The stock markets have been acting like a yo-yo. Nevertheless, the long term trend is up. If you could visualize your portfolio, the best description is think of how a yo-yo looks when someone is playing with it, while going up an escalator.

And currently, we believe the escalator is still trending up, based upon our interpretation of the three factors reported below under the “Heat Map”.

One of our roles as portfolio manager is to keep your eye focused on the long term: the escalator and its direction. (Avoid over-focusing on the yo-yo which could steer you toward emotional investment decisions).

NOTE: The news media prefers you to focus on the yo-yo and tune-in each day for an update. Frequently, the news will be biased in such a way to elicit your desire for an update – sometimes to alarm you unnecessarily. It’s best to put it in perspective as described above.