Asset Allocation

A recent Trim Tabs report claims that almost every single asset class in the world is overvalued yet, while there may be some areas that are frothy, to claim that almost every single asset class in the world is overvalued is a bit of a stretch. This article refutes these claims.

It wasn't so long ago that irrational exuberance over the housing market had seized investors' logic, and the same thing is happening to US stocks right now. Fair-weather investors are abandoning gold equities and jumping into the US market in the hopes of making an easy buck, just as people bought property near the housing peak hoping to flip it before those adjustable-rate mortgages reset... My advice: don't gamble your savings on the hope that there will be a greater fool who will come along and buy your inflated assets at even higher prices.

Time for another sentiment update 0n what the various surveys and committment of traders have to say about the future price expectations for the U.S. stock markets, U.S. Treasury bonds, various currencies and a wide range of commodities including gold and silver. "And the surveys say...!"

The financial media gives plenty of attention to China and Japan, but one Asian country that just doesn’t seem to receive its due is South Korea. Some of the most-attractive investment opportunities in the world can be found in South Korea. In fact, the average South Korea stock is about 40% cheaper than U.S. stocks on a price-to-earnings basis, trading at an average of 9.6 times trailing earnings compared to 17 times for U.S. stocks.

There’s certainly no shortage of things to worry about right now related to the US economy but one thing we’re not too worried about right now is inflation. So what are the implications for investors? Here are four.

US equities remain the only major asset class not [to] experience a bear market or an annualised negative performance during the current investment cycle. This is very rare. The last time US equities posted even a -1% annualised total return was back in middle of 2009, almost five years ago. [As such,] this asset class now presents the most risk to long term investors. [Read on, there's more!] Words: 676; Charts: 3

The financial markets endgame is 'binary' with a likely outcome of 'one of two extremes'. This is an extremely important thing for everyone to think about. Below is more of what Mohamed El-Erian believes investors ought to be considering in these prevailing uncertain times and my comments/expansion on those views.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is worried that municipal bankruptcies, combined with an expected spike in interest rates, means that the muni bond market could face "Armageddon" with devastating consequences for the individual investors (74% of the total) who hold the paper of which many are retirees. Words: 490

Billionaires Warren Buffett, John Paulson, and George Soros are selling consumer-oriented stocks. What do they know that you and I don’t?

Bitcoin is the first peer-to-peer (P2P) digital currency and payment system to gain significant interest. This month its marketcap surpassed $1 billion. [Below is a description of what Bitcoin is, and isn't, and why it has caught on to the extent it has.]