Tag Archives: market dynamics
A Conundrum in a Different Key
Volatility, dispersion, and correlation are elements of what we’ve elsewhere characterized as The Active Manager’s Conundrum. Active managers should prefer: Low volatility, which is typically associated with higher returns High dispersion, which means a larger payoff for correct stock selections High correlation, which reduces the opportunity cost of a concentrated portfolio The conundrum arises because…
- Categories S&P 500 & DJIA, Strategy, Thematics
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- S&P 500 & DJIA, Strategy, Thematics
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Remarkably Unremarkable
In geopolitical terms 2016 was a tumultuous year. From the outcome of the Brexit referendum to the surprising conclusion of the U.S. presidential election, 2016 was a year of political surprises. The markets, braced or not, reacted differently in each case. We saw heightened correlation in the aftermath of Brexit and observed higher dispersion immediately…
- Categories Equities, Uncategorized
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Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
This coming Sunday, December 4, 2016, a constitutional referendum will take place and the citizens of Italy will decide on a proposal by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi that, if passed, would mean major changes to Italy’s legislative system. The Prime Minister has stated his intent to resign if the “No” camp triumphs. The political stakes…
- Categories Equities, Uncategorized
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Quiet Before the Storm
Quiet Before the Storm? Global markets seemingly remain unperturbed—despite homing in on Election Day in the U.S. Although dispersion ticked up globally from September month-end levels, it is still sitting at below average levels as of October 31 in the U.S. Similarly, correlation is also well below average. Together these coordinates are pointing to particularly…
- Categories Equities
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Calm After the Storm
The dispersion-correlation map helps us to understand the dynamics of market volatility better. Last month we observed high levels of correlation in markets across the globe following the unexpected results of the Brexit referendum. High correlation levels can be a reflection of market fragility. However, as current dispersion and correlation levels indicate, the heightened readings…
- Categories Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA
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The Current Dispersion-Correlation Map …and Brexit
As an exercise in understanding market volatility, we recently introduced the dispersion-correlation map to see how volatility manifests in dispersion and correlation. We saw very high levels of correlation at the beginning of January for both the S&P 500 and S&P Europe 350; the S&P Pan Asia BMI also sat at above average correlation then….
- Categories Equities
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- Equities
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