Last year I suggested that Mr. Market had a girlfriend named Tina Fomo. Her name is a combination of the two acronyms that are often used to explain the psychology underlying the market’s spectacular rise: TINA, for There Is No Alternative; and FOMO, for Fear of Missing Out.
Low interest rates and an outperforming domestic economy led many to believe that there were indeed few preferable alternatives to investing in U.S. equities, while institutional investors were loath to underperform their peers in a steadily rising market.
But Mr. Market can be a faithless consort. It is important for investors to examine whether his relationship with Tina Fomo remains a steady one.