Update: 09-23-24

Double Rate Cuts!      Issachar Update: Issachar is nearly fully invested in growth stocks, benefiting from lower rates. My highest conviction is in gold as an inflation hedge. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) theme continues to expand along with Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), and we are positioned accordingly. Property values and rents increase during inflationary times, which causes REIT prices to rise. Utility stocks are under accumulation as large AI data centers lock in long-term electricity contracts to power thousands of computers processing AI data. The AI revolution could be a multi-year trend that will change how we live for decades. Free market capitalism allows AI to expand, so I vote to keep innovation alive. (There is no guarantee that any investment will achieve its objectives, generate positive returns, or avoid losses.)

Market Update: The Fed lowered rates Wednesday for the first time since 2020, and the market expects the Fed to lower another 25bps before year-end. The market was expecting a cut of 25bps, but the Fed gave us a double rate cut of 50bps. The market welcomed the expected added liquidity and touched all-time highs. The Fed continues to unwind/reduce its “free money” balance sheet created during Covid from $9 trillion to $7 trillion today. This balance sheet reduction removed some of the excess liquidity in the system and helped bring inflation down from 9% to around 3% today. However, cutting rates spurs economic activity in a slowing economy, so we should not be surprised to see inflation pop its ugly head up after the election. Could this double rate cut have been politically motivated so current government workers keep their jobs?

The Fed surrendered to its 2% inflation target because they were more worried about a slowing economy and saving their jobs. Government spending hit $686 billion last month, the highest since March 2023, and only a handful of crisis months during the Covid crash saw more government spending in any given month in history. Government debt is over $35.4 trillion and growing by $1 trillion every 100 days with an annual interest expense of $1.2 trillion, which is more than we spend on defense. Is the current administration painting the political tape by overspending to reboot the economy to prevent a recession ahead of the election?

Bottom line: Issachar is aboard the AI train with a hedge in gold against inflation and a loss of dollar purchasing power. Prices remain high, and wage increases have not kept up with the inflation tax. The Fed’s double rate cut is a political surrender to inflation. The Fed says the economy is strong, but they lowered rates. Lowering rates will strengthen a strong economy and create more inflation, right? Microsoft signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to restart Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear plant. Others will sign deals with coal and natural gas-fired electric plants because they need electricity to run thousands of AI computers. Could the disappointing quarterly earnings and sales of Federal Express (FDX) and weak guidance indicate the Fed sees a recession on the horizon? Gold is an arbiter of inflation truth, and gold made an all-time high above $2,625/oz. Lower rates are a tailwind to higher stock prices, so let’s go with the flow until it doesn’t. Grace & Peace to Everyone!

The 1916 Project and Reagan are great movies if you want to Understand today.

The Sons of Issachar were known for their Understanding of the times. 1 Chronicles 12:32

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Issachar Fund. This and other important information about the Fund are contained in the Prospectus, obtained by calling 1-866-787-8355 or visiting IssacharFund.com. The Prospectus should be read carefully before investing. The Issachar Fund is distributed by Northern Lights Distributors, LLC., a member of FINRA/SIPC. Horizon Capital Management Inc. (HCM) is not affiliated with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC.

Important Risk Information: Mutual Funds involve risks, including the possible loss of principal. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors. The Fund may hold cash positions when the Adviser feels that the market is not producing returns greater than the short-term cash investments in which the Fund may invest. There is a risk that the sections of the market in which the Fund invests will begin to rise or fall rapidly, and the Fund will not be able to sell stocks quickly enough to avoid losses or reinvest its cash positions into areas of the advancing market quickly enough to capture the initial returns of changing market conditions. The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness, value, and potential appreciation of particular asset classes and securities in which the Fund invests may prove incorrect and may not produce the desired results. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Ratings are only one form of Fund performance and should not be used as the sole consideration in an investment decision. Opinions expressed are subject to change, not guaranteed, and should not be considered investment advice. There is no assurance these opinions or forecasts will come to pass, and past performance is no assurance of future results. For more information regarding the Fund, including current performance, please visit IssacharFund.com. NLD Compliance Code:  20240923-3878366

Dexter Lyons, Portfolio Manager
Issachar Fund (LIONX & LIOTX)
337-983-0676  
[email protected]
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Fully Committed to Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI)

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