Portfolio Construction in an Era of Transformation: When Sophocles Met the Inescapable Smash of Ineluctable Forces, Part I
Whether we look north or south, east or west, we discover powerful forces that crown this era of metamorphosis and change. With this and the forthcoming commentary on Feb. 9, we would like to share with you our views of the most important forces which, in our opinion,...
Geopolitical Challenges and Statecraft
The world may be reaching another inflection point in the next few years. Instability (political, economic, social, financial) and upheaval may be reaching alarming levels. Consequently, the global balance of power may be shifting. The act of rebalancing the...
Productivity Trajectory and the Chinese Question: Portfolios and the Impact of the Incoming Administration’s Stimuli Packages
Last Thursday (January 14th), the team of the President-Elect proposed a new stimulus package close to $2 trillion. Within a few minutes, the markets reversed gains and ended the day down. The bond markets also sold off and the yields – while they were dropping in the...
Weekly Market Update
Global Market News Global equities down on the weekGlobal equities were down on the week despite President-Elect Joe Biden's proposal of another Covid-19 relief package. The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note changed little on the week, ending at 1.09%. The price...
Covid-19 and the Day After
Here is our take on the articles summarized below: While central bank policies and speculation have propelled markets to new highs in 2020, the global economy remains in a deep recession. The markets will not be able to rely on fiscal support forever and rising...
Taxes, Royalties, and Idea Generation
“The best business is a royalty on the growth of others, requiring little capital itself.” – Warren Buffett “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci Leverage does wonders to a business, both on the way up and the way down. We see it reflected...
Weekly Market Update
Global Market News Global equities continue their riseOverlooking the chaotic events in Washington D.C. this week, global equities made gains. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note rose above 1.00% for the first time since the beginning of 2020, ending the week at...
Geopolitical Challenges and Statecraft
The world may be reaching another inflection point in the next few years. Instability (political, economic, social, financial) and upheaval may be reaching alarming levels. Consequently, the global balance of power may be shifting. The act of rebalancing the...
Assessing the Outlook of 2021: Part II
“I am not what I am”, Iago proclaimed in Shakespeare’s Othello, and I am also thinking of similar lines proclaimed by Arthur Dimmesdale in Scarlet Letter, Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, Emma Bovary in Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, or Anna Karenina in Tolstoy’s...
Crossroads: At the Intersection of Geopolitics and Geoeconomics
Here is a summary of the most important events that unfolded last month, and which may affect economic, financial and geopolitical issues in the months ahead: North America After months of negotiations, Congress has finally passed a pandemic relief package. Though he...