Money and Finance
Hussman Weekly Market Comment: Aligning Market Exposure With the Expected Return/Risk Profile
Some risks and market conditions are more rewarding than others. My objectives for this week’s comment are very specific. First, to demonstrate – using a very simple model – that investment returns do indeed vary systematically with market conditions. Second, to demonstrate that overvalued, overbought, overbullish conditions have historically dominated trend-following measures when they have emerged. Third, to demonstrate the impact of accepting investment exposure in proportion to the return/risk profile (technically the “Sharpe ratio”) that is associated with a given set of market conditions.
My hope is to walk through the general framework of how I think about market exposure. However, what follows is not a description of the investment models we use in practice, which involve more numerous considerations and a much broader ensemble of models and methods. The measures I present here are very simple, and while even these conditions identify strong distinctions between market conditions, they are nowhere close to the degree of separation that can be obtained and validated across history with a broader ensemble of evidence.
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Hussman Weekly Market Comment: Chumps, Champs, And Bamboo
“The seed of a bamboo tree is planted, fertilized and watered. Nothing happens for the first year. There´s no sign of growth. Not even a hint. The same thing happens – or doesn´t happen – the second year. And then the third year. The tree is carefully...
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Hussman Weekly Market Comment: Following The Fed To 50% Flops
One of the most strongly held beliefs of investors here is the notion that it is inappropriate to “Fight the Fed” – reflecting the view that Federal Reserve easing is sufficient to keep stocks not only elevated, but rising. What’s baffling about...
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Hussman Weekly Market Comment: Declaring Victory At Halftime
Last week, the S&P 500 came within 1% of reprising a syndrome that we’ve characterized as a Who’s Who of Awful Times to Invest, featuring a Shiller P/E over 18 (S&P 500 divided by the 10-year average of inflation-adjusted earnings), the S&P...
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Hussman Weekly Market Comment: Roach Motel Monetary Policy
Strong leading indicators such as the CFNAI and the Philly Fed Index have been weak for many months, and the deterioration in new orders has moved from a slowing of growth to outright contraction in recent months. In the order of events, a slowing in...
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Hussman Weekly Market Comment: Hard-negative
With the exception of extreme market conditions (see Warning- Examine All Risk Exposures , and Extreme Conditions and Typical Outcomes ), I try not to wave my arms around about near-term market risks, but I think it's important to cut straight to...
Money and Finance