Optimism on Markets and Highlights From Staying Home

It's been a wild few weeks in the market as investors try to gauge how the coronavirus will impact global growth and corporate profits.

My Latest Blog Post We are facing risks unlike any we've dealt with in our lifetimes. Being told you're in danger triggers all your evolutionary defense mechanisms intended to keep you safe. Unfortunately, none of these instinctive reactions are useful in the arena of long-term investing. Not only do we face a real, physical threat to our collective health right now, but we're also dealing with massive uncertainty. That only adds to the discomfort most of us feel when trying to process what we're currently experiencing, which amplifies our appetite for predictions and forecasts. Your brain wants answers – regardless of whether those answers are right or wrong – in an effort to reduce that discomfort. During uncertain times like these, we tend to gravitate towards high-conviction predictions eloquently presented by persons of authority or special expertise. But you must be careful when consuming predictions of what happens next – especially when people start proclaiming doom and gloom scenarios for the future. Read More: Optimists Will Prevail Highlights From Staying at Home As long as we're in a "stay put" situation, I plan to share some positives from the experience. Don't get me wrong, juggling work while taking care of our 6-year-old and 2-year-old boys has been exhausting, but we are establishing some habits that I hope continue post-quarantine. For example, I'm spending way more time outside than ever before. Despite knowing the benefits of spending time outside, I probably averaged less than 20 minutes outdoors on a normal week day. During the past two weeks, though, I've been outside at least three hours a day. On weekends we've been hitting up the area's amazing parks. (Every region has different restrictions, but St. Louis has encouraged people to get outside and use the parks.) Even though the weather hasn't been the greatest, I'm coming around on the idea that spending time outside is only a seasonal activity. Articles and Podcasts The Four Possible Timelines for Life Returning to Normal - The Atlantic Common Enemies - Morgan Housel Buying During a Crisis - Of Dollars and Data 7 Ways You Can Take Advantage of a Down Market - Brian King Long Toilet Paper and Short Equities: Why We Panic Buy and Sell - Behavioural Investment Podcast: Investing in Times of Crisis - Michael Mauboussin on Value Investing with Legends

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Peter Lazaroff, P.O. Box 440113, Saint Louis, MO 63144, United States