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Honing in is what matters amid market volatility

Investors should focus on longer-term outcomes rather than react to short-term dislocations

    • Against the backdrop of a strong stock market performance in 2024, softer-than-expected July jobs and ISM data have sparked fears that a US recession is imminent.
    • Against the backdrop of a strong stock market performance in 2024, softer-than-expected July jobs and ISM data have sparked fears that a US recession is imminent. PHOTO: REUTERS
    Published Tue, Aug 13, 2024 · 05:55 PM

    AUGUST kicked off with a perfect storm that sparked the great unwind of some of the most crowded, popular trades.

    After a strong first-half performance, this recent bout of market volatility is a timely wake-up call for investors, a reminder that the best-laid plans can be derailed by short-term factors.

    Crowded trades are positions where investors may have factored in some level of consensus and elevated expectations of certain outcomes. Some examples: That earnings growth justifies higher valuations for generative artificial intelligence (gen AI)-related stocks; or that higher inflation and a stronger US economy correlate with higher bond yields; or that a weak Japanese yen correlates with borrowing the currency to fund trades, in addition to buoying the prospects of Japanese exporters.

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