Some investors seem surprised that emerging market stocks, as measured by the MSCI EM Index, are up over 12% this year (as of 11/24/20), a bit behind the S&P 500, but outperforming the MSCI EAFE Index by 8.9%. A perception exists, which is not entirely unfounded, that most … [Read more...] about Emerging Markets – What’s Under the Hood?
Election Prediction Roulette
Every major election year brings out the prognosticators who all claim to have the best model to predict the outcome of the presidential election. This year the researchers at LPL Research provided an interesting table illustrating that when the S&P 500 Index generates a … [Read more...] about Election Prediction Roulette
Investing in MLPs? Know What You Own…
As oil collapsed over 65% during the first quarter, the Master Limited Partnership (”MLP”) sector imploded as well. Many investors gain MLP exposure through closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), exchange traded notes (“ETNs“) or more traditional open-end mutual … [Read more...] about Investing in MLPs? Know What You Own…
The Agony of Value Investing
Long suffering value investors have endured one of the worst stretches for value in well over 10 years. Just how bad? Consider the two graphs below: The first chart illustrates the historical 10-year value premium using the Russell 1000 Value and Russell 1000 Growth indices … [Read more...] about The Agony of Value Investing
S&P 500 Calendar Year Returns
Despite the S&P 500 dropping 4.4% last year, on average, S&P 500 returns are positive roughly 7 out of every 10 years. While losses can be frustrating and unsettling, staying invested and avoiding the market timing curse is one of the soundest strategies for long-term … [Read more...] about S&P 500 Calendar Year Returns