 | Sri-Kumar: Fed to Cut Rates, Bear Market Likely to Last 6 to 9 Months
Falling global growth and risk-appetite are boosting the price of our bond holdings and driving down interest rates further on safety-seeking capital flows. At this late point in hyper-extended credit and market cycles, more rate cuts and quantitative easing are likely to boost bonds further, but not avoid an overdue bear market in stocks. Sri-Kumar […]
February 27, 2020 | Time to Put Mindfulness Back in Financial Planning
No one knows how long and wide the coronavirus goes. In a best-case scenario, it’s contained over the next few months. What we know for sure, however, is that global growth and many businesses and governments are taking a big unexpected revenue hit in 2020. This will be hard to absorb because debt levels are […]
February 26, 2020 | People Ensnared in Ponzi Schemes at Decade Highs
Years of speculative fervour, enabled by central banks, have made scams plentiful today. Sadly, wilfully blind victims often play a leading role in their own losses. Get independent opinions! Investor money ensnared in alleged Ponzi schemes has hit its highest level in a decade, leading to concern that a booming stock market and de-regulatory […]