Stocks dropped 10% over a four-week period in February and March. As is usually the case, the performance of bonds didn’t capture quite as many headlines. But their behavior as equities sank is worth examining – especially by investors who don’t know about the benefits of distressed bonds.
Mutual fund cash levels have historically been one of the best contrarian indicators of where the market is headed… one that’s still well worth tracking today. And right now, asset managers are holding their lowest levels of cash in history – meaning they think the market is headed higher.
Today we’re turning over the entire issue to readers. Over the last few weeks, Porter has written about a few topics that have generated more feedback than usual – on distressed investing, Trump’s economic policies, and more… Plus, some fishing photos.
Devastating as the recent stock market decline is – particularly after two straight years of 20%+ returns – a real downturn in the financial markets feels a whole lot worse, says our Director of High Yield Marty Fridson. The late 1970s/early 1980s was a bond market apocalypse, he says.
Since we recommended this company’s bond a year ago, the company has improved its performance, and the bond, still a year out from maturity, is trading near face value, having increased in price by 24%. This month, we are adding the shares to the portfolio.
Best known as a master in the field of high-yield bonds, today Marty Fridson shares insight into how he selects distressed equities – which are helping drive the total return of his Distressed Investing advisory higher.
Bond investors can earn even more than stock investors during market panics – while taking far less risk. And we might be close to a market panic…
Porter responds to readers’ investment mistakes – from scams to stupidity to a lack of patience. He offers a solution and makes one reader a (very) generous offer.
This article will show you exactly how to beat the stock market, by a wide margin, by using corporate bonds. In fact, Porter writes, most people should not buy stocks at all…
Tight credit isn’t the only factor driving the Distress Ratio’s rise and fall. But it’s a powerful one that’s likely to keep making it harder for struggling companies to refinance their maturing debt in coming months. It all adds up to a likelihood that distressed-debt investors will have a significantly wider array of bonds to choose from before very long.