Investing in Gold

With the inflation we have experienced over the past few years, investing in gold as an asset class has returned to the forefront. It has had positive annual returns in 2023, 2024, and so far in 2025.  The gains have been impressive.   Owning Gold: Easy or Difficult? Years ago, it was difficult for investors…

Looking at Risk and Investing

How do you look at risk in your investing decisions? Thinking about the markets, I thought of a lecture I attended where legendary investor Howard Marks discussed how he looks at risk.  His insights in this regard are always relevant and especially noteworthy in today’s market. The Risk of Holding an Asset Marks’ first observation…

Why Modern Value Investing and Being a Contrarian Go Hand in Hand

Value investing with a strong contrarian bend defines Pendragon Capital Management. That’s because we believe strongly in the value of not timing the market, having a long-term investing perspective, and being disciplined about financial decisions. From personal experience, we see this combination as the most effective approach for building wealth over time. It’s the best…

The Importance of Offense and Defense in Challenging Markets

Concerns that a trade war will lead to a recession have spread around the globe. The possibility of retaliatory tariffs is on investors’ minds, with China responding with counter-tariffs, increasing the odds of a worst-case trade war scenario. Markets in Asia and Europe have declined alongside U.S. stocks. There has been a “flight to safety”…

Why Business Cycles Matter in Financial Planning

Business cycles play a significant role in financial planning. Why? Because they are inevitable and have distinct phases, as I discuss below. Understandably, I have received many calls from clients concerned with the recent stock market decline.  The post-election rally has “round-tripped” and then some.  The uncertainties of the times have given many investors a…

Tech Sector Underperformance and Concentration Risk

Investor concerns over the recent underperformance of technology stocks have raised questions about concentration risk and the broader market. Strong returns among artificial intelligence stocks have supported portfolios over the past few years. At the same time, they have raised questions about the sustainability of the market rally. Concerns for tech stocks primarily include concentration…

How to Invest for Retirement Amid Market Uncertainty

Investing for retirement can be nerve-racking especially when the news cycle seems fixated on amplifying market turmoil. As an investor, you may be concerned when the onus is increasingly on you the individual investor to plan for retirement. Increased Market Uncertainty From President Biden’s announcement that he will not be seeking re-election, to a rotation…

How Earnings Can Guide Investors in Difficult Markets

Earnings play an important role in guiding investors, particularly during difficult markets. With markets nervous about stubborn inflation, a gradually slowing labor market, and the timing of the first Fed rate cut, investors are more focused on this corporate earnings season than usual. This is because while the economy has avoided a “hard landing” corporate…

What Do Baseball and Investing Have in Common?

Would you combine baseball and investing in one sentence? We would, and here’s why. I invite you to reach out with your financial questions so we can discuss them. I am using new retirement planning tools to assist clients in framing their investment path to retirement. What Makes Baseball Stand Out? Focus on the Long…

Assessing 2023 & Looking Forward to 2024

2023 was a difficult year for investors but as we take a breath and after assessing 2023, it can best be summarized as The Bard wrote, “All’s well that ends well.” Bears Controlled the 2023 Narrative In 2023, the Bears controlled the narrative – inflation and interest rates were going to move unstoppably higher, recession…