The Independent Market Observer

Andrew Kitchings, CAIA, ERP, FRM

Andrew Kitchings, CAIA, ERP, FRM, is a portfolio manager on the Investment Management and Research team at Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, the nation's largest privately held Registered Investment Adviser–independent broker/dealer. He joined the firm in August 2014 and is responsible for asset allocation research and mutual fund due diligence for the Preferred Portfolio Services® (PPS) Select portfolios. In addition, he is responsible for advisor inquiries related to portfolio construction, asset allocation, and market/economic-oriented issues. Andrew graduated from Emory University with a dual degree in economics and history, with a concentration in East Asia studies. In addition to FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations, he is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society.

Recent Posts

Searching for a Leading Economic Indicator

February 7, 2020

Brad here. Today, I’m pleased to introduce a post by Andrew Kitchings, a portfolio manager with Commonwealth’s Investment Management and Research team. Enjoy!

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Measuring the Market Fear Factor

August 9, 2019

Brad here. Today’s post is brought to you by Andrew Kitchings, a portfolio manager on our Investment Management and Research team. Over to you, Andrew.

Much of the media coverage surrounding markets relates to emotions. When the market rises, we read about the excitement. When the market declines, we hear how investors are worried. This commentary can be very evocative, but it is not very useful. What does it even mean when the market is “scared”?

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A Closer Look at the Conference Board Leading Economic Index

August 22, 2018

Today’s post is from Andrew Kitchings, a portfolio manager on Commonwealth’s Investment Management and Research team.

When trying to determine the direction of the economy and the market, many turn to the Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) because it is a composite of multiple indicators covering a broad spectrum of the economy. But the LEI is not overly useful in terms of forecasting future moves in the market. Instead, it can help concisely explain factors that the market is already analyzing and anticipating within the broader economy. Let’s take a closer look.

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Consumer Spending Headed for a Slowdown?

February 7, 2018

Brad here. One of the major concerns about the economy over the next year or so is whether consumers will keep spending. As confident as they are, it seems they will certainly want to—but it is far less clear whether they will actually be able to. Andrew Kitchings of Commonwealth’s Asset Management group has put together a good analysis of something we need to pay attention to. Over to you, Andrew.

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The information on this website is intended for informational/educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Please contact your financial professional for more information specific to your situation.

Certain sections of this commentary contain forward-looking statements that are based on our reasonable expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average performance of 500 widely held common stocks. All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly in an index.

The MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australia, Far East) Index is a free float‐adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada. The MSCI EAFE Index consists of 21 developed market country indices.

One basis point (bp) is equal to 1/100th of 1 percent, or 0.01 percent.

The VIX (CBOE Volatility Index) measures the market’s expectation of 30-day volatility across a wide range of S&P 500 options.

The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio divides the current share price of the index by its estimated future earnings.

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