60% stocks, 40% bonds? Ha!
So much for the conventional wisdom of the “balanced portfolio”
by Bob Stokes
Updated: December 06, 2022
In his February 2022 book, Last Chance to Conquer the Crash, Robert Prechter said:
Countless advisors have counseled "diversification," a "balanced portfolio" and other end-all solutions to the problem of allocating your investments. These approaches are delusional... No investment strategy will provide stability forever.
That certainly has applied to the classic 60% stocks / 40% bonds portfolio this year.
On Oct. 14, a Reuters headline said:
'60/40' Portfolios Are Facing Worst Returns in 100 Years: BofA
Of course, everyone knows that stocks are risky, but many investors expect bonds to provide a cushion in case equities slide into a downtrend. And, indeed, the stock market has been trending lower since January.
But bond prices have taken a hit, too. A BIG one. As you probably know, bonds prices decline when yields rise and that's what's taken place.
You may find it hard to believe, but Elliott wave patterns and sentiment readings in the bond markets warned of this. For example, our July 2021 Elliott Wave Theorist showed this chart and said:
U.S. Treasury bill rates have edged closer and closer to zero for over a year. The complacency about the nonexistent T-bill yield in the face of unprecedented inflating by the government and the Fed is truly amazing... The Fed's cavalier inflating is borne of optimism... When optimism and complacency finally melt like popsicles in the sun, the lines in [the chart] will turn up.
During that same month / year (July 2021), The New York Times ran this headline:
Federal Reserve Officials Project Rate Increases in 2023 [emphasis added]
This next chart of the 6-month U.S. Treasury bill yield, which published in our Nov. 18, 2022 Elliott Wave Theorist, shows what we all know: Rates began to turn up more than a year before 2023 and then soared higher.
The question now is: What's next?
Elliott wave analysis answered this question before, and it can help you answer it now.
Get our updated outlook for bonds, stocks, gold, silver, the U.S. dollar, the U.S. economy and more as you follow the link below.
You Can See the Elliott Waves Unfold in Major U.S. Financial Markets
That's right -- the chart patterns of stocks, bonds, the greenback, gold and silver -- are all telling a story that you need to know.
Anticipate high-confidence turns in these markets -- before they happen!
The just-published December Elliott Wave Financial Forecast helps you do just that.
Follow the link below to learn more now.
The Treasury Bond: We Forecast the Turn From a 12-Year Low (plus what followed)
October 2022 saw a huge turn in Treasury Bonds. The turbulence since then includes the banking sector crisis. See our forecast on the day of this pivotal juncture -- plus what exactly what our Short Term Update has said in the time since.
Wheat Had the Ultimate Bullish Boost – War! So Why Did It Go Bust Instead?
When Russia invaded Ukraine, news stories said "no end in sight" to the spike in wheat prices. Yet prices soon went bust. Why? See the contrary chart and commentary we showed Commodity Pro Service subscribers.
PTPC: The Stock Market is Riskier Than Economists Realized
Everyone knows financial markets are risky. But just how risky are they? Economists thought they knew, but it turns out that they had underestimated market risk by several orders of magnitude. Discover why and learn about a perspective that can help you get a better grasp on risks in the markets and everyday life.
by LiveHelpNow!