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Friday, October 10, 2008

It's normal to worry, but this is not the time to panic

Below is a slightly altered version of an email I recently sent to clients:

Dear Clients,

As you'll see next week, my client letter was written at quarter end and doesn't address recent market volatility. With that in mind and considering the recent market drop, I decided to throw together a quick email to all clients giving my opinion of what is happening and what my response is.

I've summarized my thinking in quick bullet points for those short on time or not as interested. Then below, I go into more detail on each point for those who want more info. Finally, my intent is to try to answer your questions as well as I can and to get a dialogue going if you are concerned. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you want to talk to me about what is going on. I will be available or quickly return your calls. This is a stressful time, and I'm here to answer your questions.

1. It's natural to be worried, but panic selling now will lead to regret in the long run.
2. Historically, this decline is not out of the ordinary.
3. I believe recent government action will work, although it will take some time and it will lead to higher inflation in the long run.
4. It's not possible to time the market, so trying to sell now and buy at the "bottom" almost always leads to worse results than holding on.
5. The market is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
6. Our underlying businesses are strong even though their prices are going down.
7. This is a historic time to invest!
8. One of the reasons you hired me is to let me worry about the market for you. That's what I'm trying to do for you now.

Now, the details.

1. It's natural to be worried, but panic selling now will lead to regret in the long run.

Being worried is normal--I'm having no fun watching your and my portfolios decline. It's easy to anchor on recent market tops and expect the highs to continue--there was a lot of media coverage about the Dow hitting 14,000 this time last year. People are panicking because they are scared, but reacting by selling is the worst investment plan and will lead to tremendous regret when the market does rebound. Temporary highs and lows can make you feel better and worse than you want to. The market swings up and down dramatically, so it's best to focus on longer term averages. A wise person once said that courage is not the lack of fear, it's the ability to act in the face of fear. Right now, not selling is taking a lot of courage.

2. Historically, this decline is not out of the ordinary.

The stock market tends to decline an average of 40% when recessions hit, which is about every 5-10 years. We're down around 40%, so this decline is in line with history. As Mark Twain said, history doesn't repeat, but it sure does rhyme. Sometimes the market goes down by 20%, sometimes it goes down by more. No one knows where this one will bottom, and trying to pick the bottom is a fool's errand. Our economy and financial sector are facing the worst period since the Great Depression, but that doesn't mean it will look just like the Great Depression. Comparisons to history are useful, but expecting the same outcomes in the same way is a mistake.

3. I believe recent government action will work, although it will take some time and it will lead to higher inflation in the long run.

Current government plans have flaws, but I believe they will get credit markets and the economy going, eventually. The cost will be higher long term inflation and more regulation, but I do think it will work. The market tends to bottom 6-9 months before the economy does. Economic data comes out months and years after the economic bottom is clearly reached. Waiting for the economy to improve will lead you to miss the huge stock market rebound that will occur. It's hard to see past our current turmoil, but a long term focus helps.

4. It's not possible to time the market, so trying to sell now and buy at the "bottom" almost always leads to worse results than holding on.

Like the search for the Holy Grail and a perpetual motion machine, people are always trying to time the market by buying at the bottom and selling at the top. Unfortunately, this isn't possible, and every attempt to do so ends in tears. I remember buying a company called JLG in 2000 at $8.88 per share, watching it decline to $3.95, and then selling it when it climbed above $17. I had doubled my money when the market was doing terribly, so I felt good about myself. But then JLG climbed to $60. It's easy, in hindsight, to think I should have known that JLG was worth a lot more than $3.95 at the bottom and buy more. It's easy to think I should have waited for $60 to sell at the top. Having been through that ride, though, I know very well that it's not possible to pick the tops and bottoms. Instead, I focus on the underlying value of the business and buy when it goes down and sell when it goes up. I never pick the exact bottom or top, but over the long run, I've had very good results.

5. The market is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

When the market panics, everyone feels so much pain they sell no matter what price they get. This leads people to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and that is what I've been seeing since Oct 1st. People are selling good companies and bad ones, small and big, everything. When that happens, it's very unprofitable to join the crowd and sell, too. This is a sign of how much pain people are in, not the underlying value of businesses. In the long run, the market will recognize underlying business value, even if it takes a while and some pain to get there.

6. Our underlying businesses are strong even though their prices are going down.

When I look at our underlying businesses, I feel very confident. Software companies will continue to sell software and make money, even in a down market. People will still subscribe to cable, even if they don't pay for HBO anymore. Smart insurance companies will continue to write insurance. Discount retailers are doing better than ever as people look for bargains. Europe's lowest cost airline is still lowest cost and, and with little debt, can continue doing business and make more money than competitors, smart holding companies have investment money on the sidelines and the inside scoop on the best deals in the market when everyone else has no cash to invest, well capitalized insurers are writing more insurance now that AIG and other insurance companies are in severe trouble, big pharmaceutical companies will continue to sell drugs to people who need the medicine to live longer, happier lives, great banks are expanding by buying competitors at a fire-sale price because most other banks are on the ropes, auto insurers will continue selling car insurance because people have to buy it to drive, smart chemical companies will continue to make vital chemicals and pay lower prices for gas and oil inputs, large integrated oil companies will continue producing and refining fuel for people who will continue to heat their homes and drive their cars, large international banks will continue to grow their international banking franchises and will be able to buy up competitors because they are more conservatively financed than competitors. Many companies are strong and exploiting the downturn--but their prices are going down! Why? Because people are panicking, not because the businesses are going bankrupt.

7. This is a historic time to invest!

If you look back at market history and see 2002, 1998, 1991, 1987, 1982, 1974, 1962, 1953, 1942, 1938, 1932, etc., you will see market bottoms where things were awful. 2002 was the bottom of the tech blowout. 1998 was the bottom of the Asian Contagion. 1991 was the Saving and Loan bailout and recession. In 1987, the market dropped over 20% in one day! 1982 was a sharp recession and the Time magazine article of the "End of Equities." 1974 was a terrible recession, extremely high inflation, the pullout of Vietnam, etc. And so on and so forth. They were each excellent times to invest and extremely tough moments to do so. What made them great times to invest? Because some people panicked and others didn't. The people who didn't panic made out like bandits. If you have extra cash to invest, put it to work now. If you don't, hold on for now. The roller coaster is on the way down, our stomach is in our throat, we know it will go back up again but can't think about that because we feel awful. But, holding on is the most profitable route.

8. One of the reasons you hired me is to let me worry about the market for
you. That's what I'm trying to do for you now.

An important part of my job, in addition to researching and picking investments, is to take the pain for you of watching the market go down. If you can, turn off the TV, get off the Internet, put down the business section of the newspaper. Go out and do something fun. Spend time with loved ones. I remember watching TV for 48 hours after 9/11 and after Hurricane Katrina, and I managed to convince myself that more doom was right around the corner. It wasn't, and it probably isn't now. Let me focus on this stuff for you, let me take the pain for you. That's what you pay me for.

I don't want to short change current events. These are tough times.

I don't want to undercut how miserable it is to watch our portfolios decline in value--I'm agonizing because I feel responsible for your money.

If you still have concerns, please call or write me. I'm standing by and waiting to talk to anyone who calls.

Take care and have a great weekend,
Mike

Michael Rivers, CFA
Athena Capital Management Corp.
719-761-3148
www.athenacapital.biz

Visit my blog: www.mikerivers.blogspot.com.


Nothing in this blog should be considered investment, financial, tax, or legal advice. The opinions, estimates and projections contained herein are subject to change without notice. Information throughout this blog has been obtained from sources believed to be accurate and reliable, but such accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

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