WEEKEND WRAP: With Continued Volatility In Stocks, Is It Time To Consider Alternative Investment Asset Classes?

To say the least, this was one wild week.

Monday opened with word that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had phoned six major banks and the Plunge Protection Team to assure that the banks had adequate liquidity to survive a significant downturn. There were two problem with Mnuchin making these calls and then making them public. First, nobody was thinking about bank liquidity. Second, alerting the PPT suggests that there are significant economic issues facing the market.

Mnuchin initiated a panic, good for -653 points on the Dow, on a day in which markets closed at 1:00 pm. That was Christmas Eve.

The day after Christmas, Wednesday, the Dow set a record for points gained in one session. It was a spectacular day for anybody in the bullish camp. All the other indices were up more than four percent, another first.

On Thursday, stocks were slumping badly again, but then, the rally from nowhere produced a positive finish, boosting the Dow more than 600 points from 2:15 pm into the close, for a net gain on the day of 260 points.

On Friday, the opposite occurred. The Dow Industrials were up 240 points at three o'clock, but closed down 76.

Volatility. It's what's for Christmas, it appears.

When it was all over the week turned out to be a winner, the first in four weeks of December. Since the start of October, there have been nine weekly losses on the Dow, with just five weekly gains. The net result of this wicked roller-coaster of a market is a Dow Jones Industrial Average that's down nearly 2500 points in December and 3766 points from October 3.

While the week's heavy lifting (most likely done by our friends at the PPT) kept the Dow out of bear market territory, it - and the other major indices - are still deep in the correction zone, and all indices are down for the year. Since there's only one trading day left in 2018, this year is a good bet to end up a loser, despite the best efforts of the pumpers, panderers, shills, and jokers in the financial field to separate you from your money with promises of outstanding gains.

Every stock pumper in the world mouths the word "diversification" as a key element leading to positive investment results. The problem with their kind of diversification is that it normally references one, maybe two asset classes: stocks, and then, maybe, bonds.

Such short-sighted thinking obscures all the other asset classes, broadly, real estate, commodities, currencies, art, collectibles, precious metals and gemstones, vehicles, business equipment, private equity, cash, cash equivalents, and human capital.

There are plenty of opportunities in small business development, where ownership can be hands-on or hands-free, with the potential to grow a local business within a community. President Donald Trump (and many other private businessmen) is one good example of how much money can be made in real estate investment and privately-owned businesses.

People who held on to their Spiderman, X-Men, and Fantastic Four comic books are smiling broadly. So too, those who kept baseball and football cards for more than 50 years. The value of a Mickey Mantle rookie card today is astronomical compared to its original cost (less than a penny).

With the recent volatility in stocks, people may be considering diversifying out of stocks and into other asset classes. In the coming year and beyond, presentation of alternative money-making and investment opportunities will be a focus of Money Daily.

Here's to looking forward at a year of diversifying out of strictly stocks in a portfolio.

In advance: Happy New Year!

Dow Jones Industrial Average December Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
12/3/18	25,826.43	+287.97	+287.97
12/4/18	25,027.07	-799.36	-511.39
12/6/18	24,947.67	-79.40	-590.79
12/7/18	24,388.95	-558.72	-1149.51
12/10/18	24,423.26	+34.31	-1115.20
12/11/18	24,370.24	-53.02	-1168.22
12/12/18	24,527.27	+157.03	-1011.19
12/13/18	24,597.38	+70.11	-941.08
12/14/18	24,100.51	-496.87	-1437.95
12/17/18	23,592.98	-507.53	-1945.58
12/18/18	23,675.64	+82.66	-1862.92
12/19/18	23,323.66	-351.98	-2214.90
12/20/18	22,859.60	-464.06	-2678.96
12/21/18	22,445.37	-414.23	-3093.19
12/24/18	21,792.20	-653.17	-3746.36
12/26/18	22,878.45	+1086.25	-2660.11
12/27/18	23,138.82	+260.37	-2399.74
12/28/18	23,062.40	-76.42	-2476.16

At the Close, Friday, December 28, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 23,062.40, -76.42 (-0.33%)
NASDAQ: 6,584.52, +5.03 (+0.08%)
S&P 500: 2,485.74, -3.09 (-0.12%)
NYSE Composite: 11,290.95, +5.64 (+0.05%)

For the Week:
Dow: +617.03 (+2.75%)
NASDAQ: +251.53 (+3.97%)
S&P 500: +69.12 (+2.86%)
NYSE Composite: +254.11 (+2.30%)

Holding Hard Assets a Growing Trend

With the economy still in crisis mode and the future value of the US dollar (and other fiat currencies) very much in doubt, more and more people have pulled money out of stocks and mutual funds and into hard assets, such as vintage automobiles, fine art, collectibles, and, of course, precious metals, such as silver, gold and platinum.

While most of these assets aren't easily traded for quick money, the current perception is that they'll appreciate faster than inflation and aren't subject to the wild swings and other vagueries of the equity and bond markets.

Hard assets are more of a safe investment and a store of value and are especially coveted by people who have already amassed a comfortable level of wealth and wish to keep what they have.

Even if one is not in perfect financial condition, certain hard assets can help one sleep better at night, safe in the knowledge that their assets are in their own possession and not held in some virtual online account which may or may not be secure from hackers, margin calls and market miscues.

What everyone holding hard assets needs more than ever these days is security. That's why gun sales have never been better and safe manufacturers have put on extra shifts in order to meet the overwhelming demand, but nothing beats a solid Home Security system for peace of mind, whether you're at home or away.

While a gun may be the ultimate defense, against intruders and safes are perfect for keeping prying eyes (and hands) away from your precious assets, there isn't a thief alive who will dare break into a home that has a good security system in place, usually with a sign that says the house is well-monitored.

Good systems come in all price ranges, from simple DIY installation of motion detectors with lights and sirens to advanced wired or wireless security apparatus that can signal a local or national security center or even the police when tripped.

Holding hard assets will likely continue to be a favored investment for all classes of people, and the companies who make things that keep them secure are almost certain to profit handsomely.