Investing Switzerland

We discuss what earning season means and why, even with exceptionally high results, like apple, a share price remains fairly flat - a reminder that investors are mainly interested in future expectations, not the past. We also briefly share our thoughts on crypto investing and why it won’t have a large allocation in our portfolios. Now that I have the foundations of my portfolio set, which include commodities, bonds & equities, Santiago introduces me to trend and theme based investing, which includes topics such as smart farming, rapid urbanization, climate change, medical marijuana and psychedelics. We begin talking about the different type of theme based ETFs and providers like iShares, Rize ETF & Horizons, and the early considerations such as fund size and cost when forming our investing thesis. More details will follow in the next episode.

We discuss why the market is fairly confident (bullish) at the moment, shrugging previous concerns around higher interest rates and why tech stocks are back up following a dip. Confidence follows the announcements of the 1st quarters earnings from banks, especially from their profits through trading and M&A activity. What does the recent recent Coinbase IPO tell us about the crypto currency market?. This constant fluctuation of confidence is an important reminder to continue portfolio diversification. Santiago then talks me through the final element of this portfolio strategy: alternative assets, such as precious and industrial metals, agriculture and livestock, as well as real estate, and what to consider when selecting these ETFs from Switzerland.

We discuss why too much cheap liquidity in the economy today is creating concerns with investors and economists around why a financial bubble may be forming, a representation of unnaturally inflated prices, such as the high cost for NFTs (non fungible tokens). In unstable times like these, it’s important to ensure you have a diverse portfolio, so Santiago talks me through the consideration of different bond types, such as corporate bonds or government bonds and the different types of investment grades and their relation to risk. Santiago then explains the different elements to consider like the ETFs investment strategy, replication, volatility, fees, distribution policy & fund domicile.

We discuss how market speculation of a post pandemic world is driving volatility in the stock market in the last weeks, resulting in portfolio value both increasing and decreasing significantly in a short time. Then Santiago walks us through the process of buying our first ETF and the key elements around variations, location and cost that should be considered before anyone buys. Finally considering all the serious active trading platforms available to investors in Switzerland (Swissquote, Postfinance, Saxobank, VZ online, Degiro). Now we’re set to further diversify our portfolios across different types of ETFs.

We discuss how the latest market developments might shape the future for retail investors and how COVID may impact Orlando’s investment interests in New Zealand companies. Then Santiago and Orlando bring the investment principles to life by considering passive investment opportunities with pillar 3a solutions and robo-advisors and more self-directed investments with trading tools for the more curious investor.

In the first half we look at happened to GameStop and the hedge fund market and what it means for new investors. In the second half we discuss the principles of investing, the foundations all investors need to get right.

Santiago Schuppisser and Orlando introduce themselves and the goal of the Investing Switzerland podcast: educating listeners about the different stages of investing and opportunities available in Switzerland. Through discussing their own honest experiences and that of industry experts.