Summary The BOXX ETF provides returns that closely track those of Treasury bills. Due to a quirk in the US tax code, BOXX ETF profits are taxed as capital gains, not investment income. That means that long-term holders of BOXX pay long-term capital gains rates which can be much lower than ordinary income tax rates. Read More
Buy and Hold or Buy and Hope?
Following the recent ascent of the Japanese stock market, one is reminded of the risk that a buy and hold strategy may not always prove successful. As a teenager growing up in the late 1980s, it seemed all but certain that Japan was taking over the world. Japanese investors notably bought Rockefeller Center as well as the Read More
Review of Bitcoin spot ETFs
Summary The introduction of Bitcoin spot ETFs on Jan. 11 added a new class of products for investors looking for exposure to Bitcoin. We recommend that holders of existing Bitcoin ETFs (GBTC and BITO) consider selling their positions. Most investors should move to iShares or Fidelity ETFs, with Bitwise also being a reasonable alternative. Bitcoin ETFs Read More
Fourth Quarter Stock Market Rally?
2023 has been a challenging year for investors thus far due to conflicting data surrounding the health of the US economy. Many expected a new bull market following the simultaneous bear market in stocks and bonds in 2022. However, the data underlying the year-to-date stock market advance tells a different story. Historically leading up to Read More
From the Trading Desk: New and Uncertain Times
In my previous post, I discussed the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and the potential that a new bull market may have commenced beginning June 7th. June and July were good months for stocks with the SPX finishing up 3.11% in July and the NASDAQ Composite closing July up over 4%. August has been an altogether Read More