Economic Indicators Are Much Clearer

Quote of the Week

 “You will know how far you can go when you pursue your passion and never stop trying.”

– Lailah Gifty Akita

Technical Corner

Welcome to 2023. We are looking forward to a good year for the portfolios. The economic indicators are much clearer this year than last year. With the addition of Omega Squared as our new advisor,  we are confident that we will be better able to execute the necessary changes needed.

We are currently in cash plus a small percentage in the Private Equity Fund for the managed portfolios. The good news for those portfolios is that the money market or cash position is paying around 3.30% which is much better than what we got last year. The annuity portfolios are positioned in U.S. Treasuries and high grade bonds.

What we expect to happen is that longer term interest rates will start to fall in the next few months as the economy tanks. This will give us the opportunity to invest in long duration U.S. Treasuries and appreciation if rates fall in fixed income. Remember when interest rates fall bond prices go up. We do not see any opportunities in the stock markets at this point in time.

As far as the economy is concerned we see a continued downward spiral. U.S. Manufacturing fell from 49.0 to 48.4 in November.  Any reading below 50.0 indicates contraction. New manufacturing orders fell from 47.2 to to 45.2.  Inflation is coming down slightly but that is a negative for profits which is only one factor in the coming corporate profits recession.

Just a little year end fact: since to top of the market in January 2022, the total loss in value of the S&P 500 is over nine trillion dollars.

Just a few economic facts from November foretelling the coming economic decline:

Everyone says the consumer is in good shape. This couldn’t be further from the truth because personal savings just went negative to -2.4%

Small business employment went negative by -5.2%.

Temporary staffing is at a negative -17.2%

Even the rich are feeling the pinch with luxury goods purchases down -7.4%.

Add to all of this, the latest Federal Reserve minutes just came out.  According to internal discussions at the Fed’s meeting three weeks ago, no Fed officials thought it would be appropriate to begin cutting rates in 2023 and officials worried easing financial conditions could complicate the central bank’s efforts to bring down inflation.  Minutes from the central bank’s December inflation data stressed it would take substantially more evidence of progress to be confident inflation was coming down in a sustained manner.

The Fed raised rates by half of a percent in December to a range of 4.25%-4.50%.  They projected last month that the rate would peak at 5.1% to 5.4%.  If the Fed keeps the rate that high throughout 2023 the economy will suffer and the stock markets will also suffer.

This all adds up to a bad economy and a bad stock market going forward. However all is not lost. We will be able to enter the stock market at substantially reduced prices when the Fed pivots and the economy starts to improve.  When will that happen? The data will let us know.

If you have friends or family in need of financial life planning services,

It would be the honor of Laurence Lof Financial Advisors to assist them.

We value your referrals!

These are Larry Lof’s opinions and not necessarily those of Cambridge, are for informational purposes only and should not be construed or acted upon as individualized investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Due to our compliance review process, delayed dissemination of this commentary occurs.

The S&P 500 index of stocks compiled by Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The Index includes a representative sample of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. Indices mentioned are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

Technical analysis represents an observation of past performance and trend, and past performance and trend are no guarantee of future performance, price, or trend. The price movements within capital markets cannot be guaranteed and always remain uncertain. The allocation discussed herein is not designed based on the individual needs of any one specific client or investor. In other words, it is not a customized strategy designed on the specific financial circumstances of the client. Please consult an advisor to discuss your individual situation before making any investments decision. Investing in securities involves risk of loss. Further, depending on the different types of investments, there may be varying degrees of risk including loss of original principal.

Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Laurence Lof Financial Advisors, LLC are not affiliated. Laurence Lof Financial Advisors 4757 E Camp Lowell Drive Tucson AZ 85712 info@lofadvisors.com

Recent Posts

Follow Us

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Lof Advisors Logo
Client Login
Cambridge Statements Login
Wealthscape
Login
Pershing
Login
State Disclosure: Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SPIC. Investment advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Lof Laurence Lof Financial Advisors, LLC are not affiliated. Investment products and services available only to residents of: Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Florida (FL), Idaho (ID), Indiana (IN), Michigan (MI), Massachusetts (MA), Minnesota (MN), Montana (MT), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), New Mexico (NM), Oregon (OR), Ohio (OH), Pennsylvania (PA), Texas (TX), Virginia (VA), Wisconsin (Wl), Wyoming (WY). We are licensed to sell insurance products in the following states of: Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Florida (FL), Idaho (ID), Indiana (IN), Michigan (MI), Montana (MT), North Dakota (ND), New Mexico (NM), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Virginia (VA), Wisconsin (Wl).
State Disclosure: Due to various state regulations and registration requirements concerning the dissemination of information regarding investment products and services, we are currently required to limit access of the following pages to individuals residing in states where we are currently registered. By continuing to use this site, you acknowledge that you are a resident of one of the states listed. A broker/dealer, investment advisor, BD agent or IA rep may only transact business in a particular state after licensure or satisfying qualifications requirements of that state, or only if they are excluded or exempted from the states broker/dealer, investment adviser, or BD agent or IA rep requirements, as the case may be; and follow-up, individualized responses to consumers in a particular state by broker/dealer, investment adviser, BD agent or IA rep that involve either the effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, as the case may be, shall not be made without first complying with the states broker/dealer, investment adviser, BD agent or IA rep requirements, or pursuant to an applicable state exemption or exclusion. Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
Call Now Button