This year I’ve written blogs entitled “Don’t Panic”, “I Hope You Didn’t Sell”, “It’s Still Not Time To Panic”, “Tech Stocks On Sale” and “The Market Continues To Climb A Wall Of Worry”, to name a few. Do you see the trend? Throughout the year I’ve urged my newsletter and blog readers, as well as my clients, to simply sit tight, ignore the pundits, and maintain their equity positions. There has been nothing to dissuade me that domestic equities are the best investment category for most investors this year.
And as I sit here moments after the market opened, the #DJIA is trading just over 17,000, again within spitting distance of its all time closing high of 17,138.20 set on July 16. Even better, the #S&P500 is less than two points from its closing high of 1,988.31 set on July 23. The tech heavy #NASDAQ is over 4,500, its highest level in 14 years, and approaching the all time high closing price of 5,048.62 set at the height of the tech bubble on March 10, 2000. Without question, the bull market remains in force.
Why have I been so sure about my position to remain fully invested in the face every foreign and domestic problem, both economic and political? It’s very simple: the Federal Reserve and its easy money policy. As long as their accommodative monetary remains in place, there is no reason to contemplate selling. And I believe there will be no policy changes until the second quarter of next year, at the earliest. They will err on the side of waiting too long to raise rates, and possibly allow inflation to grow more rapidly than they would prefer, rather than risk putting the brakes on economic growth.
Even when they do begin to raise rates, which they will likely do in a VERY measured fashion, I believe the market can continue to rise, because it will be confirmation that the economy is improving, and that is good for business, which is good for stocks. But that will be an argument for next year. For now, my advice remains the same: stay the course. Ignore the Talking Heads and tune out the blather. Buy the dips. Own quality stocks and reinvest your dividends. This is the best way to save an invest for your future.
2 Responses to “Have You Taken My Advice?”
I personally agree with your advice, although I take it to another level. No matter how bad the economy gets, or how overvalued the market seems, I prefer not to sell. My experience with timing the market in the past has been at best adverse, and I find that investors that try to time the market do not outperform buy and hold investors like myself by a very large margin, or any at all. There’s simply too much chance involved with getting it right every single time with timing the market verses getting it right one time by picking quality companies and holding them.
Thanks for the comment. For the most part, I agree with you, being a buy and hold guy myself. I do, though, believe there are times where it’s appropriate to raise a little cash. That being said, most people would be better off with a buy and hold approach. Thanks for reading. I hope you’ll participate in future blog entries.