Ryan Dykmans, president and chief investment officer at Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, is expecting a market downturn that comes "in large chunks," and while he is not sure of what will trigger it, he does think it won't be excessively far off. With that in mind, he discusses the importance of preparing for it today to avoid the potential to respond emotionally. Moreover, in "a much more meaningful and material drawdown," he says investors will "wish they had some dry powder." Dykmans also discusses what he expects on interest rates, the Federal Reserve and why he thinks a defensive, diversified portfolio posture makes sense even as the market continues running now.
Michael Kahn, senior market analyst at Lowry Research Corp., a CFRA company, says the market is already having a correction, with every index other than the major ones being down, and the big boys being held up by only a few large stocks. "This is a correction," Kahn says, "the question we have to answer is when it's going to end." If the market weakens from here, Kahn says it will be the largest stocks that don't hold up, but if things get better, smaller companies and broader participation will be what boosts returns. Kahn sees enough positives that he's not expecting a bear market, but instead is looking for indicators that the sliding has ended and the next leg higher is starting.
John Cole Scott, president of CEF Advisors, discusses third-quarter results in closed-end funds, noting that income held up at a time when prices were falling. Those price declines widened discounts in taxable bond funds to "the 99th percentile of cheapness," a level seen previously only during times of extreme market stress. Following those times previously, taxable bonds rebounded sharply, meaning the discount should be seen as a buying opportunity. Scott also discusses using hybrids like convertibles and preferreds, and which type of hybrid he prefers for current market conditions.