In a previous blog post, we mentioned that we will be on the lookout for news relating to drug discovery for the coronavirus, in particular, anti-viral treatments. There has subsquently been news about Gilead's "remdesivir" showing promise along with a variety of anti-body treatments being developed by other companies.

When it comes to drug discovery, it is important to distinguish between "promise" and "proof". In the case of Gilead, the news was leaked from one of a number of trials that are yet to complete. It is not wise to draw conclusions that "promising indications" leaked from one arm of a trial in drug discovery will result in a better chance of achieving a meaningful outcome e.g. proof of effectiveness in clinical trials.You should take any such news with a pinch of salt. Unless a drug or vaccine has shown efficacy in the context of a Phase 3 trial and has been approved by the FDA the odds of that "promise  turning into reality" are fairly slim.

Until we have solid proof of effective Phase 3 trial results and a variety of FDA approved anti-viral treatments, it will prove challenging to manage our way through this pandemic. Should Gilead's drug prove out to be effective, it still faces big challenges with respect to production and availability on a very large scale. Furthermore, it may prove to be effective in only certain type of cases and instances. What is needed is a toolbox of anti-viral drug treatments.

The BIG question and debate of the moment ammong economists and analysts is whether the market is going to make a V shaped recovery or re-visit new lows and make a longer term recovery. We have curated some of the articles -see below - that we believe shed some thoughtful light on these topics.

We have witnessed unprecedented government and federal reserve intervention in the economy and as a result the markets have rallied with an optimism that would have absolutely not been present had this not been the case. The swift financial interventions provide a backstop and floor in the market. The question is: "Where is that floor". That depends on a lot of unknowns and we question whether the analysts and economists who believe the March market bottom is "in" and now behind us have fully accounted for all the unknowns.

Unknowns include:

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we are all facing significant unknowns and new stresses. We are all reliant on the economy for our daily existence and the big question on everyone's minds is when will life return to some semblance of normalcy?. This article explores the questions about when the US will get back to business.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/upshot/coronavirus-four-benchmarks-reopening.html

The race is on to save patients lives and the global economy. The stakes are high, very high. As the world shelters in place, economies have cratered, businesses have had their plans turned upside down and millions are filing for unemployment. The human toll of fatalities from the coronavirus are being felt throughout the world.

The last time in history when almost everyone on the planet was talking about the same thing was when man first stepped on the moon. Science is in the race of their lives to find effective treatments and a vaccine for the coronavirus. Peoples lives are depending on it and the world economy is too! Collaboration ammong scientists all over the world is at an all-time high!

In the midst of facing an unprecendented modern day global health and economic crisis, here is what economists - at this moment in time - think you can expect to see regarding the outlook for the markets. This is of course a moving goal post as no-one knows how the Coronavirus epidemic will exactly unfold and when potential anti-viral treatments will be discovered. At this point a vaccine for the coronavirus is 18 months away and that would be a lightning quick development curve compared ot the usual timeline to develop a vaccine. One thing we can say with 100% certianty and that is these are not normal times and yes, the market will recover in time.

The Market Outlook from Hawley Advisors 

When one is assessing risk and how far off a recovery might be in the midst of the coronavirus sweeping the US and the world, the mostly catastrophic forecasts in the daily news leaves you with a very bleak picture. And while the picture is severe both on the health and economy fronts, we wanted to share a Nobel prize winners more optimistic outlook...

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nobel-prize-winner-shares-some-good-news-about-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-03-23

Fed announces new programs to keep credit flowing to the U.S. economy - The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. central bank announced it would go beyond its prior commitment of $700 billion in bond purchases to buy “the amounts needed” to keep markets functioning and the economy stable. It also announced significant new programs to keep credit flowing to businesses and consumers, including loans for students, auto buyers and small businesses.

The human brain is hardwired to survive and flee in the face of danger. Countering the emotion that is hardwired into our DNA, we need to very objectively look at human history and its advances in the face of catastrophes as well as how this has impacted the financial markets.

The unknowns surrounding the Coronavirus remain front and center of the news and markets. No one likes uncertainty when it hits so close to home and the markets are challenged with respect to trying to discount risk that it does not fully understand yet.

So how long will the Coronavirus last?

This is an excellent educational video explaining how your social security benefits are calculated and when the best time to retire is, for maximising your benefits.

https://www.cnbc.com/…/how-your-social-security-benefits-ch…