Institutional investor Rich Bernstein said in a recent interview that we are in a complete and massive bubble. Everything – from bitcoin to housing – is spiraling out of control when it comes to prices, and the U.S. – along with other parts of the world – may be on the verge of economic collapse.
Richard Bernstein: Investors Need to Watch Out
Cryptocurrencies, housing, and tech stocks are all experiencing some of the biggest price booms in history. In addition, the country is dealing with supply chain problems, which are presenting serious delays for American consumers. As the CEO and CIO of Richard Bernstein Advisors, Bernstein claimed:
There’s a whole series of bubbles going on right now. There’s a bubble in long-duration assets. That’s a common theme.
Bernstein is particularly worried about BTC. He says growing demand has created one of the biggest bubbles in the history of finance, and he’s concerned about long-term repercussions.
Since the coronavirus pandemic first began gripping the global economy, many have seen bitcoin in an entirely new light. It used to be that BTC was just a speculative asset that if played right, could make one rich quickly. However, with governments all over the world printing fiat money like it grows on trees and handing it out for stimulus measures, the world’s number one digital currency has taken on an entirely new form.
Now, many see it as a hedge tool; something that can potentially keep one’s wealth safe and steady during times of economic strife. Given how many people possess this attitude, the currency has shot up to new all-time highs of roughly $64,000 and $66,000 over the course of six months, and more people are doing all they can to obtain it.
While bitcoin appears to be moving in a positive direction, Bernstein believes that things may take a negative turn should the bubble burst. In his interview, he compared the bitcoin bubble to the dotcom hype of the late 90s. He says the resulting meltdown of that period resulted in the Nasdaq taking a whopping 14 years to recover.
He is also worried about the housing market. He says the price increases we’ve been seeing as of late make those of the early 2000s look small. He explained:
[Home prices are] now accelerating more than what you saw during the housing bubble. The rate of change now is higher than anything you saw during the housing bubble in 2005, 6, 7, 8.
Maybe Inflation Isn’t So bad
The good news is that he doesn’t think inflation poses as many risks as some analysts are suggesting, though he certainly feels it is noticeable. He states:
They’re not going to stay this high, but where do they settle? Do they settle at the consensus two to 2.5 percent, or do they settle at three percent or 3.5 percent or four percent or 4.5 percent? I think you treat it as an over/ under bet right now.
