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	<title>West Loop Financial LLC‘Sure Things’ to Watch for in 2017 &#8211; West Loop Financial LLC</title>
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		<title>‘Sure Things’ to Watch for in 2017</title>
		<link>https://www.westloopfinancial.com/2017/02/21/sure-things-to-watch-for-in-2017/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2017 19:51:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[bbubenik]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[BAM Alliance]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Larry Swedroe compiles his list of financial predictions to watch for the year. Every year, I like to keep track of the predictions “gurus” and other market observers make for the upcoming year, specifically the ones they say are “sure things.” It seems like no one in the financial media holds them accountable (which is...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.westloopfinancial.com/2017/02/21/sure-things-to-watch-for-in-2017/">‘Sure Things’ to Watch for in 2017</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.westloopfinancial.com">West Loop Financial LLC</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Larry Swedroe compiles his list of financial predictions to watch for the year.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">Every year, I like to keep track of the predictions “gurus” and other market observers make for the upcoming year, specifically the ones they say are “sure things.” It seems like no one in the financial media holds them accountable (which is a shame, since the evidence shows there are no good forecasters), so I will. Today, we will look at some common predictions I’ve been hearing from gurus and investors for 2017.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>First Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">The Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates in 2017. That leads many to recommend that investors limit their bond holdings to the shortest maturities. Economist Jeremy Siegel even <a href="http://www.advisorperspectives.com/articles/2016/11/28/jeremy-siegel-why-long-term-investors-should-own-stocks-bonds-are-dangerous" target="_blank">warned</a> that bonds are “dangerous.”</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>Second Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">With the large amount of fiscal and monetary stimulus we have experienced, and with the anticipation of a large infrastructure spending program, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/gdp-inflation-and-interest-rates-forecast-to-rise-under-trump-presidency-1479054608" target="_blank">the inflation rate will rise significantly</a>.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>Third Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">With the aforementioned stimulus, anticipated tax cuts and a reduction in regulatory burdens, the <a href="https://www.philadelphiafed.org/research-and-data/real-time-center/survey-of-professional-forecasters/2016/survq416" target="_blank">growth rate of real GNP will accelerate</a>, hitting 2.2% this year.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>Fourth Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">This one follows from the first two. With the Fed tightening monetary policy and our economy improving—and with the economies of European and other developed nations still struggling to generate growth, and with their central banks still pursuing very easy monetary policies—the dollar will strengthen. The dollar index ended 2016 at 102.38.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>Fifth Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">With <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/28/investing/trump-trade-war-stocks-2017-survey/" target="_blank">concern mounting over the potential for trade wars</a>, emerging markets should be avoided.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>Sixth Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">With the <a href="http://www.multpl.com/shiller-pe/" target="_blank">Shiller cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings (CAPE) ratio at 27.7</a> as we entered the year (66% above its long-term average), domestic stocks are overvalued. Compounding the issue with valuations is that rising interest rates make bonds more competitive with stocks. Thus, U.S. stocks are likely to have mediocre returns in 2017. A group of 15 Wall Street strategists <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/wall-street-strategists-feel-bettertogether-in-2017-1483379914" target="_blank">expect the S&amp;P 500, on average, to close the year at 2,356</a>. That’s good for a total return of about 7%.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>Seventh Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">Given their relative valuations, U.S. small-cap stocks will underperform U.S. large-cap stocks this year. Morningstar data showed that, at the end of 2016, the prospective price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of the <a href="http://www.etf.com/VB" target="_blank">Vanguard Small Cap Index Fund (VB)</a> stood at 21.4, while the P/E ratio of its <a href="http://www.etf.com/VOO" target="_blank">Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VOO)</a> stood at 19.4.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><strong>Eighth Sure Thing</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">With the non-U.S. developed and emerging market economies generally growing at a slower pace than the U.S. economy (and with many emerging markets hurt by weak commodity prices, slower growth in China’s economy, the Fed tightening monetary policy and a rising dollar), international developed-market stocks will underperform U.S. stocks this year.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;">That’s my list. Keep in mind that, if these truly <em>are</em> sure things, most (if not all) should happen. We’ll report back to you with a score at the end of each quarter.</p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><em>This commentary originally appeared February 1 on <a href="http://www.etf.com/sections/index-investor-corner/swedroe-sure-things-watch-2017" target="_blank">ETF.com</a></em></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><em>By clicking on any of the links above, you acknowledge that they are solely for your convenience, and do not necessarily imply any affiliations, sponsorships, endorsements or representations whatsoever by us regarding third-party Web sites. We are not responsible for the content, availability or privacy policies of these sites, and shall not be responsible or liable for any information, opinions, advice, products or services available on or through them.</em></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><em>The opinions expressed by featured authors are their own and may not accurately reflect those of the BAM ALLIANCE. This article is for general information only and is not intended to serve as specific financial, accounting or tax advice.</em></p>
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;color:rgb(68,68,68);line-height:1.5;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:24px;"><em>© 2017, The BAM ALLIANCE</em></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.westloopfinancial.com/2017/02/21/sure-things-to-watch-for-in-2017/">‘Sure Things’ to Watch for in 2017</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.westloopfinancial.com">West Loop Financial LLC</a>.</p>
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