Business Planning: Christmas – Don’t Grow Broke
Unfortunately, many business owners only/primarily look at revenue as the metric to assess growth. This can lead to disastrous outcomes!
It is worth revisiting some of the basics about the stock market, and debunk some common myths. It is often said that there are 3 Pillars that support stock prices: Earnings, Interest Rates and Valuation. The stock market is said to be a voting mechanism in the short run as some popular stocks get bid up and others lag; but a weighing mechanism in the long run. What the market weighs, is earnings. Those companies that can generate consistently high earnings will outperform other stocks regardless of whether or not they pay a dividend (more on this later).
Interest rates are important as an alternative to equity investments. As bond yields rise, they become more attractive as an investment relative to equities. In fact, many equity valuation models, like the Dividend Discount Model, discount future earnings at a specified discount rate. As interest rates rise, the present value of those cash flows decreases.
The last Pillar, valuation, relates to what John Maynard Keynes called “animal spirits” or what is more commonly called “bullishness” or optimism about the future. The Equity Risk Premium attempts to measure that expected return that investors require to invest in equities instead of less risky bonds.
Fidelity Strategist Jurrien Timmer estimates that the current Equity Risk Premium is 3.5%, well below its long-term average of 5%. This low Equity Risk Premium is evidence of relative optimism about the long-term outlook for stocks, but also means that the market is more vulnerable to shocks.
Unfortunately, many business owners only/primarily look at revenue as the metric to assess growth. This can lead to disastrous outcomes!
Filling out the FAFSA is the first step in securing federal student loans, which are often the best loan options available if your family needs to borrow for college.
When it comes to investment planning, IAG Director of Investments Chris Steward reminds you how important it can be to take the long view.
It is not surprising that a survey last year by T. Rowe Price found that health care costs are the biggest financial worry among retirees.