Displaying items by tag: dollar

(New York)

The election couldn’t really be more stressful. Investors are anxious not only on the investment front, but on the personal front as well. With that in mind, here are five stocks that should do well no matter who ends up in the White House: Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Newmont (NEM), SBA Communications (SBAC), Roper Technologies (ROP), and Carlisle (CSL). Two things that seem likely to do well no matter who wins the election are companies which provide COVID tests and gold. COVID testing is an obvious one—there needs to be more COVID tests available, and faster/better quality tests. Abbott Laboratories has a $5 test that gets results in 15 min and are connected to a mobile app. Gold seems equally likely to do well as inflation concerns are rising alongside the weakening Dollar, growing US debt issuance, and slumping oil prices.

FINSUM: We think ETFs covering large sections of companies who will be in COVID testing are a good buy. Gold seems like a smart bet too given the likely growing US debt and weaker Dollar.

(Washington)

The market has been increasingly betting that Biden is going to win the election, but there is still a great deal of uncertainty. The outcomes seem like almost diametrically opposed routes for the country, and accordingly it feels like many asset classes could head in opposite directions depending on the outcome. With that in mind, Savvas Savouri of ToscaFund Asset Management, has published a very interesting and clear diagram explaining how each asset class will react to either a Trump or Biden win (see above). The most interesting thing about this is how similar the response will be across several asset classes. For example, no matter who wins, it appears likely that commodities, gold, US domestic staples, and exporters will gain, while in either scenario, Treasuries, REITs, and the Dollar will lose.

FINSUM: This is an excellent diagram that gives a concise view on how things may change following either a Biden or Trump victory. Two things jump out to us here. Firstly, that tech shares look likely to lose if there is a blue wave; and secondly, that the Dollar is headed down in either outcome, so exporters are likely to do well. It is easy to imagine that a blue wave would result in a broad rally of the S&P 500 that is not led by tech.

(New York)

Gold is having a good year, up almost 10% after a very long bear market. But where might it be headed now that the Fed is likely going to start a cutting cycle? The answer is probably significantly higher. The macro backdrop is perfect for gold—geopolitical tensions are high, there are worries over the domestic and global economy, the Fed is going to be cutting (lower rates are better for zero-yielding gold), and the Dollar is likely to weaken, making gold cheaper for overseas buyers.

FINSUM: We agree all the ingredients are there, but if the Fed starts cutting, it may alleviate a lot of worries about the economy and make risk assets look more favorable.

(Washington)

Goldman Sachs thinks the Dollar might be in a for big surprise. On top of his grumbling about the Fed not lowering rates quickly enough, President Trump has been tweeting about the unfair advantage that other countries have in lowering their value against the Dollar. Trump apparently wants a weak Dollar to help the US compete more effectively in the global economy. Accordingly, Goldman Sachs think there is a good chance that Trump uses some special tool to intervene and weaken the currency, such as through the Treasury department.

FINSUM: This is not as unprecedented as it sounds. Even Powell has said the Treasury is the traditional power in charge of exchange rate policy. This would likely have a big impact on markets.

(New York)

Al the stars are aligning for gold. The metal has been in an epic slump for years. The great post-Crisis recovery has not been so for gold, with the asset falling in value considerably from its Euro crisis-era peak. However, yields are coming down and the threat of recession is rising, both factors which make gold likely to do well. Not only would both factors help gold because of its relationship to interest rates (i.e. the lower the better), but a weaker Dollar also helps overseas buyers of the metal.

FINSUM: The other interesting non-macro factor that may help gold is the recent huge merger of Barrick Gold and Randgold, which consolidates the market and offers a more compelling mining stock to own. It may also put a lid on supply, which could boost prices.