When is the right time to invest? Some investors say they will wait to invest after markets have settled down. The problem is there are always news events which unsettle the share markets. Right now (March 2018) its Trump and trade barriers, previously its been oil, China and the Euro Zone.
So when is the right time to invest? Or is there ever a right time?
It’s Never A Perfect Time To Invest In Stocks
Written by David Fabian (FMD Capital Management), 2016
Do any of these narratives sound familiar to you?
2013 Analyst: “We are deeply concerned about the sharply rising 10-Year Treasury Yield as a headwind for stocks. The end of quantitative easing and the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented monetary policies may forestall further gains in equities.” Total return of SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) index for 2013 +32.3%
2014 Analyst: “A sharp drop in virtually all commodity prices may be signalling a contraction in the global economy and warrant reducing exposure to risk assets. Furthermore, the strongest performing asset class is the 30-year Treasury bond, which is a virtual assurance of the coming apocalypse.” The SPY index returned +13.5% in 2014.
2015 Analyst: “We are worried that market breadth is deteriorating so rapidly. The “FANG” stocks are the only bright spots in an otherwise bleak investing landscape. In fact, the average publicly traded company is now firmly in bear market territory.” SPY total return for 2015 +1.2%
2016 Analyst: “We are troubled that utilities and consumer staples stocks are the market leaders and momentum is waning in growth sectors. This bulking up in defensive assets may lead to….” SPY returned 10.0% for 2016.
Those aren’t real headlines, but made-up approximations based on very real themes that assaulted investors over the last four years. I could go further back in time to sensationalize the concerns of market participants in the cross hairs of any given moment, but I think the point has been made.
The stock market never looks perfect. There is always something to worry about. That is why they call it climbing the “wall of worry”.
If you are waiting on a specific point of certainty in order to invest, you are going to be the last guy or girl holding the bag before the wheels really come off. There are always going to be wars, elections, corruption, debt cycles, stock upheaval, commodity insecurity, and a whole lot of people who are bigger, faster, and smarter than you are in the market. In addition, there are shifting cross currents that offer little in the way of predictable patterns.
For example, right now the stock market is entirely fixated (read: correlated) with the day to day fluctuation in oil prices. Stocks want a rebound in oil to boost the sickly energy sector, prop up the credit markets, and generally re-initiate a sense of inflation or consumption in the global economy.
Years ago, oil prices were a thorn in the side of stocks. If you saw a 5% jump in overnight crude oil futures, you could pretty much count on a big drop in the stock market. Funny how perceptions change over time and “rules of thumb” seem to disintegrate under differing global circumstances.
This all goes to prove a point. There is no certainty when it comes to investing. There is only process and discipline to guide you through the difficult periods. Much of that discipline may involve tuning out the noise of the media that is constantly focusing on short-term themes or sensationalist headlines. They aren’t intentionally trying to hurt or persuade investors down any particular path. They are just motivated by different forces than we are.
Is the stock market rigged? Maybe. Probably even. But it’s the best system we have and it’s continued to multiply the wealth of methodical investors for many generations.
There are going to be periods of turbulence that test the resolve of even the most ardent buy and holder or battle-hardened trader. However, it’s imperative that you lean even further on your specific philosophy during those tumultuous days to achieve a successful outcome.
For me that means taking a balanced approach that pairs multiple asset classes together to smooth out volatility. This includes a stringent focus on security selection and structural asset class combinations to ensure risks are matched appropriately. In addition, I have the flexibility to shift the portfolio to fresh themes in order to take advantage of new opportunities or pair back on areas showing undo stress.
I know that many investors have been chasing their tails with individual stocks or sectors and trying to divine the next big trend. However, in my opinion this type of environment is more conducive to avoiding those hit-or-miss propositions by committing to broad-based ETFs showing lower volatility or relative strength versus their peers.
Put it this way – your ego wants you to own Facebook and Google so you can brag about it on the golf course or over the water cooler at work. Of course, that probably means you own Twitter and Yahoo as well (we’ll just keep those quiet).
On the flip side, your spouse wants you to own a nice slug of diversified bonds alongside some conservative stocks. It’s not sexy, but it is a big stress reducer overall and will likely keep you from making rash decisions at inopportune times.
Investing in uncertain times
History tells us Its time in the markets not timing the markets which produces long term gains.