The results of the European bank stress tests are in and it appears that except for seven banks, 91 passed the strict guidelines created by the European Union. Many investors feared that these banks could have issues if the markets were to take another turn for the worse.
However, the results of these tests are proving otherwise. This hurdle is behind us, but what’s next for this market?
There’s been no shortage of worries for the broader North American markets this year. First there was the sovereign debt issues in Europe; worries of a slowdown in China; financial regulation in the United States; high unemployment levels; U.S. housing; and finally the viability of the largest banks in Europe.
These issues have created a sense of worry for investors and volatility for the markets. But even though there have been many issues to overcome — with some yet to be settled — this market proves to be quite resilient.
All major North American indices are near or at the breakeven point for the year. Why? A lot of the fears that investors have had are based on negative rumours and looking at the glass from a half-empty perspective.
Here’s the half-full perspective: Sure, there has been a slowdown in China — but that was done intentionally and was necessary for the country to be able to sustain itself without creating a “housing bubble” or inflation. So they should grow at 9 or 10 per cent instead of 11.
Yes, there are issues in Europe regarding high debt levels, but this is being taken care of by each country implementing certain austerity measures to get spending under control.
The United States still has their share of issues with high unemployment, high debt levels and a weak housing market. However, I believe the government has taken and will continue to take the necessary steps to address these issues. Imagine where the United States will be when they actually start to see sustained job growth!
So the next time you hear or read a negative report on the investment markets, please don’t panic and sell your investments. Understand that this person’s point of view may just be from the glass half-empty side. Please remember that the other half of the glass is full — and I believe it will get fuller over time!
