At the beginning of the third quarter, investors following the “sell in May” strategy felt vindicated as the S&P 500 Index declined over 9.0% from May 1st to June 4th. The June 4th date turned out to be the intra-year market low and the equity rally was almost uninhibited throughout the remainder of the third quarter. The rising tide seemed to lift all markets during the quarter.
As noted in our Third Quarter Investor Letter, in spite of the strong market advance, the Federal Reserve felt compelled to institute a third round of quantitative easing (QE3)in the third quarter. Maintaining loose monetary policy has not been as effective as the Fed would hope during this household and corporate deleveraging cycle. Companies have been vocal in regard to their greater concern about the future of tax and regulatory policies.
As we look ahead, we are mindful of near term potential risks, i.e., the U.S. fiscal cliff, Europe struggling with sovereign debt and growth issues, heightened Middle East tension and a more muted outlook for third quarter corporate earnings. We are positioned for a slower economic growth environment. We see some signs for long-term optimism as housing seems to have regained some footing, energy independence is increasingly possible and the repatriation of U.S. jobs is gaining traction. Longer term we continue to believe equities will be a strong performing asset class supported by compelling long term valuations.
The entire Letter can be accessed directly from our website at the following link: 3rd Quarter 2012 Investor Letter.
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