Volatility settled down considerably in April, supporting another solid month for risk assets, including global equities and corporate bonds. U.S. Treasury yields were volatile during the month, particularly at the short end, but actually ended the month little changed. Concerns about a bank crisis following the March failures of Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) and Signature […]
March was a decent month for traditional asset classes, capping off a solid first quarter to start the year. However, the journey during the month was certainly far from what anyone would have anticipated as the month began. Stubborn inflation continued to be a concern as investors try to anticipate the tightening trajectory of the […]
This article is the third part of a series on alternative investments. Read the first and second parts. Alternative investments do not simply differ from traditional investments by being less liquid and offering lower correlation. Their entire makeup, portfolios, and methods of valuation are all markedly different from that of stocks and bonds. Thus, investors […]
Read More… from Alternative Investments: Exploring Asset Types
This article is the second part of a series on alternative investments. Read the first part here. All investments incur some level of risk, but many alternative assets are considered to be high(er) risk assets for a variety of reasons, including a lack of well-regulated and monitored exchanges, limited liquidity due to the lack of […]
How quickly things change! Having started the year with an across-the-board rally in risk assets, February delivered a stark dose of reality to investors. To be fair, the ongoing inflation issue has been at the forefront of investors’ minds in both the U.S. and the Eurozone for many months now. However, periodic reminders that we […]
This article is the first part of a series on alternative investments. While stocks and bonds come most readily to mind, there are many more types of investments available to individuals and institutions. These ‘alternative’ investments (so-called because they are not traditional equities or fixed-income securities) are numerous and have existed for decades. As investors […]
January started 2023 on the right foot across nearly all asset classes as investors shut the door on a poor 2022. Stocks and bonds had positive returns in the first month of the year, with the higher-volatility NASDAQ Composite generating the best return amongst U.S. equity indices. Bonds also performed well, as ongoing uncertainty around […]
Perhaps the best thing to say about 2022 is that it’s over. Most stocks, U.S. Treasuries, and corporate bonds experienced significant depreciation during the year, with cash, stocks in a handful of sectors, and select alternative asset classes being the only respite. The S&P 500 index was down 19.4% for the year, and the 20+ […]
November was a positive month for risk markets, the second in a row. Equities closed the month strong and remain on course for the first positive quarter this year. Equally encouraging for bond investors is the fact that yields on intermediate and longer-maturity U.S. Treasury yields declined this past month for the first time since […]