03 June 2013

Top Five Articles from May: Scrutinizing Charts, Abenomics, and Equity Holdings

Posted In: Best Of

1. An R-Squared Chart Taxonomy: Seeing is Not Believing

Often financial analysts are presented with statistical charts that purport to demonstrate an important — and, of course, investable — relationship between data points. These charts are supposed to be worth a thousand words and thousands of shares traded. But invariably these charts do not have an r-squared for the data displayed, or any other descriptive statistical data; just the seductive image.

2. BOJ Asset Purchases: Is Japan Sowing Seeds of Next Asset Bubble?

The quantitative easing recently announced by the Bank of Japan may benefit investors who hold Japanese equities, but Ron Rimkus, CFA, sees the classic makings of one big investment bubble.

3. 13F Watch: Funds Add Health Care and Trim Technology as Activists Take Center Stage

In the first quarter of 2013, institutional investors added to their equity holdings in the healthcare sector while reducing their exposure to the technology stocks. Among the most widely held stocks, portfolio managers as a group added to positions in Citigroup, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and BlackRock, and trimmed positions in Apple, Oracle, Pfizer, and Coca-Cola.

4. Poll: What Poses the Greatest Threat to Global Equity Markets?

As most global stock markets have been on a tear of late, we thought it would be timely to ask readers what posed the greatest threat to equity markets. Over 37% of the 974 respondents to this poll believe that a global economic slowdown is the greatest risk to stocks.

5. Current Thinking on Housing Prices and Mortgage Markets

Global housing prices remain a popular indicator of economic activity. But overall, recovery in global housing markets seems mixed.

Please note that the content of this site should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute.

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About the Author(s)

Jennifer Curry

Jennifer Curry formerly served as managing editor of the Enterprising Investor. Previously, she was the social media manager at the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA). Prior to her work at NYSSA, Curry worked as the senior project editor for a nonfiction imprint at Barnes & Noble Publishing and as an assistant editor at the H.W. Wilson Company. She is the editor of several volumes in the Reference Shelf series, and her writing has appeared in Smithsonian, IndustryWeek, Barnes & Noble Review, and other publications. Curry holds a BS in journalism and a BA in anthropology from the University of Kansas, and an MA in anthropology from Hunter College, City University of New York.