It was a rough week in the stock market as the major averages saw the heaviest selling since last September when investors were disappointed at the Fed's decision not too taper. The government shutdown in early October caused many others to sell in a panic just before the market bottomed.
The latest catalyst was the poor economic news out of China, which spurred liquidation in many of the emerging markets, further depressing their currencies. Several notable earnings' misses from several stocks, like International Business Machines (IBM) and Kansas City Southern (KSU), made many nervous about their portfolios as KSU was down 14% on Friday.
It has consistently been my view that any news-related event or economic report (excluding war) should not be a reason to alter your overall investment strategy. There have been countless articles and data points over the past three years that warned of a hard landing for the Chinese economy.
But should China be driving your portfolio?
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