Environmental, social, and governance factors (ESG) have become popular factors to incorporate into investment analysis and stock selection. ESG factor investing has been incorporated in stock selection long before the recent surge in interest in the strategy. How ESG factors are defined and how they are incorporated into stock selection is far less than uniform. […]
Read MoreGrowth vs Value – Coming into Focus Again
Since the start of the year, the battle between growth and value is in full force. It actually began last quarter and picked up steam since December. I have written in the past how important bond yields are when it comes to valuing a company. The sharp rise in the widely followed 10 year US […]
Read More2022 – The Year of the Electric Vehicle Tsunami
As 2022 comes upon us, so do the countless projections for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) sales. Every major car manufacturer has put out statements of lofty goals around production output, battery range and prices, among others. Most importantly, many have set goals regarding ceasing the production of internal combustion engines (ICE). Recent research by Wood […]
Read MoreWhat’s up with the Supply Chain Problem & How Long Will It Last?
It’s old news we have a supply chain problem that it is causing severe shortages in all manner of goods driving up prices nearly across the board. The question is “How did we get into this situation and when will we get back to normal?” I have read numerous articles and spoken with former colleagues […]
Read MoreWhat’s Up with the Housing Market?
It’s lost on no one that the past year was one of the craziest years in the housing market since who knows when… and it continues today. A lot has been written about what has been going on, so I am not going to get into a bunch of statistics (well, maybe a couple). Instead, […]
Read MoreOur Core Income Approach
Generating income in such a low interest rate environment without taking on unnecessary risk is difficult. We are very sensitive to adding risk in general and especially for our clients who depend on consistent income streams. To that end, we have put together a group of fixed income products into a Core Income Strategy that […]
Read MoreWhy the 10-year US Government Bond Matters So Much
It should come as no surprise that the interest rate on the US Government 10-year bond is the most widely used indicator to broadly speculate on the future direction of equity prices and economic activity in general. US Government debt is generally considered “risk free”. Changes in risk free interest rates can be seen from […]
Read MoreProposed Tax Policy Changes
A lot of commentary is out there following President Biden’s speech last week on spending and tax proposals. As you all probably realize, getting a tax bill through the House and Senate successfully is nearly impossible and especially now that Senate is split 50/50 with the VP there to break a tie for the Democrats. […]
Read MoreGlobal Growth/Inflation/Shift to Value
OECD Global Outlook The well-respected Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in 1961 and is comprised of 37 member countries throughout the globe. Their “March 2021 Interim Outlook-The Need For Speed” lays out a positive assessment of current and future global economic activity. First, Their Conclusions The March OECD Outlook Changes from […]
Read MoreWarren Buffett’s Annual Letter to Shareholders
Every year since 1976, Warren Buffett (aka The Oracle of Omaha), chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway based in Omaha, NE, has been penning an annual letter to shareholders describing his approach to buying stocks using good humor, down to earth language, jokes and useful anecdotes. Topics covered have included investment philosophy, portfolio management, corporate […]
Read More