pwshub.com

Billionaire 'Bond King' Bill Gross recommends 4 defensive investments for a bull market he sees losing steam

Bill Gross

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

  • Billionaire investor Bill Gross says the stock market's record-breaking run is set to slow.

  • He recommends that investors reposition toward defensive and high-yielding stocks.

  • His favorite investments at the moment include MLP pipelines and municipal income funds.

Though this year's record-beating stock rally continues to impress Wall Street, billionaire investor Bill Gross isn't so sure the bull market will maintain its hot pace for much longer.

According to the so-called Bond King's latest note, investors should reposition toward defensive and higher-yielding stocks as momentum winds down. He also recommended low exposure to fixed income, having previously criticized current Treasury conditions.

"No bear market, but it's not the same bull market anymore," Gross said, adding that equities are set for "low buy positive" returns going forward.

Gross also listed four of his favorite investments at present time:

The first is Allete, an electric-service company that has risen 5% year-to-date. It's a buyout with 10% upside over the next 12 months, he said.

Gross also touted multiple limited partnership pipelines, an investment he frequently emphasizes as a fruitful alternative to bonds. He cited that MLPs offer 8% tax-deferred yields. Back in May he said that MLPs had been "almost as good as AI."

On the theme of Treasury alternatives, Gross also cited Annaly Capital Management, a high-yielding mortgage REIT.

He also sees municipal income funds as a worthwhile investment, as many have offered over 7% tax-free yields. Gross named the DWS Municipal Income Trust as one example but noted that there are between 20 and 30 others to choose from.

"7% may not last forever, but for now these funds trade at 6-8%," he said.

Gross isn't going as far as to predict that the stock bull run is about to crash, only that a number of headwinds are around the corner. These range from extended valuations to an assortment of macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds.

Gross specifically cited higher corporate taxes under a Kamala Harris presidency, as well as stunted growth if military tensions keep escalating globally. Rising deficits — an issue the investor has repetitively warned against — will eventually slow down spending.

Gross also referred to the record cash pile held by legendary investor Warren Buffett, which some see as a sign that the market could soon sell off sharply. To Gross, it at least signals a "bumpy road ahead."

His note also cited some positives to counter the listed headwinds, such as falling inflation and continued investment in artificial intelligence.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Source: markets.businessinsider.com

Related stories
2 weeks ago - Layoff announcements climbed 193% over the last month, according to a report from the consultancy Challenger, Gray, & Christmas.
1 month ago - (Bloomberg) -- It’s been the ultimate no-brainer for more than a year: Park your money in super-safe Treasury bills, earn yields of more than 5%, rinse and repeat. Or as billionaire bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach put it last October,...
3 weeks ago - The hedge fund manager is picky about which stocks he buys, but these two passed the test for him in Q2.
2 weeks ago - The billionaire may see an opportunity in dividend stocks as the Fed lowers interest rates.
2 weeks ago - (Bloomberg) -- Lawyers for Ricardo Salinas Pliego unveiled new details Friday of the loan agreement they allege was part of a scam to con the Mexican billionaire out of hundreds of millions of dollars.Most Read from BloombergAOC Proposes...
Other stories
53 minutes ago - Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:PLTR) shares have been on a tear ever since the company was added to the S&P 500 Index. The stock inflection has followed an inflection in the company’s fundamentals, and on Tuesday the data analytics...
53 minutes ago - Cathie Wood, the founder and CEO of ARK Investment Management, is again making waves with her investment decisions regarding Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). What Happened: Known for her high-risk, high-reward strategy, Wood’s latest moves...
1 hour ago - Russia’s communications regulator has banned the instant messaging platform Discord for violations of Russian law, adding to a growing list of American tech firms whose services are now restricted in Russia. “The access to Discord is...
1 hour ago - "While it is too soon to assume that this is a turning point, it does suggest that a recession is unlikely in the near term," JPMorgan said.
2 hours ago - (Bloomberg) -- Asian equities rose Thursday after their US peers set a fresh high ahead of inflation data that may define Federal Reserve policy easing in the coming months. Most Read from BloombergChicago’s $1 Billion Budget Hole...