Asset Allocation

Acquisitions are a huge part of driving the tech industry forward. They bring in new ideas, fresh talent, proprietary technologies, and much more. We’re only half way through 2014 and we have already seen major players shake up the tech industry through mergers and acquisitions. The Big 4 of the tech world (Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google) all have made very important acquisitions, and some may even change the world. Let's take a look at the details in this extremely informative infographic.

The benefits of being able to detect a bubble, when you are in its midst, rather than after it bursts, is that you may be able to protect yourself from its consequences. [Below are possible] mechanisms to detect bubbles, how well they work and what to do when you think a particular asset is in one.

South America’s countries still rank quite high for investing, thanks to their smaller debt loads, emerging market fundamentals, and relatively high economic freedom and the lifestyle options on the continent are also very attractive. Let’s take a brief look at the situation in all but 4 of the countries there.

Industrial users get it. Investors in PGM ETFs get it. Shouldn't you go get it too? Palladium is an investment option with absolutely tremendous potential. Here's why.

We are of the opinion that the miners and explorers (and their indexes GDX and GDXJ} should be "swapped" for the precious metals - gold, silver, and their proxies (GLD and SLV). This way investors will maintain exposure to precious metals while reducing their exposure to the more volatile miners as some of the share dilution and recent investor exuberance play out - and at least hedge themselves if the price continues to rise.

The charts below make it crystal clear that we are on the verge of a major bull market advance across the PM sector. While these charts are for the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF, what happens to the GDXJ has major implications for the whole sector, for the simple reason that it is not going up without the entire sector going up too.

The benefits of being able to detect a bubble, when you are in its midst, rather than after it bursts, is that you may be able to protect yourself from its consequences. [Below are possible] mechanisms to detect bubbles [and insights as to] how well they work:

With the gold price in dollars breaking decisively the 200 day moving average but with volatility across a broad range of asset classes close to, or at, historic lows...this article looks at what patterns occur in equity and gold prices during both up and down trends and how to adjust your portfolio accordingly.

...For US stocks — and by implication most other equity markets — the danger signals are piling up to the point where a case can be made that the end is, at last, near. Take a look at these examples of indicators that should scare the hell out of anyone with a big stock portfolio.

Market historians will recall the term “Nifty 50” originated in the 1960’s bull market to describe 50 wildly popular large-cap stocks at the time. Interestingly, some of the same names from that list are leading the market higher today. The question for investors, of course, is what this selective advance means for the markets going forward.