Category: Investment Methodology
188 posts categorized as "Investment Methodology"
Are International Stocks Really Beating U.S. Markets?
August 11, 2017
Content provided by Case Eichenberger, CIMA, Client Portfolio Manager Of course they are! Are you kidding me? It’s not even close! (This is what I imagine you’re saying in your head right now.) Just take a look at the data below from two ETFs that proxy the U.S. and international stock markets: ITOT for the…
The Market ≠ The Dow
August 10, 2017
Content provided by Grant Engelbart, CFA, CAIA, Portfolio Manager “The market is up 100 points today!” How often do you hear that comment? Some of my family members who have no market knowledge even referenced movements in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). There are so many questions that come to mind when I hear…
The Battle of the Acronyms: SRI Versus ESG
July 28, 2017
Content provided by Kostya Etus, CFA, Portfolio Manager Values-based investing has been making headlines and growing a lot of assets recently. What is it? There are many definitions, and it can mean something different to everyone. But, I believe the following are some unifying classifications: Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is the “old school” or “traditional” values-based…
Why (Risk-Adjusted) Return Expectations Matter
July 27, 2017
Content provided by Joseph Smith, CFA – Senior Market Strategist Formulating return expectations is an important component of disciplined investing. Return expectations often fall prey to being unadjusted for risk. At CLS, we evaluate return expectations (CLS Edge Score) after adjusting for risk via Risk Budgeting. Being a disciplined investor requires an expectation of what…
Optics: Digging Deeper into American Funds
June 9, 2017
Content provided by Case Eichenberger, CIMA, Client Portfolio Manager CLS’s American Funds strategies have grown two-fold in the last year or so. That success brings on new advisors, clients, and relationships. As more new people use our strategies, we receive more due-diligence questions addressed to our portfolio management (PM) team. One such question that has…
Complacency, Lunacy, and the Cure for Both
May 19, 2017
Content provided by Grant Engelbart, CFA, CAIA, CLS Portfolio Manager Volatility is at its lowest levels in decades, consumers are feeling confident, unemployment continues to fall, and markets continue to grind higher. This type of environment can be great for investors, but it can also be dangerous. The lull can create complacency and encourage excessive…
The Best of Berkshire
May 17, 2017
Content provided by Kostya Etus, CFA, CLS Portfolio Manager May is a momentous month for Omaha. Value investors from around the world make a pilgrimage to see the “Oracle of Omaha,” Warren Buffett, and his partner in crime, Charlie Munger, and to hear their words of wisdom at the annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders’ Meeting. It…
CLS Answers Your Questions
May 4, 2017
Content provided by Case Eichenberger, CIMA, Client Portfolio Manager I’ve received a few thoughtful questions from advisors this week, and I’d like to address them as I believe they may be on the minds of many CLS clients. How will President Donald Trump’s tax plan affect the economy and how are we positioning portfolios? The…
Explaining the Growth in ETFs with Three Insightful Charts
May 3, 2017
Content provided by Joe Smith, CFA, Senior Market Strategist The ETF industry continues to be a hot topic in the investment world as these flexible funds continue to show stellar growth. ETF flows for the year so far are on pace to set another record for asset-gathering activity. So, by the numbers, what’s really behind…
2017: The Beginning of a Dollar Bear Market?
April 14, 2017
Content provided by Case Eichenberger, CIMA, Client Portfolio Manager Investors living in the U.S. have a lot of things going for them. The U.S. is a dominant global superpower. Its financial system and economy is the world’s largest, and it has a strong entrepreneurial spirit that moves the world forward with new products and technology. Investors…