Tag Archives: 2024
Frequent Flyers
Planes are interesting places, airborne aluminum tubes stuffed with strangers from all walks of life, including seatmates prodding with the proverbial ice-breaker, “So, what do you do?” Overhearing many such conversations, I’ve found complicated job descriptions elicit blank stares and subsequently lead to higher-level answers such as “Well, I’m in tech,” or “I work in…
- Categories Equities
- Other Tags
- Categories
- Equities
- Other Tags
The Role of Indices in the Energy Transition Progression – H1 2024 Review
Even though the performance of clean energy-related companies has recently faced some headwinds due to rising interest rates and inflationary pressures, the clean energy industry is still being driven by continuous policy support. As we approach the midpoint of 2024, we wanted to review the S&P Global Clean Energy Index Series rebalance from April and…
- Categories Sustainability, Thematics
- Other Tags
The Quantitative Metrics for Identifying an Economic Moat
In our previous blog, we introduced the newly launched S&P 500® Economic Moat Index by reviewing its methodology, index characteristics and historical performance. In this blog, we will examine the specific quantitative metrics used to identify the companies with the widest economic moats. Furthermore, we will discuss the complementary nature of the metrics, which has…
- Categories Factors
- Other Tags
- Categories
- Factors
- Other Tags
Identifying Economic Moats Using a Quantitative Lens: The S&P 500 Economic Moat Index
Popularized by Warren Buffett, the term economic moat refers to a company’s sustainable competitive advantage that allows it to preserve market share and generate high profits over the long term. In this analogy, companies are compared to medieval castles surrounded by deep and wide moats, which protected the castles from attack. In the same way,…
- Categories Factors
- Other Tags
- Categories
- Factors
- Other Tags
New Bitcoin Indices Doing “Yard Work” in the Spring
In Wall Street parlance, a yard refers to a billion and a buck is a million. You can overhear traders asking questions like, “how many bucks did that trade?” or, “did that company raise a yard?” The crypto space is gathering assets by the yard these days with new product launches by ETF issuers. For…
- Categories Multi-Asset, Thematics
- Other Tags
Current Discounted Valuations & Historical Downside Protection: The S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index
In our last blog, we highlighted the superior long-term performance of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats® versus the S&P Composite 1500®, as well as compared to long-term Treasury bonds and the CPI. In this blog, we will shift our focus to examine the current discounted valuations and enhanced dividend yields of the S&P High…
- Categories Factors
- Other Tags
How Are Some Dividend Growers Outpacing Inflation and the Benchmark?
With the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hovering around 4.5%, investors may be able to find attractive yields without taking on too much risk. The challenge, however, is maintaining purchasing power relative to inflation (USD 1,000 in December 1999 was only worth USD 538 as of March 2024). For those seeking income and total returns that…
- Categories Factors
- Other Tags
Commodities Deliver Double-Digit Returns in the Face of Stubborn Inflation
Commodity markets remain on top of the asset class leader board with inflation drawing the ire of the Fed and other asset classes. The upside surprise in U.S. inflation spotlights the potential benefits of commodities as a diversification tool. The S&P GSCI, the leading indicator of broad commodity performance, has produced double-digit returns in 2024,…
- Categories Commodities
- Other Tags
- Categories
- Commodities
- Other Tags
Turtle Returns: The Hare and the Tortoise
The tale of a footrace between a determined tortoise and a swift but ultimately complacent hare has been with us for a long time. The earliest known version is two and a half thousand years old; it begins with the hare mocking the tortoise’s slow feet, which leads to a challenge and a contest, and…
- Categories Fixed Income
- Other Tags
Energy Pumps up the S&P GSCI and Markets Go Cuckoo for Cocoa
“I think it’s from all those dog-gone cocoa beans. Hey, by the way, did you guys know that chocolate contains a property that triggers the release of endorphins? Gives one the feeling of being in love.” -Willy Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) Inflation presented a direct hit to consumers at the pump, with…
- Categories Commodities
- Other Tags