Christzikas @Christzikas: "𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗢 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Last..."

Greece

𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗢 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Last week was a roller-coaster ride for the U.S. stock market, marked by significant volatility driven by a mix of economic concerns and international developments. 📌 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆: The week began with a sharp downturn across major indices. The S&P 500 dropped 3%, the Nasdaq fell 3.4%, and the Dow Jones lost over 1,000 points, or 2.6%. This decline was triggered by a combination of a 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙐.𝙎. 𝙟𝙤𝙗𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 and an 𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙅𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙣. The jobs report showed that non-farm payrolls increased by only 114,000 in July, far below expectations, raising fears of a potential recession. Additionally, the Bank of Japan's decision to raise interest rates disrupted global markets, especially affecting those involved in the yen carry trade, where investors borrow in yen to invest in higher-yielding assets elsewhere. 📌 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆 (𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟴𝘁𝗵): Despite the bleak start, the market rebounded strongly later in the week. Thursday marked the best day for U.S. stocks since 2022, with the S&P 500 surging 2.3%, the Nasdaq jumping 2.9%, and the Dow climbing 1.8%. What a crazy world. Overall, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished the week slightly down by 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively, the volatility highlighted both the market's sensitivity to economic data and the influence of global financial dynamics, particularly from Japan. However, the strong rebound midweek also showed that investor sentiment remains resilient, especially when bolstered by positive economic indicators and corporate earnings. I wanted, also, to update you on some recent moves in our portfolio that reflect my confidence in both growth and stability amid the current market conditions. 📌Increased Positions: 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 (𝗕𝗞𝗡𝗚) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗦𝗖𝗜 𝗜𝗻𝗰. (𝗠𝗦𝗖𝗜) 🔸𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ( $BKNG (Booking Holdings Inc) ): As the travel industry continues to recover and grow, I see significant potential in Booking Holdings. The company has shown resilience, with strong earnings growth driven by a surge in global travel demand. Despite the recent market volatility, I believe BKNG is well-positioned to benefit from the ongoing recovery in leisure and business travel. This increase in my position reflects my long-term confidence in the travel sector's rebound. 🔸𝗠𝗦𝗖𝗜 𝗜𝗻𝗰. ( $MSCI (MSCI Inc) ): I also increased my position in MSCI, a leader in global indices, analytics, and ESG research. With the growing importance of ESG investing and the company's robust performance in providing critical tools for asset managers, MSCI continues to show strong growth potential. I believe that as global investment trends increasingly favor data-driven decision-making, MSCI will remain at the forefront, making it a valuable long-term hold. 📌𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 (𝗥𝗚𝗔) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 (𝗔𝗫𝗣) 🔸𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 ( $RGA (Reinsurance Group America Inc) ): I've opened a new position in RGA, a leading global life and health reinsurance company. RGA offers a compelling blend of growth and defensive qualities. The company is well-regarded for its solid underwriting capabilities and has a strong presence in key markets around the world. Given the ongoing economic uncertainties, I see RGA as a stable play in the insurance sector with the potential for steady returns. 🔸𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 ( $AXP (American Express CO) ): I also initiated a position in American Express, which I believe is poised for continued growth as consumer spending rebounds, especially in travel and entertainment. AXP has a strong brand and a loyal customer base, particularly among higher-income consumers and businesses. With its focus on premium customers and a diversified revenue stream, I see AXP as a solid addition to my portfolio. Lastly, in the midst of last week's market turmoil, I noticed an opportunity to capitalize on the heightened volatility. I 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗜𝗫 by buying the ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF ( $SVXY ). For those unfamiliar, SVXY is designed to profit when the VIX, which measures market volatility, decreases. Given the sharp spike in the VIX following Monday's market crash, I anticipated that the volatility would taper off as the week progressed and markets began to stabilize. Indeed, as the market rebounded strongly later in the week, the VIX dropped, allowing me to close the 𝙎𝙑𝙓𝙔 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙 𝟴.𝟴𝟵% 𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.🤑 That's all for now! Happy investing, and thank you for your continued trust and support!

5 Mentioned

BKNG

Booking Holdings Inc

MSCI

MSCI Inc

RGA

Reinsurance Group America Inc

AXP

American Express CO

SVXY

ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF