Showing posts with label stocks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stocks. Show all posts

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Apology

For the past three months Paterson has been busy working with existing and new clients to avoid the disaster in the credit markets.

My apologies to students, casual readers, and potential clients for the absence of this weblog.

Paterson is back, explaining the situation and suggesting tactical and strategic plans for dealing with the extended downturn.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Markets at Major Turning Points

Gold at Major Support










Most of the evidence suggests the bounce will be small, and prices will continue to drop. But, traders don't bet it that way.

Bond Refunding Successful
US Treasury sold $27 billion of notes and bonds following the largest increase in CPI since the Volcker years.

Treasury Note Futures









Treasury Bond Futures









Note that ond prices surged following a successful auction.

Corporate Bond Spreads Falling











Stocks finding Support

NYSE Composite











S&P 500











Russell 2000











SUMMARY
10 years from now this time will be seen as a major turning point in stocks. With inflation banished, and the bull market in bonds ended, only stocks will have the investment potential for the future.

Remember, stock prices rise when interest rates come down and stay down.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Stock Market at Support

Investors will be watching the stock market closely for the next few weeks at prices approach support levels seen twice before in the last 6 months.

NYSE Composite


S&P 500


Russell 2000


Technical traders will be buying the Index here, and selling if the market trades below these levels.

SUMMARY
The usual rule is to buy the market when the situation looks bleakest.

That certainly is the case here.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Stock market surges following record volume

The NYSE Composite Index is bumping against record highs following record volume back in August of 2007.

As the chart below shows, stocks are still in a bull market, begun back in early 2003, and will continue higher until the Fed signals the end of monetary expansion by raising short-term rates again.



INFLATION AND THE STOCK MARKET
If inflation is coming, as we forecast in a previous weblog entry, stocks will outperform bonds by a substantial margin - perhaps as much as 10% - until the Fed realizes how badly it's blundered and starts raising the Fed Funds target again.

As inflationary pressures push into the economy, businesses will use this opportunity to raise prices on all goods and services, fattening income, earnings, and dividends.

INFLATION AND THE VALUE OF THE DOLLAR
Inflation is also lowering the value of the dollar against most trading-partner currencies, making imports more expensive, and raising domestic US prices.

The lower-valued dollar will also make exports cheaper, boosting the sales and stock prices of major US exporters.

ASSET ALLOCATION
For all these reasons Paterson Financial has moved a portion of the portfolio out of two year notes and into the NYSE composite.

The fraction of assets held in fixed income securities should be reduced to no more than 30% of assets and aggressive managers might go as low as 10% in fixed income securities.

Very aggressive money managers will consider dividend-free equities as typified by the NASDAQ 100.



Notice the index has more than doubled since the lows of 2002 and will lead the way as stocks trade higher.

If the index doubles again in the next 4 years prices will approach the highs seen last in the year 2000.

CONCLUSION
Until the Fed sees the error of its ways, prudent money managers will reduce fixed income holdings past the two year note, and will continue money market arbitrage.

STRATEGY
Asset managers must re-introduce growing inflation into their models.

The board must be notified of the potential for increasing input and output prices, interest rates, and the stock market.

Senior managers must review lending policies and procedures to make sure to place a sufficient spread in all fixed income business, and ensure a match of asset and liability maturities.

Hedging programs must be examined for opportunities presented by occasional spikes in long term debt prices.

TACTICS
Extend the amount and maturity of liabilities.

Prepare bond offerings and use the CBOT in advance of bond sales if prices spike upwards.

Increase spreads on all loan transactions.

Be aware of Treasury refundings and take advantage of price changes.

Begin active hedging on a small scale, selling into overbought US Bond futures.