Archives

Please enter a search term

EU Farmer tractor revolts
Alternative Investment Strategy

The Tractor Revolt: Farmers Push Back Against EU Green Regulations

In a scene reminiscent of the French Revolution, angry mobs descended upon the capital in tractors. Wait, tractors?! Farmers across the European Union (EU), upset by new environmental regulations, flexed their political muscles by demonstrating that limits exist to the “green” mandates passed by government bureaucrats in Brussels. Taking a page from climate protestors, farmers […]

light tubes
Alternative Investment Strategy

Beyond Traditional Hedges: When Gold, Bitcoin Join the Market Melt-Up

Headlines trumpet the stock market gains driven by the “AI Revolution,” but there is company at the top as gold, Bitcoin, and cocoa also hit their peaks. Many would say this is a validation of a buy-and-hold strategy. Typically associated with equity markets and not commodities, bitcoin holders and gold bugs might argue that it […]

Alternative Investment Strategy

The Importance of Diversification in Portfolio Construction

“A portfolio where everything goes up together is a bad portfolio,” a wise man once told me. Increasingly, this point seems lost on investors who seem to buy every stock market dip with positive results. Much like the Thanksgiving turkey that feels more comfortable with each passing day, the chance of severe loss might get […]

Buildings
Alternative Investment Strategy

The Unraveling Real Estate Landscape

In a July 2023 blog post entitled Real Estate Trends in a Post-Pandemic World, we discussed the potential trajectory of real estate, particularly commercial real estate. As expected, the outlook for office space and other properties is tumbling. While that article mainly focused on supply and demand as work-from-home trends took over and interest rates […]

Bull crossing the road in Salta, Argentina
Alternative Investment Strategy

Argentina’s Economic Experiment: A Radical Shift Towards Stability or Chaos?

Argentinians have spoken, and their message to the government seems clear: they are sick of lurching from inflation crisis to inflation crisis. As is often the case, currency debasement affects the countries that can least borrow or print their way out of it the most. Argentina earned this skepticism with a 200% inflation rate in […]

red green lights
Alternative Investment Strategy

Financial Resolutions in the Election Year: A 2023 Market Recap and Insights for 2024

Much like weight loss or finding more time to read, including financial planning in your resolutions for 2024 is a great idea. It is an election year in the United States, which means we will see a lot of promises. If history is an indicator, there will be a positive return for the S&P. Twenty-four […]

cocoa
Alternative Investment Strategy

The Sweet Dilemma of 2024: The Rising Costs and Complexities of the Chocolate Industry

While grocery prices grab the headlines, chocolate might be the story of 2024. The standout trend of 2023 was one that most people overlooked in their day-to-day lives. Cocoa futures surged over 70%1 for the year, and this rally2 seems to have staying power. Smaller trend managers benefited from seizing this opportunity, unlike larger programs […]

stairs
Uncategorized

Navigating Economic Crossroads: A Closer Look at the Unconventional Path

In the famous Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken,” two paths diverged, and he took the one less traveled. We can look at charts of the US economy and compare them to previous periods to see that so far, we are taking the less traveled path as well. It makes all the difference. Despite […]

Cboe Mini VIX
Alternative Investment Strategy

Mini-VIX: A Game Changer

The VIX, or Volatility Index, is one of the most frequently mentioned acronyms in financial news. This prominence is well-justified, given that the VIX serves as a crucial indicator of market risk and is instrumental to the pricing of options, which exerts a profound impact across the financial landscape. Furthermore, trading activity related to the […]

Advisor Commentary

Cargo Collapse Chronicles: Navigating the Economic Storm through Freight Industry Signals

Economists often look for the proverbial “canaries in the coal mine” to predict where we head next. Specific areas of the economy tend to presage slowing growth earlier than others. The shipping of materials from one place to another is one such area. A supply chain is either gearing up for future sales or reducing […]

Wheat
Advisor Commentary

Ag Market Update: Wheat Prices Drop, China Becomes Top Wheat Importer, and Soybean Complex Dynamics

Commentary provided by Chad Burlet of Third Street AG Investments For corn and soybeans, it was a quiet harvest month as far as prices were concerned. Futures contracts for both crops had only 5-7% trading ranges and settled within 1% of where they were a month ago. The U.S. harvest is progressing well, with both crops ahead […]

Up Down Arrows
Alternative Investment Strategy

Where Will the Money Come From? The Growing Debt Dilemma in Developed Economies

“When low-income countries get into debt distress, it’s associated with protracted recessions, high inflation, and fewer resources going to essential sectors like health, education, and social safety nets, with a disproportionate impact on the poor” – World Bank.  It is no secret that developed countries spent trillions to insulate themselves from the effects of the […]

Tail
Alternative Investment Strategy

Looming Financial Challenges Facing Americans Amidst Government Shutdown Threats and Inflation

As we approach another government shutdown here in the United States, another segment of the population is also navigating a challenging path. Dwindling savings, exacerbated by record inflation, is depleting their spending power. It is important to note that they have not actually stopped spending yet, but they ran out of surplus funds months ago, […]

[Page 2 of 81 ]