Margin Debt and S&P 500

Margin Debt and S&P 500 This chart shows that margin debt has not recovered from last December’s lows, while the stock market has risen sharply.Usually, it is mostly bullish for stocks, because investors are still fearful. Image: Yardeni Research, Inc.

Increased Number of Zombie Companies

Increased Number of Zombie Companies Artificially low interest rates and investor demand for leveraged loans have created zombie firms. Image: Jupiter Asset Management

Probability of US Recession is Rising

Probability of US Recession is Rising Mike Wilson, chief U.S. equity strategist for Morgan Stanley, said that “Fed could cut as soon as July but it may not halt slowdown/recession.” Image: U.S. Global Investors

Brent Price vs. 10-Year Treasury Bond Yield vs. S&P 500

Brent Price vs. 10-Year Treasury Bond Yield vs. S&P 500 This chart shows that oil prices are a good indicator of global economic growth and investors are concerned about a global economic slowdown. Image: Pictet Wealth Management

Could European Stocks Outperform U.S. Stocks?

Could European Stocks Outperform U.S. Stocks? This chart shows U.S. vs. European stocks at 70-year highs. Keep in mind that investors think that the euro area economy is less resilient than the U.S. economy in the event of a shock. Currently, the euro area economy is more impacted by the global slowdown than the U.S.…

New York Fed Probability of Recession in Next 12 Months since 1990

New York Fed Probability of Recession in Next 12 Months since 1990 When an inverted yield curve occurs, short-term interest rates exceed long-term rates. It suggests that the long-term economic outlookis poor and that the yields offered by long-term fixed income securities will continue to decline. Since 1962, no recession has occurred without an inverted…

$11 Trillion Bonds Globally Trade At Negative Interest Rates

$11 Trillion Bonds Globally Trade At Negative Interest Rates The total amount of negative interest rates climbed to USD 11 trillion. Investors are paying governments for the privilege of holding their bonds and are losing so much money in real terms. Image: Deutsche Bank Global Research

Estimated Number of Hedge Funds Launched or Closed since 2008

Estimated Number of Hedge Funds Launched or Closed since 2008 Can hedge funds deliver higher returns than passive investing? Not really. But many investors still think they can achieve higher returns with active trading than with passive investing. The chart below shows that it is really hard to outperform the market. As Warren Buffett said,…

Mutual Fund Flows – Asset Allocation Funds since 2000

Mutual Fund Flows – Asset Allocation Funds since 2000 Dynamic/flexible and balanced funds saw significant outflows since 2018. It is obvious that many investors don’t have a long-term view. Image: Topdown Charts