THE MARKETS
It seems hard to believe that it was 10 years ago that we
entered the new millennium. The world has certainly changed over
that time.
The last decade began with the twin shocks of the unwinding of
the tech stock bubble and the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
Ironically, the unwinding of another bubble (housing) and
additional terrorist attacks are still with us as we enter a new
decade.
In the stock market, the 2000s were a disappointment. Stocks
traded on the New York Stock Exchange lost an average of about 0.3%
per year including dividends, which made the 2000s the worst decade
in nearly 200 years of record keeping, according to data compiled
by Yale University finance professor William Goetzmann. By
contrast, gold, which was hardly even talked about in 2000, was the
best-performing asset over the decade as it rose an average of more
than 14% per year. During the 1990s, gold lost an average
of 3% per year, according to The Wall Street Journal. What
a difference a decade makes!
On the bright side, we ended 2009 on a major upswing as the
S&P 500 index rose more than 23% for the year and a staggering
65% from its March 9 low, according to data from Yahoo! Finance.
Treasury securities, by contrast, ended 2009 with a loss of 3.5%,
according to Bloomberg. In 2008, the tables were turned as the
S&P 500 index declined 38% while Treasuries
rose 14%.
What will the next decade look like? Of course, nobody knows,
but it's reasonable to think that we'll see some surprises - both
good and bad. No matter what happens, we'll be doing our best to
grow and protect your assets.
|
Data as of
12/31/09
|
1-Week
|
Y-T-D
|
1-Year
|
3-Year
|
5-Year
|
10-Year
|
|
Standard & Poor's 500 (Domestic Stocks)
|
-1.0%
|
23.5%
|
23.5%
|
-7.7%
|
-1.7%
|
-2.7%
|
|
DJ Global ex US (Foreign Stocks)
|
0.7
|
39.7
|
39.7
|
-6.0
|
3.4
|
0.5
|
|
10-year Treasury Note (Yield Only)
|
3.8
|
N/A
|
2.2
|
4.7
|
4.2
|
6.4
|
|
Gold (per ounce)
|
-0.5
|
26.9
|
26.9
|
20.2
|
20.3
|
14.3
|
|
DJ-UBS Commodity Index
|
0.8
|
18.7
|
18.7
|
-5.8
|
-0.9
|
4.2
|
|
DJ Equity All REIT TR Index
|
-2.6
|
28.5
|
28.5
|
-12.2
|
0.5
|
11.0
|
Notes: S&P 500, DJ Global ex US,
Gold, DJ-UBS Commodity Index returns exclude reinvested dividends
(gold does not pay a dividend) and the three-, five-, and 10-year
returns are annualized; the DJ Equity All REIT TR Index does
include reinvested dividends and the three-, five-, and 10-year
returns are annualized; and the 10-year Treasury Note is simply the
yield at the close of the day on each of the historical time
periods. Sources: Yahoo! Finance, Barron's, djindexes.com, London
Bullion Market Association. Past performance is no guarantee of
future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested
into directly. N/A means not applicable or not available.
"EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY," according to the old
saying and the dogs of 2008 certainly had their day (or year) in
2009.
Bespoke Investment Group looked at the 50 worst performing
stocks in the S&P 500 index in 2008 and discovered that they
rose on average 101% in 2009. Conversely, the 50 best performing
stocks in 2008 rose on average only 9% in 2009. Here's an
interesting question. Let's say it's January 1, 2008 and you just
happened to buy 100 stocks that day from the S&P 500 list and
50 of them turned out to be the 50 worst performers for the year
and the other 50 turned out to be the 50 best performers for the
year. If you bought and held those 100 stocks, which basket - the
50 worst from 2008 that turned out to be the best in 2009 or the 50
best from 2008 that underperformed in 2009 - would leave you with
the most money at the end of 2009?
Remember, the 50 worst stocks from 2008 rose 101% in 2009 while
the 50 best from 2008 rose only 9% in 2009. Do you have your guess
as to which basket performed the best over the two-year period?
And, the answer is… we don't know. However, we can make an
informed observation.
In 2008, the 15 worst stocks lost at least 87%, according to
Bespoke Investment Group. This means that the stock that lost 87%
in 2008 would still be down about 74% at the end of 2009 if it rose
the average 101% in 2009 (e.g., a $100 stock that loses 87% is
worth $13; if it rises 101%, it is worth only about $26 at the end
of year two). By contrast, the 15 best performing stocks in 2008
rose at least 11%. This means that the stock that rose 11% in 2008
would sport a two-year gain of about 21% if it rose the average 9%
in 2009.
So, just looking at the 15 best and worst stocks from 2008, it
appears that the 15 best stocks from 2008 would still be far ahead
of the 15 worst stocks over the 2008-2009 period.
This highlights the point that dramatic losses are difficult to
recover from and that's why it is so important to focus on risk
management.
Weekly Focus - Think About It
"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put
words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its
first chapter is New Year's Day."
--Edith Lovejoy Pierce
For your convenience the sources have
been listed below:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870416210457463024243274552...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870348360457462977056644179...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870478620457460799344891671...
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=awoGuEcrPK2k&po...
http://seekingalpha.com/article/112981-s-p-s-best-and-worst-of-2008
http://www.bespokeinvest.com/bespoke/2009/12/the-worst-of-08-have-been-t...
