North Korea and the Markets
No one wants to see a clash between two nations with nuclear capabilities. So, when the war-of-words between North Korea and the U.S. reached a new level earlier this month, markets briefly stumbled as investors grew uneasy. While we don’t normally opine on geopolitical events, we wanted to help ease any financial worries you may have related to this recent conflict.
When sharing this analysis, we certainly do not have a crystal ball – and we recognize that any military escalation could affect far more than your investments. But, as we all look to see what’s on the horizon, we believe that historic perspective may help assuage concerns about the tension’s impact on your financial future.
What can we learn from the past?
Data from Strategas Research Partners shows us that while the markets often have negative reactions to events when they first occur – they can recover within days or months.
For instance, on the day of Pearl Harbor, the S&P 500 declined 3.8%, but it was back within positive territory 20 days later. And just last year, the S&P 500 dropped 3.6% when the BREXIT vote came through – then was up by 19.5% a few months later.
History also shows us that war often does little to bring down the financial markets. In the month that two atomic bombs fell on Japan, the S&P 500 gained 5.8%.
Of course, no one wants to imagine the tension with North Korea escalating into war. Thankfully, Pyongyang announced on August 15 that they would not, in fact, strike near Guam. And with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s assertion that there is no “imminent threat” of nuclear attack, the risk of war seems to be retreating.
What should you do now?
Looking forward, we must remember that the markets don’t always bounce back quickly after geopolitical events – but making fear-based choices can be very costly in the long run. No matter what happens, we are here to help you stay abreast of current market dynamics and focus on the economic fundamentals that drive lasting value.
We will continue to monitor the situation in North Korea, but headlines won’t distract us from pursuing our true goal: moving you toward the future you desire. If you want to discuss your specific strategy or investments in greater detail, please contact us any time.
“Geopolitics can create anxiety in financial markets, but aren’t going to bring the $18.5 trillion beast, otherwise known as the U.S. economy, to its knees,” says David Rosenberg, chief economist and strategist at Gluskin Sheff, in a recent article.