Portfolio Management In Volatile Markets

This educational webinar, hosted by the Better Investing Portland Chapter, featured Ken Kavula and Mark Robertson discussing portfolio management strategies in volatile markets. The speakers emphasized the foundational principles of the Manifest Investing approach, which focuses on quality companies, excellent management, and disciplined forecasting of returns. Robertson highlighted nearly 80 years of successful investing within the Better Investing community, demonstrating that despite market volatility—including corrections in 1987, the lost decade of the 2000s, and the 2008-2009 crisis—disciplined investors who focus on individual company fundamentals rather than market timing have consistently achieved solid returns. The presentation included live demonstrations of stock screening techniques and portfolio management tools from the Manifest Investing website, showing how investors can build dashboards, set targets, and model portfolio scenarios to optimize long-term performance.

The speakers reinforced that volatility is not new and should not deter long-term investors who employ fundamental analysis. A key insight from Robertson's analysis was that regular investing over volatile periods, rather than lump-sum investing at market peaks or troughs, can dramatically improve returns—changing a 2% return scenario to 11.5% through dollar-cost averaging. The webinar's audience consisted primarily of experienced investors (90% with 7+ years of experience), and the speakers encouraged even newer investors to learn from the community's collective knowledge. Ken Kavula, a 25-year volunteer with Better Investing and member of three model clubs that beat the market, and Mark Robertson, founder of Manifest Investing and former senior contributing editor of Better Investing magazine, demonstrated practical tools and frameworks for designing and managing portfolios effectively during uncertain market conditions.