After being invested in banks for most of the year, the portfolio has been moved to a neutral posture.
This is because positive and negative forces balance each other out at the moment.
On the one hand, leading indicators show the economy is accelerating. It is usually best to hold aggressive stocks such as banks during acceleration periods.
On the other hand, the economic acceleration that started in late 2022 has already lasted for more than 1.5 years. As acceleration periods tend to last for 1.5-2 years, the economy might soon start to decelerate.
When it does, stocks will probably head lower. I expect 2025 to be a weak year for the markets. The S&P 500 may well be lower in 2026 than today, I think.
The reason is twofold. First, the US economy is unbalanced. The US is running unsustainable budget deficits, while underlying inflation remains above the Fed’s target.
Second, the US market is unbalanced. “[S]ince the end of March, basically all the gains in the S&P 500 have come from AI stocks and AI-adjacent stocks,“ notes the Financial Times. “Imagine Nvidia cutting its outlook for revenue.”
www.ft.com/content/5fc2b95b-ebf3-4dfb-8a86-364d88d08044
I’m not ready to turn outright bearish on the market yet. A turning point in economic momentum is yet to be confirmed. The AI mania may continue, in which case stocks could rally into the year end. I see risks as balanced both ways, so I continue to be invested in stocks, but with a somewhat reduced risk level compared to earlier this year.
2024 performance
@triangulacapital +22.9%
$SWDA.L +11.7%
Portfolio changes
Positions were opened in Anheuser Busch, Accor, Stellantis, Siemens, ISS and WPP.