It is eye-opening to read the Market Perspective I wrote exactly two months ago. There was a real sense of dread back then as the global economy appeared moving toward recession while the Federal Reserve was still in tightening-to-fight-inflation mode. It is no surprise that December was such a poor month for investors given the near-term outlook at the time. Fortunately, the investment environment has changed considerably since then. The Federal Reserve backed away from its “autopilot” approach to interest rates while global economic indicators have been helped by lower oil prices and reasonably robust consumer demand. Rightly or wrongly, investors aren’t worrying about Brexit or the U.S.-China trade war right now. I can’t help wondering whether the pendulum will have swung back two months from now. I say this because although the investment climate has gone from aggressively “risk-off” to fairly strongly “risk-on” over that past eight weeks, I’m not sure the big picture has changed all that much. The mental journey from (glass) half-empty to half-full (and vice versa) can happen quite rapidly. I believe it will be important this year to keep a big picture framework in mind so as not to tempted by market swings to rapidly toggle between aggressive and defensive portfolio positions. As we see it, the outlook is mixed with the following pros and cons: Pros:
Interest rates are still fairly low by post WW2 standards, and there is current no significant upward pressure from either materials scarcity or labor (wages)
Oil prices have come down worldwide, putting downward pressure on inflation
The tax and regulatory framework in the United States is very business-friendly
The Federal Reserve is still taking cues from the stock market, suggesting it will be pro-active in any serious market decline
Valuations of emerging market and international developed market stocks appear to be, for the most part, quite reasonable Cons:
The maximum point of easy credit has been passed. However slowly, credit is being reined in.
The U.S. dollar remains strong, which removes liquidity from global economies
Economic inequality globally is at post WW2 highs, and this is fueling populism. At some point, perhaps sooner than later, tax policies are going to be less business-friendly
There does not appear to be a structural way out of the U.S.-China trade impasse. China can offer to buy soybeans, etc. but the bigger issue is intellectual property and China is extremely unlikely to give in on that issue. Its been the linchpin of their economic ascent over the last 35 years.
Corporate debt levels are very high, which stems from the attractiveness of boosting earnings by borrowing money at low rates to buy back stock. This (higher debt and less cash) reduces flexibility during a recession. A corporate treasurer focused on the long-term health of their business would ISSUE stock when valuations were high, not buy it back! With all this in mind, I intend to manage in what I believe is a neutral manner across portfolios as I don’t see any major valuation driven opportunities, long or short, to be exploited right now. That said, I believe:
An opportunity will exist later in the year to buy non-dollar denominated securities as the dollar peaks and heads lower.
Credit (lower quality, higher yielding debt) is doing well now as investors seek higher yields, but this is a window for traders (as opposed to a long-term alpha opportunity).
Gold will have a good year. Not because of inflation, but because by year-end most currencies will appear unattractive because of debt and poor economic policies. The dollar would already be falling due to our dramatically increasing deficit and capricious policy stances were it not for the even worse prospects for the Euro. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to why growth has out-performed value for such a long time. I’m going to expand on that topic in my next post. -Mark A. Carlton, CFA Disclosure Past performance is no assurance of future results. Trademark Financial Management, LLC (“Trademark”) is a registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in the State of Minnesota. Trademark and its representatives are in compliance with registration requirements imposed upon investment advisers by those states in which Trademark operates. Trademark may only transact business in those states in which it is registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration. This newsletter is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its investment advisory/management services. Any subsequent, direct communication by Trademark with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. A complete list of all recommendations will be provided if requested for the preceding period of not less than one year. It should not be assumed that recommendations made in the future will be profitable or will equal the performance of the securities in this list. Opinions expressed are those of Trademark Financial Management and are subject to change, not guaranteed and should not be considered recommendations to buy or sell any security. For information pertaining to the registration status of Trademark please contact Trademark at (952) 358-3395 or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure web site (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov). For additional information about Trademark, including fees and services, send for our disclosure statement as set forth on Form ADV from us using the contact information herein or by calling 952-358-3395. Please read the disclosure statement carefully before you invest or send money. Any reference to a chart, graph, formula, or software as a source of analysis used by Trademark Financial Management staff is one of many factors used to make investment decisions for your portfolio. No one graph, chart, formula, or software can in and of itself be used to determine which securities to buy or sell, when to buy or sell them, or assist any person in making decisions as to which securities to buy or sell or when to buy or sell them. Any chart, graph, formula, or software used is limited by the data entered and the created parameters. The data was obtained from third parties deemed by the adviser to be reliable. Nonetheless, the adviser has not verified the results and cannot be assured of their accuracy.
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