Over the last few weeks, months, perhaps even a year or so, the markets have been extremely volatile. Concerns about Brexit, the Presidential election, a lackluster global economy, political unrest, Federal Reserve policies, you name it, have caused extreme uncertainty and frustration. And while the market continues to hit new highs and progress, albeit slow, is being made, there is still quite a lot of uncertainty out there.
The results of both Brexit and the Presidential election prove one thing – people are extremely frustrated with their leaders and have not only demanded but effected significant change. There are many on both sides of the pond that are still dumbfounded by the votes and clearly many others who believe that the change is truly going to make their lives better. The jury is still out.
It will take some time – a significant amount of time — for anything to really change but two things are for sure: On January 20, 2017, the next President of the United States will be Donald Trump, and Theresa May and her government are working diligently on moving out of the European Union. There are many who are excited, many who are worried and many who are still scratching their heads and saying,”Really?”
As we have officially entered the holiday season, at least according to retailers and the media, the one thing we all need to do is to take a step back, take a deep breath and relax. Year end is fast approaching – there is still a lot of work to be done for managers and investors alike. You need to keep you focus during the silly season that is the holidays. Stay focused on the positive, try to avoid the negative and be thankful for our friends, families and colleagues.
The hedge fund industry has been hit hard in 2016. Things have been tough for investors and managers alike, but remember, it’s always darkest before the dawn. There are great things to come for the industry in 2017. The evidence is there that managers are going to end strong and investors always need investments that zig while the markets zag.
Operations for Alternatives comes to Miami February 27/28. It is the only event focused on bringing people together to learn about how to make investment management operations more efficient. It is great event to learn about best practices, to engage with the industry and to network. Learn more about the event and register by clicking here.
Things that drive me crazy
I am sick and tired of all the news coverage about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Enough, already. The idea that shopping at a brick-and-mortar store and going online to buy stuff is news is absolutely ludicrous. The media bombardment about these two days is ridiculous. Traffic at the mall or on the web should not be a lead news story when it is about shopping! I guess the press figures that stories about shopping redeem them from their failure to cover and to predict the outcome of the Presidential election accurately. Either that, or they just want to help their advertisers by making news out of shopping.