Takeaway: Low-beta continues to beat high-beta. We're sticking with the call.

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Why We're Sticking With Low-Beta - Growth cartoon 06.03.2015

WHILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE EVERYONE ON OLD WALL TV NAILS IT

...in Dow Bro terms every time the Fed is forced to pivot back to dovish on #GrowthSlowing data, your returns have been higher being longer of Long-term Bonds, Utilities, REITS, and Gold.

That’s right. Both the absolute and relative returns are higher, but so are the risk adjusted (volatility adjusted) payouts. Not to be mistaken for “bad (data) = good” weeks,  on days (like today) when bad = bad, Down Rates, Down SP500 happens.

Another way to express a lower-volatility, higher return portfolio in 2016 has been buying low beta, safe-yielding, stocks. If you look at the mean performance of the top quintile vs. bottom quintile of SP500 companies, here’s that story:

  1. Low-Beta Stocks were up +2.3% last week to +11.8% YTD
  2. High-Beta Stocks were up +0.8% last week to +6.2% YTD

Again. You get it. Everyone was a winner last week, but being long High-Beta lost to those of us who are long Low-Beta. This is called making a conscious portfolio bet that #GrowthSlowing will pay-out Low-Beta, as an investing Style Factor, over the sexier stuff.