Long-Term Investing

Long-term investing an investment strategy where a position is taken in a stock, a market, a currency or a commodity and is not sold for at least a few years. Long-term investing is creating an investment thesis on taking a position and why this position will pay off in the long run. The danger with long-term investing is staying with a position that continues to lose money. The most important aspect of long-term investing is to evaluate the investment thesis constantly. Things change. If the change alters the investment thesis, then an investor needs to sell and move on. If the thesis still works, then the difficult part is staying with a losing position until the market turns and proves the thesis right.

Changes to International Tariffs Giving This Stock a Boost

By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | May 17, 2013

Changes to International Tariffs When it comes to buying stocks for long-term investing, the short-term gyrations can be difficult for investors. It’s important from a long-term investing viewpoint to look out onto the horizon over many years, and search for short-term pullbacks and opportunities that might allow attractive entry points.

We are all aware of the troubled situation economically in Europe; however, there are still potential opportunities for buying stocks that could benefit from significant market changes when it comes to long-term investing.

One example is the automobile industry. While no one would suggest that Europe is a strong sector for growth in automobiles, don’t discount the carmakers when considering buying stocks. Volkswagen AG (OTC/VLKAY) is continuing to set the foundation for growth globally over the next decade.

The company’s Audi division is continuing to make inroads in many markets, including India, China, and the U.S. Additionally, a decrease in tariffs for many countries is now opening the door for European automobile makers to gain market share.

South Korea recently dropped the import duty on European vehicles from eight percent to only 3.2%, which has resulted in an increase of foreign automobiles making up 41% of the South Korean market versus 28% just two years ago. (Source: Kim, R., “BMWs Cheaper Than Hyundais in Korea as Tariffs Crumble,” Bloomberg, May 15, 2013, accessed May 15, 2013.)

The U.S. has also cut tariffs for imported cars substantially and will completely eliminate them by 2016. This will open the door for competition, and vehicles such as Audis, which are of premium quality, have the potential to gain market share.

Volkswagen is continuing its expansion in emerging … Read More

Higher Inflation Rate Expected; Long-Term Investors in Danger?

By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | May 9, 2013

Higher Inflation Rate One of the biggest concerns for investors when it comes to long-term investing is the safe return of their capital. Following the 6.75% levy imposed by Cyprus on deposits of less than 100,000 euros, many investors were shocked that such an event could take place.

Certainly, long-term investing does have risks, including a hidden hazard of the possibility that a rising inflation rate will erode wealth just as easily as the levy imposed by Cyprus on bank deposits.

A study done by The Economist showed that people in the U.S. who placed their capital in six-month certificates of deposit (CDs) from 2009 until 2012 earned 3.2% (before tax). Many believe that a CD is among the safest of short-term investments. However, the inflation rate was 6.6% during this time period, resulting in a loss of wealth for the investor of 3.2%. (Source: “The financial-repression levy,” The Economist, March 23, 2013.)

While bank depositors in Cyprus are in an uproar over the one-time levy, American investors have also been hit with a loss of wealth of approximately 3.2% during a three-year period due to inflation, as noted above. Now, imagine the full impact on long-term investing over many years and decades as the inflation rate erodes wealth.

Understanding the real impact of the rate of inflation should alter one’s portfolio allocation when it comes to long-term investing. Simply placing capital in U.S. Treasury notes will not have the rate of return that investors need for retirement.

Many people only look at the nominal return, and not the real return on an investment. Remember, regardless of what the expected return is, for … Read More

U.S. Pension Crisis a Huge Obstacle for the Economy

By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | Apr 26, 2013

U.S. Pension Crisis a Huge Obstacle One of the biggest dangers when it comes to long-term investing is trying to determine the potential hazards on the horizon. Currently, market sentiment has become extremely positive in the market, driven by strong corporations with lean organizations and plenty of cash.

However, to be successful at long-term investing, we must look past current market sentiment conditions and determine what potential pitfalls could arise. Pension funds within corporations are becoming a serious threat in their potential to dampen market sentiment in the long run.

The deficit for American pension funds—the difference between the amount owed to retired workers and the level of funds in the pension—increased at the end of 2012 to $295 billion, up 17% from year-end 2011, according to Towers Watson. (Source: Badawy, M., “Corporate pension funding down in 2012 on falling interest rates,” Reuters, April 23, 2013.)

While assets within the pension plans have increased, as the stock market has moved higher, interest rates have declined to such a level that it still leaves a huge funding gap. Market sentiment for the current state of corporations might be accurate, but long-term investing is all about what will happen down the road. At some point, these obligations do have to be paid one way or another.

According to Towers Watson, American corporations contributed $45.0 billion in 2012 to their pension plans, the largest amount during the past five years. Since the turmoil in the market in 2008 and 2009, many pension plans have shifted away from equities and toward fixed income. According to Towers Watson, since 2009, the equity portion of the average pension plan has declined by … Read More

Major Shift in Chinese Economy Opens up Long-Term Investment Opportunities

By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | Apr 16, 2013

Chinese Economy Opens up Long-Term Investment Opportunities For many years, people from all over the world have been envious of the economic growth in the Chinese economy. Since leaders of that nation have transformed the Chinese economy from purely state-controlled to more capitalistic, China’s growth has been astounding.

Looking back, it is easy today to think of the Chinese economy in terms of the allocation of funds for long-term investing—hindsight is always 20/20. However, the trick is to look forward over the next decade and determine the most likely scenario for long-term investing possibilities.

A common complaint by outsiders regarding the Chinese economy has been the use of cheap wages to increase its competitiveness. It is true that the Chinese economy has benefited greatly from much lower wages than many other nations around the world. Additionally, the size of the working population is huge.

However, it appears that the demographics and costs are now beginning to shift against the Chinese economy, and those interested in long-term investing might be able to create a portfolio that will benefit from this change.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently noted that wages adjusted for inflation have more than tripled over the past decade in the Chinese economy. Additionally, new labor laws have increased costs for businesses to hire and fire people. (Source: “China surging wages threaten economy’s competitiveness, ADB says,” Bloomberg, April 9, 2013.)

Additionally, ADB reports that wages are being pushed higher, as the pool of working-age people shrinks. Because the one child policy has been in place for so many years, China is entering a troubling demographic scenario, as there will be far less people available to work … Read More

Growing Dividends, Stock Buybacks Helping Investors Beat Market Gyrations

By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | Mar 18, 2013

Growing Dividends When it comes to long-term investing, one factor that needs to be considered is that the dividend yield can provide a large portion of the total return. While everyone likes to pick the highflier that will move up a tremendous amount, the truth is that having a portfolio of stocks that continually increase their dividend yield can help increase total returns of a portfolio.

It is expected that for 2013, S&P 500 companies will pay out at least $300 billion in dividends. This is an even higher amount than the $282 billion paid in dividends for 2012. (Source: Demos, T., Russolillo, S., and Jarzemsky, M., “Firms send record cash back to investors,” Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2013.)

Long-term investing that incorporates companies issuing a stable and increasing dividend yield over time can help mitigate the gyrations of the market.

Not only are corporations flush with cash and looking to pay an attractive dividend yield as compared to U.S. Treasuries, but companies are also buying back record levels of shares.

According to Birinyi Associates Inc., in February, corporations announced a total of $117.8 billion in share buybacks, the highest monthly total since 1985.

Generally speaking, both share buybacks and issuing a dividend yield are positive for long-term investing. However, I do worry that companies are buying back shares at levels that are elevated.

I think it would be far more beneficial for long-term investing if corporations had a flexible approach regarding paying back cash. Meaning, when the stock price declines, corporations should then accelerate share buybacks, and when their share prices are up significantly, corporations should increase their dividend yields…. Read More