After the initial “Trump rally” in the aftermath of the election the markets have really just been chopping along. There has not been much for us to write about. There has been plenty of politics, of course, but as our long-time clients and readers know, I try to stay out of that as much as I can.
The problem with our modern politics is that we are so divided. People no longer see political disagreements for what they are: two different views on how to solve a problem. They see them as black and white, good vs. evil. They see themselves in a struggle against some evil empire. No matter which side one is on they believe it to be the good side, and the other is the dark side.
Most of the time, if I do delve into this world of politics it is to remind our clients that this view is over-simplified and that we can’t allow our political views to hurt our long-term investment results. Most of the time.
But, today is different. We are a nation divided, and sometimes one must make a stand. He must stand up for what is right and against that which is evil. You have probably figured out by now that I speak of something far more important than mere politics. I’m talking about the Super Bowl!
Let’s face it: there is no middle ground. You are either a fan of the Evil Empire, aka the New England Patriots, or you have goodness in your soul. You either worship the Emperor (Bill Belichick) and his apprentice Darth Vader (Tom Brady), or you hate them and the evil for which they stand. You either think they are geniuses whose defensive schemes are always a step ahead, and whose passes are so perfectly thrown that the laundry list of re-tread receivers can catch pass after pass after pass due to the rebirth of having Brady, I mean Vader, as their quarterback…
Or, you understand what it means to steal play calls, and the more plausible explanation for receivers who failed to be able to catch fully inflated balls at their previous stops suddenly being able to grab every super soft pass thrown by the Lord of Darkness. You either believe in the old baseball saying, “If you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying,” or you are a fan of any NFL franchise not named the “Patriots.” After all, one man’s patriot is another man’s enemy.
What bearing does all of this have on your investment portfolio? Everything! It is a well-known fact (okay, actually it is more of a myth – but let’s not split hairs about alternative facts) that the stock market goes up when the NFC champion wins, and it goes down when the AFC champion wins. So, in the completely biased opinion of your investment adviser: If you wish for your portfolio to Rise Up in 2017, then we all need to be united. Everyone who is a fan of any NFL team not located in some general multi-state region; everyone who plays by the rules; everyone who believes in the good side of the force; and most importantly for our purposes, everyone who wishes 2017 to be a good year for their investments: Stand together. For as my city’s most famous citizen once said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” We must unite and Rise Up for the power of good to overcome evil.
Go Falcons!! Beat the Patriots!
Warm Regards,
Chuck Osborne, CFA
Managing Director