So far this year, the Freedom Capital Advisors LOWS portfolio has slightly underperformed the S&P 500 Index (+4.7% vs. +8.5%) as of May 24th.
Our outlook still remains cautious on the overall market and we continue to look for value opportunities.
Volatility
This market requires patience because fewer stocks than usual are participating in this rally, and many non-participants have been hammered hard.
This factor, combined with the record low levels of volatility, creates an environment where investors need to carefully weigh the risk vs. the reward of each situation as well as the overall balance in the account.
Gold
We view gold and gold stocks as hedges against any unforeseen events and we continue to believe they are cheap at current levels.
We are confident gold exposure is essential to keeping balance in these unprecedented times.
We manage our money based on the opportunities that arise in every market cycle and prudently focus on what makes sense to us at each stage.
We view the small under-performance this year as a short-term blip that will correct when the markets return back to historical norms.
Photo Credit: oatsy40 via Flickr Creative Commons
