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Posts tagged ‘volatility’

May 10

Mark Cernicky

Engineering the Volatility Out of the Market

What’s one of the most noticeable consequences of the Fed’s third round of quantitative easing (i.e. QE3)? It’s the stark drop in fixed income volatility. Look at the chart below, which demonstrates this point for the investment grade credit market. The blue line is the rolling 21-day realized total-return volatility for a Barclays Global Investment Grade Credit Index.  The red line is Thursday, September 13, 2012 – the day the Fed announced QE3. As the blue line crosses the red one, you can see marked drops in the level and range of volatility.

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Apr 17

steve musser's photo
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The Difference Between Alpha and Beta

Anyone who follows the financial news has probably heard the terms “alpha” and “beta” in relation to investing. However, it’s rarely explained how important they are when it comes to making investment decisions.

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Apr 3

steve musser's photo

Liquid Alternatives − Don’t Go With the Flow

I’ve written previously about market volatility and how severe volatility can hurt overall portfolio return.

It should always be understood, when in the market, that volatility comes with the territory.  Still, investors can manage the impacts of volatility through portfolio diversification. Diversification doesn’t assure a profit or protect against a loss in a market decline, but it can help to smooth the shocks in an investment portfolio.

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Feb 26

steve musser's photo
1 Comment

Oh, my stomach!

They have names like the Intimidator, Tower of Terror, and that classic: the Cyclone. But I think the most unnerving monster of a roller coaster goes by the name Market Volatility.

Amusement park thrill rides can be fun, but roller coaster-type returns in your portfolio – the sharp swings in value up and down over relatively short periods of time – aren’t very amusing, and could be detrimental to your investment goals. Read more

Feb 18

GUEST BLOG: Markets Have Rallied, but Bulls Need Convincing

The 2008 meltdown is finally in the rear view mirror. The global economy has moved on.

But the current market rally is driven largely by the growing sentiment that the worst is over: America has not gone over the fiscal cliff, the Eurozone has not split, China has not had a hard landing, and the price of oil has not spiked despite the unrest in the Middle East.

Previous rounds of quantitative easing in Europe and the U.S. have prevented all-out deflation. The latest round is the most potent. Markets have struggled to shrug it off.

Equities are set for a bounce. They look attractive relative to bonds. But the ice age for equities will thaw only when economic fundamentals begin to look stronger and more sustainable. The much-predicted stampede out of bonds will occur later rather than sooner – if there is one. Read more