ACM InvestEd – Vidcast Series

The price of gold has been moving upward, hitting a new one-year high this month. So, is now the time to ask – Should I invest in gold or look for a better long-term investment?

Weak market periods and low investment returns.

2022 was a year of dramatic selloffs in both the stock and bond markets. Bonds, hit by extraordinary losses at a level not seen since 1842, failed to offset the stock market’s painful 18.1% decline.

While investors focus on recession, interest rates, and inflation, there may be a more concerning issue for the long-term investor. What if we are heading into an extended period of weak market returns?

In our latest InvestEd video, Mark Armbruster, CFA, and Chris Cebula, CPA, discuss the current economic environment and academic research to explore the possibility of persistent low returns and provide some ideas on portfolio resiliency in weak market periods.

When will we see a return to a bull market in 2023? It might not be tomorrow but there may be signs of hope. There are reasons to be optimistic, including stock market valuations. The CAPE ratio currently stands at 28 for the overall U.S. stock market. It is still well ahead of the longer-term average of 17, but down considerably from its high of 38 late last year.

What if we are heading into an extended period of weak market returns? In our latest InvestEd video, Mark Armbruster, CFA, and Chris Cebula, CPA, discuss the current economic environment and academic research to explore the possibility of persistent low returns and provide some ideas on portfolio resiliency in weak market periods.

Investors are asking how to invest during inflation? There are economic experts who currently have strong opinions about inflation like Larry Summers and Nouriel Roubini, but even they can’t predict the future. So how can you protect your future investment returns in a high inflationary environment? In this ACM InvestED episode, we’re going to discuss inflation, which is currently at 40-year high. We’ll also talk about its potential impact on your investment portfolio, and how to react as an investor or perhaps why you shouldn’t overreact.

In today’s market the riskiest investments seem to keep going up. Stocks sporting huge valuations like Tesla (TLSA) and Rivian (RIVN), cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), and SPACs garner a lot of attention, and they have made a lot of money. However, historically this type of investing has ultimately resulted in steep losses. Stock market valuations and fundamentals still matter, even though they may seem quaint at times.

In our latest VidCast, Mark Armbruster, CFA discusses current market valuation, possible expectations for future returns, and why valuation is still very relevant.

Our latest InvestEd Vidcast discusses the current economic environment and thoughts about inflation, economist Nouriel Roubini and stagflation, and Larry Summer’s secular stagnation. While somewhat mutually exclusive, all three are possible in the coming years. None appear to be too rosy for investors and the stock market. We discuss each scenario and how to invest through what could be a challenging economic cycle.

What do SPACs , NFTs, cryptocurrency , shortsqueeze, meme stocks, and WD-40 have in common? What could Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), or even Shiba Inu (SHIB) and household brand WD-40 possibly have in common? Join Mark Armbruster, CFA and Christopher Cebula, CPA in the latest ACM InvestEd VidCast to find out.

There are worrisome signs about inflation these days, but it is impossible to know for sure if it is coming. It is also very hard to hedge and can be costly if you are wrong. What about inflation protection by holding real assets such as commodities, gold, inflation-protected bonds or even real estate? Should we accept that inflation will be part of the investment experience, even if it causes some short-term disruptions? Join Mark Armbruster, CFA and Chris Cebula as they discuss the GDP, US debt, housing and consumer prices, and investing in times of inflation in the latest from the ACM InvestEd VidCast Series.

Factor investing is an investment approach that is deeply rooted in academic research. Using factors in investment portfolios can help dampen volatility, improve diversification and investment results. Join Armbruster Capital’s Mark Armbruster, CFA and special guest, Alex Botte CFA, CAIA from Two Sigma, as they discuss the attributes of factor investing in the latest from the ACM InvestEd VidCast Series. Learn what a factor is, how it relates to portfolio risk, and how it can improve portfolio construction. Warning – we got a little carried away and went over our typical ten minutes or less threshold.

Is the growth to value stock market rotation just around the corner? Among the hot IPOs and the soaring technology stocks, there are still some underappreciated segments of the stock market that can be bought at reasonable prices, and there’s no flashing blue light to point out these stocks, but there’s an opportunity that could protect capital and also generate significant returns in the decade to come and avoid another “Lost Decade” of portfolio performance. Learn about the “Blue Light Specials” in value stocks.

Quantitative factor analysis of ARKK ETF. In our latest ACM InvestEd VidCast we discuss the ARK Innovation Fund (ticker: ARKK) and it’s incredible price trajectory and increase in assets under management (AUM) during 2020. By examining factor exposures using the Fama French 5 factor model, Mark Armbruster, CFA and guest John Lyon, CFA try to break down Cathie Wood’s ARKK secret sauce, determine the drivers of the fund’s current rock star status, and what the future might hold.

2020 Election vs the Stock Market – The question on everyone’s mind: How will the 2020 presidential election outcome impact investors and the stock market. Join us as Mark Armbruster, CFA & Chris Cebula, CPA discuss the subject – Regardless of who wins the election, should investors be concerned?

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a government-forced shutdown of much of the economy, and subsequently, very large government stimulus packages from nations worldwide. This has amounted to trillions of dollars being pumped into the economy, including $6 trillion in the U.S. alone. Worse, this comes on the heels of massive government spending to help bail out the economy after the 2008 financial crisis, much of which is still sloshing around the global economy.
Many economists fear all this excess liquidity will result in rapid inflation in the years to come. Popular wisdom suggests that gold is a reliable hedge against inflation, and the price of gold has indeed risen recently. We’ve recently fielded a number of questions about gold investments. In our latest ACM VidCast, Mark Armbruster, CFA & Christopher Cebula, CPA, take a look at the merits of gold investments.

Here’s today’s dirty little secret that no one wants to talk about: Like Warren Buffett, your investment portfolio is likely underperforming the market this year. Worse, you are probably lagging behind school-aged day traders on Robinhood. Why is that?

What do Sir Isaac Newton and the Kodak (KODK) traders on the Robinhood platform have in common? Join us as we explore the power of investor emotions and the fear of missing out (FOMO) over the commonsense of investment fundamentals.

Apple reported their quarterly earnings last week, and as part of the announcement, they declared a 4-for-1 stock split to be effective August 31st of this year. What does this mean for investors?

In today’s ultra-low interest rate environment, it’s tempting for investors to take additional risk to generate the income they need from their portfolios. While that may seem like a rational response to today’s economic realities, there are too many pitfalls with this approach, and focusing on…

’ve seen a lot of craziness. Just five stocks now account for over 20% of the entire market value of the S&P 500. There’s irrational trading in stocks of bankrupt companies. There’s a lot of highly speculative trading going on by uninformed investors. Interestingly, these are all hallmarks of the 1990s as well when…

The golden age of fixed income is over. That means we have to rethink portfolio management and risk control. The days when investors could rely on traditional bonds as safe, income-producing securities that hedge equity risk and deliver returns that keep pace with inflation are …

Behind the scenes at ACM – We firmly believe that management and custody should always be separated as a safeguard for clients. Many of you may recall Bernie Madoff, who ran one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in investment history…

We’re here today to discuss value investing and what could turn out to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for investors. Value investing is simply trying to buy stocks that are cheap relative to their intrinsic value. Tesla is clearly a growth stock with accelerating sales and growing market share…

The core promise underlying active management is that smart, hard-working investment managers with cutting-edge technology can outperform the overall stock market by actively buying and selling stocks or other investments. Although it seems intuitive that this approach would produce positive results, the evidence indicates…

We’ve been thinking lately about inflation. It hasn’t been a big factor in the economy in many years, but the topic seems relevant lately with all the government stimulus programs that have recently been announced…

We just finished up the most volatile quarter ever for the stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is currently down 24% from its high, but it is also 20% above its recent low, which I think…