This means investors who want higher returns must consider taking on greater risk — by increasing leverage or
moving into riskier asset classes.
At base, an absolute value discipline holds that you should not put
money into risky assets unless you're being more than compensated for those risks.
The idea is that if everyone is so terrified of putting
money into risky assets that they'd prefer to hold cash, then all the sellers of equities have already been scared away.
The Fed embarked on the program in an effort to pull down borrowing rates and, indirectly or not, drive investors
into riskier assets like stocks and corporate bonds.
Investors have
piled into riskier assets in search of higher yields, as short - term interest rates have hit rock bottom over the past decade.
We can see this dynamic at play in the figure below, which looks at the correlation between the amount of money
flowing into risky assets (emerging markets, high yield debt) and the balance sheets of the four largest central banks.
The effect (and possibly the design) of zero interest rates and quantitative easing has been to force investor savings
into risky assets such as overvalued Nasdaq stocks, junk bonds, and emerging markets.
Do you believe that people like these firefighters from Florida, who are near retirement and have secure pensions with guaranteed monthly payments, should move their money
into riskier assets with no guarantees just before they retire?
Investors have
piled into riskier assets in search of higher yields, as short - term interest rates have hit rock bottom over the past decade.
If you put your $ 5,000
into a riskier asset class such as stocks (ie a stock mutual fund) then in 6 months your investment might be worth more than $ 5,000 or it could be worth less than $ 5,000 (possibly a lot less).
With fears fading over U.S. military intervention in Syria, investors who had sought shelter in Treasurys switched
back into risky assets.
Over the past two years the Reserve Bank of Australia has been gradually lowering the cash rate, and this is having the desired effect of encouraging investors to put their
money into riskier assets.
At the same time, the risks to the financial system are mounting as the myopic focus on monetary policy — including once heretical ideas like negative rates — pushes yield - starved
investors into riskier assets like stocks and real estate, creating fears of destabilizing bubbles that could unleash brand new crises.
Treasurys extended losses on Wednesday, pushing yields to session highs, as investors sold the «safe - havens» and piled
into riskier assets.
Correlation relates to the fact that a low volatility environment encourages investors to move
into riskier assets to get decent returns on their investments.
But make no mistake — by moving more of us out of super-safe cash and gilts and
into riskier assets like peer - to - peer savings, corporate and retail bonds and equities, the stakes are being raised for everyone.
Non-asset holders were punished — their bank deposits now generate little or no income, and they were forced to move
into riskier assets, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, or «anything that offers some yield and is not bolted down to the floor» (please see my answer to What kind of market distortions does the Fed loaning out money at 0 % cause?).
It's clear what the central bankers are hoping for: they want us all to keep borrowing and spending and by providing negative real interest rates on cash force
us into riskier asset classes: notably stocks.
One risk to spreads, however, is that rising yields on risk - free Treasuries will make investors less anxious to move
into riskier assets, other speakers at the summit said.
If you put your $ 5,000
into a riskier asset class, such as stocks (or a stock mutual fund), then in 6 months your investment might be worth more than $ 5,000 — or it might be worth less.
Putting more of their money
into risky assets than is prudent 2.
Correlation relates to the fact that a low volatility environment encourages investors to move
into riskier assets to get decent returns on their investments.