The incredibly long run of stability in capital markets has come to an end. No longer, as Ray Dalio points out, can investors make easy money betting on the stock market going up. Change can be scary, but it can also create opportunity, especially as the market gets more efficient. Now is the time when diligence matters most. And, there’s no better proof that diligence makes money for investors than the performance of the Bloomberg New Constructs Very Attractive Stocks Index, which has strongly out-performed he S&P 500 all year. It beat the S&P 500 by over 9% in 1Q2025.…

April 2025 emerged as a pivotal moment for financial markets, fundamentally reshaping how investors perceive and manage portfolio risk. Marked by unprecedented policy shifts, soaring volatility, and a rare synchronized plunge in stocks and bonds, the month rivaled the chaos of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 crash. From a historic VIX spike to gold’s unexpected resilience, these events exposed vulnerabilities in traditional diversification strategies and hinted at a potential secular shift in global markets. Here’s a detailed look at what unfolded, why it mattered, and how it redefined risk for investors moving forward. Liberation Day Ignites…

Global gold demand struck levels not seen for almost a decade in the first quarter as macroeconomic jitters drove safe-haven buying, according to the World Gold Council (WGC). Between January and March, yellow metal demand (including over-the-counter (OTC) dealing) rose 1% to 1,206 tonnes. This was the highest level since the first quarter of 2016. The WGC said that “the specter of US tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty, stock market volatility and US dollar weakness” all fueled gold demand last quarter. It noted that the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) PM gold fix averaged $2,860 per ounce – up 38% year on…

At my CEF Insider service, we focus on the long term, picking up closed-end funds that give us the capital we need to grow our wealth, plus the high income (I’m talking 8%+ yields here) we need to gain—and keep!—our financial freedom. That said, there’s no denying that one particular investment (that’s known for neither income nor long-term wealth building!) is getting a lot of attention these days: gold. So let’s talk about the yellow metal and why we’ve avoided it at CEF Insider, despite its recent rise. We’ll also look at a closed-end fund (CEF) that looks like a…

Key News Asian equities were mixed but mostly higher overnight as Thailand and Taiwan outperformed while Malaysia and Singapore underperformed. Markets opened lower in Hong Kong, only to swing sharply higher following positive comments from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on high-quality development and supporting consumption and employment. Unfortunately, the Hang Seng ended the session close to flat. Mainland China-based restaurant chain Green Tea Group will go public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after its fifth attempt in four years. The company has no business outside of China, so it does not expect any impact from trade…

For decades, U.S. government bonds have been viewed as the ultimate safe asset—a trusted refuge during times of global uncertainty. Investors have long turned to Treasuries confident that, regardless of the headlines, U.S. fixed income markets would remain stable and dependable. That long-held assumption was tested earlier this month. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury surged from 4.0% to 4.5% within a week—the sharpest move in more than two decades. Importantly, this was not driven by strong economic growth or inflation fears, but by a broader reassessment of U.S. sovereign risk amid newly announced U.S. trade policies. The implications…

Hidden value is difficult to find. Today’s markets are noisy, fast, and increasingly distorted, driven by passive capital flows, artificially manipulated rates, and constantly shifting narratives. In an environment where comfort often masquerades as strategy, many investors pile into mega-cap tech, private credit, or the latest thematic ETF, chasing yesterday’s winners. Few still do the hard work of seeking the truth and finding assets that are mispriced, not by machines but by human emotion, neglect, and misunderstanding. Dave Iben, Chief Investment Officer and Founder of Kopernik Global Investors, has spent decades navigating precisely this terrain. His approach is grounded in…

The board of directors of ONEOK today declared a quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share, unchanged from the previous quarter, resulting in an annualized dividend of $4.12 per share. The dividend is payable May 15, 2025, to shareholders of record at the close of business May 5, 2025. 10 Oversold Dividend Stocks » The Board of Directors of Charles Schwab declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.27 per common share. The dividend is payable May 23, 2025 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 9, 2025. The Gilead Sciences Board declared a quarterly dividend…

Key News Asian equities were mixed overnight as India and Malaysia outperformed while Pakistan and Mainland China (Shenzhen) underperformed. It was a relatively quiet night as value outperformed growth in China. Internet stocks were mostly lower except for Meituan, a significant recipient of Southbound Connect buying by Mainland investors. China’s Politburo meetings have so far resulted in little new stimulus measures to move markets, though we expect more clarity in the coming days and we know that the meetings have been highly economy-focused. However, there are indications of a potential cut to the reserve requirement ratio (RRR), when the time…

As tariffs have been implemented and then adjusted it will take weeks for official economic data to fully capture the impact of tariffs on economic activity. That’s in part due to reporting lags in official economic data and because supply chains themselves take time. For example shipping freight by sea from China to the U.S. east coast can take several weeks. Plus for imported goods to then be sold or used can take longer still. However, various data is starting to gauge the impact of tariffs. The general trend is one of business pessimism with some pulling forward of consumer…