Even if you don’t follow financial markets closely, if you have money in those markets it is worth considering, every so often, where you have been and where the currents may be taking you.
In a nutshell, the stock market in the United States has generated enormous wealth for investors, and in recent months it has roared ahead with scarcely a setback, raising questions about how sustainable those gains really are.
Bonds haven’t performed as spectacularly as stocks. There have been signs that fixed-income markets just may be ready for a long-awaited shift in direction.
We’ve selected nine articles with reporting and analysis on where the markets have been and some clues on where they may be heading. Together the selection provides an introduction to investing. We hope that at least some of these articles will entertain you as well.
Is the Stock Market Too Quiet for Its Own Good?
A rare calm has settled over the stock market, which has been prospering with barely any downturns. That condition is highly unusual, and some fear that it raises the odds that share prices will descend.
Cutting Carbon Emissions While Earning Cash
Green bond funds seek securities with clear environmental benefits. Their managers chase the promise of a double bottom line: growing returns and falling carbon emissions.
Blockchain or Blockheads? Bitcoin Mania Mints Believers and Skeptics
Investing in Bitcoin might make you rich, sure. But how much do you know about tulips? No bubble is too big to burst, our columnist says.
Bargain Hunters Turn to Emerging Market Stocks
After a big year for stocks in China and India, emerging market stock funds are attracting attention from value investors who have been rummaging in staid sectors like manufacturing, mining and finance.
A.I. Has Arrived in Investing. Humans Are Still Dominating.
Artificial intelligence programs are becoming increasingly useful. They are beginning to help fund managers run their portfolios. But will they be good enough to replace them?
These 3 Mutual Funds Reaped Big Gains From Small Companies
There are many ways of scoring outsize returns. Three top-performing funds did it in the last three months of 2017 by focusing on small-cap stocks like a timber company, a cabinet manufacturer and an online lender.
Personal Finance for Those Who Don’t Have a Clue
A new book promises to be “a total beginner’s guide to getting good with money.” It does a good job, though our reviewer has a few misgivings.
Stampede of Tech Giants Gives Rebalancing New Appeal
The breakaway climb of growth stocks like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google has unbalanced many investor portfolios. Is it time to trim tech and tilt back to value?
For Bond Investors, Low Expectations in a Low-Yield World
Bond yields have been rising but from very low levels, creating a challenging environment for money making. The recently enacted tax package could be a moderate benefit for corporate bonds. Small portfolio tweaks, emerging markets and money market funds are options — but prospects for big profits are rare.
Jeff Sommer writes Strategies, a column on markets, finance and the economy. He also edits business news. Previously, he was a national editor. At Newsday, he was the foreign editor and a correspondent in Asia and Eastern Europe. @jeffsommerFacebook
By JEFF SOMMER
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/business/investing-in-2018.html
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