At the end of 2020, there was a glimmer of hope we would get back to some sense of normalcy. The contentious election was behind us. Vaccines had just started to hit the streets. The Congress passed a huge spending bill. The Federal Reserve was pumping the financial system full of cash. Investors had made a huge amount of money in what had been a tumultuous year. Personal balance sheets were as strong as they had been in a long time, and consumer demand was vibrant.
2022 was going to be a good year, right? Yes, but….
Just as they had in 2020, investors made a ton of money in 2021, and all they really had to do was show up. As we told our clients throughout the year: “you can’t fight the Fed, and the Fed has showed up to the party with a punchbowl full of cash. We might as well continue to fill our glasses.” And we did. Further, continued strong economic growth made our decision to overweight equities that much easier. After all, they were the most reasonably valued of all overvalued asset classes.
Please enjoy our thoughts about what happened in 2021, and what might happen in 2022. Obviously, no one can look into the future with crystal clarity. However, by anticipating potential changes, we can capitalize on them for our clients’ benefit.