Investing

You might be well advised to keep your powder dry and your portfolio small - or even be tempted to sell everything and wait for the storm to blow over [given the 4 clues put forth in this article].

The Dow 30 is deceptive in what it purports to represent. The manipulation of its performance has been going on since 1928 and it gets further denigrated on September 23rd with a 3 constituent swap which will, in effect, assure that it continues to rise in the long term.

"It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price", "We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful" and 24 other unforgettable and highly quotable quips on investing by Warren Buffett over the years.

There’s nothing to be bearish about regarding the stock market these days. US stocks are not overpriced or overleveraged, and remain more attractive than at prior peaks so pop a pill and relax. There’s no immediate danger threatening stocks as the following market analyses clearly outline.

We have experienced a huge bull market this year but any pundits are calling for the bullish move to end in a sharp downward correction...The bears have a case, historically and cyclically, but I am going to go out on a limb and say things are really different this time. Here are 5 reasons why.

I call on the financial community to take a critical look at the Dow Divisor. If it is retained investors will continue to be deceived with every new transition from one phase to another and the greatest of all Ponzi schemes will have major financial consequences for every investor.

Divergences between fundamentals, confidence and the valuation of markets are large and, as such, cannot last for long. The only question is how - and how quickly - this correction occurs.

The belief is that rising interest rates (as is currently occurring) are a sign that the economy is improving as activity is pushing borrowing rates higher. In turn, as investors, this bodes well for corporate profitability which supports the current valuations of stocks in the market. While this seems completely logical the question is whether, or not, this is really the case?

I don't want to kill the dream of U.S. energy independence but the fact is it won't become a reality overnight. It's entirely possible, however, that the North American continent [Canada, the U.S. and Mexico] can achieve energy independence within the next decade. [Let me explain.]

The collapse in the STA Risk Ratio, which tracks the most common measures of market sentiment, is a clear signal that something has changed in the market and that risk of a broader correction has risen sharply. While this is only one measure of "risk" it does suggest that investors should pay closer attention to their portfolios than normal and implement some risk management practices.