This latest ‘flash crash’ is a notable event. There have been only three phases in last 25 years when the S&P500 has moved this rapidly in this short a period of time, a fact drawn to my attention by my perceptive colleague, Marc Beckenstrater (see figure 1). Similar moves in… Read the article
Stuart wrote last year on some of the challenges associated with relying solely upon the Shiller P/E as a measure of equity valuation. This debate has been widely covered and is somewhat moot at any rate, given that the US market is looking expensive relative to history… Read the article
Real interest rates are an anchor for the valuation of all assets. The classical theory of interest holds that as a ‘discount rate,’ they embed the market’s relative preference for cash today over cash in the future.
The US cash rate is arguably the best sense we… Read the article
Is it true that “the easy money has been made?”
This is something that it has been common to hear over the last couple of years and, it seems, is even more common today.
But, as Morgan Housel pointed out in 2015:
One of the most common clichés of the last couple of years is the idea that we have been in ‘the most hated bull market in history.” Today attitudes are shifting.
Dave wrote in summer 2016 about a pivotal moment in investor psychology and asset pricing:… Read the article
Despite the fact that interest rates determine all asset valuations, there is nothing close to a general theory of interest rate determination. In 2016, I wrote about the flaws of a belief in an equilibrium rate of interest (typically known as R* in the academic literature) and the overemphasis… Read the article
There are a couple of reasons why we don’t believe that forecasting short term events is a sustainable investment approach.
First, it is very difficult: how can one have a sustainable forecasting ‘edge’ over and above what is currently priced into the market on something like an election result?… Read the article
While 2016 ‘felt’ very eventful for investors, the defining feature of markets in 2017 for many has been the lack of volatility.*
Does this mean that there were no ‘episodes’ during the year? And does this lack of volatility mean that it was harder to generate returns… Read the article
Here’s a short video I recorded with my multi-asset colleagues Steven Andrew and Tristan Hanson, in which we debate the highlights of 2017 and look ahead to 2018. After a year that has turned out to hold fewer surprises than many might have expected, what lies in store for financial… Watch the video
Last month, Tristan Hanson and I made a proposal for a sovereign wealth fund (‘SWF’). It triggered a substantial debate. How would it operate in practice? Are we trying to fund investment or earn an equity risk premium? How do we address problems associated with state-ownership? How… Read the article
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OKWelcome to the M&G Multi Asset Team’s Allocation blog, previously known as the Episode blog. We have changed the name of our blog to resonate better with our readers in Europe, however, the content and purpose of the blog has not changed. The Allocation blog continues to aim to provide unique market perspectives from our dedicated team of experienced asset allocators.
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