COMMENT
Market Outlook He does not understand why people are surprised that the slow in global trade is hurting the market. Global trade relative to GDP has been slowing for 5-6 years, outside of a recession -- the first time in at least 50-60 years. De-globalization is an entrenched situation now. The US does the least amount of global trade. As a generalization, anything that slows down global trade also pushes down commodity prices to the benefit of the US consumer. This is causing a global disruption in manufacturing and commodity prices. He thinks there is more downside yet to come. He recommends investing in quality (strong balance sheets and good cash flows). A favorable trade headline between China and the US would probably cause a symbolic relief rally in the short term. One third of the exports from China goes to Europe, making the US less important to China as they only import about 15% of China's exports.
COMMENT

AMZN vs MSFT? AMZN is a great company, but he has been out for about 12 months as they are trying to figure out their operating expenses. He will continue to watch it, but there could be some regulatory overhang yet to come -- especially for their web services. MSFT has moved to cloud services, allowing them to seamlessly download software -- a very consistently profitable business -- it makes it almost like a utility.

COMMENT

AMZN vs MSFT? AMZN is a great company, but he has been out for about 12 months as they are trying to figure out their operating expenses. He will continue to watch it, but there could be some regulatory overhang yet to come -- especially for their web services. MSFT has moved to cloud services, allowing them to seamlessly download software -- a very consistently profitable business -- it makes it almost like a utility.

WATCH
Trade tension exposure? He is not sure how their portfolio is exposed to the China trade tensions. Their success rides off credit availability (more is better for their company) and when they optimize the business before selling out of it (better when markets are weak). Strong markets and widening credit spreads make it tough right now. Keep it on the watch list though.
WATCH

The predominant manufacturer of water heaters in North America. A business that is relatively stable, with replacements and new housing starts. They also have exposure to China, where they are a major supplier. The growth has been good in China, but he does not know what the future is there as China has built empty cities. Only when the buildings are occupied do their products get purchased there.

COMMENT

For CG-Q he has concerns about times when asset prices are bid up during strong market times. As an active asset manager, this can make their business more challenging. He would go for best in class in this category and that is BX-N.

COMMENT

For CG-Q he has concerns about times when asset prices are bid up during strong market times. As an active asset manager, this can make their business more challenging. He would go for best in class in this category and that is BX-N.

WAIT
There is a lot of reasons why they should win relative to their peers -- wealth management and potential into Europe. The problem is interest rates are not cooperating. They have large free balances on savings and trading deposits, making them very sensitive to rate declines. He would wait for a time when there is more clarity on the direction of these rates.
DON'T BUY
He does not care for European banks. They have the lowest interest rates in the world and an economy on the verge of recession. They are not well positioned.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Oct 29/18, Up 36%) They are the largest producer of hummus and fifth largest producer of coffee in the world. Israel is the fastest growing market in the world. He is happy to continue to hold.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Oct 29/18, Up 45%) They manufacture foamed plastic and aluminum composites. They are very exposed to the European economy. He sees an improvement in their market next year and would continue to hold.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Oct 29/18, Up 7%) A Swiss company manufacturing pharmaceuticals under contract for other companies. Biotech is the fastest area of growth in the health space. They are able to avoid the politicization of drug manufacturing in this role.
DON'T BUY
He would stay away from this one. They have been public since 1990, but it has been a long term under-performer. Some of their older businesses have not been growing well. There are other better players in this space. He would be interested if they spun off some of their legacy assets. It is not one of the better investments in the space of electrical products.
WAIT
A great company that he has owned before. A candidate to buy-hold- and forget about it. The problem is that, in the short term, it is highly correlated to the Purchasing Manufacturing Index (PMI). You need to call the bottom of the economic cycle to time the proper entry. A recent acquisition has increased their exposure to commercial aerospace. He is watching it to see how it performs. Stay on the sidelines.
DON'T BUY
Bought at $137. He has gone to the sidelines on DIS-N. He liked their recent guidance. However, he wonders what the barriers to entry are on the new streaming ventures they have entered into. He thinks there are better alternatives right now.