by Greg Easton | Mar 22, 2019 | All Articles, Greg Easton, MitonOptimal Group, Weekly Comment
This weekly comment is being written from Brazil, an emerging market that we have previously owned in our private client portfolios through the Findlay Park Latin American Fund (now part of the recently established Brown Advisory Latin American Fund) but not one we currently hold. My last visit in 2018 was shortly before the October
by Armin Diem - Fund Manager | Mar 14, 2019 | All Articles, Armin Diem, MitonOptimal Group, Weekly Comment
Last week this commentary wrote about Emerging Markets (EM) represented by the MSCI EM Index and an Emerging Market currency basket and concluded that after years of underperformance, EM equities were looking cheap relative to their own history and relative to developed market equities. In addition, emerging market currencies looked cheap as measured by standard
by Scott Campbell | Mar 7, 2019 | All Articles, MitonOptimal Group, Scott Campbell, Weekly Comment
Since 2011, Emerging Markets (EM) have significantly underperformed the US market. As the following chart of the MSCI EM Index in US Dollar terms shows, however, we may have seen a technical breakout on the price action of EM equities. Having said that, a broad based benchmark may not be the best way of looking
by Oscar de Waal | Feb 28, 2019 | All Articles, MitonOptimal Group, Oscar de Waal, Weekly Comment
This saying is very pertinent in the environment we have at present. Few managers have delivered a positive return above their benchmark over the past three years and it disturbs investors. Advisers and clients alike feel like boxers being punished in a fight with too many rounds, willing the financial underperformance to stop. It is
by Andy Pfaff | Feb 22, 2019 | All Articles, Andy Pfaff, MitonOptimal Group, Weekly Comment
“What are your thoughts on platinum and palladium? Palladium is so overbought it’s ridiculous and I’ve been waiting for a proper correction, but it’s just riding the electric vehicle surge. Do you think a correction is due?” Last week a friend’s son who had recently started work in the investment industry in London asked my
by Simon Sharrott | Feb 14, 2019 | All Articles, MitonOptimal Group, Simon Sharrott, Weekly Comment
During the course of 2018 Jerome Powell, the Fed Chairman, signalled to the market that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) were on a clear rate hiking programme, undertaking four rate hikes during 2018. However, Mr Powell and the FOMC Board’s rhetoric have taken an about turn since the start of 2019, with a far more
