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The Jury is Still Out: Market Commentary from Cabana’s CEO – October 7, 2019

5 years ago

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Last week saw more of the same volatility that has plagued equity markets since April. Over the past six months there have been no less than five trends encompassing moves up/down in stock prices greater than 5%. These wild swings in stocks have been accompanied by similar moves in bond yields and bond prices. All of this “noise” in stocks and bonds has resulted in the U.S. stock market going nowhere since April 30. In fact, the S&P 500 is slightly down from that point in time.

I am a big believer in the market being a very efficient arbiter of price. Especially the price of major asset classes like broad U.S. equities, bonds, real estate and commodities. As a trial lawyer (and judge) in my former life, I can tell you that twelve people on a jury are amazingly good at seeing through the mud and getting to the truth. Investors worldwide are kind of like a huge jury working together to sort through what is real and what is not in  the never-ending quest to find the best return on an investment relative to risk. The past six months seem a lot like the jury going back to the jury room to deliberate and think through all the back and forth that has occurred during a trial. The goal being to sift through what was said, what evidence was presented, and then determine what bears on the issue at hand. In comparing investing to a trial, the lawyers are the economists, market analysts, the Federal Reserve, trade tariffs, the President, politicians here and abroad, and the omnipresent talking heads on CNBC. The evidence is data like interest rates, unemployment numbers, housing, GDP, manufacturing output as well as import and export numbers. Lastly, think of price as the jury’s verdict.

When we take a step back and look at all this, it is clear that the jury is still fighting it out among themselves and trying to reach a verdict. For those who have watched the movie “Twelve Angry Men,” you know what I mean. The verdict that our jury of worldwide investors is trying to reach is whether this bull market is over, and a recession is upon us. The sharp waves up and down in stock prices evidence a moment or two (or a month) of compelling facts being discussed that lead to a conclusion one way or another.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the all-needed unanimous decision yet that will dictate the performance of asset classes over the medium to longer term. The good news is that the longer the jury stays in the room and prices stay rangebound, the more certain the verdict will be when they break out. For those keeping track, the high end of the range is 3000 on the S&P500 and the low end is 2720.

For a short blog post on how we reallocate our portfolios in times just like these, visit the link below. 

Target Drawdown Series FAQ Spotlight: How the Reallocation Process Works
Disclaimers

January 17, 2024

This material is prepared by Cabana LLC, dba Cabana Asset Management and/or its affiliates (together “Cabana”) for informational purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. This material may only be distributed in its original format and may not be altered or reproduced without the prior written consent of Cabana. The opinions expressed reflect the judgement of the author, are as of the date of its publication and may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by Cabana to be reliable, are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by Cabana, its officers, employees or agents.  

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This material may contain ‘forward looking’ information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product or strategy. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. All strategies have different degrees of risk. There is no guarantee that any specific investment or strategy will be suitable or profitable for a particular client. The information provided here is neither tax nor legal advice. Investors should speak to their tax professional for specific information regarding their tax situation. Investment involves risk including possible loss of principal.  

Cabana LLC, dba Cabana Asset Management (“Cabana”), is an SEC registered investment adviser with offices in Fayetteville, AR and Plano, TX. The firm only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is exempted from registration requirements. Registration as an investment adviser is not an endorsement of the firm by securities regulators and does not mean the adviser has achieved a specific level of skill or ability. Additional information regarding Cabana, including its fees, can be found in Cabana’s Form ADV Part 2A or Form CRS. A copy of which is available upon request or online at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/. 

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investment strategies have different degrees of risk and the corresponding potential for profit or loss. Asset allocation and diversification will not necessarily improve returns and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. “Target Drawdown” is merely a descriptive term used to describe the general strategy and objective of the portfolio, it is not a guarantee, nor should it be construed to suggest safety or protection from loss. There is no guarantee that portfolio performance will remain consistent with the targeted drawdown parameter. While risk tolerance and targeted “drawdown” are identified on the front end for each portfolio, Cabana’s algorithm does not take any one client’s situation into account and there is no guarantee that Cabana’s strategies will be suitable for any investor. Investors and advisors should not simply rely on the name of any portfolio to determine what is suitable. It is the responsibility of investment advisors to determine what is suitable for their clients. Cabana manages assets on multiple custodial platforms. Performance results for specific investors will vary based upon differences in associated costs and asset availability.  

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All recommendations made in the prior 12 months are available upon request. Cabana’s allocation history is available here. For additional information regarding our services, including performance disclosures and award methodology, please visit https://thecabanagroup.com/disclaimers/. 

Commonly used index/benchmark definitions:  

All indices and categories are unmanaged and an individual cannot invest directly in an index or category. Index returns do not include fees or expenses. Benchmark indices will likely materially differ from Cabana’s portfolio strategies. Detailed information as to how the returns are calculated can be obtained online from the following link: https://thecabanagroup.com/disclaimers/performance-reporting-methodology/. 

Morningstar’s Moderate Target Risk index  follows a moderate equity risk preference and is based on well-established asset allocation methodology from Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company.  

Morningstar’s Tactical Allocation category includes portfolios that seek to provide capital appreciation and income by actively shifting allocations across investments. These portfolios have material shifts across equity regions, and bond sectors on a frequent basis. 

The S&P 500 Index is a market-capitalization weighted stock market index of 500 widely held large-cap stocks often used as a proxy for the U.S. stock market.  

The Russell 2000 and 3000 indices are market-capitalization weighted stock market indices that include, respectively, 2000 and 3000 of the most widely-held stocks and are often used as proxies for the U.S. stock market. 

The Nasdaq Composite Index is a market-weight capitalization index that covers more than 3,000 stocks listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. What is the Nasdaq Composite, and What Companies are in It? | Nasdaq