What are Asset Allocation Numbers Telling Us?
The AAII Asset Allocation Survey polls its members on a monthly basis on their holdings among the principal asset classes. The results for December are as follows (with the long-term averages in brackets): stocks 62% (60%), bonds 20% (16%) and cash 18% (24%).
Investors are therefore at the moment allocating money more or less in line with the historical averages. Considering the chart below, one can see that the allocation to stocks reached a peak of 78% in January 2000 and levels close to 70% were maintained from 2004 to 2007. Allocation to stocks hit bottoms in October 2002 (43%) and March 2009 (41%).
Source: AAII and Plexus Asset Management.
Source: AAII and Plexus Asset Management.
Importantly, the extreme stock allocations all occurred at or close to major market turning points. The allocation statistics therefore serve as a useful contrarian indicator (although the 2004 to 2007 period probably would have taken one out of the market at quite an early stage). But one can unfortunately not conclude much from the current numbers besides the AAII group of investors being fairly neutral at this juncture.
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Author: Prieur du Plessis
Dr Prieur du Plessis
investmentpostcards.com
With 25 years' experience in investment research and portfolio management, Dr Prieur du Plessis is one of the most experienced and well-known investment professionals in South Africa. More than 1 000 of his articles on investment-related topics have been published in various regular newspaper, journal and Internet columns. He also published a book, Financial Basics: Investment, in 2002.
He holds the following degrees: BSc (Quantity Surveying) (Cape Town), HonsB (B & A) (cum laude) (Stellenbosch), MBA (cum laude) (Stellenbosch); and DBA (Doctor of Financial Management) (Stellenbosch).
Prieur is chairman of the Plexus group of companies, which he founded in 1995. Previously he was general manager: portfolio management at Sanlam, responsible for the management of investment portfolios with total assets in excess of $5 billion.
Plexus is a pioneer in the mutual fund industry and has achieved a number of firsts under Prieur's leadership. These include the authoritative Plexus Survey, a quarterly analysis of the consistency of the performance of unit trust management companies, the Plexus Offshore Survey, the Plexus Unit Trust Indices, and the PlexCrown Fund Ratings.
Plexus is the South African partner of John Mauldin, American author of the most widely distributed investment newsletter in the world, and also has an exclusive licensing agreement with California-based Research Affiliates for managing and distributing its enhanced Fundamental Index™ methodology in the Pan-African area.
In 2001 Prieur received the Santam/AHI Business Leader of the Year award for corporate leadership, business acumen and entrepreneurial flair. He was also profiled in the book South Africa's Leading Managers (2006). Plexus received the AHI/Old Mutual Enterprise of the Year award in 1997 and was also included in the book South Africa's Most Promising Companies (2005).
Prieur is 52 years old and lives with his wife, TV producer and presenter Isabel Verwey, and two children in Welgemoed, Cape Town. His recreational activities include long-distance running, motor cycling and reading. He belongs to the Cape Town Club, Johannesburg Country Club, Gordon's Bay Yacht Club and Swiss Social & Sports Club.
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