Happy New Year & Best Wishes For A Successful 2013.
As 2013 commences, we at SmartStops would like to take a moment to thank our members, review some of the highlights of 2012 and share with you planned updates to the service that you can look forward to in the year ahead.
2012 - A Volatile Year Dominated By Macro Financial Headlines
The S&P 500 opened the year at $1,258.86 and closed at $1,426.19 for a nice gain of 13.47%. But this belies the volatility and uncertainty experienced by most investors during this period. This was a year in which the bank and housing stocks came roaring back while former stars such as Netflix (NFLX) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) fell from grace. And even the beloved Apple (AAPL), in the 4th quarter, lost some of its luster giving up 30% from its September high. It was a year in which many investors felt taken hostage by macro economic forces that manhandled equities as the markets careened from one financial crisis to the next, all while digesting a period of continued high unemployment and slow economic growth.
Market risk and equity valuations fluctuated greatly throughout the year providing lots of opportunity to take timely action and protect assets, lower one's cost basis, and improve returns. Note the rise in the SmartStops Risk Barometer Index (SRBI) for the S&P 500 in April and November prior to subsequent drops in the SPY.
Regarding individual equities, SmartStops alerted our members to increased risk prior to severe drops on many occasions. Following is a look at a few of the great risk management opportunities identified by SmartStops during 2012.
Some Things To Look Forward To In 2013
We are always looking for ways to improve the SmartStops Risk Management service.
Following are some of the improvements and enhancements we have planned for 2013.
- Improved portfolio view including visibility into current risk states in the table.
- Updated equity view page with improved risk state visuals and a trade hotlink
- Quick action link out to your preferred broker to facilitate timely action
- Introduction of an aggressive reentry strategy to compliment the current conservative reentry signal.
- BrokerLink availability for Etrade clients enabling users to synchronize their SmartStops portfolios with those in their Etrade Account at a click of the mouse.
