WEBVTT - CalSTRS CIO Chris Ailman Talks Nvidia Growth

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<v Speaker 1>Joining US now is Chris Alman, chief investment officer over

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<v Speaker 1>at Cawsts.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, Chris, it is in Vida's world.

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<v Speaker 1>We're just living in it, and we just keep saying

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<v Speaker 1>that every time we seem to talk.

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<v Speaker 2>Does that make you nervous or does that make you

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<v Speaker 2>feel good?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, it always makes you nervous.

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<v Speaker 4>Think of the fact that it's grown the size of Microsoft.

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<v Speaker 4>That's crazy. And you know, I have to say, Alex,

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<v Speaker 4>it reminds me a lot of Intel in the nineties,

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<v Speaker 4>where you had Intel millionaires. My neighbor had Intel, and

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<v Speaker 4>you know, suddenly it was going to retire rich. It

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<v Speaker 4>is amazing, but the story can't grow forever. Right now,

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<v Speaker 4>it's just pure optimism. And that's okay. It is the

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<v Speaker 4>new future. But let's remember there are two nine and

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<v Speaker 4>ninety nine other stocks in the US market, and those

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<v Speaker 4>are the ones that matter. The economy is what matters.

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<v Speaker 4>We don't eat in Nvidia for dinner. We don't fly

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<v Speaker 4>on Nvidia airplanes. So there are other things that matter

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<v Speaker 4>a ton when you're a long term investor and you

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<v Speaker 4>own the USA.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, we don't fly in Vida airplanes. Yet. Let's

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<v Speaker 2>just keep that in mind.

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<v Speaker 1>So if we wind up coming off the boil here

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<v Speaker 1>when it comes to say chips and tech, do you

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<v Speaker 1>feel like that money just drains out of the market

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<v Speaker 1>all together or is it a rotation play.

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<v Speaker 4>I think right now we're due for the summer doldrums. Frankly,

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<v Speaker 4>you know tech can continue. But look at what we're

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<v Speaker 4>seeing today, a record new high, but by a centimeter

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<v Speaker 4>or a millimeter, I mean just tiny fractions higher.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that we'll still see that.

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<v Speaker 4>I want this market to continue on for a little

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<v Speaker 4>bit period of time, But look at the consumer. Boy,

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<v Speaker 4>we're seeing signs of cracks in the average consumer, especially

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<v Speaker 4>middle and low income. We're getting those warning signs months

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<v Speaker 4>ago from Dollar General and Walmart, different stores like that.

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<v Speaker 4>Now we're seeing numbers in terms of auto loans and

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<v Speaker 4>just credit cards. Not the sign of a recession, but

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<v Speaker 4>the sign the consumer is tapped out. And boy, consumer optimism,

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<v Speaker 4>as we've seen, is close to turning to pessimism.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's a concern. So I'm worried about this market

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<v Speaker 3>having legs.

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<v Speaker 4>But I think you and I love bonds, and I

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<v Speaker 4>think people really need to pay attention to bonds. That

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<v Speaker 4>auction was a good sign people have an interest in

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<v Speaker 4>our debt.

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<v Speaker 3>That's important because.

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<v Speaker 4>We're going to be borrowing a lot more money the

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<v Speaker 4>USA next year whoever is president and at all time records,

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<v Speaker 4>so those auctions are really something to watch.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and we keep waiting for, you know, investors to

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<v Speaker 1>drop out.

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<v Speaker 2>We get the tick data later.

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<v Speaker 1>On today, and that's sort of what overseas investors are

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<v Speaker 1>doing here with US investments, and it hasn't happened, Like

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<v Speaker 1>the demand is still there. Do you like duration? Do

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<v Speaker 1>you like short duration? Do you like the belly? What's

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<v Speaker 1>the best way to capitalize?

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<v Speaker 4>You know, I'm a thirty year investor, Alex, so I

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<v Speaker 4>like the curve. I'm going to extend out When the

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<v Speaker 4>curve is is inverted and almost flat as it is,

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of people I've been talking to are using

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<v Speaker 4>short term CDs.

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<v Speaker 3>Well that's okay, but this.

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<v Speaker 4>The rates will drop eventually, and so you do want

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<v Speaker 4>to extend out a little bit in duration. I would

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<v Speaker 4>make a duration bet. I don't think the long bond's

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<v Speaker 4>coming down dramatically. I think the Fed's proven the US

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<v Speaker 4>economy can do okay with rates in the four to five.

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<v Speaker 2>Range, And so yeah, go ahead, Chris, Sorry.

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<v Speaker 4>No, the pressures off them to make this cut. They

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<v Speaker 4>want a job, own the market, to be optimistic, but

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<v Speaker 4>they don't have to make a cut right here.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, and then to that point, we had I think

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<v Speaker 1>seven FED officials that blackout period is no longer all

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<v Speaker 1>talking today, and the general message was not yet, not yet,

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<v Speaker 1>like be patient, it might be even quarters, not months,

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<v Speaker 1>until we get confident on inflation data. What kind of

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<v Speaker 1>cycle do you think we're going to see a shallow

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<v Speaker 1>cutting cycle?

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<v Speaker 2>What do you think?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, very shallow.

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<v Speaker 4>There should not be a reason for them to cut dramatically.

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<v Speaker 4>If it is, then the economy's in bad shape and

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<v Speaker 4>we're heading for a recession. They should be able to

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<v Speaker 4>ease off a quarter of a point at a time,

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<v Speaker 4>very slowly. And then for long term investors back to

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<v Speaker 4>fixed income, I think they should extend out into the curve.

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<v Speaker 4>I think you should look at credit, look at how

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<v Speaker 4>well high yield has done in the last couple of years.

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<v Speaker 4>It's remarkable. All of that points alex to diversification. And

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<v Speaker 4>when you know every mutual fund now owns in Nvidia,

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<v Speaker 4>almost always in the top five.

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<v Speaker 3>Some of the value.

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<v Speaker 4>Mutual funds are even creeping into in Vidia because it's

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<v Speaker 4>driving everything that tells you you need to diversify because

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<v Speaker 4>it's not going to grow to the moon and you

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<v Speaker 4>need to be in bonds in your portfolio.

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<v Speaker 1>Where else within the market you mentioned credit was also interesting.

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<v Speaker 2>Where else provides that diversification.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, For a long term institutional investor like us, we

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<v Speaker 4>can be in real estate, and obviously there are very

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<v Speaker 4>different segments in real estate. I've got the office background on.

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<v Speaker 4>You don't want to be in office right now. But

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<v Speaker 4>data centers another tech play, are huge, but as well

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<v Speaker 4>as the warehouses, So there are opportunities and just good

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<v Speaker 4>old stable real estate. Remember real estate pays a nice,

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<v Speaker 4>steady operating income. Don't investor capital gains investor operating income.

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<v Speaker 4>That's where most of your return comes as an institutional investor.

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<v Speaker 4>And there's value in the private markets infrastructure. There's a

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<v Speaker 4>lot of money in the Chips Act that they really

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<v Speaker 4>want to see go to work, and especially in the

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<v Speaker 4>IRA that is going to be pushed out in the

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<v Speaker 4>next six months for long term projects and those are

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<v Speaker 4>long term, stable returns. If you're a retirement investor in

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<v Speaker 4>your four oh one K, you're looking for long term

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<v Speaker 4>patient capital and I hate to say it, but in

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<v Speaker 4>Nvidia is not long term patient. Nvidia is a short

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<v Speaker 4>term flare rocket. It's fun to write it, but what

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<v Speaker 4>are you going to do next year, in the year

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<v Speaker 4>after and the year after that. So I think you

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<v Speaker 4>need to diversify and have a balanced portfolio.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, Chris, we love getting you on. It's a good

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<v Speaker 1>perspective to have Chris Ahman Cio over at Caulsors