Some words from Engage MD during the Coronavirus Pandemic...
In the current climate I feel it’s appropriate and hopefully helpful to give some of my thoughts on the current volatility that is affecting the global stock markets. You will have no doubt read some of the alarmist headlines stating that billions has been wiped off of global markets. Whilst this is true, the headlines are designed to provoke fear and panic because, unfortunately, bad news sells. The reason for this uncertainty is because of the Coronavirus.
The past few weeks have seen a very quick sell-off in stock markets around the globe which means values in our portfolios have temporarily declined. Our message remains the same. Markets go up and down and whilst right now this feels scary and uncertain, we will get through this. I don’t know when or at what point but this isn’t going to be the end of life as we know it.
There are likely to be further bumps in the road over the coming months. The slowdown in economies when they practise social distancing will hurt the earnings of the companies people invest in. However, life will return to normal and people will continue to demand the stuff that these big companies are selling. As an example, after September 11th 2001 there was a huge global slowdown as the world took in the terrible events in New York. Flights were halted, stock markets closed and trade shuddered to a halt with people fearful of other attacks. Then, slowly but surely, people returned to their normal lives and the world moved forward. We will move forward from this too.
Our portfolios are designed with individual plans in mind and so will not see the full volatility of the above in many instances, but we know our clients may be uncomfortable with the level of swings we are seeing. It’s worth reiterating that we are globally diverse, sector diverse and have sizable percentages in bonds which dampen the volatility.
We take the responsibility of being the custodian of our clients’ wealth extremely seriously and it is not lost on us that now can feel anxious and scary. That is very normal and is a rational response to what we are seeing and hearing. We are available to speak to and to provide reassurance and comfort should you want or need it at any time. As I have talked about previously, there are opportunities to be had in this market, it is essentially a discount on some of the best companies in the world (Apple, Google, Amazon etc). Investing is for the medium to long-term and staying the course is difficult but important. Stock markets reward the patient and the diligent, it’s simple but we know it’s not easy.
To finish I will provide a link to an excellent TED talk I watched yesterday from Professor David Heymann on what we do and don’t know about the virus and a link to a brilliant article on investing.
Please stay safe, practise social distancing where possible and feel free to get in touch at any time.
https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2020/03/the-one-guarantee-in-the-stock-market/