American Conglomerates: Past, Present & Future

Conglomerates are parent companies that own a number of large subsidiaries. They became popular back in the 1960s with corporations like ITT, LTV and GE, to name a few. In recent years, behemoth American conglomerates have spun off, sold off and pared down.1

However, there are ways to invest in a single “parent company” for exposure to a wide range of holdings. For example, you can purchase stock in Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, which currently trades at $400,000-plus per share), a holding company that buys what it believes to be high-value companies in key industries and then improves upon them until they are high-revenue performers.2 Similarly, some hedge funds invest in distressed debt at a steep discount of companies that have filed for bankruptcy — with the anticipation that they will emerge stronger.3

Clearly, these are high-risk, high-reward opportunities, but they do offer investors the potential to buy shares in a “conglomerate” type of fund of diversified companies. If you’d like to discuss ways to take advantage of today’s conglomerate breakups, please contact us.

The newest breed of conglomerate today is dubbed Techglomerate. These consist of large, diversified tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. These powerful technology companies have scooped up many smaller startups in an effort to reduce potential competition and purchase innovations honed by entrepreneurs.4 Unfortunately, this concentration of power has created a bit of a monopoly that is not highly regulated. Without significant competition, it is difficult for the principles of capitalism to work properly — namely, keeping prices competitive.5

In the pharmaceutical industry, companies like Amgen, a biotech firm, have maintained a patent on the arthritis drug Enbrel for 37 years — 17 years past the standard patent term. Through a series of intellectual property protection filings, the company has earned more than $70 billion from sales of this one drug — a practice that contributes to the high price of pharmaceuticals.6

Just recently, Congress introduced the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act, a bill that would restrict acquisitions in digital markets that eliminate competition and enhance monopolies.7

In lieu of legislated regulation, another option is for conglomerates to break up of their own volition. For example, Johnson & Johnson and General Electric recently announced plans to split their conglomerates into separate companies designated by industry. These recent breakups tend to enhance stock prices, which is a positive sign that this may be a better strategy than awaiting legislative measures. And while diversification can help large companies weather volatile swings across a variety of industries, this new trend recognizes that divestiture may create better value. Recent data has shown that splintering into smaller companies offers the potential for superior operational performance and higher returns.8

  

1 Greg Rosalsky. NPR. Nov. 23, 2021. “The Conglomerate Paradox: As GE splinters, Facebook becomes Meta.” https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/11/23/1057446470/the-conglomerate-paradox-as-ge-splinters-facebook-becomes-meta. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

2 Greg McFarlane. Investopedia. May 5, 2021. “How Warren Buffett Made Berkshire Hathaway a Winner.” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/041714/how-warren-buffett-made-berkshire-hathaway-worldbeater.asp. Accessed Nov. 30, 2021.

3 Rebecca Baldridge. Investopedia. Jan. 30, 2021. “Why Hedge Funds Love Investing in Distressed Debt.” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/bonds/08/distressed-debt-hedge-fund.asp. Accessed Nov. 30, 2021.

4 Greg Rosalsky. NPR. Nov. 23, 2021. “The Conglomerate Paradox: As GE splinters, Facebook becomes Meta.” https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/11/23/1057446470/the-conglomerate-paradox-as-ge-splinters-facebook-becomes-meta. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

5 Jennifer Ryan. Bloomberg. Nov. 9, 2021. “Big Tech’s ‘Natural Monopoly’ Tough to Self-Regulate, Malone Says.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-09/malone-says-big-tech-s-natural-monopoly-tough-to-self-regulate. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

6 Jonathan Gardner. Biopharmadive. Nov. 1, 2021. “A three-decade monopoly: How Amgen built a patent thicket around its top-selling drug.” https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/amgen-enbrel-patent-thicket-monopoly-biosimilar/609042/. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

7 Dave Kovaleski. Financial Regulation News. Nov. 10, 2021. “Sens. Klobuchar, Cotton introduce bill to halt monopolies among online platforms.” https://financialregnews.com/sens-klobuchar-cotton-introduce-bill-to-halt-monopolies-among-online-platforms/. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

8 Knowledge@Wharton. Nov. 16, 2021. “The Breakup of GE and J&J: The End of the Conglomerate?” https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-breakup-of-ge-and-jj-the-end-of-the-conglomerate/. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions.

Investment Advisory Services are offered by Imber Financial Group, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser firm. Insurance services are offered through Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. Imber Financial Group, LLC. and Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. are affiliated companies

What's Up With Inflation?

 

Inflation was already on the rise before we learned about the omicron variant. Now on top of supply-chain shortages and transportation disruptions, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently observed that a resurgence of COVID-19 cases could reduce the consumer-driven boom we’ve enjoyed for the past few months. Concerns about safety could result in more workers being sent back home to work and small businesses needing to cut back staff after the holidays, further slowing economic progress.¹

 

To date, much of the blame for higher inflation has been attributed to supply disruption. In the past, when inflation reared its ugly head, the Fed could douse rising prices by reducing interest rates.² Unfortunately, supply shortages and COVID-influenced employment rates are not easily resolved by adjusting interest rates.

 

Perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn from these trying times is that we can’t always rely on the government, employers or the stock market to resolve our financial troubles. The best we can do is create a plan based on our wants, needs and long- and short-term goals, and stick with it. That can be tough to do whenever the market drops on news of a newly identified variant or soars when a vaccine is announced. While these events may create opportunities, just remember that few people ever get rich by timing the market. If you’d like us to take a look at your financial plan and make recommendations to keep you positioned to meet your goals, please feel free to contact us.

Alas, it is important to recognize that rising inflation isn’t just a domestic issue; it’s happening all over the world. Countries in Eastern Europe are experiencing some of the highest inflation rates in recent years, and in many cases, people are struggling to buy food or fuel their cars. With another surge of infections during the winter season, we may see more countries close or tighten their borders, further hampering global economic recovery. As supply chains get cut off, we can expect higher inflation here in the U.S.³

 

There is also some debate as to whether companies are taking advantage of rising inflation to boost their profit margins. In fact, nearly two out of three of the largest U.S. corporations have reported higher profits this year than pre-pandemic. And yet, perhaps due to increased consolidation and the power that gives large companies to set prices, inflation continues to rise.⁴

 

In recent months, the Biden administration has attempted to address inflation through various means, from negotiating changes with ports and container companies, to improving government benefit programs, to launching investigations into price gouging. One tactic he has yet to implement is easing the current tariffs on goods imported from China, which Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says could have a “disinflationary” effect.⁵

 

¹ Thomas Franck. NBC News. Nov. 29, 2021. “Omicron variant means ‘increased uncertainty for inflation,’ Fed Chair Powell says.” https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/omicron-variant-means-increased-uncertainty-inflation-fed-chair-powell-rcna7004. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

² Kimberly Amadeo. The Balance. Nov. 11, 2021. “How the Federal Reserve Controls Inflation.” https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-being-done-to-control-inflation-3306095. Accessed Dec. 10, 2021.

³ Justin Spike, Paul Wiseman and Vanessa Gera. AP News. Nov. 29, 2021. “Food, gas prices pinch families as inflation surges globally.” https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-business-poland-f559465c6a822d12b2dd513f122d5a31. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

⁴ Dominick Reuter and Andy Kiersz. Business Insider. Nov. 16, 2021. “Corporations are using inflation as an excuse to raise prices and make fatter profits — and it’s making the problem worse.” https://www.businessinsider.com/corporations-using-inflation-as-excuse-to-reap-fatter-profits-reich-2021-11. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

⁵ Reuters. Nov. 19, 2021. “Factbox: To battle inflation, Biden targets supply chains, gas, meat packers.” https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/battle-inflation-biden-targets-supply-chains-gas-meat-packers-2021-11-19/. Accessed Nov. 29, 2021.

 

  

 

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions.

Investment Advisory Services are offered by Imber Financial Group, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Insurance services are offered through Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. Imber Financial Group, LLC. and Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. are affiliated companies

 

 

Outlook For Equities

The general outlook for equities is positive toward the end of the year and into 2022. Stocks performed relatively well through the autumn earnings season and, as a general rule, the fourth quarter tends to be the best one for stock performance. While the coronavirus, labor shortages, supply chain issues and rising prices have presented headwinds for the economy, low interest rates and positive corporate earnings have kept equity performance in good shape.¹

According to Charles Schwab, investors looking for a higher stock allocation should consider high-quality, reasonably valued companies poised to benefit from worldwide economic recovery. As for individual stock picks, she emphasized company fundamentals and the ability to weather different market conditions over specific sectors.²

If you’ve recently harvested any losses or gains and are looking to rebalance your portfolio, we’d be happy to help you vet investment opportunities appropriate for your situation. Please contact us to get started today.

Merrill Lynch believes the market environment looks to be supportive of stock investments
through the first two quarters of 2022. Its analysts expect job growth to continue and believe the United States will head toward full employment, which will help eliminate the current issues related to labor and supply shortages. Merrill Lynch also sees China’s recovery as a catalyst to spur overall global economic growth. For investors, the wealth manager recommends adding long term investment themes related to innovation. Diversification remains important but key sectors expected to thrive include industrials, materials, energy, financials and large-cap technology.³

Now that factories are back up and running worldwide, Goldman Sachs sees inventories building back up, continued innovations in health care and a boost in consumer spending due to pent-up demand. By the middle of next year, the wealth manager sees a moderate slowdown in the current growth rate of developing markets. It predicts global GDP will increase to about 4½% and does not expect the Fed to begin raising interest rates until July 2022.⁴

Speaking of the Fed, in November it announced plans to begin tapering bond purchases over the next six months. By the middle of 2022, it anticipates no need to ease monetary policy any further. In response to these actions, Morgan Stanley analysts believe that real economic growth will continue to improve in the New Year. Both America’s response to COVID and the new infrastructure bill place the United States in a favorable position relative to the rest of the world. Investors will likely have the confidence to buy riskier assets, whereas inflation risk will continue to put upward pressure on real interest rates.⁵

One thing to note about inflation is that it doesn’t necessarily bode negatively for stocks. In fact, according to research by Fidelity Investments, the stock market has performed relatively well during past historically high inflation periods (except for the 1970s). Energy stocks tend to be positively correlated with high inflation, while consumer discretionary and financials are usually negatively correlated with rising prices.⁶

¹ Paulina Likos. U.S. News & World Report. Oct. 29, 2021. “Stock Market Outlook for Q4 2021.” https://money.usnews.com/investing/stock-market-news/articles/stock-market-outlook-for-q4-2021. Accessed Nov. 15, 2021.

² Ibid.

³ Bank of America, Merrill. November 2021. “Here Comes The Pivot.” https://olui2.fs.ml.com/Publish/Content/application/pdf/GWMOL/Viewpoint_November_2021_Merrill.pdf. Accessed Nov. 15, 2021.

⁴ Goldman Sachs. Nov. 8, 2021. “GS Macro Outlook 2022: The Long Road to Higher Rates.” https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/gs-research/gs-macro-outlook-2022/gs-macro-outlook-2022-the-long-road-to-higher-rates.pdf. Accessed Nov. 15, 2021.

⁵ Matt Hornbach. Morgan Stanley. Nov. 11, 2021. “What the Fed wants, the Fed gets.” https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/thoughts-on-the-market-rates. Accessed Nov. 15, 2021.

⁶ Jurrien Timmer. Fidelity. Nov. 3, 2021. “Top sectors amid inflation.” https://www.fidelity.com/insights/markets-economy/inflation-sector-returns. Accessed Nov. 15, 2021.

 

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions.

Investment Advisory Services are offered by Imber Financial Group, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Insurance services are offered through Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. Imber Financial Group, LLC. and Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. are affiliated companies

 

The Investment Greats

 

Not surprisingly, some of the most notable investors in America founded well-known investment companies. For example, John Templeton, whom in 1999 “Money” magazine called “arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century” founded Templeton Funds, best known for its international fund lineup. Thomas Rowe Price Jr., also referred to as “the father of growth investing,” established T. Rowe Price investment management firm in 1937.¹

Jack Bogle, who founded The Vanguard Group in 1975, originated the idea of index mutual funds to track broad stock market performance through a lower cost option for individual investors. Warren Buffett, who is still widely regarded as the world’s most successful investor, preaches a very simple investment philosophy: Buy what you know. Buffett has stuck to a strict discipline of buying companies for a low price, implementing long-term improvements and then profiting from those improvements via higher stock prices.²

Known for sharing his investment insights, Warren Buffet is a big proponent of these principles:³

·         Investing in what you know

·         Never compromising on business quality

·         Buying and holding forever

·         Not getting distracted by day-to-day financial news

·         Recognizing the difference between price and value (“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”)

 

While investment legend Roy R. Neuberger—who co-founded the brokerage and investment firm Neuberger Berman—encouraged people to study the great investors, he cautioned against trying to emulate their success. According to Neuberger, it is better to adopt only tactics that suit your temperament and circumstances because your needs and resources will be different from others.⁴ We’d like to add to that wisdom the importance of working with a financial professional who understands your needs and goals. Feel free to tap our experience for help matching your situation to proven investment vehicles and strategies.

Another investment great is Peter Lynch, the Fidelity fund manager who ran the Magellan Fund from 1977 to 1990. Lynch believed in investing throughout the long term, taking only as much risk as your stomach can handle and always spending at least as much time researching stock picks as you would to buy a house, car or major appliance.⁵

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

¹ Investopedia. Oct. 24, 2021. “The World’s Greatest Investors.” https://www.investopedia.com/world-s-11-greatest-investors-4773356. Accessed Nov. 5, 2021.

² Robert Farrington. The College Investor. Oct. 23, 2021. “The Top 10 Investors of All Time.” https://thecollegeinvestor.com/972/the-top-10-investors-of-all-time/. Accessed Nov. 5, 2021.

³ Simply Safe Dividends. 2021. “Top 10 Pieces of Investment Advice from Warren Buffett.” https://www.simplysafedividends.com/intelligent-income/posts/37-top-10-pieces-of-investment-advice-from-warren-buffett. Accessed Nov. 5, 2021.

⁴ Anupam Nagar. Economic Times. July 17, 2021. “10 principles of successful investing from the legendary Roy R. Neuberger.” https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/10-principles-of-successful-investing-from-the-legendary-roy-r-neuberger/articleshow/84498113.cms. Accessed Nov. 5, 2021.

⁵ Fidelity. Aug. 11, 2021. “Lessons from an investing legend.” https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/investing-ideas/peter-lynch-investment-strategy. Accessed Nov. 5, 2021.

 

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions.

Investment Advisory Services are offered by Imber Financial Group, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Insurance services are offered through Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. Imber Financial Group, LLC. and Imber Wealth Advisors, Inc. are affiliated companies