Bloomberg (February 8, 2012)
Larry Fink, the CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock Inc. (BLK), has provocative advice for investors. He’s bullish on the economic outlook and urges investors to take advantage of ultra-low equity valuations. According to Bloomberg, Fink believes “investors should have 100 percent of investments in equities because of valuations and higher returns than bonds.”
Tags: BlackRock, Bonds, Bullish, Equities, Larry Fink, Outlook, Valuations
Institutional Investor (February Issue)
A bull market looks set to lift U.S. stocks in 2011. This will not, however, be a “sustained market drive.” One factor is missing: productivity growth. “Strong bull markets are propelled by long-term productivity growth.” The “bullish 1960s and 1990s” prospered on the back “of solid productivity gains.” In contrast, American worker-productivity is in general decline.
A bull market looks set to lift U.S. stocks in 2011. This will not, however, be a “sustained market drive.” One factor is missing: productivity growth. “Strong bull markets are propelled by long-term productivity growth.” The “bullish 1960s and 1990s” prospered on the back “of solid productivity gains.” In contrast, American worker-productivity is in general decline.
Tags: Bull market, Outlook, Productivity gains, U.S.
The Economist (June 10)
Rather than stimulus, G20 leaders are now speaking fiscal restraint. But belt tightening, especially in Europe, could cause the economy to flounder or result in a double dip. The Economist points out, however, that the reality is not as bad as the talk. Much of the belt tightening is minimal and scheduled to begin from 2011. “A calm look at the numbers, then, suggests that the odds of a collective G20 blunder towards recovery-wrecking austerity this year are low.”
Tags: Double-dip, Europe, Outlook, Stimulus, Tightening
