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February 2024 Performance Review

March 9, 2024

The market booked another strong month for U.S. stocks. The only foreign market that outperformed the U.S. in February was China which rebounded nearly 10%. Interest rates drifted back up, sending bonds down. Our globally balanced portfolio was up but lagged behind U.S. stocks by a wide margin, as a handful of growth stocks continued to drive returns. Year to date the S&P 500 is up just over 7%, foreign markets as a whole are only up around 1%, and the U.S. bond market is down 1.6%.

Our Conservative portfolio gained 1.05%, and our Aggressive portfolio gained 1.65% in February. Benchmark Vanguard funds for February 2024 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), up 5.34%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), down 1.39%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), up 2.83%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), up 3.98%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, up 2.43%.

Our strong areas relative to the hot U.S. market last month were Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) and Franklin FTSE China (FLCH), up 8.13% and 6.62% respectively, with a good showing in Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) and Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR). Most of our foreign stock funds were a relative drag, and it's better not to even ask about shorting Bitcoin as the crypto bubble flares up again.

Rates drifted back up, sending our three longer-term bond funds down over 2%. Inflation is going in the right direction, but with a mini trade war with China, sky-high real estate prices, and questionable work-at-home productivity, alongside ongoing massive deficit spending, it is unclear if we'll see stable low inflation without higher rates. Worse, it appears low rates could lead to an even bigger asset bubble than we had a couple of years ago before rates went up.

Stock Funds 1mo %
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) 8.13%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) 6.62%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) 6.13%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) 5.41%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) 5.34%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) 4.58%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) 4.17%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) 4.10%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) 3.98%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) 3.34%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) 2.83%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) 2.74%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) 2.40%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) 1.57%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) 1.04%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) 0.34%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) 0.29%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) 0.18%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) -3.83%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) -8.08%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) -9.44%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) -31.93%
Bond Funds 1mo %
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) 0.36%
BondBloxx Six Month Treasury ETF (XHLF) 0.36%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) -1.39%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) -2.32%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) -2.37%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) -2.62%

January 2024 Performance Review

February 22, 2024

December's significant returns for stocks and bonds largely fizzled out in January, at least for non-US stocks. There were some bright spots, like Japan, but most foreign markets and bonds were down. An allocation to still-sinking China more than offset our gains in Japan, and longer-term bond funds were down more than the bond index, resulting in negative numbers.

Our Conservative portfolio declined by 1.76%, and our Aggressive portfolio by 0.90%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for January 2024 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), up 1.68%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), down 0.24%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), down 1.23%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), down 3.53%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, down 0.26%.

Only around 5% of all fund categories outperformed the S&P 500 last month (and not by much), as large-cap growth stocks in the US continued to deliver all the significant gains worldwide. Only our Vanguard Communication ETF (VOX) holding benefited from booming tech stocks, with a 3.9% return for the month. Our best holding was VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH), up 5.23% — a large gain for a relatively low-risk sector. Investors are excited about high-profit medications dealing with obesity and the near-limitless growth such advancements seem to predict. In some ways, obesity medications are the AI chips of healthcare.

Japan has been on a strong performance streak after decades of essentially going nowhere, helping our Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) holding climb 2.93%, not enough to make up for significant losses in Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) down almost 10%. Japan has been so hot that their stock index is about to break the highs hit in 1989. That’s right, when you invest at the top of a bubble, it may take 35 years to break the old highs. Unlike with our own example in 1929, where high dividends led to an acceptable return even though the index took more than 20 years to break the old highs. In Japan, dividends were scarce as P/Es were to the moon in 1989, so total returns have been poor. With falling consumer prices for decades, the inflation-adjusted returns in Japan were less disastrous.

Interest rates drifted back up as ongoing fears over inflation and the Fed's near-future response weighed on bonds. Our long-term bond funds were down more than the bond index, with Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) down 1.37%, Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) down 1.79%, and Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) taking a big near 4% hit, but these numbers were all after sharply strong year-end figures as rates fell with falling inflation in late 2023. iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) dipped 1.85%, but this was more due to currency fluctuations, perhaps related to general fears of emerging markets, of which China is the largest component both in the indexes and in actual economic activity.

With all the positivity in US markets, investors may have missed signs that large regional banks are still having problems, with drops in stocks that make the recovery since the FDIC bailouts and seizures of early 2023 seem premature. Banks are making nice interest rate spreads now, borrowing at near zero from branch depositors and lending at over 5%, but previous low-rate loans, especially to troubled commercial real estate developers, may overwhelm the otherwise benefits of a strong economy.

Stock Funds 1mo %
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) 1.68%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) 1.29%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) 0.87%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) 0.29%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) -0.38%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) -1.09%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) -1.23%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) -1.23%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) -1.92%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) -2.00%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) -2.43%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) -3.13%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) -3.20%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) -3.53%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) -5.56%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) -8.90%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) -9.66%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) -10.00%
Bond Funds 1mo %
BondBloxx Six Month Treasury ETF (XHLF) 0.80%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) -0.24%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) -1.37%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) -1.79%
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) -1.85%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) -3.99%

2023 Performance Review

January 12, 2024

The year began with several major bank collapses, necessitating FDIC intervention to ensure depositors for amounts well beyond the official $250,000 maximum. This action was crucial to prevent further bank runs. Subsequently, long-term interest rates soared, surpassing the highs of 2022 — a year of record setting losses for bonds. This spike in rates jeopardized the economy, real estate, and stock markets. However, towards year-end, falling inflation, a surprisingly robust economy, and expectations of reduced short-term rates led to a dramatic decrease in long-term rates and a significant stock market rally, especially in speculative sectors that suffered in 2022.

Overall, the bond market closed the year with slight gains, reversing what appeared to be another year of double-digit losses for long-term bonds. U.S. stocks experienced one of their best years, with the S&P 500 returning over 26%. Conservative strategies focusing on bonds and lower-risk stock funds underperformed, achieving less than half of the stock market's substantial gains. In December, our Conservative portfolio outperformed the robust S&P 500, while our Aggressive portfolio essentially matched it, benefitting from the bond rebound. However, the underweighting in U.S. stocks resulted in relatively modest annual returns of approximately 8% and 9.5% for our Conservative and Aggressive portfolios, respectively.

In December our Conservative portfolio gained 5.28%, and our Aggressive portfolio gained 4.43%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for December 2023 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), up 4.54%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), up 3.69%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), up 5.70%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), up 3.29%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, up 5.07%.

We expected near 8% mortgage rates and rapidly rising corporate and consumer borrowing costs would strain the economy and stock market. This prediction, too commonplace, did not materialize, as is often the case with too-popular predictions. The Federal Reserve may have mitigated Covid stimulus inflation without causing a larger crisis, deserving some credit for this outcome.

For 2023, our primary underperformers were investments in China, bonds, and short positions. We regret not purchasing more long-term bonds during the drop in bond prices and spike in yields, although yields did not reach our anticipated 5%+ on 10-year bonds. Many investors sought to lock in near 5% rates before expected Federal Reserve rate cuts, bringing into question if rates really have peaked. Currently, shorter-term and inflation-adjusted bonds, along with foreign bonds, present more attractive opportunities, particularly if U.S. rates continue to decline and the dollar weakens.

Our China ETF Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) was the weakest stock fund in our portfolio, down approximately 2% in December and 11.1% for the year. It was our only fund to post a yearly loss without involving short positions. Chinese stocks, being a significant component of emerging market funds, largely influenced the modest single digit returns of these indexes in 2023, despite stronger performances in other markets. China's economic challenges, including a faltering real estate market and trade tensions with the U.S., remain concerns. U.S. policies under Biden, maintaining Trump-era tariffs and focusing on domestic spending in infrastructure and environmental initiatives, complicate the trade dynamics. These protectionist measures may counteract efforts to control inflation, as China has been a key factor in keeping inflation low in the U.S. since the early 2000s.

Political risks in China, including the government's increasing control over tech companies, are also significant. These developments may make Chinese tech stocks, already discounted due to government intervention, more appealing than high-valuation U.S. tech giants, which might face similar regulatory scrutiny.

Other areas of modest performance in 2023 included value stocks and traditionally safer sectors like pharmaceuticals. Our long-term holding in Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) yielded a 12.86% return, while VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) returned a modest 6.53%. With the market's shift back to growth stocks, we are considering increasing our value stock holdings and possibly divesting from the high performing Vanguard Communication ETF (VOX). Utilities, the only other negative stock fund category besides China funds, may also see a resurgence in our portfolio. While commodities were down, natural resource funds that own stocks in these sectors were up by around 7%.

Our short positions universally declined. Notably, the small ETF LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY), which had a strategy of owning value-oriented stocks while shorting overpriced growth stocks, fell 8.53% for the year, after a solid 2021 and 2022 with roughly 22% returns in each of those years when trendy growth stocks sunk hard. This result was due to the modest performance of value stocks compared to the substantial gains of speculative growth stocks in 2023.

Reflecting on 2023, it's crucial to remember the year's significant bank failures, a disaster averted by government intervention. This action protected the banking system by insuring deposits well above the FDIC limit. The relatively inexpensive bailout, funded by future bank earnings and higher insurance fees, was a necessary measure to prevent a grimmer scenario. It is unclear why it was necessary to bail out billion-dollar uninsured deposits that would have experienced some losses to stop a bank run spreading when these investors could have taken some losses and FDIC could have increased support for other banks that didn't collapse to prevent more bank runs and minimize the hit to the FDIC insurance fund. This government support also raises questions about risk-taking in the financial sector. The recent inflation and interest rate hikes may signal limits to future government intervention. We hope the emerging real estate and crypto bubbles can dissipate without requiring significant government action or the rebound train might not come in on time again.

Stock Funds 1mo %
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) 7.02%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) 6.68%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) 6.46%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) 6.02%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) 5.70%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) 5.56%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) 5.47%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) 5.39%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) 5.39%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) 5.07%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) 4.54%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) 4.36%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) 3.73%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) 3.64%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) 3.29%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) 1.70%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) 1.61%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) -2.02%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) -2.59%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) -9.63%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) -10.39%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) -10.67%
Bond Funds 1mo %
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) 12.50%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) 8.20%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) 7.56%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) 3.69%
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) 3.29%
BondBloxx Six Month Treasury ETF (XHLF) 0.08%

November 2023 Performance Review

December 12, 2023

November was a month for the record books. The bond market abruptly reversed course as investors collectively decided that 5% on a ten-year government bond was about as high as we're going to see. With inflation continuing to decline to normal levels and all the money in cash looking to lock in higher rates for longer, investors engaged in an "everything everywhere all at once" rally in global investments. We never even hit 5% in October before rates plunged, sending bonds and everything else up in November.

Our Conservative portfolio gained 7.60%, and our Aggressive portfolio gained 6.93%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for November 2023 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), up 9.13%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), up 4.50%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), up 9.01%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), up 6.76%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, up 8.27%.

While the Federal Reserve appears to have stopped raising short-term interest rates, longer-term rates were heading higher, leading to another bad year for the bond market. With inflation heading back to the Fed's target rate of 2%, it seems that rates, both short and long-term, won't go higher and may go lower, making all sorts of expensive assets seem less expensive. The hardest-hit rate-sensitive areas rebounded sharply.

While the bond index was up 4.5% last month, funds that owned longer-term bonds had one of the biggest moves up in history. Our rate-sensitive ETFs, Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV), Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV), and Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT), were up 14.03%, 9.97%, and 9.1% respectively, beating almost all of our stock funds. On the stock side (not including short funds), only China lagged with Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) up just 2.08%. Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) was up 12.78%, Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) 14.44%, and Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) 15%. Much of the big moves was in funds that have above-average dividend yields as investors rapidly decided it was time to lock in higher yields in case rates went back down. There seemed to be little concern that if rates go back down, we might be in a recession and stocks and higher-risk debt could slide. Utilities had a good month but are still down for the year, as are long-term bond funds.

We didn't just see big gains in higher-yield options – Cryptocurrencies and questionable growth stocks that crashed in 2022 continued on their big rebound year. All this euphoria may make the Feds stick with higher rates for longer. The Fed won't say it directly, but it is likely that rising house prices and crypto speculation are reasons not to lower rates.

Home prices are around 20% higher than the very peak in the 2007 era bubble, even adjusting for high inflation. One reason for inflation subduing may be that home ownership is consuming ever more of the household budget. Either way, the Fed doesn't want to create an even larger speculative bubble that could crash because rates followed inflation down. In this way, the return to risk-taking could risk the economy as it is easier to damage the real economy with high rates than speculation.

While the Fed is probably wary of repeating the 1929 mistake of using rates to slow speculation when inflation is tame, that doesn't mean the Fed is okay with home prices going up another 20% from here, much less seeing crypto and speculative stocks booming again.

Stock Funds 1mo %
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) 15.00%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) 14.44%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) 12.78%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) 9.76%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) 9.37%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) 9.13%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) 9.01%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) 8.81%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) 8.75%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) 8.09%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) 7.60%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) 6.76%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) 6.68%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) 6.03%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) 4.25%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) 3.18%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) 3.08%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) 2.08%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) -4.21%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) -7.18%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) -8.43%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) -18.07%
Bond Funds 1mo %
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) 14.03%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) 9.97%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) 9.10%
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) 4.62%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) 4.50%
BondBloxx Six Month Treasury ETF (XHLF) 0.57%

October 2023 Performance Review

November 19, 2023

Rising rates impacted nearly all fund categories in October. A global balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds fell harder than the S&P 500, as foreign stocks and global bonds underperformed, with rising rates contributing to the strengthening of the US dollar. Although numbers showing continued progress on inflation in November have so far reversed the downturn experienced in October, speculation about when rates will decrease continues to influence market movements. The housing market, in particular, seems most reliant on the belief that the current higher rates will not persist.

Our Conservative portfolio declined 3.60%, and our Aggressive portfolio declined 3.25%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for October 2023 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), down 2.11%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), down 1.57%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), down 3.56%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), down 3.44%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, down 2.95%.

The average fund category return was negative 2.26% in October, and the average fund category is now up under 1% for 2023. The strong returns are largely in larger-cap US growth stocks this year, as the S&P 500 is still up a solid 10.69% for the year with dividends, even with the drop in October. The only strong areas are risky debt as recession fears slip away, and stocks in Japan. The cryptocurrency bubble just won't die and is the hottest area this year, though still well off the 2021 highs.

With the strength in early November, The S&P 500 index is only about 5% away from all-time highs hit at the end of 2021. The bond market is still down about 20% from the highs, with longer-term government bonds down around 40% — the biggest drop ever.

In our own portfolios, what little gains we had in short funds were more than wiped out by drops in all stock funds and our long-term bond funds. The rising dollar particularly hit Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) hard with a 6.1% drop, and took down iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) 4.18%, a riskier debt fund that has actually done well relative to safe debt in recent years. Rising rates drove Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) down 7.31% and a whopping 11.41% hit to Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV). Rising rates have

Stocks are joining real estate in being priced as if the economy isn't going to slow down, inflation is heading back to target levels of around 2% a year, and interest rates will probably head down to around 3%. This could happen, but if it doesn't, there will be problems. Bubbling problems in commercial real estate also can't spread to the broader real estate market, much less the economy. Any deviation from this expectation will likely lead to lower real estate prices and stocks, but possibly higher bond prices as rates go down. The worst case for bonds is inflation settling into 3-4% as a new normal, the economy remains solid, real estate and stocks are okay with it as the Fed doesn't want to risk a crash and is comfortable with 5%-ish rates, and long-term rates go up to over 6% hurting bond prices again.

At this point in bond versus stock valuations, bonds offer a compelling risk-reward almost as good as in 2000 when stocks were a bit more pricey and bonds yielded closer to 6%, not 5%. There has been money going into longer-term bond funds lately, so investors aren't panic selling bonds after the losses, which would be the case if bonds were a true bargain today.

The renewed speculative energy by crypto and stock investors is a tough part of the economy to cool down with higher rates. The Fed faced the same problem in the 1920s when they raised rates not to cool inflation — which was low — but to cool speculation. When investors get it in their heads that stocks and real estate can't go down over a few years — reinforced by recent history — it doesn't matter if rates are 3% or 8%. Until it matters all of a sudden, as was the case in 1929.

Stock Funds 1mo %
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) 11.43%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) 7.39%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) 2.06%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) -0.65%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) -1.75%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) -2.06%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) -2.36%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) -2.37%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) -2.49%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) -2.61%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) -2.86%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) -3.27%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) -3.53%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) -3.71%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) -3.78%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) -3.86%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) -4.25%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) -4.49%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) -4.77%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) -5.12%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) -6.10%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) -9.81%
Bond Funds 1mo %
BondBloxx Six Month Treasury ETF (XHLF) 0.38%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) -2.49%
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) -4.18%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) -6.31%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) -7.31%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) -11.41%

September 2023 Performance Review

October 10, 2023

The hot US stock market couldn't handle the renewed slide in bonds, leading to a decline of over 4% for a balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds for the month. Despite this, the economy remains strong, even as 30-year fixed rate mortgages approach 8%, reminiscent of the worst of the bond market hit in 2022. Banks are showing signs of strain again, as they grapple with a portfolio of long-term, low-rate loans while needing to offer rising yields to depositors.

For September 2023, our Conservative portfolio declined by 4.71%, and our Aggressive portfolio fell 3.71%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for the month were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), down 4.77%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), down 2.49%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), down 3.71%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), down 2.06%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a global balanced portfolio, down 4.04%.

Despite its recent drop, the S&P 500 remains up around 13% for 2023. In contrast, longer-term government bonds have experienced significant declines. A 50/50 portfolio consisting of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and the long-term government bond ETF (TLT) is approximately flat for the year, dividends included. Our higher-risk portfolio has registered a 1.35% return, while our lower-risk portfolio has decreased by 1.13% year to date.

The primary areas that have been performing well in the market (though some are cooling down) include technology, which is still up around 20% YTD, and growth sectors in the US. While some foreign markets like Japan are performing strongly this year, most are lagging behind the US. The strength that value stocks displayed in 2022 has waned in 2023, with these funds now in the red. Small cap stocks are barely holding ground with a 3% return for the year.

The weakest performers include assets that investors previously favored when rates were near zero and below inflation — such as gold, high dividend stocks, and utilities. These so-called 'safe' inflation hedges or assets offering inflation-beating yields are now under pressure. Utilities have fallen by 12% this year, real estate funds by over 5%, and precious metal funds have declined around 10%. Investors don't need to look far for safe yields now, as T-bills are offering around 5.5%.

Why haven't higher rates stifled the economy or the stock market as anticipated? Perhaps many had envisaged a near future that mirrored the last 15+ years, with persistent low rates to support the economy where the risk averse are punished for being too conservative. This optimistic projection is rapidly changing as the possibility of enduring higher rates becomes more evident. For those purchasing homes at current peak prices with almost 8% mortgage rates, refinance opportunities at lower rates in the coming years might become scarce.

The US economy's resilience may be partially attributed to how many Americans having locked in low rates with 30-year fixed mortgages of around 3%. Rising inflation is simultaneously pushing up home prices and salaries, and with the surge in cash yields, those brave enough to move away from their zero-interest bank accounts are seeing over 5% yields. However, challenges could be on the horizon for commercial borrowers with short-term or adjustable-rate loans.

If the aim is to curtail consumer spending to combat inflation, then tax hikes and government spending cuts might be necessary – neither of which we're currently seeing. Relying solely on rising rates to cool down the economy could lead to a financial crisis, even when consumers are still splurging on luxuries like $1000 Taylor Swift tickets.

Another factor to consider is that, at some point, government bonds might outperform stocks over a lengthy period, perhaps decades. If an investor had purchased a 20-year government bond in 2000 and, upon maturity in 2020, reinvested in T-bills, the returns would have been on par with the S&P 500, dividends included. The catch is that one would have enjoyed the consistent 6%+ yields from bonds and avoided the recent bond market crash since the bond matured in 2020.

In the current scenario, we're nearing the 6% yield for 30-year bonds seen in early 2000, with rates currently hovering around 5%. While stock yields aren't as low as they were then (meaning stocks are not quite as overpriced), they are not far off, sitting around 1.5%.

The tech innovations from 2000-2020, including the spread of the internet and smartphones, resulted in an average annual return of about 6.5% in the S&P 500 stock fund. But we also saw government debt soar from 60% of GDP to 120%. Without a similar debt-driven boost in the near future and with an aging population, economic growth could be stifled, barring any significant shifts, such as a robot-driven economy.

Ultimately, the primary hesitation against heavily investing in 5% risk-free long-term debt arises from the potential for rates to climb even further, which could further depress longer-term bond prices. Although we haven't observed panic selling of bond funds—a sign that might indicate a good entry point—such a scenario might never transpire. This is especially true if there's significant demand for 6% government bond yields. After all, achieving returns better than 6% long-term government bonds is difficult, even under nearly ideal economic conditions.

Stock Funds 1mo %
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) 11.43%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) 7.39%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) 2.06%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) -0.65%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) -1.75%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) -2.06%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) -2.36%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) -2.37%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) -2.49%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) -2.61%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) -2.86%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) -3.27%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) -3.53%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) -3.71%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) -3.78%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) -3.86%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) -4.25%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) -4.49%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) -4.77%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) -5.12%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) -6.10%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) -9.81%
Bond Funds 1mo %
BondBloxx Six Month Treasury ETF (XHLF) 0.38%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) -2.49%
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) -4.18%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) -6.31%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) -7.31%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) -11.41%

August 2023 Performance Review

September 13, 2023

With interest rates on the rise once again, stocks and bonds globally were down. The economy is not slipping into a recession so far, at least not in the USA. However, rates are expected to remain high due to escalating costs in energy and housing. Notably, only short-term bond funds exhibited growth last month, with almost all fund categories sinking. Some riskier bond funds were the exception, benefiting from a robust economy that supports higher default risk bonds.

Our Conservative portfolio declined by 2.66%, while our Aggressive portfolio saw a decrease of 3.14%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for August 2023 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), down 1.59%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), down 0.58%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), down 4.05%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), down 5.69%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, experienced a 2.57% decline.

It appears we have navigated through the majority of the inflation spurred by excessive money creation during Covid, combined with demand and supply issues after months of lockdown. The lingering effects are primarily due to a burgeoning real estate bubble and the government’s inability to curb the budget deficit — even during prosperous times. This has resulted in a continuous stimulus program while the Federal Reserve attempts to dampen inflation and slow the economy.

Increasing rates are making it expensive for the government to manage its substantial debt. The options to navigate this predicament seem limited to tolerating above 2% inflation targets or raising taxes. Although our debt-to-GDP ratio has been steadily climbing since the early 2000s, low interest rates mitigated the impact on debt payments relative to GDP. Unfortunately, this era is nearing its end; with the mounting interest rates, the financial burden on government revenues is set to become increasingly difficult to bear.

Historically, we have countered recessions with significant deficit spending, as seen in the responses to the 2000 recession (peak 3.3% deficit to GDP) and the Great Recession (peaking just under 10%). The COVID-19 pandemic escalated this to an almost 15% deficit-to-GDP budget. Alarmingly, we observe a persistent trend of growing deficits, now exacerbated by the spiraling interest charges on national debt and inflation-indexed government spending. Under current tax regulations and automatic spending plans, we are drifting towards a deficit exceeding 11%, a gap that appears insurmountable, even without the onset of a new crisis.

Surprisingly, the irrational housing market remains unfazed by the mortgage rate surpassing 7% and home prices eclipsing their 2006 peak when adjusted for inflation. Theoretically, home values should plummet to equalize monthly payments with the higher mortgage rate, but a stalemate between reluctant sellers and priced-out buyers has led to an unstable yet high market plateau.

Earlier this year, the banking sector faced a mini-crisis, a situation that might recur if rates continue to ascend. Remarkably, banks that rectified their mistakes following the mid-2000 housing bubble are now finding their focus on prime fixed-rate loans to be problematic. Some banks that faltered this year might have weathered the storm with a more diversified portfolio that included adjustable-rate subprime mortgages. Consequently, banks wouldn't be constrained to a fixed yield of 3% on their investments while having to pay some depositors rates approaching 5%.

Current investor apprehensions are primarily directed towards foreign markets, mainly China, standing on the precipice of a obubble collapse. Our Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) bore the brunt of this, depreciating by 9.46% last month, while most emerging markets collectively fell over 5%. Most of the debt in China is in the private sector and local governments. The relatively low debt government can theoretically bail out the economy by essentially taking on the debt, probably with increased state control. Although the Chinese government retains substantial borrowing capacity, contrasting with many major economies, it’s ambiguous how the US government plans to mitigate the impending economic crisis, with our borrowing capacity nearing its limit.

Long-term interest rates zoomed back up to the highs of 2022, sending some of our bond funds down for the year. The Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV), the most sensitive to rate alterations, fell by 4.67% last month. The resurgence in the US dollar’s value led to a 3.25% dip for iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) last month, even in a month where higher credit risk bond funds experienced a slight uptick.

The temptation is to run from bonds and foreign markets and chase hotter US growth markets, fueled by AI optimism. This will likely lead to more risk and lower returns in the coming years.

Stock Funds 1mo %
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) 11.18%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) 6.77%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) 6.21%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) 5.91%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) 4.93%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) 4.80%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) 4.76%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) 3.93%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) 3.45%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) 3.21%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) 3.17%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) 3.14%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) 2.90%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) 2.66%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) 2.61%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) 2.52%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) 2.18%
NightShares 2000 (NIWM) 2.02%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) 0.92%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) -0.76%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) -2.25%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) -7.03%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) -24.01%
Bond Funds 1mo %
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) 1.49%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) -0.06%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) -1.14%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) -2.22%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) -3.93%

Trade Alert

August 25, 2023

One of the ETF holdings in our Conservative portfolio, the NightShares 2000 ETF (NIVM), was liquidated last week. For now, we're shifting the 5% allocation to cash via an ETF specializing in 6-month T-bills. This means we're transitioning from a no-yield cash position to an actual cash-like fund with a much higher yield (5.19% 30-day SEC Yield / 5.39% Yield to Maturity) and low fees. We believe this is a move everyone at a brokerage firm should consider for their cash holdings. Vanguard stands out as the only major brokerage platform offering a solid money market fund sweep option, with Fidelity following closely. For others, trading into a cash-like fund is necessary, especially since the cash sweep accounts remain at sub 1% yield, which was acceptable when rates were near 0%. A sweep account is where cash is held between trades.

With risk-free yields now soaring above 5%, courtesy of the Federal Reserve's ongoing anti-inflationary measures, short-term treasuries or T-bills provide an almost risk-free opportunity. This yield is notably higher than the 100-year historical T-bill average return of around 3.5% and an inflation rate of approximately 3%. Moreover, these returns are significantly above the trailing 20-year averages, which are around 1.3% for T-Bills and 2.5% for inflation.

Our choice is the relatively new BondBloxx Bloomberg Six Month Target Duration US Treasury ETF (XHLF), which focuses on 6-month treasury bills. This fund has a minimal 0.03% fee and yields over 5%. It might slightly lag behind other shorter-term T-bill funds if rates keep rising. We believe such rate hikes will soon stop then settle into a historically high plateau until something breaks in the markets, real estate, or economy.

Another option is the iShares® 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV), although its annual fee could rise from the current 0.07% to 0.13% next year once the fee reimbursement expires. Unlike SGOV, BondBloxx doesn't employ temporary introductory fees. Generally, these funds should outperform most house money market funds on brokerage platforms. The WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) and the iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF (TFLO) are also worth noting. Though they have a higher fee of 0.15%, the returns on floating rate notes (FRN) might justify the cost, especially since FRNs typically offer a slight premium over short-term T-Bill rates. Also note the above funds are state tax free as the income is essentially 100% from the treasury.

In our client accounts, we do incorporate some direct T-Bill and FRN purchases. However, for the majority of situations, these above funds prove invaluable. Any minor fee concerns associated with these funds pale in comparison to the significant lost opportunities presented by bank or brokerage cash accounts in today's climate. It's crucial not to settle for sub 1% returns in a world yielding 5%, even if your bank or broker might prefer you to do so in order to offset their own loan losses from rising rates.

While these funds resemble almost risk-free cash-like instruments, short-term treasury funds such as the Schwab Short-Term US Treasury ETF (SCHO) can experience slight fluctuations with rapid rate rises. However, they might outperform lower maturity cash funds if rates start declining rapidly.

We're also rebalancing some holdings, as stocks have recently outperformed while bonds have lagged, with long-term rates revisiting their 2022 highs. For instance, if a stock fund's allocation increases from 10% to 12% and a bond fund decreases from 10% to 8%, we're making adjustments. In the case of our Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury ETF (EDV), we're making substantial purchases, implying our rebalanced portfolio will bear more interest rate risk in the near future. If rates rise further, we might pivot more towards bonds, especially if stocks continue their current upward trend.

Specifics about the liquidated fund:

The NightShares 2000 ETF (NIVM), which was recently liquidated by its sponsor, was based on the historical observation that stocks typically secure most of their gains overnight. The strategy was to buy stock index futures at market close and sell them the next morning, remaining in cash during the day. Unfortunately, this approach was less than successful.

We had initially reviewed this pattern over a 20-year span with our own research and found it promising, especially during bear markets. The potential downside was also less pronounced than with traditional stock indices.

However, the fund disappointed on multiple fronts. Our Conservative portfolio saw an investment of $5,908.82 on 06/30/22 or $29.99 a share, yielding a return of only $5,512.15 upon its liquidation on 8/15/23. This near 7% negative return was a letdown. Small-cap stocks like the Russell 2000 did underperform the S&P500 by about 7%, but this doesn't explain the fund's subpar performance as both small and large cap were up during this time frame.

NIVM's downfall can likely be attributed to two main challenges. Over much of the last year, the trend has shifted: buying the market in the morning and selling in the evening has produced similar results to holding onto the Russell 2000, but with less volatility. This night trading strategy failed to offer the expected rewards, though this has happened historically as well. Moreover, the fund seemed unable to effectively replicate even this modest night return, indicating implementation issues. Spotting a historical pattern is one thing, but real-world application, with all its inherent costs, is another.

In hindsight, shorting this fund while going long on the Russell 2000 would've yielded better results. However, in recent weeks, the pattern of nights outperforming days seems to be making a comeback, although it's uncertain if the fund would have capitalized on this trend if it remained active.

July 2023 Performance Review

August 5, 2023

The stock market continued the fairly steady gains that started last fall and is now just around 5% below the all-time high of late 2021. This latest move up is in spite of interest rates drifting higher, leaving the bond market down far more than stocks since rates rose – dropping about 15% recently. The stock market is like a fighter in a movie, taking severe punishment in the form of rising rates and saying, "Is that all ya got?" to commentators asking "what is keeping him standing?" before a big comeback.

Our Conservative portfolio gained 1.23%, and our Aggressive portfolio gained 2.09%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for July 2023 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), up 3.21%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), down 0.06%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), up 3.17%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), up 5.91%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, gained 2.64%.

Developing and smaller foreign markets picked up, and we saw a big 11.18% jump in Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) with a 6.77% move in Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR). For the US market, large-cap tech has been the primary driver this year, taking Vanguard Communication ETF (VOX) up 6.21%. Almost all of our drag last month was longer-term bonds, with a 3.93% hit to Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) and a 2.22% drop in Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) as markets are growing fearful of US government debt and don’t think inflation is going to ease anytime soon. Essentially every fund category was up last month except for government bonds.

Risky bonds did well, notably our iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) stake, up 1.49% as investors' fear of debt defaults dropped to near historic lows. Energy and financial stock funds were the top two performers last month, reversing year-to-date losses in both fund categories.

The spinach to this Popeye stock market is the growing feeling that the economy can handle the significantly higher rates without a recession — unlike basically every other time the Fed raised rates. The so-called soft landing is now the expected outcome. Add in an Artificial Intelligence boom lifting many larger tech stocks, and we're off to the races.

Inflation is coming down, and the economy is strong, but the biggest drivers of higher prices are heading up again – housing, labor, and energy. The boom in prices is partially the result of low supply. The production of almost everything is lower than a few years ago – oil, homes, cars. There are many reasons for this; productivity has been so-so for a few years now, OPEC has cut production to keep prices high, and businesses from airlines to autos don’t want to flood the market and drive prices down.

Nowhere is the supply shortage distortion more of an issue than homes. Sellers don’t want to sell and lose their 3% mortgage. Buyers need lower prices or lower rates. We’re in a low-volume bubble. By most measures of real estate value for the country (like price to income or price to rent), we’re in a real estate bubble as overpriced as 2006 – and that ended poorly. The only real difference is buyers aren’t quite as leveraged because the no-money-down era is mostly gone.

It would be very difficult to get inflation down to the target of 2% without some sort of break in home prices. The high prices and general unaffordability of a new home purchase are lifting rents as more potential buyers can’t afford to buy.

But the market isn’t worried about the collapse of a second real estate bubble. More recently, the market – at least the bond market – is starting to worry about the US Government's increasingly precarious financial situation.

Fitch, one of the three big bond ratings companies, lowered the US government's debt rating from AAA to AA+, similar to what S&P did in 2011. Only Moody's still holds the US government as highly as say, Norway or Germany. While the actual risk of default is realistically zero, the issues raised are real. The only thing going well for the government's balance sheet right now is inflation reducing the amount of debt we have relative to our inflating GDP – we’re inflating ourselves out of debt, similar to the post-WW2 experience. This is why bondholders are suffering.

Since the government isn’t capable of cutting spending and raising taxes to right the ship – the Fed has to raise rates to lower inflation, which only makes the problem worse as the economy could drag, reducing tax revenues, while the cost of our existing debt mushrooms. Fitch expects our annual deficit to be over 6% of GDP in 2023 from 3.7% in 2022, which is crazy for a strong economy.

For now, the stock market doesn’t care how the government is going to fix this later, and if they keep using above-target inflation, well, stocks and real estate may do better than bonds once again. Meanwhile, longer term interest rates are approaching 100-year average yields and a big improvement from the near-zero rates globally for much of the post-2000 era when the Fed used low rates to fix things.

Stock Funds 1mo %
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) 11.18%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) 6.77%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) 6.21%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) 5.91%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) 4.93%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) 4.80%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) 4.76%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) 3.93%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) 3.45%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) 3.21%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) 3.17%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) 3.14%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) 2.90%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) 2.66%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) 2.61%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) 2.52%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) 2.18%
NightShares 2000 (NIWM) 2.02%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) 0.92%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) -0.76%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) -2.25%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) -7.03%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) -24.01%
Bond Funds 1mo %
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) 1.49%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) -0.06%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) -1.14%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) -2.22%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) -3.93%

June 2023 Performance Review

July 5, 2023

The stock market is now up over 20% from the lows last year, officially entering a bull market, though still down around 7% from the highs of early 2022. The market is being driven by mega-cap growth stocks, fueled by optimism surrounding a new tech bubble of artificial intelligence and a Federal Reserve pause in rapid rate increases. Inflation is subsiding but remains well above the 2% target. Bonds have barely moved upwards for the year.

Our Conservative portfolio gained 2.41%, and our Aggressive portfolio rose by 3.47%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for June 2023 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX) was up 6.60%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) was down 0.38%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX) was up 4.44%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX) was up 4.30%, and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, was up 3.80%.

Considering our heavy exposure to value stocks and bonds, we're surprised to be at least in the ballpark of the Vanguard benchmark total global portfolio fund. This is despite the tech and large-cap growth market quickly outpacing us.

Much of the optimism is centered on a new tech stock boom, driven by existing AI developments. It remains unclear how the rest of the economy will fare if AI dreams come true. Individual stock speculation is making a comeback, along with crypto speculation — the bubble that just won't burst. Fund investors have mostly been exiting stocks since last summer — a move which seemed to indicate that stocks were in a good place. However, we didn't take advantage because rates were high enough to be a good alternative to stocks. In June, fund investors started returning to stocks in the most significant numbers since the market peak in early 2022.

If the 2022 bear market was 'fixed' with 1% fed rates, we probably would have jumped into stocks as well. But the allure of a 5%+ risk-free rate was too compelling. This may prove too risk-averse, especially if inflation drops and the Fed lowers rates.

Stocks in the early 2000 internet bubble were at roughly the current high valuations and cash yields were about the same in the 5-6% range. From that point, stocks only returned just under 7% a year with dividends.

Will the AI boom make up for current high prices? Unlikely, as the 2000 bubble was essentially pre-internet and smartphone boom. Plus, we now have more government debt relative to GDP, limiting opportunities to boost the economy. We're sticking with cash and bonds for now.

Our only really successful recent buy was Vanguard Communication ETF (VOX) last year. Although it continued to fall until November, it's now up around 13% on fast-rising big-cap tech stocks that comprise part of the fund. The fund was up 4.75% for the month and 29.67% for the year. The S&P 500 outperformed around 90% of the 100+ fund categories once again, and beat all of our funds except Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR), which was up 15.01% for the month. Inflation-oriented and commodities investments are still lagging this year, but this region is doing well. Conversely, Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) is down almost 5% for the year, even after a positive 3.95% month.

There's no way to predict how far this new tech bubble will go. In theory, it's at the early stages, and there's much more money that could flow back into stocks. It seems the Fed would consider speculative mania too close to an inflation fight and, even if they don't raise rates, the Fed probably won't lower rates with rocketing crypto and tech. The future largely depends on the real estate sector, which has held up despite near 7% mortgages. The mini bank panic is now in the rear-view mirror, but questionable loans haven't really gone bad yet.

This effectively summarizes our current strategy: we're sticking with our holdings in what might be seen as unexciting value and bonds. We're considering a few minor adjustments, such as potentially reducing our stock holdings and increasing our cash reserves. The rising trend in tech and AI development is intriguing, but it could just be the precursor to a new bubble that might burst quickly, similar to the pre-2000 internet bubble — only now we're already in a valuation zone akin to late 1999. Even with rate increases stopping for good at around 5% and AI turning out to be far more than just cool chats, future returns likely won't beat those from 2000 to now.

Stock Funds 1mo %
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) 15.01%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX) 6.60%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX) 6.45%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV) 6.13%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP) 4.96%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY) 4.81%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX) 4.75%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA) 4.46%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX) 4.44%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) 4.33%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX) 4.30%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS) 4.13%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH) 4.12%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) 3.95%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE) 2.26%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) 1.76%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR) 0.59%
NightShares 2000 (NIWM) 0.04%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB) -1.24%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY) -8.30%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) -11.16%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) -11.30%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) -12.55%
Bond Funds 1mo %
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB) 1.59%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV) 1.04%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) 1.01%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT) 0.02%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) -0.38%

May 2023 Performance Review

June 5, 2023

The economy remains surprisingly buoyant, despite the Federal Reserve's relentless rate increases to temper persistent, high inflation. Given that we're still in a real estate bubble, built upon a foundation of low rates and lax Covid-related fiscal and monetary policy, this is quite a remarkable feat. Surprisingly, big tech and growth names, which suffered significantly in 2022, have bounced back. This resurgence is notable because these entities were hit hard, in part due to rising rates that diminished the value of future earnings growth. Interest rates continue to be high, and long-term rates—though significantly lower than their 2022 peak—are climbing again. This trend is leading to a decline in most bond funds and causing mortgage rates to rise. Despite investors capitalizing on the risk-free 5% yield, it seemingly hasn't had a negative impact on the market.

Our Conservative portfolio declined by 2.87%, and our Aggressive portfolio dropped by 1.63%. Benchmark Vanguard funds for May 2023 were as follows: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), up 0.43%; Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX), down 1.09%; Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX), down 3.70%; Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX), down 2.48%; and Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, down 0.73%.

With bonds and value stocks down, we had a challenging month relative to the large cap growth-heavy S&P 500, which was up by less than 1%. Factor in a strong US dollar dragging on the values of foreign stocks and bonds, and we experienced almost all drag in May. We were not alone. The S&P 500 landed in the top 7% or so of all fund categories even with just a 0.43% showing, as over 90% of fund categories were down last month. The S&P 500 was also in the top 5% of all fund categories for the year with a 9.65% return. This masks the wild outperformance of growth relative to value stocks. Tech funds were up around 8% last month and 22% for the year, with large-cap growth close behind, up over 16% for the year and approximately 3.5% last month.

Meanwhile, value stocks, which performed well in 2022 as the growth market crashed, are severely lagging in 2023. This is evident in our Vanguard Value Index (VTV) holding, down 4.12% last month and now down 3.41% for the year. On the flipside, our recently re-added Vanguard Communication ETF (VOX), which has large cap tech stock exposure, was up 2.61% last month and a staggering 23.79% this year. This performance spread between value and growth stocks is hurting LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY), now down 13.2% for the year after a drop of 7.33% last month. Many market-neutral and long-short funds essentially short expensive stocks and buy value, a recipe for disaster when the tech bubble re-inflates.

Our communications fund was on our short list of winners this year, with our oil short up 21%, Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) up 13.57% for the year even after dropping 4.76% last month, and a 13.45% gain for the year in our retail stock short as we're seeing retailers collapse as the Covid stimulus money runs out, notably Bed Bath & Beyond. This will only add to the trauma brewing in commercial real estate as work-from-home continues at levels that can hurt offices financed by once-low rates.

One might assume that rising rates would induce a recession, quash the speculative frenzy in growth stocks, and pop our second real estate bubble. Somewhere after the dust settles and we return to 0% rates, a new speculative boom would likely rise from the ashes.

Investors appear to have collectively decided to anticipate the next crash because we don't know when it will happen or where the bottom will be, but we are confident that in 5 years we'll reach new highs on a fresh boom. The new speculative boom seems to be AI, and to a lesser extent, virtual reality. The first wave of AI – such as Siri and other smart devices – was a disappointment, as was the early excitement around virtual reality, the metaverse, Google Glass, etc.

We've seen many speculations about the future that haven't lived up to stock prices along the way, and we'll have to see if this latest boom will be one of the significant ones, like PCs, the Internet, or the Smartphone, or an expensive dud like nanotechnology, crypto, or self-driving cars (so far).

This boom had better live up to the hype – investors are forgoing a risk-free 5% yield to own a piece of the AI future. Ironically, if the hype is real, this tech advancement, if it doesn’t wipe us out, may just destroy enough of the economy as jobs get replaced by software, potentially negating any benefits from productivity, at least in the short run.

Stock Funds1mo %
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO)19.45%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY)15.47%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI)7.77%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR)3.83%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX)2.61%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR)2.25%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB)1.74%
NightShares 2000 (NIWM)0.87%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP)0.52%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)0.43%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)-2.48%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE)-2.93%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS)-3.50%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX)-3.54%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)-3.70%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA)-3.73%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH)-4.08%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV)-4.12%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR)-4.76%
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK)-5.12%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY)-7.33%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH)-9.04%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID)-13.75%
Bond Funds1mo %
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB)0.72%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)-1.09%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT)-2.79%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)-2.91%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)-4.23%

April 2023 Performance Review

May 5, 2023

This year has been marked by turbulence in the banking sector. The total assets of failed banks already exceed the inflation-adjusted assets of the banks that failed in 2008 during the financial crisis. The first failure occurred less than 60 days ago. Although there were 25 bank failures in 2008, the current situation involves larger regional banks dealing with significant depositors. So far, the list consists of just three banks: Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and more recently, First Republic. These stark figures suggest we are likely to surpass the total assets of all the banks that collapsed during the 2008 crisis, which saw elevated failures through 2012 due to massive losses from aggressive real estate lending during a substantial housing bubble.

Our Conservative portfolio gained 1.39%, and our Aggressive portfolio gained 1.16% in April. As for the benchmark Vanguard funds for April 2023: Vanguard 500 Index Fund Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX) was up 1.56%, Vanguard Total Bond Index Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX) was up 0.54%, Vanguard Developed Markets Index Vanguard Developed Mkts Index (VTMGX) was up 2.55%, Vanguard Emerging Markets Index Vanguard Emerging Mkts Index (VEIEX) was down 0.66%, and Vanguard Star Fund Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX), a total global balanced portfolio, was up 0.58%.

The best performers in our portfolio were Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK) up 4.13%, Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR) up 3.69%, and Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR) up 3.42%. On the downside, Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI) was down 3.18%, UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO) was down 3.97%, and Franklin FTSE China (FLCH) fell 4.27%.

In the midst of this banking sector upheaval, the broader stock market (surprisingly) remains somewhat resilient. While tech and startup stocks are still down significantly even with the big rebound this year, the S&P 500 ended April only about 10% down from its peak at the end of 2021. This lag in the broader market's response to a banking crisis is not entirely unexpected, as investors often anticipate the containment of the crisis or even a potential boost to the economy and stocks via lower rates.

Bank stocks, on the other hand, tell a different story, down about 50% from their peak in early 2022. Warren Buffett, swimming in cash, has steered clear of buying hard-hit banks, signaling potential long-term concerns. These banks are burdened by massive unrealized losses from loans written just a few years ago when generous stimulus spending and loose monetary policy led to trillions in new bank deposits. As depositors now seek higher yields, banks may find themselves in a precarious position, having to offer 3-5% rates without earning much due to their preexisting condition of low-yield loans in their portfolio.

All the failed banks thus far have a few things in common – a significant presence in tech-heavy California, a focus on large super-prime customers with deposits well above FDIC limits, and some exposure to crypto deposits. It's worth noting that the involvement with crypto has played a role in triggering the bank run, further exacerbating the crisis. Despite the increasing mainstream acceptance of crypto, it remains a destabilizing force for traditional banking institutions.

Interestingly, mega banks, which have been under stricter regulations since the 2008 crisis, seem to be weathering the storm better and have the cash to buy collapsing mid-size banks which had a lighter touch from regulators in recent years. That went well…

The last bank crisis was supposedly all about subprime loans. Investors thought that problem wouldn’t spread to the rest of bank lending – an expensive miscalculation. This new crisis starts with super-prime loans which can be just as toxic – if not more so — in a rising rate environment.

For instance, a super-prime loan for a $10M house can pose more risk to a bank's balance sheet if rates on 30-year mortgages shift from 3% to 6%, compared to $10 million in smaller defaulting loans that go into foreclosure. The actual loss after the down payment is taken into consideration may only be 0-20% while a safe-from-default 30-year fixed loan at 2.5% will not get paid off early and leaves the bank with a loan down maybe 20-40% in price if a fire sale is required. Who wants to own a 2.5% loan when new ones are at 6%?

Higher-risk bonds haven't even performed worse than investment-grade bonds, another surprising twist given the growing banking crisis. This discrepancy underscores the peculiarities of the current financial landscape, where banks can fail without triggering an immediate increase in risky debt defaults.

The Federal Reserve's recent rate hike to 5.25% from near zero just over a year ago also highlights the dangers of relying solely on monetary policy to combat inflation, especially in such a leveraged economy. A combination of tax increases, spending cuts, and a more modest rate hike could have potentially mitigated the current situation.

Despite the unfolding banking crisis and the economic uncertainty it engenders, there’s an unwarranted level of optimism in the stock market. Bargain hunting in stocks is not a good plan from these levels. Instead, investors might consider enjoying the more than 5% yields in safe T-bills while they last. There will likely come a point when the Fed will have to lower rates to shore up the real estate market and the banking industry. If not, we may find ourselves with just a few giant banks standing.

In conclusion, April 2023 has been a month of mixed signals. Despite the turbulence in the banking sector, the rest of the market has shown a degree of resilience. However, the current landscape underscores the need for a more balanced approach in dealing with inflation and for caution in the face of a highly leveraged economy. As we navigate these uncertain times, our portfolios remain diversified and primed to adapt to changing market conditions.

Stock Funds1mo %
Vanguard FTSE Europe (VGK)4.13%
Franklin FTSE Germany (FLGR)3.69%
Franklin FTSE Brazil (FLBR)3.42%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Mkts. (VEA)2.63%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Tax-Managed Intl Adm (VTMGX)2.55%
VanEck Vectors Pharma. (PPH)2.45%
Vanguard Communications ETF (VOX)2.32%
Homestead Value Fund (HOVLX)2.01%
Vanguard Value Index (VTV)1.77%
Invesco CurrencyShares Euro (FXE)1.72%
Vangaurd All-World Small-Cap (VSS)1.57%
[Benchmark] Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)1.56%
LeatherBack L/S Alt. Yld. (LBAY)0.57%
Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP)0.52%
ProShares Decline of Retail (EMTY)0.34%
Proshares Short High Yld (SJB)0.22%
Franklin FTSE South Korea (FLKR)-0.54%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Emerging Mkts Stock Idx (VEIEX)-0.66%
ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID)-0.68%
NightShares 2000 (NIWM)-0.94%
Proshares Short Bitcoin (BITI)-3.18%
UltraShort Bloom. Crude Oil (SCO)-3.97%
Franklin FTSE China (FLCH)-4.27%
Bond Funds1mo %
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index ETF (BLV)0.66%
[Benchmark] Vanguard Total Bond Index (VBMFX)0.54%
Vangaurd L/T Treasury (VGLT)0.51%
iShares JP Morgan Em. Bond (LEMB)0.36%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV)0.14%