There’s Gold in them thar Hills
There is a tale of two stories in the gold market – the financial market and the physical market (individual demand for the actual metal). The gold market has changed dramatically with the introduction of GLD (a gold exchange traded fund – ETF) in November of 2004. For the first time, investors could buy gold […]
Pop open the champagne – Second quarter GDP grows by 1.7% – annually!!
The headlines this morning about GDP growth at 1.7% during the second quarter is a positive sign that the economy is growing. However, as we mentioned in an update a few weeks back, the Federal Reserve forecasted much higher growth than this: Year 2009 Fed GDP Forecast Actual GDP 2010 2.5%-3.5% 2.4% 2011 3.4%-4.5% 2.0% […]
THOR’s 2nd Quarter 2013 Stock Market Analysis
With markets moving 100’s of points in either direction based on what Federal Reserve members say on any given day, it is important to have a disciplined approach to investing that focuses on the facts. So the question we ask ourselves today is: With the equity markets at all-time highs, does the price of the […]
Headline: June Job reports 195,000 jobs added – Now let’s look behind the curtain ….
The payroll numbers over the past few months seem to be pointing to a strong recovery in jobs. However, one needs to look behind the numbers to see what really is happening. While the numbers may look rosy, what doesn’t get said is that there is a big shift occurring in the workforce from […]
TIP’s – a “safe” investment that is down more than 10% since April!
Over the past few months, a number of clients have asked why we have not purchased any Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“TIPS”) in their portfolio. The reason is we thought they were too expensive. Before we get too deep into this subject, let us take a moment to explain what a TIP is? A TIP […]
Will the Federal Reserve get it Right or Wrong?
Over the past few weeks, the stock market has gyrated with 100 point moves – both up and down – primarily driven by concerns over the Federal Reserve tapering its purchase of securities. Mortgage rates have jumped more than .5% in the past couple of weeks to over 4% on a 30-year mortgage. Treasury bonds […]
What is a wealth manager? (And how do I choose one?)
The best wealth management advisors aren’t one size fits all. One leading financial publication defines wealth management as “the combining of personal investment management, financial advisory, and planning disciplines…” But as the best wealth managers can attest, it is much more than a financial science – it is also a very human art. The science […]
Inflation
It is not a question of “if” inflation is coming, but when. The Federal Reserve (“FED”) is setting the stage for inflation. In 1977, the FED was given a second mandate of full employment in addition to its first mandate of price stability. These two mandates can run counter to each other. Congress gave the […]
Emerging Markets are starting to look attractive
A little history is important. Those clients that were with us in 1998 saw THOR invest a significant portion of their portfolio – 40%-45% – in international stocks shortly after the Asian currencies collapsed. It was a great time to invest. You had Asian stocks selling for half the value of US companies, but at […]
Is the G20 throwing a “Hail Mary” pass to try and save Europe
Depression is the only word to explain what is happening in southern Europe right now – especially in Spain and Italy. The current unemployment rate in Spain is 27.2% and the young have been most affected. The overall Eurozone youth unemployment rate – those under 25 years of age – is 24.0%. Greece is over […]