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The Future for Independent Advisors and Planners Is…Stock Selection? What?

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Image Source: 401K Calculator By Brian Nelson, CFA The world is fast-changing, and the financial markets are changing even faster. One of the most influential writers in the blogosphere, Josh Brown (aka the Reformed Broker) wrote one of the most thoughtful pieces I’ve read in a long time last October, “Just own the damn robots.” The gist of the piece is that technology is taking jobs everywhere, and employees that are being displaced may be investing in the same companies that are displacing them as a form of insurance (investing in their “own destruction,” so to speak). It was a fresh read and a fascinating viewpoint. As a former director in Morningstar’s equity and credit department that headed up training … Read more

Biotechs Bruised

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Biotech stocks, in general, are more volatile than the average stock. Small-cap stocks (VB), in general, are more volatile than the average stock. Small-cap biotech stocks then may very well be the most volatile of any grouping of stocks. Unfortunately, the recent direction of volatility across equities in the biotech arena has been of the sharp, downward variety and has been most unwelcome, amid a broader market decline. Mr. Market is having a temper tantrum, but all the while, he may have every right to be upset. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) is perhaps the best proxy for the market’s appetite to bet on the development of long-term drugs and therapies. The industry ETF, which sports a trailing price-to-earnings … Read more

The Market Doesn’t Go Straight Up

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Key Takeaways: ·     Though we fall short of prognosticating on the immediate moves of the stock market, we think the near-term risk-reward of the broader market is growing more and more negative. Why? o    Market volatility is back due to Fed speak and poor data and pricing action from Asia. Typically, market hiccups signal that a change in price direction is near (we’re no longer going straight up). o    The significant out-numbering of poor scores on our stock-selection methodology, the Valuentum Buying Index, relative to good scores suggests to us that a higher degree of caution may be in order. o    According to Factset, the forward price-to-earnings ratio on S&P 500 constituents registers a 14.4x reading (as of last Thursday), above … Read more