Breakout metal Palladium is $1911/oz; Platinum @$955/oz.
For certain asset classes, things varied:
S&P 500 Tot. return +31%
Stoxx Europe +29%
Gold +18%
7-10 Yr. U.S. Treas +6%
Art +5%
1-3 Yr Treas +1%
Fancy color diamonds -1%
Fine Wine -4%
Classic Cars -6%
If you had left your money in an index fund of US stocks, you may have gained upwards of 20% ON THE YEAR. Not to shabby. The NASDAQ was up almost 38% on the year. Forecasters for 2020 are more cautious: maybe 5-6% on the year. Or average, really.
But what is really what we're watching in 2020. Gerald Seib, the talented journalist who covers the Washington, DC area says these 4 areas bear watching;
Hong Kong and its protestors - it cannot continue without achieving a breaking point. Pres. Xi will get to a point that a decision must be made- more or less autonomy for the autonomous area. In light of the over all slowdown in China; the continuing unrest in the far west Uighur Territory, and US sanctions/tariffs, and Tibet, and Taiwan, and India, and North Korea.
North Korea
What will be done about its weapons development programs including the aggressive launching of missiles in the nearby seas?
Iran's Economy
The IMF says the economy will shrink9.5% this year while inflation is running at 35.7%. Think about that figure-35.7%. Now that's something that concerns everybody in the Middle East.
the U.K. Brexit
Will the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, be able to pull out of the EU on good terms or will he bolt now that he has the backing of the Parliament? There are innumerable pitfalls along the road to BREXIT, any of which could bring down the curtain on the UK and the EU itself.
So get ready for 2020. Be safe on the return home tomorrow, could be some ice and snow out there.
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