One of the common themes for 2018 and now 2019, has been the return to volatility. Risks have continued to grow over the last year. And with that, investors are no longer able to look past geopolitical problems such as the trade war or slowing economy. Because of this, stocks have turned into a roller coaster ride of big up and down swings.
In response to this, investors have taken out their defensive playbooks and plowed some hefty dollars into sectors like utilities and consumer staples as well as “quality stocks.”
The issue is that irrational exuberance and the need for defense may have crimped some of these stocks’ potential. Defensive equities may have turned into one of the most expensive pockets of the market. Investors today may be doing themselves a disservice by focusing on toilet paper or providing electric power.
