Quarterly Client Letter: Q1 2024
Therefore, we are prepared for a very broad range of interest rates, from 2% to 8% or even more, with equally wide-ranging economic outcomes — from strong economic growth with moderate inflation (in this case, higher interest rates would result from higher demand for capital) to a recession with inflation; i.e., stagflation. Jamie Dimon, Chairman…
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Key Updates About RMDs
Key Updates About Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) What are RMDs? Once you reach age 72 (formerly age 70 ½ before the SECURE Act was passed in 2019), you are required to take minimum distributions from your traditional IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEP IRAs, Solo 401(k)s and most other employer-sponsored retirement plans. (RMDs are not required from…
Where Does the Market Go From Here?
Where Does the Market Go From Here? Wall Street strategists, economists, and market gurus are in the process of sharpening their pencils and publishing market forecasts for 2022. These forecasts often include year-ahead price targets on major indices like the S&P 500. Forecasting short-term market returns is a futile exercise and we would recommend that…
The Price Is Never Right
“We must look at the price system as such a mechanism for communicating information if we want to understand its real function…” F.A. Hayek, The Use of Knowledge in Society The word “inflation” is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Aggressive monetary and fiscal policy interventions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and an unprecedented…
Money, Credit & Crypto
Money, Credit & Crypto Money has taken on innumerable forms throughout history. Whether it’s been salt, tea, spices, rice, potatoes, bullion, bank notes, or even cigarettes, humans have used an impressive array of commodities and conventions to engage in trade and track the exchange of value across time and space. As standard economic history would…
A Window into the Economic Recovery
A Window into the Economic Recovery It can be instructive to zoom in on a business and use “micro” economic data to take a pulse on broader “macro” economic trends. We own one business in our model portfolio* – Visa – that provides a particularly interesting view into global economic activity by using this framework.…
8 Ways to Protect Your Information Online
In this day and age, it is crucial to ensure you are doing your part to protect your information online. Criminals are constantly trying to uncover ways to obtain private and sensitive account information. While most companies, including Peak, have their own due diligence to protect your information, online security is a two-way street that…
Stock Review: VMware
“There is no doubt that the cloud is one of the most significant platform shifts in the history of computing… However, as industry experience with the cloud matures — and we see a more complete picture of cloud lifecycle on a company’s economics — it’s becoming evident that while cloud clearly delivers on its promise early on…
ESG Investing: The Peak Perspective
ESG Investing: The Peak Perspective We believe the rising popularity of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) investing strategies creates additional opportunities to have honest conversations with our clients about their financial goals and the strategies that are available to achieve those goals. While it is indeed a worthy endeavor to align an investment strategy with one’s…
Looking to the Past and Investing in the Future
27 years have passed since Peak opened for business in 1994. Over that time, we have worked diligently to earn our clients’ trust and make a positive impact on their lives. Yet despite that deep history and the client relationships that have now turned into lifelong partnerships and friendships, at times we feel like we…
Book Review: The Psychology of Money
We recently had the pleasure of reading The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. The book is a thoughtful examination of our relationship to money and investing. Housel guides the reader through a complex subject by sticking to simple narratives and timeless principles. The book has since become a go-to recommendation to our clients. Below…
A New Kind of ARK
The Backstory Paccar, a global manufacturer of medium and heavy-duty trucks with annual sales of around $20 billion, is one of the stocks in our Model Portfolio*. We were intrigued to see Paccar’s stock (PCAR) up +10% on January 21, 2021. With a standard deviation of daily returns of 1.6% over the past 10 years,…