Brian Acker, president, CEO, and chief investment strategist at Acker Finley 

FOCUS: North American large cap stocks

MARKET OUTLOOK:

Macro strategies have become a lot more complicated with the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. We are still U.S. dollar bulls and have been for the last 8-plus years, consistently recommending U.S. securities on this program with one notable exception: Crescent Point Energy.

What is Model Price saying about the U.S. equity markets?

In our work we have EBV (economic book value) levels — calculated from companies’ balance sheets — that act like support and or resistance. We have a positive transit of EBV+5 for the S&P 500 in the first quarter of 2021. And after hitting over 70 all-time highs during 2021, we have had a correction back to EBV+5 or 4,273 (calculated EBV+5 as of last night) and the market appears to be holding here at this level. The US market should rally off of this level (EBV+5) into quarter-end and may go higher yet as the first quarter earnings start to be released. I’m guessing this EBV+5 level will be tested throughout 2022 and may last until the November elections in fall of 2022. If, of course, the S&P 500 trades lower than EBV+5 this is a warning to investors that a negative transit has occurred, and we would turn very bearish if this were to happen.

TOP PICKS:

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY NYSE)

Pricing of purchase not available but I do own with family in the Acker Finley funds….according to Model Price there is an upside of 58 per cent.

Sprott Physical Gold (PHYS TSE)

I own myself personally with an average cost of $17.90

iShares 20+ Year Treasury bond ETF (TLT UQ)

I own myself personally with an average cost that is higher than today

PAST PICKS: MARCH 30, 2020

Bank of America (BAC NYSE)

Then: $22.04
Now: $42.23
Return:  91.62%
Total Return: 100.18%

Johnson and Johnson (JNJ NYSE) 
Then: $133.01
Now: $175.74
Return: 32.12%
Total Return: 39.18%

Crescent Point Energy (CPG TSX) 

Then: $1.01
Now: $8.73
Return: 764.35%
Total Return: 777.30%