Do you know which were the best performing markets of 2016? Which investments showed the most impressive annual returns? The answer might surprise you: the Brazilian Bovespa was one of the outperformers, together with the Russian Micex-index (I have been investing in Russia for the past two years.) These two stock markets rose by almost 70% and 60% respectively in 2016. Oil (WTI) follows suit, with an annual return exceeding 40% (oil prices came from extreme lows.) The WTI oil price narrowed... »
Will the Best Performing Markets of 2016 Be the Best Performing Markets of 2017?
January 17 2017
Olav Dirkmaat
Most Impressive Charts 2016 - 10 Charts That Define 2016
January 11 2017
Before we embark upon our forecasts for 2017 (especially regarding precious metals prices), it is without a doubt worth it to analyze the year 2016 once more with the help of a few charts. These charts represent the protagonists of past year, the returns on the most important financial assets and the most important changes in some select financial data. In some cases, these will remain as important as they were last year in the coming twelve months. We will glance through the Dow Jones, German
... »Olav Dirkmaat
The Trap of the New Normal
January 4 2017
In many situations, we human beings make estimates by beginning at a start value. Psychologists call this phenomenon anchoring, or the reference-point-effect. I personally prefer the “new normal” syndrome, especially when we are talking about financial markets. The history of financial markets
... »Olav Dirkmaat
Top 10 Best Read Articles of 2016
December 27 2016
We are in the midst of the holiday season. New Year’s Eve is days away. In other words, it is a great moment to relive an eventful year, get the facts straight, and digest the impact of this year's important events yet again. Our top ten best read articles of 2016 might help you with that. I present to you our top ten of 2016 with a brief introduction.
... »Olav Dirkmaat
