October 05, 2017

October 2017 Investor Letter

October 05, 2017/ Brian Delaney

Strategy Performance

Investment Philosophy and Approach

The Active Asset Allocator investment strategy is designed to deliver a consistent level of positive returns over time with a strong focus on capital preservation. I follow a multi-asset investment approach, actively allocating between global equities, bonds, precious metals, currencies and cash. I always invest with the primary trend of the market and do not follow a benchmark. Instead, I manage the market risk for clients. This strategy has returned +10% per annum net of fees since inception with a lower level of risk than the average multi-asset fund. My active asset allocation approach is best illustrated in the following chart.

Gold Trader focuses on capturing the strongest and weakest parts of gold's daily cycle, buying daily cycle lows, selling daily cycle highs and holding for 10-20 trading days, depending on the cycle count. This approach allows me to effectively manage risk. The strategy aims to capture +5%-6% profit per trade while risking 2%-3% each time and has a win rate in excess of 70%.

Executive Summary

The stock market continues to climb higher on record low volatility. If this trend continues, European stocks will break out above 17 year resistance levels to new all time highs. If this breakout occurs (and holds), the Active Asset Allocator will take a position in European shares. The risk will be modest. Above 400-415 on the Eurostoxx 600 Index and I am a buyer. A meaningful close back below 400 and I will close or significantly reduce the position. I will let the charts be my guide. Apart from valuation concerns, stocks continue to exhibit bullish characteristics. I have pointed out a few areas of concern in recent Investor Letters, including a decline in the number of stocks making new highs versus new lows and have highlighted another area of potential weakness/divergence in this month's investment update. It is worthy of continued observation in the months ahead. For now, Active Asset Allocator maintains an allocation of 20% global equities / 20% EU government bonds / 15% inflation linked bonds / 5% EU aggregate bonds / 30% precious metals / 10% cash.

Turning to precious metals, Sprott Asset Management has agreed to acquire the common shares of Central Fund of Canada Limited (CFCL) and the rights to administer and manage CFCL’s assets. Upon completion of the transaction, all CFCL Class A shares will be exchanged for units in a new Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust. US$300 million in value is expected to be realized for CFCL class A shareholders, relative to 9% pre-announcement net asset value (“NAV”) discount. Good news for existing holders of Central Fund of Canada shares. The 7-9% discount has reduced to 2% and will be eliminated once the deal closes. Also please note, a Gold Trader performance update will follow shortly.

Finally, for the history buffs amongst you, I posted an article in the Research section of the website entitled "The 1929 Parallel", written by John Kenneth Galbraith and published in the January 1987 issue of The Atlantic Magazine. The article is interesting both for its content and the timeliness of its publication in January 1987.

Stock Market Update

“The combination of central banker-applied brute force (buying everything in sight) and deity-like central banker pronouncements has dampened market volatility and frisky free-lancing, but at the same time it has encouraged risk taking (in market positioning, not it business formation). We have thought, and still think, that confidence in central banks and policymakers has been unjustified and thus could erode or collapse at any time. Since the major financial institutions which comprise the financial system are still way overleveraged and opaque (in fact with record amounts of debt and derivatives at present), such a break in confidence could happen abruptly and without warning. Investors should come to grips, intellectually and viscerally, with the likelihood that most fiscal and monetary policymakers’ knowlege of the world is somewhere between “close to nothing” and “way less than zero,” and that their pronouncements and policies usually range from “silly but harmless” to “dumb and dangerous.”

— Paul Singer, Elliott Capital Management

Paul Singer, who runs one of the world's largest and most successful hedge funds, is certainly no fan of central bankers and the controlling influence they exert over financial markets, that's for sure...... and who could blame him. Since the start of 2016, the ECB has expanded its balance sheet by 57% or €1.55 trillion. They are adding another €250 billion in 2017. Not to be outdone, the Bank of Japan has expanded its balance sheet by 34% to $4.6 trillion. Notably however, the Federal Reserve has signaled its intention to start withdrawing liquidity from the banking system this month in a significant shift in policy away from Quantitative Easing (QE) to Quantitative Tightening (QT). They are starting slowly at a rate of $10 billion/month in October and increasing to $50 billion/month in 2018, market permitting.

Despite Singer's reservations, stock markets around the world are climbing steadily higher. Money flows where it's treated best and so far, stocks continue to attract record inflows, particularly into passive, indexed tracking funds. This bull market has now become the second largest in history with the S&P 500 returning +275% since March 2009 in USD terms. Only the decade-long run of the 1990's has done better, +400%. US stocks now account for 52-55% of the global equity benchmark, depending on the benchmark you follow.

The recent climb higher has come on record low volatility. The next chart shows the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The volatility of the weekly price moves is captured in the lower half of the chart. If you look closely, you will see that volatility has reached a multi-decade low. A rise in volatility does not necessarily have to coincide with a collapse in stock prices (1996-2000 for example), but it could (2008-2009).

In 2017 YTD, global equities have returned +3.7% in euro terms. Stock markets have navigated the historically volatile month of September with ease. If they continue to trade in bulletproof fashion in October, we may see a run higher into the end of the year. Apart from valuation concerns, stocks continue to exhibit bullish characteristics. I have pointed out a few areas of concern in recent Investor Letters, including a decline in the number of stocks making new highs versus new lows. I have also highlighted another area of potential weakness/divergence below. Here is a chart of the FTSE World Index, the global equity benchmark, priced in euro terms. The Index made a higher high in 2017 but on weaker relative strength (RSI) and falling momentum (MACD). This suggests the uptrend is weakening, which usually occurs towards the end of significant moves. It is worthy of continued observation in the months ahead.

A similar divergence occurred in the US Treasury bond market before a sharp decline in prices in 2016....

While stocks continue higher, a declining number are trading above their long-term 200-day moving average. 81% of stocks were above their long-term trend in late 2016. Today, just 70% are in confirmed uptrends. Below 50% and the stock market would get into difficulty.

What if I'm wrong? What if stock markets melt up for two more years, or longer? Central banks have already printed trillions and that money is sloshing around the system. What happens if money continues to flow into equities each month with no regard for valuation? I don't expect it will happen but it might. We are operating in unprecedented times. So here is my plan.

European stocks in aggregate trade at a valuation discount to US companies. Many European stocks are household names (Siemens, SAP, Unilever, Total, Allianz, Anheuser Busch Inbev) yet are under-owned relative to their US counterparts. Eurozone stocks for example account for just 11% of the global equity index (17% if you include the UK), compared to 55% for the US.

European stocks, as measured by the Eurostoxx 600 Index, have traded in very broad range for the last 17 years. The Eurostoxx 600 Index hit a resistance zone of 400 in 2000, 2007 and again in 2015, failing to break out on each occasion. We are approaching that resistance zone again today. The Index reached 390 this week. The market may be strong enough to break through this time. A confirmed break above a 17-year resistance zone would be significant, and quite bullish for EU stocks.

If the Eurostoxx 600 Index can close at new all time highs and turn resistance into support, the Active Asset Allocator will take a position in European shares. The risk would be modest. Above 400-415 and I am a buyer. A meaningful close back below 400 and I would close or significantly reduce the position. I will let the charts be my guide.

The current asset mix of the Active Asset Allocator is 20% global equities / 20% EU government bonds / 15% inflation linked bonds / 5% EU aggregate bonds / 30% precious metals / 10% cash. If we get the breakout in European equities, I will make the following trades:

Equities: Sell 10% Global Equities, Buy 30% EU Equities

Bonds: Sell 10% EU government bonds, Sell 5% EU aggregate bonds

The revised asset mix would be: 10% global equities / 30% EU equities / 10% EU government bonds / 15% inflation linked bonds / 30% precious metals / 5% cash.

One final comment. Passive fund flows are dominating the industry. Almost $500 billion flowed into passive funds in 2016 according to Morningstar, while $200 billion flowed out of active funds last year. That is almost three quarters of a trillion dollars... In one year! One of the unfortunate side effects of this trend has been that the industry is losing talented and thoughtful leaders in active management and none come more talented than Hugh Hendry, of Eclectica Asset Management. Hendry closed his Global Macro Fund last month after suffering a tough period of sub-par performance. His Fund returned -10% YTD through 31 August. Hendry was interviewed recently on the Adventures in Finance podcast. Well worth a listen.

For more information on my stock market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Bond Market Update

While 2 and 5 year UK and US bond yields have risen a little in recent months, 10 and 30 year bond yields remain firmly in downtrends across the world. We could be getting close to a break out higher in longer-dated government bond yields in some regions, but not yet.

Inflation-linked bonds meanwhile remain in broad multi-year uptrends. UK and US IL bonds were adversely impacted in recent months due to currency movements, but the longer-term trends remain intact. The Active Asset Allocator may tilt the exposure towards inflation hedging via ILB's, precious metals and an increased EU equity allocation and away from deflationary hedges (cash and fixed interest rate bonds) if markets start pricing in a more inflationary bias. I do not see that happening quite yet, but the trend may be turning in that direction.

For more information on my bond market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Gold Market Update

As noted in a recent Market Alert, Sprott Asset Management agreed to acquire the common shares of Central Fund of Canada Limited (CFCL) and the rights to administer and manage CFCL’s assets for C$120 million in cash and stock. Upon completion of the transaction, all CFCL Class A shares will be exchanged for units in a new Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust. US$300 million in value is expected to be realized for CFCL class A shareholders, relative to 9% pre-announcement net asset value (“NAV”) discount. Good news for existing holders of Central Fund of Canada shares. The 7-9% discount has reduced to 2% today and will be eliminated once the deal closes.

After a sharp -12% decline this year, the US dollar is attempting a long-overdue bounce. I am not expecting much of a rally, rather a consolidation around current levels before the next leg lower.

US dollar trends typically last years once they get going. Following the Plaza Accord in 1985, the USD fell sharply and remained in a downtrend for 10 years. The USD Index then rallied from 1995-2001 before the next sharp decline from 2001-2008. Following a choppy move higher from 2008-2016, the USD Index has reversed sharply lower in the first nine months of 2017. I believe this is the start of a multi-year trend lower.

Gold is waking up to the USD reversal. From 2001-2008, the USD Index fell -43% from 126.21 to 71.33. During that period, Gold rallied over +600% from $250 to $1900. I think we could see something similar this time around. Gold has broken its multi-year downtrend and is now back-testing the prior resistance zone. I expect resistance to become support as gold builds the energy to launch higher over the next 12 months.

For more information on my gold market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

August 03, 2017

August 2017 Investor Letter

August 03, 2017/ Brian Delaney

Strategy Performance

Investment Philosophy and Approach

Executive Summary

Since my last report published on 17th May (apologies for the delay in getting this one out), global equities have declined -1.1% in euro terms, Eurozone government bonds have rallied +0.4% and gold priced in euros has fallen -4.8%. Currency moves have negatively impacted Active Asset Allocator returns in recent months with the USD falling -6% and GBP falling 4% versus the Euro during that time. All is not lost however and this month I highlight my bullish expectations for precious metals for the second half of 2017 and beyond. I think gold is on the cusp of a significant move higher.

This month I also review Bob Farrell's 10 rules of investing and discuss how they apply to the markets (particularly the stock market) today. Farrell is a stock market veteran who cut his teeth on Wall Street during the 1950's and experienced many of the equity booms and busts that followed over the next five decades. Farrell crafted his 10 rules of investing based on those experiences and lessons learned. For now, I remain defensively positioned in the Active Asset Allocator with 20% equities / 40% bonds / 30% precious metals / 10% cash.

Gold Trader Trade 14 (-2.6%) and Trade 15 (+0.6%) closed in July. Trade 16 is open and +1% so far. Click here to view the August 2017 Investor Letter.

Stock Market Update

I was reminded recently of Bob Farrell and his 10 rules of investing, wisdom he accumulated over an illustrious career on Wall Street spanning five decades. Farrell joined Merrill Lynch in 1957 as a technical analyst after completing a Masters degree at Columbia Business School where he studied under Benjamin Graham and David Dodd, authors of the investment bible 'Security Analysis'. Farrell witnessed many bull and bear markets throughout his career and crafted his 10 rules of investing based on those experiences and lessons learned. This month, I review Farrell's 10 rules and see how they apply to markets today.

1: Markets tend to return to the mean over time. Trends in one direction or another eventually exhaust themselves and price moves back to test the long-term moving average. This generally happens every few years. The epic bull run in stock markets has swung from oversold in 2009 to overbought today. Even in strong bull markets, investors should expect the long-term moving average to be tested every couple of years. Today, the S&P 500 is 20% above its long-term moving average, while the Eurostoxx 600 is 7% above its long-term trend.

2: Excesses in one direction will lead to an opposite excess in the other direction. Markets that overshoot on the upside will also overshoot on the downside. The New York Stock Exchange publishes data for margin debt at the end of each month. Margin debt represents the extent to which investors borrow to invest in the stock market. Bull markets breed (over)confidence and confident investors borrow to invest in the stock market. Margin debt surged on three occasions since 1995 coinciding with the last three bull market peaks. Today, NYSE margin debt has never been higher. Ever!

3: There are no new eras – excesses are never permanent. There are always hot stocks and sectors of the market that attract speculative capital. Some lead to speculative bubbles but they never last. Today, internet sensations Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google and the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum fall into this category. They are attracting a lot of hot money but chasers will be punished, eventually. It always happens.

4: Exponential rapidly rising or falling markets usually go further than you think, but they do not correct by going sideways. Bullish and bearish trends generally last longer than expected. However once the trends end, they are followed by sharp reversals. The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite and Nasdaq 100 indices are two examples of exponentially rising stock markets followed by sharp reversals. In China, this occurred in 2008 and again in 2015. In the US, the Nasdaq bubble popped in 2001 and again in 2008. Another appears not too far away.

5: The public buys the most at the top and the least at the bottom. The average investor is most bullish at market tops and most bearish at market bottoms. When the marginal buyer turns into the marginal seller, a bear market begins and endures until panic sets in, the speculative buyers have been forced to sell and investor sentiment turns pessimistic. This roller coaster of sentiment and emotion is what defines a market.

6: Fear and greed are stronger than long-term resolve. Human emotion is the enemy when it comes to investing in the stock market. Successful investing requires discipline, patience and a cool head. Sharp declines lead to fear; sharp rallies lead to overconfidence and investor complacency. The Vix index is an excellent barometer that captures fear and greed in the stock market. Low readings in the Vix Index go hand in hand with investor confidence and limited demand for insurance to hedge against stock market declines. Spikes in the Vix Index coincide with periods of sharp selling in the stock market as panic sets in. Today, the Vix index is trading near ALL TIME LOWS.

7: Markets are strongest when they are broad and weakest when they narrow to a handful of blue-chip names. Stock market breadth and volume are important indicators of underlying strength of a stock market advance. When participation is broad, stock market rallies have endurance and momentum and are difficult to stop. When participation is confined to just a few large-cap stocks, rallies have less credibility, momentum and strength. Today, stock market breadth remains quite firm. The Advance/Decline line (lower left chart) continues to make new highs, signalling that the majority of stocks remain in an uptrend. However, initial signs of deterioration are showing up in the number of net new highs being made on the NYSE. This occurred just prior to every correction in the past.

8: Bear markets have three stages – sharp down, reflexive rebound and a drawn-out fundamental downtrend. The typical pattern in a bear market decline involves a sharp sell-off, an equally sharp reversal higher and then a long, slow grind lower until valuations become compelling once again. The reflexive rebound separating each decline is designed to keep the believers invested and encourage 'falling knife' catchers.

9: When all the experts and forecasts agree – something else is going to happen. If everyone's optimistic, there is nobody left to buy. Excessive bullish sentiment can be damaging to your financial health. If often pays to adopt a contrarian investment strategy and take a more defensive position when the herd becomes overly confident about the market's future prospects.

10: Bull markets are more fun than bear markets. This is true for most investors and fund managers who have long-only investment mandates and are typically fully invested all the time.

For more information on my stock market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Bond Market Update

German 10-year bond yields have rallied 6 basis points since my last report while US 10-year treasury yields have fallen 7 basis points. Bonds continue to hold their own and are preparing for their next leg higher (and lower in yields) as the bull market in equities finally rolls over and a sharp equity bear market begins. The secular low in bond yields still lies somewhere in the future.

Meanwhile, the trend in inflation-linked bonds remains steadily higher, albeit at a relatively modest pace. Currency has impacted euro-denominated returns in 2017 YTD, as weakness in GBP and USD in particular have not fed through to higher inflation-linked bond prices in local currency terms. A weakening currency will lead to rising input costs, particularly in a country like the US, which is the world's second largest importer of goods and services ($2.7 trillion in 2016). Rising input costs are inflationary. I expect the inflation-linked bond allocation in the Active Asset Allocator to make a more meaningful contribution to performance over the next few years.

For more information on my bond market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Gold Market Update

Gold is setting up for a big move, so let me lay out my expectations for what I believe will happen over the remainder of 2017 and beyond. Gold's first task is to break above $1,300, which I expect will happen in August or September. A break above $1,300 would be significant for a number of reasons. Gold made a series of higher lows in 2017 since the washout decline to $1,124 in December 2016. Gold trading above $1,300 adds support to the view that the bear market in precious metals (2011-2016) has ended and a new bull market has begun confirmed by a rising trend in the gold price.

A break above $1,300 would also be significant as it would confirm a break out of the longer-term triangle consolidation that has been in place since gold topped at $1,923 in 2011. Once we get a good close above $1,300, I expect a sharp run higher towards $1,400 or $1,500 before the next consolidation. $1,500 represented strong support in 2011 and 2012 before it gave way in 2013, so I expect gold will take some time to get back above that level. After $1,500, I expect gold will challenge and ultimately exceed the all time highs above $1,900, probably in 2019. Once gold clears $1,900, I believe the bubble phase in precious metals will begin and gold will have a monster move higher in an epic bull market that will be a sight to behold..... but let's not get ahead of ourselves. $1,300 in August/September, $1,400-$1,500 by year-end and $1,900 in 2019, which is 50% above today's gold price.

I expect the bull market in precious metals will go hand in hand with a currency crisis in the world's reserve currency, the US dollar. I have shown the following chart on a number of occasions in previous reports. It is a chart of the USD Index from 1980 to today (red and black line) and USD gold (blue). The USD Index has made a series of lower highs and lower lows over the last 37 years. After it's run higher in 2014/2015, the USD Index appears now to have topped and started another multi-year decline, which should ultimately break to new all time lows in the years ahead.

For more information on my gold market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

March 28, 2017

March 2017 Investor Letter

March 28, 2017/ Brian Delaney

Strategy Performance

Investment Philosophy and Approach

The Active Asset Allocator investment strategy is designed to deliver a consistent level of positive returns over time with a strong focus on capital preservation. I follow a multi-asset investment approach, actively allocating between global equities, bonds, precious metals, currencies and cash. I always invest with the primary trend of the market and do not follow a benchmark. Instead, I manage the market risk for clients. This strategy has returned +11% per annum net of fees since inception with a lower level of risk than the average multi-asset fund. My active asset allocation approach is best illustrated in the following chart.

Gold Trader focuses on capturing the strongest and weakest parts of gold's daily cycle, buying daily cycle lows, selling daily cycle highs and holding for 10-15 trading days, depending on the cycle count. This approach allows me to effectively manage risk. The strategy aims to capture +5% to 6% profit per trade while risking 2% each time and has a win rate in excess of 70%.

Executive Summary

The strong rally in growth assets and sharp decline in interest rates have pulled forward future expected returns to such a degree that a passive portfolio of stocks and bonds is now priced to deliver little more than 2% per annum over the next decade, down from 9% per annum in 2009. Despite this prognosis, many are bullish on the outlook for stocks this year. The USD also looks vulnerable. The US Dollar Index peaked in 1985 and 16 years later in 2001. Prior declines in the USD Index have coincided with bear markets in stocks. 16 years later in 2017, are we about to see currency and equity cycles turn lower again?

Gold Trader closed Trade 11 for a win and is now looking to enter Trade 12, a short position to catch the top of daily cycle 3 and the drop into the next daily cycle low.

Stock Market Update

While historical returns on a traditional portfolio of 60% equities / 40% bonds are near all-time highs, forward-looking expected returns are near all-time lows. The strong rally in growth assets in recent years and sharp decline in interest rates have pulled forward future expected returns to such a degree that a passive portfolio of stocks and bonds is now priced to deliver little more than 2% per annum over the next decade, down from 9% per annum in 2009. Active asset allocation will become a key driver in delivering attractive returns for investors and the Active Asset Allocator is well positioned in this regard. Two asset classes which remain significantly under-owned that should outperform in a rising inflationary world are inflation-linked bonds and precious metals, discussed in more detail later in this report.

For now, the stock market continues its ascent, still untroubled by the many potential time-bombs ticking quietly away in the background. The Sell-signal triggered by my technical studies last October, shortly before the US election result, was negated in December, so the bullish trend continues for now. An ageing bull market, now the third longest in history, and record overvaluation in stocks however are holding me back from moving to a fully invested position at this time. The risks are just too high and I think the current rally is running on fumes. A couple more weeks of additional selling in the stock market will tip the scales once again back to full defensive mode.

John Hussman of Hussman Funds provides an excellent weekly analysis of trends in the stock market and captures the extent of the current overvaluation in equities better than anyone else. His chart (below left) measures the market value of equity plus book value of debt (enterprise value) of US companies relative to their gross value-added; a variation on the price/earnings multiple. His chart shows that valuations today are more expensive than in 2007 and within a hair's breath of their all-time extremes in 2000. The percentage of bullish newsletter writers from the latest Investors Intelligence Survey is also back near all-time highs.

Newsletter writers at optimistic extreme.

US corporate earnings have stopped falling in the short-term, perhaps on the back of expectations that Donald Trump will get his tax reform and infrastructure spending plans approved. However, US earnings are still at the same level as they were in 2007 when the S&P 500 was trading in the 1,500's, 33% below yesterday's closing price. At current prices, the stock market is all risk, no reward.

A bell doesn't ring at the top, but Trump's recent failure to get his healthcare reform legislation through the House of Representatives could mark an important tipping point. The Trump rally may have finally ended and if that proves to be the case, stock market volatility should start to accelerate. The Vix Index, a measure of volatility in the stock market, appears to confirm this view, bottoming at 9.97 on 1st February 2017 and has been creeping higher in recent weeks.

The performance of the US dollar has also caught my attention. US dollar bulls are ten-a-penny these days and the long dollar trade is quite lopsided. You have to buy US dollars before you can buy US equities and money has been piling into both markets in recent years. If we are close to the end of the bull run in equities, money will flow out of US stock markets and US dollars at the same time. While euro-based investors have enjoyed the double benefit of rallying US stock markets and a rising USD versus EUR, the trend in both looks set to change. The US Dollar Index peaked in 1985 and 16 years later in 2001. Prior declines in the USD Index have coincided with bear markets in stocks. 16 years later in 2017, are we about to see currency and equity cycles turn lower again?

For now, I continue to maintain a defensive position in the Active Asset Allocator of 20% equities / 40% bonds / 30% precious metals / 10% cash.

For more information on my stock market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Bond Market Update

Inflation-linked bonds have quite attractive risk and return characteristics and often perform well at times when equities and fixed interest rate bonds are struggling; namely during periods when inflation is rising and/or economic growth is falling. Inflation-linked bonds can therefore provide attractive diversification benefits for multi-asset portfolios without impacting expected returns. Inflation-linked bonds tend to perform well when rising interest rates are driven by rising inflation expectations. They also represent quite an attractive alternative to fixed interest rate bonds in the current environment when nominal bond yields have already plunged to zero or below. While investors require nominal bond yields to fall deeper into negative territory to generate a positive return, inflation-linked bond returns, as the name suggests, are linked to the prevailing rates of inflation of countries issuing the bonds. If inflation happens to be higher than the nominal bond yield, then the real yield (nominal bond yield minus inflation) will simply be negative. Real yields can move to a negative extreme in a world of high inflation. The Active Asset Allocator currently holds a 15% allocation to inflation-linked bonds.

For more information on my bond market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Gold Market Update

According to the World Gold Council, overall demand for gold increased +2% in 2016 from 4,216 tonnes to 4,309 tonnes. ETF inflows accounted for the majority of the growth, offset by jewellery demand and a reduction in central bank purchases. Demand for physical bars and coins was relatively stable over the calendar year. Gold prices ended the year +8% in USD and +12% in EUR having been +25% in USD for the year to 30th September 2016. Investment demand increased +70% to its highest level since 2012, while annual ETF inflows were the highest since 2009.

Investment demand soared +70% in 2016. Global gold bar and coin demand was broadly stable. China increased demand by +25% while the demonetisation experiment in India led to a -17% reduction in the demand for gold.

Central banks bought 384 tonnes of gold in 2016, a third less than in 2015 and 32% below their average purchases of the past five years. Mounting pressure on central bank currency reserves was the culprit for the reduced demand. Russia, China and Kazakhstan were the main buyers in the market.

After a five year bear market, the gold bull looks like it has turned the corner. Gold has been in a declining trend relative to the S&P 500 since 2011. The double bottom over the last 12 months could signal the tide is turning in favour of gold relative to US stocks. The pattern is similar to that formed in 1999-2000, shortly before an epic bull run began.

The monthly gold chart looks bullish. Gold traded above the 20 month moving average for the majority of the bull run from $250 in 2001 to $1,923 in 2011. Today gold is trading at $1,255, above the 20MMA of $1,212. Gold still needs to navigate daily cycles 3 and 4 of the current investor cycle (we are currently mid-way through daily cycle 3) before the next big move higher. I expect the next investor cycle to kick off in May 2017 and if gold holds together until then, the move could be significant.

The silver chart looks more bullish than gold's. Silver broke above the 20MMA last year and has re-tested the trend line from above a couple of times since. Silver is leading the way and this is another positive for the precious metals market. The Active Asset Allocator currently holds a 20% allocation to the Central Fund of Canada (CEF), which currently holds a 61% allocation to gold bullion and 39% allocation to silver bullion. CEF trades at a -5% discount to the net asset value of the bullion held in the fund. This discount has narrowed from -8% at the start of the year.

For more information on my gold market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

June 24, 2016

June 2016 Investor Letter

June 24, 2016/ Brian Delaney

Strategy Performance

Investment Philosophy and Approach

The Active Asset Allocator investment strategy is designed to deliver a consistent level of positive returns over time with a strong focus on capital preservation. I follow a multi-asset investment approach, actively allocating between global equities, bonds, precious metals, currencies and cash. I always invest with the primary trend of the market and do not follow a benchmark. Instead, I manage the market risk for clients. This strategy has returned +11% per annum net of fees since inception with a lower level of risk than the average multi-asset fund. My active asset allocation approach is best illustrated in the following chart.

Gold Trader and Gold PowerTrader focus on capturing the strongest and weakest parts of gold's daily cycles, buying daily cycle lows, selling daily cycle highs and holding for 10-15 trading days, depending on the cycle count. This approach allows me to effectively manage risk. The strategy aims to capture +5% to 6% profit per trade while risking 2% each time and has a win rate in excess of 70%

Executive Summary

Chaotic trading overnight following the UK referendum decision to leave the EU is feeding through to US markets this afternoon. The Active Asset Allocator is earning its stripes today with an 80% allocation to bonds, cash and gold. Gold rallied +$100 overnight. For equities, buying the dip works in a bull market. However, we may now have transitioned from bull to bear, so I continue to advise caution here and avoid the temptation to catch a falling knife.

Stock Market Update

The results of the Brexit Referendum are in and the UK has voted to leave the European Union, leading to chaotic trading overnight. Equity and currency markets have experienced dramatic declines as investors scramble to re-position portfolios. A LOT of capital is invested in equity exchange traded funds (ETF's) that trade in Europe and in the United States and I expect additional waves of selling this afternoon once the NYSE opens for business. The Active Asset Allocator is earning its stripes today and benefiting from the heightened market turmoil with an 80% allocation to safe haven assets. Gold rallied +$100 overnight.

The FTSE All World Index, the global equity benchmark, fell -4% this morning. The decline is barely visible on the chart. Suffice to say, there is plenty of room for additional selling. Buying the dip works in a bull market. However, we may now have transitioned from bull to bear, so I continue to advise caution here. The relative strength of the stock market rally in recent weeks is now deteriorating as measured by the relative strength index (RSI) in the top section of the chart below, while price has been unable to break out to new highs. My own technical studies, which turned bullish in April 2016, have also deteriorated in recent weeks. If stocks turn lower from here, my Technical Trend Indicator (TTI) will trigger another 'Sell' signal shortly.

Volatility is accelerating higher just when the stock market appears to be running out of steam. The Vix Index jumped from 14 to 22 over the last four weeks (this chart does not include this morning's surge in volatility). Investors are getting nervous, tension is rising and speculators are starting to pay up for portfolio insurance. Volatility spikes go hand in hand with stock market corrections and another may be just around the corner.

Sterling rallied +4% versus the euro in the run up to the Brexit vote but has given it all back and more today. The longer-term trend remains down for GBP versus EUR and I expect we will see £0.90/€1.00 later this year.

I am more focused on the outlook for the US dollar than sterling over the next three to five years. The USD is the world's reserve currency and large moves in USD have significant implications for the performance of global equity, bond and commodity markets. I continue to believe that the trade-weighted USD Index has put in a medium-term top and will trend lower over time.

For more information on my stock market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Bond Market Update

Despite an increasing percentage trading at negative yields, government bonds continue to attract capital as part of the flight-to-safety trade. And why not? The ECB is buying EU government bonds at a rate of €80 billion per month and is actually set to run out of bonds to buy under the current programme in less than two years (and in one year's time for German bunds). As long as the ECB stands as the buyer of last resort, yields will continue to compress. Potential fractures to the Union will place increasing pressure on ECB President Mario Draghi and we my begin to see bond yields rise in the weaker Eurozone peripheral countries, but for now, the bull market lives on.

For more information on my bond market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or 086 821 5911.

Gold Market Update

It's a bull market folks. There is nothing to do but sit tight and avoid getting shaken out of your position. I received 20 different updates from investment managers this morning on Brexit, the potential risks and advice for investors. Not a single one mentions gold as a suitable investment. That will change, probably at much higher precious metals prices. In the meantime, the Active Asset Allocator is well positioned to take advantage of what I expect will be a very powerful bull market over the next 3-5 years.

For more information on my gold market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or 086 821 5911.

May 31, 2016

May 2016 Investor Letter

May 31, 2016/ Brian Delaney

Strategy Performance

Investment Philosophy and Approach

The Active Asset Allocator investment strategy is designed to deliver a consistent level of positive returns over time with a strong focus on capital preservation. I follow a multi-asset investment approach, actively allocating between global equities, bonds, precious metals, currencies and cash. I always invest with the primary trend of the market and do not follow a benchmark. Instead, I manage the market risk for clients. This strategy has returned +11% per annum net of fees since inception with a lower level of risk than the average multi-asset fund. My active asset allocation approach is best illustrated in the following chart.

Executive Summary

The Active Asset Allocator has returned +6.3% YTD versus +0.0% for the average multi-asset fund. My Technical Trend Indicator has triggered a buy signal, yet stocks have not made much progress since. I remain defensively positioned for now with 20% equities / 30% bonds / 30% precious metals / 20% cash. Over 40% of equities on the NYSE have already declined -20% or more, classic early bear market behaviour, though the large-cap indices appear unconcerned for now. This standoff should resolve itself shortly.

Meanwhile, bonds continue to rally while yields head towards zero or lower. This month I explain why I think we are finally approaching an inflection point in fixed income and the potential end to the 35+ year bull market in bonds. Calls for helicopter money are getting louder and investor confidence in central bank policy is about to be tested. I also discuss the World Gold Council's latest report on trends in the sector including a +122% increase in investment demand for gold year/year.

Stock Market Update

In 2016 year-to-date, global equities have returned -0.3%, EU government bonds +5.2%, EU corporate bonds +2.7%, gold +11.3% and silver +14.4% in euro terms. Over that period, the Active Asset Allocator has delivered a positive return of +6.3%, with just 20% invested in equities and 20% still held in cash, versus 0.0% for the average multi-asset fund. Last month, I noted that my technical studies triggered a buy signal for the stock market for the first time since September 2013 and that buy signal remains in place today. Price hasn't made much progress since the buy signal triggered and I continue to maintain a defensive position for now in the Active Asset Allocator.

Today, over 40% of stocks trading on the NYSE are already down 20% or more (56% of small caps, 30% of mid-caps and 16% of large-caps) - classic early bear market behaviour. This fact has been disguised by the continued strong performance of a handful of names in the market-cap weighted S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrials, which are driving those indices back towards their old 52-week highs. Volume has also been lacklustre on the recent rally in stocks. While the S&P 500 is not too far off breaking out to new highs, volume does not look like it will confirm the move higher.

Last month, I highlighted the prior instances in 2000 and 2007 when the S&P 500 peaked and turned lower, followed shortly thereafter by a bearish cross of the 50WMA below the 100WMA. This coincided with the onset of a bear market in equities and a declining trend in US corporate earnings. At the time of writing my April Investor Letter, the 50WMA had not crossed below the 100WMA. That has changed with the bearish cross now in effect, though price is still holding above both long-term moving averages. A sustained break below 2,024 on the S&P 500 in the weeks ahead will increase the odds that a bear market in stocks has arrived. Conversely, if the stock market can consolidate recent gains despite the bearish cross, it should clear the way for higher prices later this year and I will adjust the Active Asset Allocator accordingly. For now, I remain patient.

Volatility is on the rise and there is no shortage of events this year that could drive equity volatility significantly higher including the Brexit vote next month, a potential hard landing in China, political and economic chaos in Brazil and Venezuela and of course the possibility of Donald Trump in the White House. The Vix Index below captures the trend in volatility of the stock market and this trend is on the rise. The multi-year basing pattern is similar to that experienced in the lead up to the last bear market in stocks and reinforces my belief that the stock market is in the process of topping.

It will be interesting to gauge the reaction of the Federal Reserve, ECB, Bank of England and Bank of Japan if a bear market in stocks gets going later this year. I believe they will panic and react by doing things that will appear increasingly crazy to many people, like helicopter money or some version of fiscal or monetary stimulation. I believe this will precipitate a crisis of confidence in paper currency, which is why the Active Asset Allocator continues to hold a 30% allocation to precious metals.

For more information on my stock market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Bond Market Update

From 1952 to 2000, it took $1.70 of non-financial borrowing to generate a dollar of GDP growth. By 2015, that number had more than doubled to $3.46. At the margin, an additional dollar of borrowing is losing its impact. Total debt to GDP across much of the developed world has now reached mind-boggling levels: 370% in the United States, 615% in Japan, 350% in China and 457% in the Eurozone. Meanwhile, GDP growth is decelerating.

Central banks, in their capacity as lenders of last resort (and buyers of last resort of government bonds), have supported the explosion higher in debt in recent years and central bank policy will be responsible for the eventual debt bust. It is just a question of timing. I believe we are approaching an inflection point, potentially in the next 12 months, where markets will call central bankers' collective bluff... and then central bankers will panic.

What could be the catalyst? Perhaps wide scale debt forgiveness by the Japanese Central Bank, the largest owner of Japanese government debt or the Federal Reserve swapping Treasuries for 100 or 200 year bonds paying a 0.05% or 0.10% coupon or perhaps the introduction of helicopter money by one or more central banks.

In fact, calls for 'helicopter money' are already on the rise today. Former Fed Chair, Ben Bernanke and more recently Bill Gross, fixed income manager at Janus Capital, have both touted helicopter money as a legitimate monetary policy tool still available to central banks in times of crisis. A search for "helicopter money" on Google Trends also confirms a growing interest from the public in this most unorthodox form of central bank intervention.

Experiments with helicopter money do not end well. The risks are high and consequences severe if badly managed. James Grant of Grant's Interest Rate Observer sums it up best:

“Does the deployment of helicopter money not entail some meaningful risk of the loss of confidence in a currency that is, after all, undefined, uncollateralized and infinitely replicable at exactly zero cost? Might trust be shattered by the visible act of infusing the government with invisible monetary pixels and by the subsequent exchange of those images for real goods and services? ......To us, it is the great question. Pondering it, as we say, we are bearish on the money of overextended governments. We are bullish on the alternatives enumerated in the Periodic table. It would be nice to know when the rest of the world will come around to the gold-friendly view that central bankers have lost their marbles. We have no such timetable. The road to confetti is long and winding.”

— James Grant, Grant's Interest Rate Observer

For more information on my bond market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or 086 821 5911.

Gold Market Update

So long as gold and silver hold above their respective long-term 20 month moving averages, it is safe to assume the bull market in precious metals has returned. The key numbers today are $1,173 for gold and $15.60 for silver. YTD, gold is +11% and silver is +14% for euro investors.

I expect a declining US dollar will provide a nice tailwind for the next leg higher in the precious metals bull market. The US Dollar Index looks to have formed a multi-year top. The last time this occurred was in 2002 and coincided with the start of the gold bull market. I expect an equally powerful move higher in gold and lower in USD once the trends are set in motion.

The World Gold Council has published its first quarter 2016 report on demand trends in the industry and highlights some interesting developments in the sector this quarter. Overall, gold demand grew +21% in Q1 2016 to 1,290 tonnes, the strongest first quarter advance on record. While jewelry demand declined -19% due in large part to the recent surge in gold prices, investment demand more than doubled surging +122% year/year.

Inflows into precious metals ETF's accounted for 364 tonnes, the highest since Q1 2009. Also, of note, central banks continue to accumulate gold and added 109 tonnes during the most recent quarter. They are less vocal about their gold accumulation policy but are consistently one of the largest acquirers of gold each quarter.

The United States remains the top holder of gold bullion based on the World Gold Council's latest reported data with in excess of 8,000 tonnes, followed by Germany, the IMF, Italy and France. China reported 1,798 tonnes of gold reserves at 31st March 2016.

For more information on my gold market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or 086 821 5911.

April 25, 2016

April 2016 Investor Letter

April 25, 2016/ Brian Delaney

Strategy Performance

Investment Philosophy and Approach

The Active Asset Allocator investment strategy is designed to deliver a consistent level of positive returns over time with a strong focus on capital preservation. I follow a multi-asset investment approach, actively allocating between global equities, bonds, precious metals, currencies and cash. I always invest with the primary trend of the market and do not follow a benchmark. Instead, I manage the market risk for clients. This strategy has returned +11% per annum net of fees since inception with a lower level of risk than the average multi-asset fund. My active asset allocation approach is best illustrated in the following chart.

Executive Summary

Following the worst start to the year for equities in recorded history, we have just experienced one of the sharpest recoveries off the lows since records began. This rally has been so strong in fact that my technical studies have just triggered a buy signal for the stock market for the first time since September 2013. This month, I review the recent improvement in the stock market's technical setup and outline my plan of attack for the weeks ahead. For now, the Active Asset Allocator remains defensively positioned, 20% equities / 30% bonds / 30% PM's / 20% cash.

This month I also explain why I remain bullish on bonds and expect an additional 15-20% upside for the 10 year duration bond ETF I hold in the Active Asset Allocator and provide a brief update on the ongoing bullish developments in the precious metals sector as this bull market shifts into gear.

Stock Market Update

My technical studies have just triggered a buy signal for the stock market for the first time since September 2013. Equity valuations today are approaching an extreme only witnessed near prior stock market peaks and US corporate earnings are now in a declining trend. Despite these cautionary flags, continuous central bank intervention has created the perception that stock market investing is a low risk endeavor and a buy-the-dip mentality on every correction has taken hold. This will not end well. In the interim, price trumps opinion. My Technical Trend Indicator (TTI) is smarter than I am and keeps me on the right side of the prevailing stock market trend. In this monthly update, I consider my plan of attack for the weeks ahead.

“Based on valuation measures having the strongest correlation with actual subsequent market returns across history, equity valuations have approached present levels in only a handful of instances: 1901 (followed by a -46% market retreat over the following 3-year period), 1906 (followed by a -45% retreat over the following year), 1929 (followed by a -89% collapse over the following 3 years), 1937 (followed by a -48% loss over the following year), 2000 (followed by a -49% market loss over the following 2 years), and 2007 (followed by a -57% market loss over the following 2 years). A few lesser extremes occurred in the 1960’s and 1970’s, followed by market losses in the -35% to -48% range.”

— John Hussman, Hussman Funds, 18th April 2016.

In this long-term chart of the S&P 500, I have highlighted the prior instances in 2000 and 2007 when the stock market topped and rolled over, followed shortly thereafter by a bearish cross of the 50WMA below the 100WMA. This coincided with the onset of a bear market in equities and a declining trend in US corporate earnings. In 2016 YTD, we have already experienced a sharp -14% drop in stocks followed by an equally sharp +16% rally. However, there has been no bearish cross yet of the 50WMA below the 100WMA and the S&P 500 currently trades above both trend lines. Meanwhile, US corporate earnings have begun to slide, highlighted in the lower section of the chart below. This should be expected and is consistent with the maturing phase of an ageing equity bull market, which is now over seven years old.

Margin debt, a measure of the degree of speculation evident in the stock market, also appears to have peaked and rolled over. Prior peaks in margin debt have coincided with past peaks in the stock market. So today, we have a combination of stocks that are trading at expensive valuations, a weakening trend in US corporate earnings and a declining trend in margin debt. That's the bad news.

Despite this backdrop, equities have powered ahead in recent weeks. In February 2016, only 15% of stocks on the NYSE were trading above their 200DMA. Today, this figure has jumped to a much healthier 69%. If stock markets can consolidate their recent gains over the next couple of weeks while a majority of stocks continue to trade above the 200DMA, the bulls will remain in control.

In another positive development, the NYSE Advance/Decline Line (lower left chart), which captures the trend of rising stocks versus declining stocks over time, has recently broken out to new all time highs. This suggests that price should follow suit shortly. Volume flowing into advancing versus declining stocks is lagging however and has yet to break out (lower right chart) to new highs. So, we still have some mixed signals here (click on charts to enlarge).

As markets have rallied, stocks making new lows have also all but disappeared, which is another requirement before a bull market can resume.

So from a technical perspective, the outlook for equities has improved, but there are still many reasons for caution. Remember, 2016 started with the worst negative stock market performance in history, so it's only natural that the first rally following this correction should be powerful. The markets are overbought in the short-term and a correction of some degree should now be expected. The extent of the correction will determine when and by how much I will increase the equity allocation in the Active Asset Allocator. Stay tuned, we should find out soon enough.

For more information on my stock market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or at 086 821 5911.

Bond Market Update

The ECB is attempting to stimulate economic growth and generate inflation in the order of 2% annually by printing money, buying bonds, funding some EU country deficits and potentially using some form of "helicopter money" for EU citizens. The road ahead is concerning but we have not yet reached an inflection point where ECB policies trigger an acceleration in the rate of inflation and a path towards higher government bond yields. Draghi has committed to doing "whatever it takes" which means he is willing to drive 10-year EU government bond yields into negative territory.

The Active Asset Allocator currently holds a 20% allocation in EU government bonds (IEGZ). The regional split of this bond fund is 32% France, 27% Italy, 19% Germany, 17% Spain, 5% Netherlands. The fund has a yield of 1.4% and a duration of 10 years. If ECB policies are successful, the yield on IEGZ should reach zero or negative implying 15-20% upside return potential from here. I plan to increase the allocation to inflation linked bonds (IBCI) and reduce the allocation to fixed interest rate bonds (IEGZ) later in 2016. Of course, the overall allocation to bonds will reduce if/when I increase the allocation to equities in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned.

For more information on my bond market analysis, please get in touch. You can reach me at brian@secureinvestments.ie or 086 821 5911.

Gold Market Update

Gold closed above the 20-month moving average (20MMA) in February 2016, confirming a new bull market had begun. As long as gold continues to trade above the 20MMA, bull market rules will apply - we buy and hold and do not get shaken out of our position. The 20MMA closed on Friday at $1,170 and should start trending higher shortly.

Silver's bull market kicked off a month later, as this more volatile precious metal closed above its 20MMA in March 2016. Silver's 20MMA closed on Friday at $15.60, so above this price, bull market rules should also apply.

The one fly in the ointment for both precious metals (silver in particular) is the extent of the speculative long position that has been accumulated by hedge funds and those betting on higher prices for the precious metals. The latest Commitment of Traders report shows an all time record net long position by speculators in the silver market.

Commercial traders (the mining companies and bullion banks) take the opposite side to the speculators and are always net short the metals to varying degrees, depending on price, to hedge their production. The Commercials are often referred to as the "smart money" as they are able to manage the gold and silver price in the short-term, knocking down the price and covering their short trades when the speculators get overly stretched on the long side. We are potentially at this point now, particularly in the silver market. The Commercials do not always win and have been forced to cover at much higher prices in the past. As always, I will be guided by the price action as it unfolds. Above the 20MMA, it's a bull market.

I expect the precious metals bull market to benefit from an overall declining trend in the US dollar over the next 3-5 years. The USD has been perceived as a safe haven currency since the 2008 financial crisis and has benefited handsomely from significant inflows into various US growth assets, driving price and valuation to extreme levels. As valuations normalize, I expect the USD to decline on a trade weighted basis.

Confirming the bull market in precious metals, the gold and silver miners are rocketing higher. The gold and silver mining index is already +111% from their recent lows. The miners are notoriously volatile. However, for those willing to close their eyes and hold on, I expect BIG rewards here. The miners are too volatile for the Active Asset Allocator but are confirming my bullish view on the sector.