top of page
RiversFinal_TM-ALT-1WHITE.png
  • Daniel Rivers
  • Apr 8, 2020
  • 2 min read

Updated: Aug 21, 2020


Like everyone else, I’m hoping for two types of recovery. The first is health. To everyone who has been effected (affected?). To everyone who works in the medical field. Just an overall health recovery.


The second one is economic recovery. When I think about the economy, I’m trying to weigh out two sides of what comes next. On one hand, you have pent-up demand. If you’re anything like me, you are in need of a haircut, a teeth-cleaning, and the list goes on. These are things that I assume would pick back up fairly quickly. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin discussed pent-up demand in a recent discussion with Jim Kramer. According to Robin Brooks, managing director and chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, the return of consumer demand is a key component of recovery.


On the other hand, a recession may drag on, partly caused by consumers who have been laid-off, who can’t afford to resume all of their activities, and partly due to changes in our behavior. How long will it be before you are comfortable going to concerts, sporting events? Will you ever go on a cruise? Indeed, some areas of the economy may face a longer time to recover after a sustained period of stressed cash flow. Seattle Mayor Jenny Duncan says, “tourism and aviation have been devasted.” “The economic recovery will take much longer than the efforts to halt the virus outbreak.”


Two sides of the coin. Pent-up demand and a deep recession. We may actually get some of both.


Speaking of sports, is it possible to move college football to the spring? Oh my!


These are all very important trends that I’m following.

 
 
  • Apr 1, 2020
  • 2 min read

Updated: Aug 21, 2020


My daily reading is filled with warnings that the worst is still coming. First, on the health side of things, we have not reached a peak in the so-called bell curve of Covid-19. On the financial side, I tend to agree with the warnings that the markets are in a “bear rally.” These are a few of the headlines on Yahoo Finance 3/30/2020.

Why the Dow's best week in 82 years is no reason to get bullish

These indicators suggest a stock-market bottom, but coronavirus fears could send the S&P 500 swooning again

Investors shouldn't let a stock market sucker's rally fool them

I would agree that it would be perfectly normal* for the markets go back and “test” the most recent lows. Chart readers would say that if the markets go back to that level and recover again, that the markets will have “passed” the test. On the other hand, if the markets go back to that level and go lower, that the markets will have “failed” the test. In either case, most chart readers that I follow are not expecting this rally to last.

*There’s nothing normal about life right now. No surprise then, that there’s nothing normal about the markets. My favorite article from the last few days is this one.

The futility of forming any forecast

I love the comment from Howard Marks. “There’s just no justification for having a confident view at the present time, in my opinion.”

The phrase un-charted waters, means charts don't help. I can talk about oversold levels or support levels, etc, and as much as I enjoy studying the markets, I don’t think technical measurements are very important right now. So when I alert you to the possibility that the markets may have some rough spots ahead, I’m not trying to forecast anything. I’m simply trying to prepare you to weather the next storm just like you did the previous one.

 
 

Advisory services offered through Sowell Management, a registered investment Advisor.

brokercheck-by-finra-vector-logo.png
bottom of page