Expecting and Embracing the Unexpected
With gratitude for the past and eager anticipation for what lies ahead
2023 was the most unexpected year of my life.
At this time last year, Hi Mount Research was more of a rough idea than a reality. It had been periodically chewed on but not really embraced. The idea of being a college professor has for years has literally been a laughed-at one-liner, an intriguing notion that could just not be taken too seriously.
That now has all changed.
Hi Mount Research got off the ground in March. The website wasn’t fully functional for more than a few weeks before a series of conversations over the course of June gave rise to the possibility of educating undergrads at Wisconsin Lutheran College (which just so happens to be my wife’s alma mater). A call to teach Economics & Finance was subsequently extended and accepted.
To paraphrase Earnest Hemmingway, life moves “slowly, then quickly”. These changes (not only over the past 12 months, but over the past few years) have meant new rhythms, new routines, and new realities.
Discussing the various risks and opportunities in the financial markets (and what, if anything, to do about them) has been my life’s work for nearly a quarter-century. I am not ready to pivot away from that even as I lean into what feels like a new calling and a Second Mountain. Keeping these two opportunities in balance will be an ongoing process.
That need for balance dovetails nicely with the founding objective of Hi Mount Research: stepping back from the day-to-day (or even week-to-week) buzz in the market while providing insights and portfolio applications that cut through the noise.
With that in mind and considering the experiences of the past semester and the past year, I’m tweaking what is offered though the Hi Mount Research Market Insights and Portfolio Applications subscription packages. The goal is to not flood your inbox or overwhelm you with more data points & charts, but to give enough information and perspective so you know when to act and what to do.
Following is a list of the regular updates will be available.
Bull/Bear Conditions Report (still under development, but will likely include a variety of Macro & Market indicators including Earnings Revisions Trend, BAA Corporate Model, Central Bank: Friend or Foe, Quiet Strength indicator, Breadth Thrust Regime, Risk On / Risk Off Index)
Systematic ETF Portfolios (Composite, Equity, Fixed Income & Sector Rotation)
Dynamic ETF Portfolios (Tactical, Cyclical, Strategic)
The publishing schedule will vary somewhat on a week-to-week basis (and based on the academic calendar) but subscribers can generally expect at least one Insights and one Applications piece per week.
In addition to the publications listed above, occasional Chart Packs and Video Updates will continued to provided.
One final tweak will be the option to subscribe to Portfolio Applications as a stand-alone service. Access to Market Insights will remain $1500/yr and the Portfolio Applications package by itself will be $2500/yr.
The price for the two services together is dropping to $3500/yr.
You can sign up for the Market Insights or Insights + Applications packages directly via substack. Reach out to me (by responding to this email) for other billing options (or to get stand-alone access to Portfolio Applications).
To get the most out of your subscription, you will also need to set-up an account on the Hi Mount Research website.
That’s the update for now, thanks for reading & thanks for your support. Please reach out if you’ve got questions. Now I need to go prep for Corporate Finance - classes at WLC start up again next week. -Willie