So far, people seem to expect the current weakness to go away in a few months. Kevin Scully also thinks that way, as can be seen in his blog posting on Tuesday May25: I still maintain the view that this weakness and volatility regarding problems with the PIGs should start to ease by the end of Q3-2010. I am comforted by the improving US economy, robust corporate earnings and undemanding stock market valuations for the US and even Asia. The other important point to note is the very low volumes - which increases the volatility as many investors are sidelined. I think medium term investors can look to nimble value and yield stocks over the next three months bearing in mind volumes will be low. However, if this is done on a six month view, I believe these investors will be rewarded with positive gains by the end of the year.
What happened to the fears of N Korea unleashing a war? U know markets are unpredictable and tend to over-worry as we come out of the 2008/09 crisis. Now....in US: Stocks surged and the euro snapped a three-day decline against the dollar as China said it remains a long-term investor in Europe, damping concerns that the regionââ¬â¢s debt crisis will worsen. Commodities jumped and Treasuries fell. The MSCI World Index, a gauge of equities in 24 developed nations, climbed 1.9 percent at 9:46 a.m. in New York. The Standard & Poorââ¬â¢s 500 Index jumped 1.9 percent.
That goes to show the volatility of the market now. One day up 200+ points, the next day down 300+ points. The market trades on news now. Fundamentals are thrown out of the windows. I have made my decision to stay out and enjoy the World Cup. It goes up, I did not lose anything. If it drops and comes down to a level that I am comfortable, then I buy. I will never chase the stock market. Good luck and may the best team win in South Africa.
One thing though I am very sure -- Hyper-inflation will set in 2-3 years from now... Probably earlier if the global situation continues to worsen and the governments continue to print money. So better make plans for it now.