Tag: $NDX

Durability of the US Bull Market

 

“Having insurance doesn’t guarantee good health outcomes, but it is a critical factor.” ― Irwin Redlener

“Seeing the bigger picture opens your eyes to what is the truth.” ― Wadada Leo Smith

As the key indices in US equity market are once again approaching all-time highs, we look to assess the durability of the bull market in the face of a plethora of negative headlines and rising valuations. We also identify a few leaders in the retail sector as long ideas.

 

Technology Leadership

 

When a bull market is turning over, the tell tale signs can usually be found in the segment that has led the bull charge. And as we all know, technology has been the clear leader in the most recent incarnation of the US equity bull market.

 

The below monthly chart is a ratio of the NASDAQ 100 Index to S&P 500 Index. The ratio is now in territory witnessed during the tail-end of the tech bubble. The difference this time ― ominous last words ― being the steady, as opposed to parabolic, rise in the ratio.

 

 

NDX Index (NASDAQ 100 Stock Inde 2019-06-13 09-39-55

 

The quarterly rate-of-change of the above ratio, shown in the chart below,  is another way to see the stark difference in the relative rise of the NASDAQ 100 over the last ten years as compared to the relative rise during the tech bubble.

 

NDX Index (NASDAQ 100 Stock Inde 2019-06-13 10-22-11.png

 

What the rate-of-change, or momentum, chart does suggest is that the recent waxing-and-waning in technology stocks, be it due to slowing earnings or fears over antitrust action against the mega-capitalisation technology companies, is still within the normal bounds of volatility.

 

If the NASDAQ 100-to-S&P 500 ratio fails to make new highs in the coming weeks and months or there is a marked deterioration in the ratio’s momentum, we would become concerned about the durability of technology’s market leadership.

 

Growth and Value

 

Other ratios in tech bubble territory are those of the S&P Growth Index-to-S&P 500 Index and the S&P Growth Index-to-S&P Value Index.

 

SGX Index (S&P 500 Growth Index) 2019-06-13 10-17-07

 

 

SGX Index (S&P 500 Growth Index) 2019-06-13 10-16-27

 

We are increasingly convinced that a barbell strategy should be applied today in managing equity exposures. With tech and other growth names on one side and value names and precious metals on the other. And if tech and growth continue to rally, investors should re-balance  regularly to avoid any lopsidedness in their portfolios.

 

Heavy Truck Sales

 

The below chart compares the S&P500 Index (magenta) to heavy truck sales in the US (orange). Heavy trucks sales are a barometer for economic activity in the US. Heavy truck sales rolled over in 2000 and in 2006 ahead of the cyclical peaks in the US equity market. Heavy trucks sales have thus far remained strong.

 

USASHVTK Index (United States He 2019-06-14 14-46-20.jpg

 

Cyclical to Defensive Stocks

 

The below chart is a ratio of the MSCI USA Cyclical Stocks Index to the MSCI USA Defensive Stocks. We see this ratio as a gauge of ‘animal spirits’. A rising line suggests a preference for profit over preservation.

 

The ratio has recently broken out to fifteen year highs. This is a but surprising given that Treasury yields have come in quite a bit in recent months, which should have benefited defensive sectors such as consumer staples and utilities.

 

MU704866 Index (MSCI USA Cyclica 2019-06-13 15-24-54.png

 

We would avoid or reduce allocations to bond-proxies such as utilities and REITs for now and search for alternative sources of diversification for portfolios with growth and technology heavy allocations.

 

The Smart Money Flow Index

 

The technology led rally from the lows recorded in February last year was not accompanied by a recovery in the Smart Money Flow Index. Rather, the index was hitting new lows just as the NASDAQ 100 was approaching new highs.

 

The rally in 2019, however, has coincided with a rebound in the Smart Money Flow Index. If the index starts retreating again we would be concerned.

 

SMART Index (Smart Money Flow In 2019-06-13 14-03-59.png

 

Corporate Yield Spreads

 

The below chart is the yield spread of Corporate BBB bonds to the US 10 Year Treasury.

 

Corporate yield spreads remain below the levels reached during the “volmageddon”on 2018 despite the sharp drop in oil prices in recent weeks. If yield spread breach the 1.65 per cent level in the below time series, we would think about scaling back equity exposures. Moreover, if we see exuberance take yield spreads below 2018 lows, we would worry that we are entering the “melt-up” phase in the bull market and also look to sell into strength.

 

CSI BBB Index (US Corp BBB_Baa - 2019-06-13 13-10-40.png

 

Consumer Leaders

 

If the Federal Reserve cuts interests rates, the US consumer will benefit from lower debt servicing costs on its mortgages and other debt. This should boost consumer spending, at least at the margin. We identify retail leaders that we add to our ideas on the long side.

 

ETSY  $ETSY

 

(The bottom panel is the relative strength to the SPDR Retail ETF $XRT.)

 

ETSY US Equity (Etsy Inc) Retail 2019-06-14 14-59-54

 

Five Below  $FIVE

 

FIVE US Equity (Five Below Inc) 2019-06-14 15-00-53

 

Under Armour $UAA

 

UAA US Equity (Under Armour Inc) 2019-06-14 15-00-22

 

 

This post should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation to purchase any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and issuers are not intended to be, and should not be interpreted as, recommendations to purchase or sell such securities. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed.

The Price of Growth

 

“To act wisely when the time for action comes, to wait patiently when it is time for repose, put man in accord with the tides. Ignorance of this law results in periods of unreasoning enthusiasm on the one hand, and depression on the other.”  – Helena Blavatsky, Russian esoteric philosopher, and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875

 

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” – Stephen Hawking

 

“As soon as you stop wanting something, you get it.” – Andy Warhol

 

One of the universally accepted ideas in sport is that of home court advantage. The idea, after all, is not a difficult one to accept: Home teams have the crowd behind them, cheering them on, filling them with confidence; visiting teams, on the other hand, have to deal with the home crowd’s hostility, which saps energy. And the stats seemingly reinforce the idea. For example, over the course of the NBA’s history, home teams have won roughly 60 per cent of the games played in almost any given season.

The crowd is powerful.

When it comes to capital markets, the crowd has unquestionably been cheering on growth and mocking value. Leaving many a value investor confounded by the apparently unstoppable rise in the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and NVIDIA. While valuations may be stretched and fundamentals in some cases appear questionable, if we take a step back and consider the secular trend, the continued outperformance of technology becomes less puzzling.

Plotting total business sales of US corporates against the ratio of Nasdaq 100 Index to the S&P 500 Index, we find a strong correlation – 74.1% using monthly data – between the two data series. That is the outperformance of the technology focused Nasdaq 100 Index relative to the broader S&P 500 Index is positively correlated with US business sales.

Total US Business Sales versus Nasdaq 100 Index to S&P 500 Index Ratio Business SalesSources: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Bloomberg

Given the latency between data releases, this relationship does not provide a trading signal. The relationship, however, does appear to suggest that US business sales growth has largely been dependent upon the growth in sales at technology companies and the market accordingly has rewarded technology stocks.

Our goal here is not to espouse the merits of investing in technology or in growth. Instead, we want to focus on what we consider to be the most interesting part of the above chart – the period from 2003 through 2006. During this period US business sales grew strongly yet the ratio between the two indices flat lined i.e. the S&P 500’s price performance roughly matched that of the NASDAQ 100.[i]

Digging a little deeper, we plot the ratio of per share sales of the S&P 500 to per share sales of the NASDAQ 100 against the relative price performance of the NASDAQ 100 Index to the S&P 500 Index. Zooming in on the period between 2003 and 2007 we find that the comparable price performance of the two indices during this period coincided with the quarterly fluctuations in per share sales also being comparable. Similarly, during the years of significant relative outperformance by the NASDAQ 100 Index, we find that per shares sales of the index were increasing relative to the per share sales of the S&P 500 Index.

Nasdaq 100 Index T12M Sales to S&P 500 Index T12M Ratio (Quarterly Data)Per Share RevenueSource: Bloomberg

Next, we consider the relative performance of S&P 500 Growth Index to that of the S&P 500 Value Index. Comparing the performance of these two indices we find that while the Nasdaq 100 Index and S&P 500 Index achieved comparable performance during the period from 2003 through 2006, the value index significantly outperformed the growth index during this period. The value index peaked relative to the growth index in 2007.

 

Ratio of S&P 500 Growth Index to S&P 500 Value Index (Monthly Data)growth to valueSource: Bloomberg

At the time of the dotcom bubble the ratio of the growth index to the value index, on a monthly basis, peaked at 1.56. Today the ratio stands at 1.47.

The crowd may well be at the cusp of switching loyalties.

We look for clues in and around the period between 2003 and 2007 to help us determine whether the time for value is coming or not.

The cyclical low in the effective US Federal Funds Rate registered a cyclical low in 2003.

US Federal Funds Effective RateFed funds rateSource: Bloomberg

The Commodity Research Bureau All Commodities Spot Index registered a cyclical low in 2001 and MSCI Emerging Markets Index started its multi-year ascent in 2003.

CRB Spot All Commodities IndexCRBSource: Bloomberg

MSCI Emerging Markets IndexMSCISource: Bloomberg

The US dollar had its cyclical peak in 2002, the same year in which the Bush Administration imposed tariffs on imported steel.

In 2004, Congress approved a one-time tax holiday for US corporations repatriating overseas profits.

In 2005, George Bush signed a USD 286 billion transportation bill.

If we compare the events and market action that preceded and coincided with the relative outperformance of value during the years from 2003 to 2007 to that of today, we find many similarities across both policy-making and market action. With growth’s outperformance relative to value reaching levels last seen during the very same period, the signs are difficult to ignore. It may not be time to bail on growth as yet, but it certainly is not the time to have a 100 per cent allocation to it either.

 

Investment Perspective

 

Human nature is such that we desire that which is rare and take for granted that which is common. In the recent past growth has been elusive – and that which has been available has been heavily concentrated in the US and in technology. It is no wonder then that investors have rushed into US technology names without abandon.

Growth is no longer as elusive. We can find growth in Asia, Europe and other parts of the emerging world and across both old industries and new. With its abundance the price of growth should de-rate. Value, however, has become hard to find and it is this scarcity of value, we believe, that will bring about the inevitable shift in market leadership away from technology to other sectors.

Forewarned is forearmed.   

 

[i] The total return for the NASDAQ 100 Index for the period was 80.9% versus 74.05% for the S&P 500 Index.

 

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This post should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation to purchase any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and issuers are not intended to be, and should not be interpreted as, recommendations to purchase or sell such securities. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed.