Asset Allocation Bi-Weekly
Confluence Investment Management offers various asset allocation products which are managed using “top down,” or macro, analysis. We publish asset allocation thoughts on a bi-weekly basis, updating the piece every other Monday.
Asset Allocation Weekly (May 28, 2021)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF Gold moved steadily higher from the late summer of 2018 into last August. Prices declined toward 1,700 into March but have been recovering since. In this report, we will update our views on the metal. We have been holding gold in our asset allocation portfolios since 2018, although… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (May 21, 2021)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF In March, job openings rose to their highest level on record. According to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), there were over 8.1 million job vacancies, surpassing the previous record of 7.6 million set in November 2018. The surge in vacancies is supported by data from… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (May 14, 2021)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF Since the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 (GFC), any rapid rise in home prices has tended to spark fears of another bubble bursting. U.S. home prices have recently been up more than 10% from one year earlier, marking their strongest gains since the recovery period right after the… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (May 7, 2021)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF Yogi Berra is famous for various quotes. He famously said, “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” He also noted that, “A nickel isn’t worth a dime anymore.” The one we deal with most in asset allocation is the saying, “It’s tough to… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (April 30, 2021)
by Asset Allocation Committee | PDF (Due to staff vacations, there will not be an accompanying podcast and chart book this week. The multimedia offerings associated with this report will resume next week, May 7.) In our asset allocation strategies, we continue to have a separate provision to homebuilders. The reason for this particular position… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (April 23, 2021)
by Asset Allocation Committee | PDF A decade ago, the Rent Is Too Damn High Party became a viral sensation after a candidate for the New York governorship, Jimmy McMillan, announced lowering New York rent as his central platform. Now, over a decade later, rent prices in New York have finally started to fall. The… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (April 16, 2021)
by Asset Allocation Committee | PDF In the NBC mockumentary show The Office, the character Jim Halpert gets tricked into choosing his wife, Pam, as “Employee of the Month.” Perplexed and suspicious, coworkers begin to probe into how Jim’s wife was deserving of the award. Pam, who was also surprised, attempts to justify the result,… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (April 9, 2021)
by Asset Allocation Committee | PDF One key worry for investors these days is whether massive fiscal stimulus, loose monetary policy, and accelerating economic growth will spark runaway inflation. That concern has been a major factor in driving down fixed income prices and boosting bond yields since the beginning of the year. However, we’ve been… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (March 26, 2021)
by Asset Allocation Committee | PDF (Note: Due to the upcoming Good Friday holiday, the next report will be published on April 9.) Since peaking in August, gold prices have been under pressure. Technically, prices broke support around 1750 in early March and have been attempting to consolidate. We have been holding gold in our… Read More »