Tag: FED

Is your portfolio protected from liquidity risk? | Responsible Investor Weekly Newsletter, June 17th, 2023

Responsible Investor is a weekly newsletter and an Apple/Spotify podcast for those who are interested in investing responsibly. Go to responsibleinvestor.dk for more information and to read our disclaimer. This week’s newsletter is titled “Is your portfolio protected from liquidity risk?”, and was written on June 17th, 2023.

Weekly summary in a paragraph

The US stock market indices finished higher this week, after the Fed opted for a widely expected ‘pause’ which was labelled as “hawkish”. The European stock market was also very strong, though the Euro weakened relative to the US Dollar as the ECB hiked the interest rate by another quarter percentage point. The 2-10y spread continues to widen and has now an inverted value of -93 basis points. In economic data, the May CPI report came in mostly in line. The stock market appeared to ignore the initial jobless claims report which came in weaker than expected. In corporate news, Lennar’s earnings exceeded expectations while Kroger underwhelmed investors. Next week there are a handful of Q1 earnings left, including Fedex, Kb Home and Darden, as well as Accenture’s Q2 earnings report.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished +1.3% higher (+3.5% year to date) while the S&P500 gained +2.6% (+14.9% year to date), the Nasdaq rose +3.3% (+30.8% year to date) and the Russell 2000 gained +0.5% (+6.5% year to date). Gold finished +0.6% higher (+4.1% year to date, we are long) while Silver gained +1.9% (-1.3% year to date). Oil rose +2.9% (-7.2% year to date). The 10-y US treasury yield was -1.8% lower (-0.6% year to date). The European stock market finished +4.1% higher (+20.7% year to date). The Euro lost -1.88% against the US Dollar (-2.3% year to date).

Weekly pitch

The Dow was the third major index to break-out this week, after the S&P500 and the Nasdaq. The macro picture does not support the strong move to the upside seen in recent weeks, however: in fact, the growing divergence between the indices and liquidity is concerning. AI and fear of missing out seems to be fuelling the bulls. When greed is at its peak, responsible investors should exercise caution and maintain a healthy proportion of their portfolio in cash and hedges as well as a diversified portfolio with some exposure to the European stock market.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took partial profits on our Draftkings long position (+31.7%), as well as full profits on our Desktop Metal (+28.7%) and Freeport McMoRan (+10.0%) long positions; a stop loss was triggered on our Coinbase short position as well as on our XPO Logistics short position. We initiated a long position on Zimmet Biomet Holdings and short positions on Tesla, Lennar and UPS. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 42% in our portfolio (increased compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Plug Power +15.3% (Electronic Tech)

Duerr +10.5% (Industrial Machinery)

Meta +6.1% (Tech)

BorgWarner +6.0% (Construction Machinery)

BUD +5.5% (Alcoholic Beverages)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US stocks long positions 48.5% (reduced)

EU stocks long positions 9.5% (unchanged)

US stocks short position 3% (unchanged)

Hedges 8.0% (increased)

Silver & Gold 2.5% (unchanged)

Cash 28.5% (increased)

1-year Portfolio Performance

Our portfolio performance over the last 12 months is +15.6% (excl. dividends) vs the S&P500 gain of +20.2%.

Invest responsibly!!!

Will the US debt ceiling crisis hurt the stock market? | Responsible Investor Weekly Newsletter, May 20th, 2023

Responsible Investor is a weekly newsletter and an Apple/Spotify podcast for those who are interested in investing responsibly. Go to responsibleinvestor.dk for more information and to read our disclaimer. This week’s newsletter is titled “Will the US debt ceiling crisis hurt the stock market?”, and was written on May 20th, 2023.

Weekly summary in a paragraph

The US stock market indices finished higher this week, despite Friday’s sell-off triggered by US debt debate stalling, with the Nasdaq showing its strength thanks to AI bullishness. The European stock market also finished higher. The Japanese stock market index rose to levels not seen since August 1990 this week. The 2-10y spread continues to be range-bound and has an inverted value of -58 basis points. It was a slow week for economic data. In corporate news, Home Depot’s earnings disappointed with the biggest miss in 20 years, while Walmart beat expectations. In Europe, Siemens Energy rose on a 22% year-on-year turnover increase. While most S&P500 companies have now reported Q1 2023 earnings, there are still a few to watch next week including Nvidia, Low’s, Kohl’s and Dollar Tree.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished +0.4% higher (+0.8% year to date) while the S&P500 gained +1.65% (+9.2% year to date), the Nasdaq advanced +3.0% (+20.9% year to date) and the Russell 2000 appreciated by +1.9% (+0.7% year to date). Gold finished -2.1% lower (+5.4% year to date, we are long) while Silver lost -1.1% (-2-4% year to date). Oil gained +0.8% (-7.2% year to date). The 10-y US treasury yield rose +5.3% (-2.7% year to date). The European stock market finished +1.5% higher (+19.4% year to date). The Euro lost -0.4% against the US Dollar (+0.9% year to date).

Weekly pitch

Despite the alleged advances in the negotiations on the US debt ceiling this week, the crisis is yet to be resolved. Analysts maintain that a solution will be found but few discuss the drawbacks of this scenario. While the resolution of this crisis is key to ensure that the US administration continues to run smoothly, the risk the stock market faces is the drying up of liquidity as more bonds are issued to replenish the coffers. This risk is particularly significant for riskier assets, for example in the tech sector which has run a lot in 2023. Responsible investors should exercise caution and maintain a healthy proportion of their portfolio in cash and hedges as well as a diversified portfolio with some exposure to the European stock market.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took profits on our Chipotle Mexican Grill (+23%) long position and the Five Below (+1%) short position; sell stops were triggered on our Newmont Mining long position as well as on the Adobe and Affirm short positions. We initiated a long positions on Foot Locker and a short position on Weight Watchers. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 41% in our portfolio (reduced compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Range Resources +11.2% (Oil)

Halliburton +5.5% (Oilfield services & equipment)

Callon Petroleum +5.1% (Oil)

Meta +5.1% (Tech)

Google +4.5% (Tech)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US Long stock positions 49.5% (increased)

EU Long stock positions 9.5% (unchanged)

US Short stock position 3.5% (reduced)

Hedges 7.5% (unchanged)

Silver & Gold 3% (unchanged)

Cash 27% (increased)

1-year Portfolio Performance

Our portfolio performance over the last 12 months is +9.7% (excl. dividends) vs the S&P500 gain of +7.5%, which corresponds to a +2.2% market beat.

Invest responsibly!!!

Why is Dr. Copper important for a healthy portfolio? | Responsible Investor Weekly Newsletter, May 13th, 2023

Responsible Investor is a weekly newsletter and an Apple/Spotify podcast for those who are interested in investing responsibly. Go to responsibleinvestor.dk for more information and to read our disclaimer. This week’s newsletter is titled “Why is Dr. Copper important for a healthy portfolio?”, and was written on May 13th, 2023.

Weekly summary in a paragraph

The US stock market indices finished mostly lower this week, with the exception of the Nasdaq, just like the previous week. The European stock market also finished lower but is still leading year to date, globally. The Bank of England raised interest rates again and stated that a recession is not expected in the UK. The 2-10y spread continues to be range-bound has an inverted value of -52 basis points. In terms of economic data, the CPI and the PPI indices published mid-week came in as expected, supporting the disinflation narrative. In corporate news, Disney disappointed while Li Auto beat expectations with a 66% year-on-year increase in car deliveries . While 92% of the S&P500 companies have now reported earnings, there are still a few to watch next week including Target, Walmart and Applied Materials.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished -1.1% lower (+0.5% year to date) while the S&P500 gave up -0.3% (+7.4% year to date), the Nasdaq advanced +0.4% (+17.4% year to date) and the Russell 2000 lost -1.1% (-1.2% year to date). Gold finished -1.34% lower (+7.34% year to date, we are long) while Silver tanked -6.8% (-1.9% year to date). Oil lost -4.9% (-9.3% year to date). The 10-y US treasury yield gave up -1.65% (-8.7% year to date). The European stock market finished -1.9% lower (+17.6% year to date). The Euro lost -1.5% against the US Dollar (+1.3% year to date).

Weekly pitch

Copper is such a critical metal for global economic growth, that over the years it has earned the title of “Doctor Copper”. Copper futures have been anticipating both bull and bear markets in the past, and many investors look at its price fluctuations with interest. After Covid hit, copper made higher lows and higher highs; this trend was broken in summer 2022 when, after peaking in March, its price made a lower low. The sharp decline this week could signal further pessimism in the global economy. Responsible investors should exercise caution and maintain a healthy proportion of their portfolio in cash and hedges as well as a diversified portfolio with some exposure to the European stock market. This week we have beaten the market, taken full profits on some long positions and initiated new long and short positions.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took profits on our Silver ETF (+14.1%), Palantir Technologies (+9.9%), and AMD (+6.2%) long positions as well as on our Affirm (+7.6%) and Adobe (7.5%) short positions; partial sell stops were triggered on our Nasdaq ETF short position. We initiated a long positions on Tellurian and a short position on Affirm. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 41.5% in our portfolio (increased compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Palantir Technologies +28.2% (Tech)

Google +11.0% (Tech)

AMD +6.0% (Semiconductors)

Fortinet +4.9% (Electronic Tech)

Orsted +4.1% (Renewable Energy)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US Long stock positions 49% (reduced)

EU Long stock positions 9.5% (unchanged)

US Short stock position 4.5% (unchanged)

Hedges 7.5% (reduced)

Silver & Gold 3% (reduced)

Cash 26.5% (increased)

1-year Portfolio Performance

Our portfolio performance over the last 12 months is +6.1% (excl. dividends) vs the S&P500 gain of +4.9%, which corresponds to a +1.2% market beat.

Invest responsibly!!!

Which key word did Fed Chair Powell not utter? | Responsible Investor Weekly Newsletter, May 6th, 2023

Responsible Investor is a weekly newsletter and an Apple/Spotify podcast for those who are interested in investing responsibly. Go to responsibleinvestor.dk for more information and to read our disclaimer. This week’s newsletter is titled “Which key word did Fed Chair Powell not utter?”, and was written on May 6th, 2023.

Weekly summary in a paragraph

The US stock market indices finished mostly lower this week, with the exception of the Nasdaq which managed to gain a meager 0.1%. The week was dominated by the FOMC meeting which confirmed the 0.25% increase in interest rate, as expected. There was one key word which the Fed’s chair Powell did not utter, though: “pause”. In other words, the Fed will keep making decisions on the basis of economic data, and is not prepared to commit to this latest increase being the last in the cycle. The European stock market finished higher and is still leading year to date, globally, despite this week’s ECB rate hike. The 2-10y spread reversed its trend and reduced the gap to an inverted value of -48 basis points. In terms of economic data, the ISM index published on Monday was slightly better than consensus, and the jobs report came in stronger than expected on Friday. In corporate news, Apple beat earnings and saved the market from an even deeper weekly loss, though this is the second quarter in a row that Apple revenue has decreased. Next week more S&P500 companies report earnings, including Paypal, Airbnb and Disney.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished -1.24% lower (+1.6% year to date) while the S&P500 gave up -0.8% (+7.7% year to date), the Nasdaq advanced +0.1% (+16.9% year to date) and the Russell 2000 lost -0.5% (-0.1% year to date). Gold finished +0.1% higher (+7.8% year to date, we are long) while Silver gained +1.21% (+5.4% year to date, we are long). Oil lost -0.5% (-7.7% year to date). The 10-y US treasury yield gave up -0.2% (-9.2% year to date). The European stock market gained +0.2% (+19.9% year to date). The Euro appreciated +0.11% against the US Dollar (+2.92% year to date).

Weekly pitch

Strong economic data and the Fed’s refusal to pivot were responsible for a negative week. While the quarter percentage point rate hike was largely expected, the market was looking for the Fed to confirm that no further hikes were planned, and were therefore disappointed by Powell’s words during the press conference. Despite the proximity of the war in Ukraine, the performance of the European stock market and of the Euro keeps being superior relative to the US indices and the US dollar. Responsible investors should exercise caution and maintain a healthy proportion of their portfolio in cash and hedges as well as a diversified portfolio with some exposure to the European stock market. This week we have beaten the market, taken full profits on long positions and initiated new long positions.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took profits on our Arconic Corporation (+17%), Electronic Arts (+10.6%) and Sanofi (+9.1%) long positions; sell stops were triggered on our Capri Holdings and on the US Banks ETF long positions. We initiated long positions on Plug, Restaurants Brands International and AMD. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 41% in our portfolio (increased compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Arconic Corporation +17.4% (Aluminum)

Rational +7.8% (Industrial Machinery)

Sibanye Stillwater +7.4% (Precious Metals)

Davide Campari +4.6% (Alcoholic Beverages)

Marriot International +4.3% (Hotels & Leisure)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US Long stock positions 49.5% (reduced)

EU Long stock positions 9.5% (reduced)

US Short stock position 4.5% (increased)

Hedges 8% (increased)

Silver & Gold 3.5% (unchanged)

Cash 25% (unchanged)

1-year Portfolio Performance

Our portfolio performance over the last 12 months is +5.2% (excl. dividends) vs the S&P500 loss of -0.3%, which corresponds to a +5.5% market beat.

Invest responsibly!!!

Earnings surprise! What to do now | Responsible Investor Weekly Newsletter, April 29th, 2023

Responsible Investor is a weekly newsletter and an Apple/Spotify podcast for those who are interested in investing responsibly. Go to responsibleinvestor.dk for more information and to read our disclaimer. This week’s newsletter is titled “Earnings surprise! What to do now”, and was written on April 29th, 2023.

Weekly summary in a paragraph

The US stock market indices finished higher this week, though the Russell 2000 didn’t participate. Q1 GDP data published this week reported a 1.1% growth in the US while the Europe area stopped at 0.1%, and avoided a recession by a hair. The European stock market saw an end to multi-week gains but is still leading year to date, globally. The 2-10y spread was flat and is still inverted at -60 basis points. Oil now in negative territory after the first four months of 2023. In terms of economic data, March headline and core PCE inflation came in mostly in line. Personal income and spending for March was reported slightly higher than expected. In corporate news, mega cap companies like Microsoft and Meta smashed Q1 2023 earnings, Alphabet reported a beat while Amazon’s guidance underwhelmed. Many other long positions in our portfolio reported an earnings beat this week, Chipotle and Fielmann above all. Next week 126 S&P500 companies report earnings, including AMD, Apple and Novo Nordisk.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished +0.86% higher (+2.9% year to date) while the S&P500 gained +0.87% (+8.6% year to date), the Nasdaq advanced +1.28% (+16.8% year to date) and the Russell 2000 lost -1.26% (+0.4% year to date). Gold finished flat (+6.5% year to date, we are long) while Silver lost -0.74% (+3.0% year to date, we are long). Oil tanked -2.7% (-0.8% year to date). The 10-y US treasury yield gave up -1.79% (-9.0% year to date). The European stock market lost -0.4% (+19.7% year to date). The Euro gained +0.24% against the US Dollar (+2.9% year to date).

Weekly pitch

The earnings estimate for the S&P500 companies in Q1 2023 was just over 50$, in aggregate, at the beginning of the earnings season. After 222 companies reported so far that number has increased by 2.5%. If this increase is representative of the other half which will report in May, the overall figure may increase to 54-55$, ie one of the largest in recent years. It is important to note, however, that the year to date increase on the index is led by very few companies, therefore now more than ever before it is a stock picker’s market. Until more earnings data is available over the next couple of weeks, responsible investors should exercise caution and maintain a healthy proportion of their portfolio in cash and hedges. Analysts now believe that another quarter point rate hike will happen at next week’s FOMC meeting, with an 86% probability. This week we have taken full or partial profits on long and short positions and initiated new long positions.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took profits on our Eli Lilly (+13.9%) long position, on our Snapchat (+2.6%) and Pinterest (+16%) short positions and partial profits on our Microsoft (+15.3%), Halliburton (+4.5%), Raytheon Technologies (+4.3%), Sibanye Stillwater (+4.2%) and Capri Holdings (+3.6%) long positions. We initiated long positions on three Chinese ETFs. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 40% in our portfolio (increased compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Fielmann +16.43% (Medical Specialties)

Chipotle Mexican Grill +14.87% (Restaurants)

Meta +12.88% (Technology Services)

Microsoft +7.52% (Technology Services)

Centene +4.46% (Managed Healthcare)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US Long stock positions 50% (reduced)

EU Long stock positions 10% (unchanged)

US Short stock position 4% (reduced)

Hedges 7.5% (unchanged)

Silver & Gold 3.5% (reduced)

Cash 25% (increased)

1-year Portfolio Performance

Our portfolio performance over the last 12 months is +4.2% (excl. dividends) vs the S&P500 loss of -2.8%, which corresponds to a +7.0% market beat.

Invest responsibly!!!

The Fed’s Beige Book: read or ignore? | Responsible Investor Weekly Newsletter, April 22nd, 2023

$WWE $HAL $EA $SDOW $SNAP $ADBE $FIVE $ACIW $XLV $AAPL $SNY $GOOG $QQQ $RTX $CPR.MI $SAND.ST $AMZN $WSM $NVDA $DEN $LIT $QCOM $BRK.B $NUE $DIS $MP $GL $WMT $TGT $GILD $CNC $SH $GLD $SLV $SON $NEM $HLT $NXPI $DEN $GPS $JPM $CMG $MSFT $META $BWA $LEA $PSQ $SRTY $SQQQ

Responsible Investor is a weekly newsletter and an Apple/Spotify podcast for those who are interested in investing responsibly. Go to responsibleinvestor.dk for more information and to read our disclaimer. This week’s newsletter is titled “The Fed’s Beige Book: read or ignore?”, and was written on April 22nd, 2023.

Weekly summary in a paragraph

The US stock market indices finished mildly lower this week, with the exception of the Russell 2000. In the UK, the latest economic data revealed that inflation is still high: this report spooked global markets on Wednesday. The European stock market finished higher again this week, and is now up 20% year to date. The 2-10y spread increased and is still inverted at -60 basis points: this corresponds to a 22 basis points increase in the past month. In corporate news, Tesla tanked on Thursday as more price cuts were announced and Q1 2023 earnings showed a significant reduction in profit margin. Netflix also disappointed reporting weaker-than-expected results. Procter & Gamble, conversely, beat on both the top and the bottom line, thanks to price hikes which meant that the company could pass the impact of inflation on to its customers (we are long). Next week is very busy in terms of earnings as mega cap tech companies report: by the end of the week, more than 40% of the S&P500 companies will have reported, allowing to draw some initial conclusions on the Q1 2023 earnings.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished -0.2% lower (+2.0% year to date) while the S&P500 lost -0.1% (+7.7% year to date), the Nasdaq gave up -0.4% (+15.3% year to date) and the Russell 2000 advanced +0.6% (+1.7% year to date). Gold finished -1.3% lower (+6.2% year to date, we are long) while Silver lost -0.4% (+3.1% year to date, we are long). Oil tanked -3.7% (+0.9% year to date). The 10-y US treasury yield finished flat (-5.9% year to date). The European stock market rose +0.5% (+20.2% year to date). The Euro finished flat against the US Dollar (+2.6% year to date).

Weekly pitch

Perhaps the most significant piece of economic news this week consisted in the Fed’s Beige Book, which was published on Wednesday. The main takeaway message in it was the fact that the loan demand dropped significantly in the US. Its relevance arises from the implicit indication that slower economic activity is expected, therefore. This, in turn, suggests an increased risk of negative impact on earnings and on the stock market. Analysts now believe that another quarter point rate hike will happen at the May FOMC meeting, with an 86% probability. Until more earnings data is available over the next couple of weeks, responsible investors should exercise caution and maintain a healthy proportion of their portfolio in cash and hedges. This week we have beaten the market again and have initiated new long and short positions.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took profits on our EOG Resources long position (+10.5%) and partial profits on our Google long position (+7.9%). We initiated long positions on Rational and Fielmann, and added to our Range Resources and Berkshire Hathaway long positions; we also initiated a short position on XPO Logistics and on World Wrestling Entertainment. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 39% in our portfolio (unchanged compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Essilor Luxottica +5.73% (Medical Specialties)

Sibanye Stillwater +4.75% (Precious Metals)

Mariott International +3.75% (Hotels & Leisure)

Chipotle Mexican Grill +3.55% (Restaurants)

Procter & Gamble +3.36% (Consumer non durables)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US Long stock positions 51% (reduced)

EU Long stock positions 10% (increased)

US Short stock position 4.5% (unchanged)

Hedges 7.5% (unchanged)

Silver & Gold 5% (unchanged)

Cash 22% (unchanged)

1-year Portfolio Performance

Our portfolio performance over the last 12 months is +2.4% (excl. dividends) vs the S&P500 loss of -5.9%, which corresponds to a +8.3% market beat.

Invest responsibly!!!

Please donate for the earthquake in Turkey | Responsible Investor Weekly Newsletter, February 11th, 2023

With such a devastating force of nature and ailing shelters, the havoc wreaked in Turkish left at least 23,000 dead, with the count only poised to grow in the coming days. With news like these nothing financially relevant seems relevant, really. So read what follows lightly and make your hearts heavy with grief for those who fell. Donate if you can.

Weekly summary in a paragraph

US stock markets finished lower on Friday after a 3-week and a 6-week rise for the S&P500 and the Nasdaq, respectively. Value continues to underperform relative to growth. Oil higher mostly due to Russia cutting production by 0.5M barrels. The terminal rate is now expected at 5.15% from 4.9% last Thursday. The 2-10y inversion has reached 80 basis points. Economic data published this week threw a spanner in the works of the disinflationary path: it is very difficult to go from 4 to 2% and the Fed does not seems to backtrack from its 2% target. In corporate news, Disney earnings beat expectations on a cost cutting programme while Google got clobbered by losing an AI competition.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished -0.17% lower (+2.2% year to date) while the S&P500 did worse with a -1.1% decrease (+6.5% year to date, we are 1 time short), the Nasdaq tanked -2.4% (+12.0% year to date, we have a 3 times inverse position) and the Russell 2000 lost as much as -3.4% (+9.0% year to date). Gold finished lower -0.1% (+2.2% year to date, we are long) while Silver was -1.6% weaker (-8.8% year to date, we are long). Oil jumped +8.4% (-0.7% year to date). The 10-y US treasury yield jumped +1.9% this week (-1.3% year to date). The European stock market gave up -1.8% (+11.3% year to date). The Euro finished -1.1% lower against the US Dollar (-0.3% year to date).

Weekly pitch

It was too good to be true, wasn’t it? And often when things are too good to be true they just aren’t. The Nasdaq failed to add a 7th week of consecutive gains and retraced after having delivered what were basically a year’s worth of gains in the first 40 days of 2023.

It is tempting to go all in when markets outperform but it is prudent to either keep profitable positions on a tight leash (do you use automatic sell stops and take profits like we do?) or have cash and hedges in one’s portfolio (see our portfolio asset allocation below). We have beaten the market this week and are protected to the downside should there be more pain coming next week when the January CPI is announced.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took profits on Nucor (+9.3%), Qualcomm (+3.2%) and Global Lithium ETF (+7.9%); take profits were triggered on our Pinterest, Peloton, SL Green Realty and Semrush Holdings short positions. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 39.5% in our portfolio (increased compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

ProShares UltraPro Short Russell 2000 +10.8% (3x inverse Russell 2000)

Vix short-term S&P500 future +7.5% (Volatility)

ProShares UltraPro QQQ +6.4% (2x inverse Nasdaq)

Denbury +4.3% (Oil)

Callon Petroleum Company +4.0% (Oil)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US Long stock positions 44% (reduced)

EU Long stock positions 10% (unchanged)

Short stock position 6.5% (unchanged)

Hedges 7% (unchanged)

Silver & Gold 4% (unchanged)

Cash 28.5% (increased)

Year to date Portfolio Performance

Our year to date portfolio performance is +4.7% (excl. dividends) vs the S&P500 gain of +6.5%.

…in case you missed it…

Check out our first 2023 weekly newsletter to read the 5 things I got right in 2022…and the 5 I got wrong.

Podcasts

You can now listen to this newsletter on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Invest responsibly!!!

Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft disappoint: who is left to save the earnings season? | February 4th, 2023 Newsletter

Weekly summary in a paragraph

Fifth straight week of upside for the Nasdaq despite most of the Q4 earnings reports from the major tech stocks disappointed, the exception being Meta (which we own). Ford, Qualcomm and Starbucks also missed. The Fed confirmed the expected quarter point rate hike on Wednesday and Powell came across as relatively dovish during the press conference. The most notable data point of the week was the January nonfarm employment which was up 517k vs 190k consensus – a clear underestimation, which would suggest continued strength in the job market and brings the unemployment down to 3.4% (vs 3.6% expected). More than half of the S&P500 companies are yet to report: the next two weeks will be key to assess the extent of the year on year earnings decline for Q4.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished -0.1% lower (+2.4% year to date) while the S&P500 did better with a +1.6% increase (+7.7% year to date, we are 1 time short), the Nasdaq gapped +3.3% higher (+14.7% year to date, we have a 3 times inverse position) and the Russell 2000 gained +3.9% (+12.7% year to date). Gold finished lower -3.2% (+4.0% year to date, we are long) while Silver was -5.1% weaker (-6.7% year to date, we are long). Oil tanked -7.8% (-4.6% year to date). The 10-y US treasury retraced -0.3% this week (-6.9% year to date). The European stock market gained +0.9% (+13.3% year to date). The Euro finished +0.7% higher against the US Dollar (+0.82% year to date).

Weekly pitch

Investors have finally been able to catch a breath after a very positive January. Given the steep climb of these first 5 weeks of 2023, particularly for long-duration tech stocks, one wonders whether the Nasdaq has gone up too quickly. Despite finishing up again this week, the fact that all the four biggest tech companies have disappointed is weakening the bullish sentiment in the Nasdaq, at least in the short term.

It is tempting to go all in when markets outperform but it is prudent to either keep profitable positions on a tight leash (do you use sell stops and take profits like we do?) or have cash and hedges in one’s portfolio (see our portfolio asset allocation below).

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took profits on Newmont Mining (+13%) and Amazon (+8%); partial sell stops were triggered on our Intel, Mattel, Oak Street Health and Williams-Sonoma short positions. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 37% in our portfolio (reduced compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Meta +24.4% (Social media/Tech)

Gap +12.12% (Retail trade)

Thor +11.04% (Recreational products)

Orsted +8.18% (Utilities, Green Power)

NXPI +8.05% (Semiconductors)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

US Long stock positions 47% (unchanged)

EU Long stock positions 10% (unchanged)

Short stock position 6.5% (increased)

Hedges 7% (reduced)

Silver & Gold 4% (unchanged)

Cash 26% (reduced)

Year to date Portfolio Performance

Our currency-adjusted year to date portfolio performance in Euro is +4.51% (excl. dividends) vs the European market gain of +12.51% and +5.6% in US Dollars vs the S&P500 gain of 7.7%.

…in case you missed it…

Check out our first 2023 weekly newsletter to read the 5 things I got right in 2022…and the 5 I got wrong.

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If you are getting excited about 2023, read on | January 28th, 2023 Newsletter

Weekly summary in a paragraph

Another positive week for the stock markets around the world. In the US this was helped by positive data points in terms of Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE), which came in at 0.1%, slowest rise since 2021; the US Q4 GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022, after increasing 3.2% in Q3. Bank of Canada is the first to pivot on the tightening policy: who will it be next? Notable Q4 earnings this week included Visa beating and guiding higher (we are long) and Intel which reported disastrous results (we are long two other semiconductors which a leading sector in the market). Looking at quarters and calendar years is arbitrary: if one focuses on the last three months, ie since the cycle lows, the European stock market has outperformed the US indices by 27% (currency adjusted): is your portfolio sufficiently exposed to the European market?

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow finished +1.8% higher (+2.2% year to date) while the S&P500 did better with a 2.5% increase (+2.2% year to date, we are 1 time short), the Nasdaq gapped +4.3% higher (+10.0% year to date, we have a 3 times inverse position) and the Russell 2000 gained +2.4% (+7.2% year to date). Gold finished higher +0.4% (4.4% year to date, we are long) while silver was -2.1% weaker (-3.7% year to date, we are long). Oil was lower -3.4% (+1.0% year to date). The 10-y US treasury advanced +0.2% this week (+3.7% year to date). The European stock market gained +1.0% (+10.1% year to date). The Euro was only +0.1% higher against the US Dollar (1.5% year to date).

Weekly pitch

January is likely to finish with a positive print. But is this impressive rally a bull trap? As interest rates eased, long-duration stocks thrived in these first weeks of 2023 trading due to the P/E multiple expansion. In other words, borrowing money has become cheaper and with the E part of that ratio, ie the Earnings, being substantially unchanged, the P part, ie the Price, has gone up. There is a lot more uncertainty on the earnings side going forward: any sign of weakness in the Q4 earnings expected this week may trigger a sell-off, which is why prudent investors are better off not being fully invested and having cash and hedges in their portfolio (see our portfolio asset allocation below).

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we took partial profits on Qualcomm (+11.53%); sell stops were triggered on our Shopify, Discovery Financial Services and Signet Jewelers short positions. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 39% in our portfolio (increased compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF +8.93% (Lithium ETF)

Meta +8.88% (Social media/Tech)

Nucor +8.73% (Steel)

Qualcomm +8.54% (Semiconductors)

Old Republic International +8.48% (Finance/Specialty Insurance)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

Long stock positions 57% (unchanged)

Short stock position 4% (reduced)

Hedges 8% (unchanged)

Silver & Gold 4% (unchanged)

Cash 27% (increase)

Year to date Portfolio Performance

Our currency-adjusted year to date portfolio performance in Euro is +2.9% (excl. dividends) vs the European market gain of +10.1% and +4.4% in US Dollars vs the S&P500 gain of 2.2% (a +2.2% market beat).

…in case you missed it…

Check out our first 2023 weekly newsletter to read the 5 things I got right in 2022…and the 5 I got wrong.

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Why lower highs are bad news | January 21st, 2023 Newsletter

$QQQ $RTX $CPR.MI $SAND.ST $AMZN WSM $CALM $NVDA $KBE $CSCO $DEN $LIT $QCOM $BRK.B $NUE $DIS $THO $MP $KSS $GL $WMT $TGT $GILD $ORI $CNC $SH $GLD $SLV $SON $NEM $HLT $NXPI $DEN $GPS $JPM $CMG $MSFT $META $BWA $LEA $PSQ $SRTY $SQQQ

Weekly summary in a paragraph

The US stock market was a mixed bag, as the Nasdaq rise for the third week in a row was offset by a weaker S&P500 and a tanking Dow Jones. Europe still looks strong, despite this week’s mild decline. The Bank of Japan continues to be unwilling to change its monetary expansion policy. The second week of Q4 earnings only saw a relatively small number of reports, including the surprise beat by $NFLX: next week will be more telling as the large tech stocks report. In other corporate news, $GOOG joined its predecessor tech giants in cutting a significant amount of its workforce. While investors focus on the savings that such companies may benefit from, they often ignore that unemployment leads to less spending, hence revenue contraction.

Asset classes weekly performance

This week the Dow tanked -2.4% (+0.4% YTD) while the S&P500 did better with only a -0.7% retracement (+2.6% YTD, we are 1x short), the Nasdaq finished +0.7% higher (+5.5% YTD, we have a 3x inverse position) and the Russell 2000 lost -0.8% (+4.6% YTD). $Gold finished higher +0.7% (4.5% YTD, we are long) while silver was -0.6% weaker (-2.2% YTD, we are long). $Oil was mildly higher +0.7% (+3.5% YTD). The 20-y advanced +0.3% this week (+4.1% YTD). The European stock market lost -0.5% (+9.0% YTD). The Euro gave up -0.1% against the USD (1.4% YTD).

Weekly pitch

Investors are better equipped when they rely on both valuation and momentum – that’s to say whether a stock is supported by fundamentals and is liked by the market such that it has more buyers than sellers. Many believe that the Nasdaq has bottomed for this cycle: this argument is sustained by the 3-week upside which started at the turn of the year. However, from a technical analysis standpoint, both the S&P500 and the Nasdaq have continued to make lower highs since their respective all time highs in late 2021. Both these indices are yet to see a golden cross form (ie the 50-day moving average cross above the 200-day moving average). Conversely, the Dow and the Stoxx index have experienced both higher highs and a golden cross: in the short term there may be more justification for these indices to move higher thanks to their underlying stocks belonging to the real economy as opposed to the long-duration, tech firms which represent the lion share of the S&P500 and even more so of the Nasdaq.

Weekly Portfolio Update

Here are this week’s movements: we started a long position in $RTX and $CPR.MI; accumulated on $EL.PA and $SAND.ST (which reported a Q4 earnings beat); took profits on $AIG (+19.66%), $USB (+10.96%), $VWS.CO (+5.31), and $GIS (+6.8%); and initiated a sell position on $M, $QQQ and $DFS; while a SL was triggered on our $SI and $LEN short position. Cash, precious metals and hedges amount to 37% in our portfolio (reduced compared to last week).

Top 5 Weekly Portfolio Performers

$GOOG +6.98% (Technology-Internet)

$CPE +6.23% (Oil)

$CSCO +4.30% (Technology, short position)

$DIS +4.10% (Media-Diversified)

$SRTY +3.20% (3x inverse Russell 2000)

Portfolio Asset Allocation

Long stock positions 57% (increased)

Short stock position 6% (reduced)

Hedges 8% (unchanged)

Silver & Gold 4% (unchanged)

Cash 25% (reduced)

YTD Portfolio Performance

Our currency-adjusted YTD portfolio performance in Euro is +2.0% (excl. dividends) vs the European market gain of +6.4% and +3.40% in USD vs the S&P500 gain of 2.9% (a +0.5% market beat).

…in case you missed it…

Check out last week’s newsletter to read the 5 things I got right in 2022…and the 5 I got wrong.

Invest responsibly!!!