WrapManager's Wealth Management Blog

The US economic rebound has been relatively modest, in contrast with previous recoveries from deep recessions. Although the initial stage of recovery was sparked by a new mix of growth drivers, led by exports, we believe that a sustainable cycle will require broader contributions from domestic sectors as well. Download Full Commmentary Here Get Free Research Reports about AllianceBernstein LP [+] Read More

Simon Baker and King Lip, of Baker Avenue Asset Management, were recently interviewed by CNBC regarding their All Cap Core strategy. The central premise of the buy and hold strategy, how it ignores the changes in risk in the market, and the dynamic approach of capturing the upside and protecting the downside, were the main themes discussed. Access the entire Baker Avenue Asset Management interview here. Get Free Research Reports about Baker Avenue Asset Management [+] Read More

In this period of heightened market volatility, Abner Herrman continues to monitor short term price fluctuations, but their overall strategy is focused on the long term. Their overall economic and investment outlook going forward is one of moderate growth and low inflation, with higher than normal levels of unemployment. Abner Herrman continues to search for those companies who have strong management and new products and can be industry leaders in this environment. Download Full Commmentary Here [+] Read More

Lazard believes there are conflicting signals regarding the current economic conditions, which are affecting certain industry sectors differently. Technology and industrials appear to be resilient, while consumer goods and materials are showing weak trends. Energy, health care, and financials are focused on what transpires in Washington, and Lazard thinks that this trend towards government intervention will play a more prominent role in the years to come compared to any time in the last two decades. Lazard believes attractive opportunities for investors exist in finding those companies with healthy balance sheets, strong organic cash flow, and operational flexibility, as these companies should deliver better results over time. Download Full Commmentary Here [+] Read More

The significant investment decision of the moment is to not allow the "Secular" to overwhelm the "Cyclical" and turn you from a "Bull" to a "Bear" when investing in the current market. While the economic news coming from the popular financial press continues to be bleak, in April the United States stock market was up for the twelfth time in the past fourteen months. How can that be? For a number of years we have communicated our research studies on two types of Stock Market cycles that impact the risks for investors, the "Secular" (longer term, 30 to 40 years) and the "Cyclical" (shorter term, 3 to 5 years). Download Churchill’s Full Commentary Here Get Free Research Reports about Churchill Management Group [+] Read More

Stocks continued to face high levels of volatility last week as a strong rebound in prices early on gave way to renewed weakness by week's end. Overall, markets did manage to post gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 2.3% to 10,620, the SP500 Index advancing 2.2% to 1,136 and the Nasdaq Composite gaining 3.6% to end the week at 2,347. Following these gains, stocks moved back into positive territory for the year. Download Full Commmentary Here Get Free Research Reports about Blackrock Inc [+] Read More

Our Market Sentiment indicator turned negative today, 13 months since our Market Sentiment indicator turned positive in April 2009. As such, we will move from our current cash position of 50% to 100% by the end of the trading day in the All Cap Core strategy. Over the past few days we have been aggressively raising cash as Market Sentiment began to deteriorate causing us to take a proactive defensive position. The Market Sentiment indicator is not a predictor of markets and it does not capture the absolute tops and bottoms of the market - it is not an oracle. However, what we know with 30 years of Market Sentiment data is that once the indicator turns negative, fundamental investing becomes less important as emotions start to affect investment decisions. In negative Market Sentiments, market volatility increases and the market becomes intolerant of risk. In these emotional, high risk markets, there is a much higher possibility of a significant loss of capital. How long the market will remain negative remains to be seen. If the US economy is able to persist in its recovery phase despite the problems in the Euro zone, the time the market will spend in negative territory may be short in duration. However, the best strategy now is to play defense by moving to cash and let the market works its way out of this condition. These are the times that demonstrate the importance of a tactical strategy to protect capital in declining markets. Best Regards, Simon Get Free Research Reports about Baker Avenue Asset Management [+] Read More

Astor Asset Management's latest commentary takes a look at the past decade and discusses several topics to put today's world into perspective. After describing where we are now, they look ahead to 2010 and explain their prediction. Several different areas of the market and economy are discussed, including the US Dollar, emerging markets, government debts, and the yield curve. Download Full Commmentary Here [+] Read More

In our January publication, we stated that 2010 may be the year of duration and have warned clients of the need to manage duration risk. The Barclays Aggregate Index has recently delivered two months of negative returns: -1.56% in December 2009 and -0.12% in March 2010. These negative returns are being driven by duration, as 5 Year Treasury yields have risen 54bps from the end of November to the end of March, while the Barclay’s Corporate Index has actual spreads tightening from 172bps to 150bps over the same period. So, fundamentals matter. This is why we are very attentive to the trend of recent economic data. Download Full Commmentary Here [+] Read More