Investment Risk: What Risks Are You Willing to Take? Compound Value Advisers by Jerry Matecun

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Investment Risk: What Risks Are You Willing to Take? Compound Value Advisers by Jerry Matecun Investment Risk: What Risks Are You Willing to Take? Compound Value Advisers by Jerry Matecun Stocks For the Long-Term….What About Your Term? The first reaction to the chart below is – a no-brainer – stocks compound at a much higher rate than bonds and inflation; therefore, put your money in stocks for the long-term! Yet we know that in the last 15 years we have seen two investment booms that went bust in a very short time period. Stocks declined over 50% in 18 months; there have been several longer term stock declines throughout history. Statistical certainty of future returns does not exist, and this presents a challenge to managing portfolio risk. Time horizon is a key element to consider. A younger person with a long time horizon can better handle this type of market risk. However, as you near retirement age, this kind of decline can cause very real anxiety. Understanding the relationship between the various risk and rates of return inherent in every asset class is fundamental to constructing an investment plan that can help you sleep at night. Ibbotson® SBBI® Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation 1926–2012 $18,365 $10,000 $3,533 Compound annual return 1,000 • Small stocks 11.9 % • Large stocks 9.8 • Government bonds 5.7 • Treasury bills 3.5 • Inflation 3.0 $123 100 $21 $13 10 1 0.10 1926 1936 1946 1956 1966 1976 1986 1996 2006 Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Hypothetical value of $1 invested at the beginning of 1926. Assumes reinvestment of income and no transaction costs or taxes. This is for illustrative purposes only and not indicative of any investment. An investment cannot be made directly in an index. © 2013 Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. 3/1/2013 Types of Risk Investors face many different forms of risk depending on the type of investments they choose. Most of the focus on risk is on how much can be lost. However, less obvious risks such as loss of purchasing power also can be detrimental to your financial health. Assets that have higher return potential also have higher loss potential as illustrated in the chart below. A 70-year old retiree on a fixed income is not well suited to own a large allocation to small stocks with the potential for 60 percent losses. Since no one has a perfect crystal ball into the future, the best strategy is to create a mix of assets that balance the need for © Compound Value Advisers, All Rights Reserved return, with the need for safety. Many factors, financial and psychological, go into determining an appropriate mix. Asset-Class Returns Highs and lows: 1926–2012 142.9% 150% 100 54.0% 50 40.4% Compound 29.1% annual return: 14.7% 11.9% 9.8% 5.7% 5.4% 3.5% 0 0.0% –5.1% –14.9% –43.3% –50 –58.0% –100 Small Large Long-term Intermediate-term Treasury bills stocks stocks government bonds government bonds Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Each bar shows the range of annual total returns for each asset class over the period 1926–2012. This is for illustrative purposes only and not indicative of any investment. An investment cannot be made directly in an index. © 2013 Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. 3/1/2013 What Purpose Does the Asset Serve? The best way to think of asset classes is in terms of what function they serve in a portfolio. Growth, current income, stability, and inflation protection are all key portfolio functions whose weight will depend on your specific circumstances. For most people, time horizon dictates the priority of these functions, and is defined by the number of years until retirement and/or their expected life span. Below we highlight various risks and how they can be mitigated in balancing the tension between time, risk, and return. 1) Market risk: General market fluctuations can affect securities trading in that market. Stocks, while offering the best long-term returns and protection against inflation, tend to fluctuate more than other asset classes (such as bonds) and usually pose more risk over short time periods. To mitigate this risk, we recommend diversifying assets to help minimize these short-term fluctuations. The amount of stock exposure is usually associated with time horizon. Longer time horizons can afford a higher exposure to stocks, while shorter time horizons will likely wish to reduce this exposure. 2) Industry/company risk: Security values can decline due to negative developments within an industry or company. This can involve management issues, loss of market share, and loss of profitability among many other fundamental factors. Using broad-based index funds which hold many companies serves to minimize this risk through diversification. 3) Credit/Default risk: This is the risk of a bond issuer not being able to make timely payments of principal and interest. The value of a bond may also decrease due to financial difficulties or the © Compound Value Advisers, All Rights Reserved declining creditworthiness of the issuer. Once again, diversification can lessen this type of issuer specific risk. 4) Interest-rate risk: Bonds generally experience lower volatility than stocks and serve as a stabilizing force in portfolios. Likewise, they generate steady income that can be used for living expenses. Still, bonds can be risky investments. Bonds tend to rise in value when interest rates fall and to fall in value when interest rates rise. Typically, there is greater price volatility associated with longer-term bonds. Income and liquidity needs are important considerations when structuring a bond portfolio. There are strategies to spread this risk over short, mid, and long term maturities. Implementing these strategies will depend on the investor’s priorities as well as the interest rate environment. 5) Call/reinvestment risk: As interest rates fall, bonds with call provisions may be called in by the issuer prior to maturity. This may leave the investor with the problem of reinvesting the principal at a lower interest rate. 6) Inflation risk: This is also known as purchasing power risk. Inflation is a rise in the general level of prices for goods and services. If investments do not keep up with inflation, an investor’s money will purchase less in the future than it did in the past. Stocks historically have offered the most protection against inflation, while bonds offer the least protection. Commodities and real estate have also been good protection against inflation. 7) Liquidity risk: Some investments may not be widely held by the public and may be difficult to sell if prices drop dramatically. We only purchase highly liquid investments traded on the public exchanges. 8) Currency risk: Currency exchange can affect the returns of a foreign security because foreign exchange rates constantly fluctuate with changes in the supply and demand of each country’s currency. Thus, returns achieved by local investors are often quite different from the returns that U.S. investors achieved—even though both are investing in the same security. Gold, while a commodity, is often referred to as a “store of value” because it has held value against every currency in the world. Gold is also a good diversifier in a portfolio as it has little or no correlation to the stock market. 9) Political/economic risk: Investments in a foreign country can be affected by the political and economic developments within that country as well as across the globe. The range of these risks is wide ranging from war, currency devaluation, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and regulatory changes to name just a few. Globalization has made geographic diversification harder to achieve as foreign assets have become much more correlated to the U.S. markets. 10) Fee risk: You will not see this risk prominently featured in any broker or adviser marketing materials. Fees are a material cost to an investor and should be very well understood before entering into a relationship with an investment professional. Lack of transparency often makes this difficult. Our flat fee model removes a large portion of this risk. Summary No investment is without risk. Even cash, whether held in the bank or under the pillow, is subject to inflation risk and loss of purchasing power. There is an inverse relationship between risk and return. Time and liquidity needs are key considerations. Our investment plan will identify which assets are most relevant to your goals, which risks are most detrimental, and accordingly structure a portfolio to mitigate these risks with your return requirements. © Compound Value Advisers, All Rights Reserved .
Recommended publications
  • Assessing Securities Lending Risk-Return Performance in a Portfolio Context
    Asset-Based Lending Assessing Securities Lending Risk-Return Performance in a Portfolio Context by Ben Atkins and Glenn Horner hile many institutional investors embrace paying a rebate rate on this cash collateral.1 Demand securities lending as an attractive tool to to borrow securities usually causes the rebate rate to enhance portfolio returns, others remain wary. fall below the risk-free rate (the line). For some secu- WMany perceive securities lending to be an eso- rities, this spread is quite substantial; the demand teric distraction—a tool limited by risky, immaterial spread represents the “specialness” of a security to returns. State Street addresses the latter view by borrowers. Some lenders are content with the grounding investors’ performance analysis on risk- demand spread; they simply invest the cash collateral adjusted returns. The data lead to two key conclu- in Treasury repo. Most lenders, however, seek addi- sions for investment managers and plan sponsors: tional returns by investing the collateral in high-qual- 1. Although securities lending returns are relative- ity money market instruments (collateral reinvest- ly small, superior risk-adjusted performance ment).2 In this way, they capture reinvestment highlights its value. returns by assuming a limited degree of credit and 2. Managers may optimize their lending program through a broader framework that integrates the Figure 1 risk-return performance of the underlying Disaggregation of Securities Lending Returns investments. Increasingly, investors focus on minimizing Reinvestment return “frictional” losses due to management fees, commis- sions, and inefficient trading. A well-structured lend- Reinvestment spread ing program represents an attractive tool to offset Risk-free rate some of these losses.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding and Managing Risk in Public Investing
    CDIAC/CMTA Advanced Public Funds Investing Workshop Session Three: Understanding and Managing Risk in Public Investing Presented by: Sarah Meacham, Managing Director January 15, 2020 PFM Asset 601 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 4500 Management LLC Los Angeles, CA 90017 www.pfm.com 213.489.4075 © PFM 1 TYPES OF FIXED INCOME INVESTMENT RISK Inflation Interest rate Topics Liquidity Reinvestment Credit HOW TO MANAGE AND MITIGATE RISK Investment policy development Diversification Discipline to long-term strategy Performance measurement © PFM 2 “Risk is inherent throughout the investment process. There is investment risk associated with any investment activity and opportunity risk related to inactivity.” ~Local Agency Investment Guidelines, CDIAC January 1, 2019 © PFM 3 Types of Fixed Income Investment Risk © PFM 4 Types of Fixed Income Investment Risk Inflation Risk Liquidity Risk Credit Risk Loss of purchasing Inability to sell portfolio Risk of default or power over time as a holdings at a competitive decline in security value result of inflation price due to issuer’s financial strength Reinvestment Risk Interest Rate Risk The risk that a security’s Variability of return/price cash flow will be related to changes in reinvested at a lower interest rates rate of return © PFM 5 Inflation Risk © PFM 6 Inflation (Purchasing Power) Risk Loss of purchasing power over time as a result of inflation Real interest rate is after inflation; nominal is before inflation • Real = nominal – inflation • Nominal = real + inflation • Inflation = nominal
    [Show full text]
  • Property/Liability Insurance Risk Management and Securitization
    PROPERTY/LIABILITY INSURANCE RISK MANAGEMENT AND SECURITIZATION Biography Trent R. Vaughn, FCAS, MAAA, is Vice President of Actuarial/Pricing at GRE Insurance Group in Keene, NH. Mr. Vaughn is a 1990 graduate of Central College in Pella, Iowa. He is also the author of a recent Proceedings paper and has been a member of the CAS Examination Committee since 1996. Acknowledgments The author would like to thank an anonymous reviewer from the CAS Continuing Education Committee for his or her helpful comments. PROPERTY/LIABILITY INSURANCE RISK MANAGEMENT AND SECURITIZATION Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive framework for property/liability insurance risk management and securitization. Section 2 presents a rationale for P/L insurance risk management. Sections 3 through 6 describe and evaluate the four categories of P/L insurance risk management techniques: (1) maintaining internal capital within the organization, (2) managing asset risk, (3) managing underwriting risk, and (4) managing the covariance between asset and liability returns. Securitization is specifically discussed as a potential method of managing underwriting risk. Lastly, Section 7 outlines four key guidelines for cost- effective risk management. 1. INTRODUCTION In recent years, the property-liability insurance industry has witnessed intense competition from alternative risk management techniques, such as large deductibles and retentions, risk retention groups, and captive insurance companies. Moreover, the next decade promises to bring additional competition from new players in the P/L insurance industry, including commercial banks and securities firms. In order to survive in this competitive new landscape, P/L insurers must manage total risk in a cost-efficient manner. This paper provides a rationale for P/L insurance risk management, then describes four categories of risk management techniques utilized by insurers.
    [Show full text]
  • Diversification and Discussion of Risk
    Diversification and Discussion of Risk Conference of the County Investment Academy San Antonio June 2019 PFIA 2256.008c Requires Training in: • Investment Diversification 2 Capital Market Theory 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% E( r) 6.0% P* * 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% Std. Dev. 3 Capital Market Theory • Points along the upper half of the curve represent the best risk/return diversified portfolios of risky assets • The straight line represents portfolios obtained by investing in the “optimal risky portfolio” (P*) and either lending or leveraging at the “risk‐free” rate. • Points on the line below the curve represent “lending” and points above represent “leveraging” (note increased “risk” as measured by standard deviation of returns!) 4 So in theory….. Key result? An undiversified portfolio yields inferior return for the level of risk! The same, or higher, return could be attained at a lower level of risk with a diversified portfolio. If you are not diversified, you are taking more risk than you can expect to be compensated for! 5 Diversification and Correlation of Returns Correlation, which measures the degree of “co‐ movement”, ranges from ‐1 to +1. When the correlation between returns is less than 1 there are diversification benefits—the risk of portfolio is less than the average of the risks of the individual assets. Which pair of stock returns is more correlated? Chevron, Exxon Chevron, Delta Airlines 6 International Diversification Correlations vs S&P 500: China 0.62 Korea 0.53 Japan 0.73 Germany 0.74 UK 0.73 Brazil 0.29 Chile 0.38 Monthly returns vs corresponding MSCI indexes (US dollar returns) 5 years ended April 2019 Source: FactSet 7 Global Market Capitalization Latin Canada 1% UK 3% Other 5% 1% Japan 8% Asia ex Japan 13% U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Securities Loans Collateralized by Cash: Reinvestment Risk, Run Risk
    Securities Loans Collateralized by Cash: Reinvestment Risk, Run Risk, and Incentive Issues Frank M. Keane Securities loans collateralized by cash are by far the most popular form of securities-lending transaction. But when the www.newyorkfed.org/research/current_issues F cash collateral associated with these transactions is actively reinvested by a lender’s agent, potential risks emerge. This 2013 F study argues that the standard compensation scheme for securities-lending agents, which typically provides for agents to share in gains but not losses, creates incentives for them to take excessive risk. It also highlights the need for greater scrutiny and understanding of cash reinvestment practices— especially in light of the AIG experience, which showed that Volume 19, Number 3 Volume risks related to cash reinvestment, by even a single participant, could have destabilizing effects. lthough less researched than the money markets, the collateral markets IN ECONOMICS AND FINANCE are critical to the efficiency of the asset markets—including the markets for ATreasury, agency, and agency mortgage-backed securities. Well-functioning collateral markets allow dealers and investors in the asset markets to finance short positions for the purposes of hedging, market making, settlement, and arbitrage. Two important mechanisms for accessing the U.S. money and collateral markets are repurchase agreements (repos) and securities-lending transactions. In a money market transaction, when cash and securities are exchanged, the securities act as collateral and mitigate the risks associated with a borrower’s failure to repay the cash. In a collateral market transaction, however, the cash serves as collateral and mitigates the risk associated with replacing the security if the borrower fails to return it.
    [Show full text]
  • Interest Rate Risk • Interest Rate Risk Is the Risk Market Rates Will Change. O
    MANAGING BOND PORTFOLIOS Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk is the risk market rates will change. o Price risk—bond prices (values) move opposite interest rates; there exists an inverse relationship such that prices decrease when market rates increase, and vice versa. o Reinvestment risk—interest rate changes are positively related to the ability to reinvest at favorable rates; that is, when market rates increase, the coupon interest that is paid by a bond can be reinvested at higher rates, and vice versa. Interest rate sensitivity—the characteristics of bonds indicate how sensitive bond prices are to changes in interest rates. o Bond prices move opposite changes in interest rates (inversely related). When market yields increase, bond price decrease, and vice versa. A price decrease that results from an increase in the market rate will be less than a price increase that results from an equivalent decrease in the market rate. o Everything else equal, bond prices are more sensitive for bonds with: . Longer terms to maturity than bonds with shorter terms to maturity. The sensitivity of longer-term bonds increases at a decreasing rate, which means that a bond with 20 years to maturity is not twice as sensitive to changes in market rates than a bond with 10 years to maturity; e.g., the price of a 10-year bond might decrease by 6 percent when market rates increase, whereas the price of the 20- year bond would decrease by 9 percent for the same change in market rates. Bonds with lower coupon rates than bonds with higher coupon rates.
    [Show full text]
  • Blackrock Securities Lending
    BlackRock Securities Lending Unlocking the potential of portfolios January 2021 | Securities Lending Introduction: In summary: Securities lending is a well-established practice whereby • While not without risk, securities lending seeks to U.S. registered funds, such as mutual funds, make loans benefit the fund. of securities to seek an incremental increase in returns for • BlackRock has focused on delivering competitive fund shareholders. returns while balancing return, risk and cost in its three This paper explains the basics of securities lending, decades of lending securities on behalf of outlines the benefits and risks for investors, and describes shareholders. BlackRock’s leading approach to securities lending. • Since 1981, BlackRock has delivered positive monthly lending income for every fund that has participated in Basics of Securities Lending securities lending, including mutual funds. In securities lending transactions, mutual funds lend stocks or bonds to generate additional returns for Benefits of Securities Lending the funds. Mutual fund investors can benefit from securities lending Here’s how it works: first, a large financial institution asks in the form of fund performance. How? The mutual fund to borrow a stock or bond from a mutual fund. In order to seeks to generate additional income through the rate that borrow the stock or bond, the financial institution will it charges for lending securities (if applicable), and/or income on the reinvestment of the collateral that the negotiate financial terms with the lending agent of the borrower provides in exchange for the loan. mutual fund and provide collateral. The mutual fund keeps the collateral to secure repayment in case the Securities lending returns typically vary by asset class and borrower fails to return the loaned stock or bond.
    [Show full text]
  • Asset Securitisation
    Superseded document Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Consultative Document Asset Securitisation Supporting Document to the New Basel Capital Accord Issued for comment by 31 May 2001 January 2001 Superseded document Superseded document Table of Contents OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................................1 I. THE TREATMENT OF EXPLICIT RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH TRADITIONAL SECURITISATION........................................................................................................................1 A. THE STANDARDISED APPROACH .............................................................................................2 1. The treatment for originating banks..........................................................................2 (a) Minimum operational requirements for achieving a clean break.................................3 (b) Minimum capital requirements for credit enhancements ............................................3 (c) Minimum operational requirements for revolving securitisations with early amortisation features .............................................................................................................4 2. The treatment for investing banks ............................................................................6 (a) Minimum capital requirements for investments in ABS...............................................6 (b) Treatment of unrated securitisations ..........................................................................7
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 4 Interest Rate Measurement and Behavior Chapter 5 the Risk and Term Structure of Interest Rates
    Chapter 4 Interest Rate Measurement and Behavior Chapter 5 The Risk and Term Structure of Interest Rates LEVEL OF INTEREST RATES Fisher Effect (risk-free rate) Interest rate has 2 components: (1) real rate (2) inflation premium I = r+ IP STRUCTURE OF INTEREST RATES http://www.ratecurve.com/yc2.html Term Structure of Interest Rates - defines the relationship between maturity & annualized yield, holding other factors such as risk, taxes, etc., constant. Graphic presentation is the yield curve. Curve shifts and twists through time. Four Basic Shapes: Positive Yield Curve: upward sloping Negative Yield Curve: downward sloping Flat Yield Curve Humped Yield Curve Level of Interest Rates: Loanable Funds Theory -- market interest rate is determined by the factors that control the supply of and demand for loanable funds. Demand Factors Household: Y increases then installment debt increases R increases then installment debt falls Business: n CFt NPV = - I + å (1+i )t T =1 if i decrease _ NPV (?) Government: interest inelastic 1980: debt/GNP =25% 1987: debt/GNP=42% Foreign Foreign interest rates vs. U.S. rates Supply Households - largest suppliers Very steep slope for supply. Why? What happens if expect higher inflation? Savers - Liquidity Preference Theory - Market rate of interest is determined by demand/supply of money balances. Demand of Money + Transaction f(y) + Precautionary f(y) - Speculative f(r) Supply of Money Fed basically determines supply Few uncontrollable factors (1) banks lending (2) public's preference for cash Letting D=S then solve for interest rate: + + - _ r = f ( , , ) y m p e THEORIES ON SHAPE OF YIELD CURVE Unbiased Expectations - shape of yield curve is determined solely by current & expected future short-term interest rates.
    [Show full text]
  • Reviewing Systemic Risk Within the Insurance Industry
    Reviewing Systemic Risk within the Insurance Industry February 2017 2 Reviewing Systemic Risk within the Insurance Industry SPONSOR Society of Actuaries AUTHOR Max J. Rudolph, FSA, CERA, CFA, MAAA Caveat and Disclaimer The opinions expressed and conclusions reached by the authors are their own and do not represent any official position or opinion of the Society of Actuaries or its members. The Society of Actuaries makes no representation or warranty to the accuracy of the information. Copyright ©2017 All rights reserved by the Society of Actuaries © 2017 Society of Actuaries 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Systemic Risk ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Systemic Risk Definition ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Definition Nuances ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 What are the Drivers of Systemic Risk? ................................................................................................................... 10 Size ..............................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Interest Rate Risk # Reinvestment Risk: the Returns on Funds to Be Reinvested Will Fall Below the Cost of Funds
    Interest Rate Risk # Reinvestment risk: the returns on funds to be reinvested will fall below the cost of funds. # Refinancing risk: the costs of rolling over funds or reborrowing funds will rise above the returns generated on investments. # Int rate risk is the risk incurred by an FI if it mismatches the maturities of it’s A & L. # Market value risk: Interest rate increase, the market value of assets and liabilities decrease Credit risk is é possibility that promised cash flows may not occur or may only partially occur. 2 types of credit risk: 1. Systematic credit risk affects all borrowers. 2. Firm-specific credit risk affects a particular company. NB:Firm-specific credit risk can be managed through diversification. (b) Which types of FIs are more susceptible to this type of risk? Why? Answer: FIs that lend money for long periods of time, whether as loans or by buying bonds, are more susceptible to this risk than those FIs that have short investment horizons. ‐ Maturity Model •MA–ML > 0: the FI is exposed to increasing interest rates. R asset decrease more •MA– ML < 0: the FI is exposed to decreasing interest rates. R liability decrease more •MA– ML = 0: the FI is ‘immunised’. For most FIs: MA– ML > 0. Maturity matching does not always eliminate interest rate risk exposure, because: a. The duration of A & L might be different, b. The maturity model does not consider the leverage of the FI ‐ Duration Model Duration and maturity: dD/dM>0 Duration and yield: dD/dR< 0 Duration and coupon interest rate: dD/dC< 0 Foreign Exchange Risk Foreign exchange risk: The risk that changes in exchange rates can affect the value of an FI’s Asset and/or Liabilities located abroad.
    [Show full text]
  • Financial Instruments Risks
    Financial Instruments Risks Market Risk Market Risk, also known as “undiversifiable risk,” “volatility” or “systematic risk,” affects the overall market or a broad sector, not just a particular financial instrument or company, and it cannot be mitigated through diversification. It is the risk of an adverse change of price of a portfolio or an asset as a result of changes in the entire market or an entire market segment. Credit Risk The risk of loss of principal or loss of a financial reward stemming from an issuer’s failure to repay any type of debt, or meet a contractual obligation. In bond markets credit risk relates to: (a) the price fall due to increased credit risk of the issuer (increased credit spreads, decreased credit ratings, etc), (b) the risk that the issuer will not fulfill its obligations, such as coupon and principal payment for any reason, including bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings. This risk is higher in the emerging markets and in securities with low credit rating (below investment grade). Interest rate risk Refers to changes in the yield of an investment due to interest rate fluctuations. A shift in the yield curve would result in a change in a bond’s price. If the level of yields / yield curve is higher than it was at the time of initial investment, early liquidation in these securities will be realized at a price lower than the price of the initial investment. This risk is higher in emerging markets and in high yield bonds. Liquidity Risk The risk that a given security or asset cannot be traded quickly enough in the market, due to the lack of marketability to prevent or minimize a loss (or make the required profit).
    [Show full text]