Investment Moves to Make Right Now

The genius of investing is recognizing the direction of trends, but the uncertainty of the U.S. presidential election made it difficult to do that. Regardless of whether you wanted President Obama in office another four years, you should take comfort in the clarity his re-election provides for your portfolio. Here are some investment moves to consider.Do:   - Overweight traded real estate investment trusts, but avoid non-traded REITs. (Aim for 10%-12% of your portfolio) - Feel comfortable investing in most energy-related companies, with the exception of coal. I believe we will see significantly higher oil prices due to our continuing monetary policy. This devalues the U.S. dollar and makes energy prices higher. (8%-10% of your portfolio) - Buy metals, such as gold, silver, platinum, copper. (No more than 15%, and divide equally) - Buy high-quality diamonds. Try to stay with 2- to 3-carat stones that are VVS1 to VVS2 quality. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Buy utility stocks, preferably through exchange-traded funds. (8%-12% percent of your portfolio) - Buy ETFs equally spread among the Russell 1000 index, Russell 2000 index, S&P financial sector, agricultural stocks, master limited partnerships and pharmaceuticals. (20%-30% percent of your portfolio) - Invest in the Russell 2000 value index. It will outperform all U.S. indexes over the next 12 months. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Buy Philippine and Vietnam sector funds. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Invest in managed futures, which are perfectly positioned for the next four years. There are many ways to access these. (Up to 10% of your portfolio)Don’t: - Don’t invest in interest-rate sensitive long-term bonds (government, municipal and high-grade corporate bonds. High-grade corporate bonds trade very similarly to interest-rate sensitive bonds because of their credit quality.) If you currently own any of these, do a yield-to-maturity calculation to see what your total return is from today. Your yield-to-maturity may only be 1% or 2%, but you’ll have a 40%-50% chance of loss over the next 12 months. - Bond funds are very risky in this climate, especially those that invest in long-dated maturities. - Avoid developed Europe, emerging markets and (for now) all of Asia. A worldwide slowdown is coming and these markets are in the crosshairs of a major pullback. In the summer, Asia might start to do better.The views expressed in this article are those of Ed Butowsky of Chapwood Investments and may not apply to your personal investment situation. It’s important to consult with a financial advisor before implementing any strategy.