Victory
President Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion Coronavirus aid package last week. New spending of $1.1 trillion is expected this year, with the remaining $0.8 trillion spread out over the coming years. The spending is on top of last year’s $3 trillion fiscal support program, sets up 15% annual deficits for 2020 and 2021, and increases debt to 110% of GDP. Why should we care about such spending, especially when the economy is hobbled by COVID-19? Indeed, the package will indeed help many. There are $670 billion in checks and enhanced unemployment benefit checks on the way to…
There is lots of discussion about the return of speculation. Cryptocurrencies, message board short-squeezes, soaring penny stocks, “blank check” companies, and record issuance of risky debt dominate today’s headlines. It is hard to imagine that, just under a year ago, financial markets were in freefall. Greed replaced fear in the span of a few short months, despite an ongoing pandemic. This week we return our focus to “quality” as a key factor in portfolio construction. Risk-On! Notice the chart below. It is a ratio of the most volatile stocks in the S&P 500 divided by the least volatile. When investors…
The stock market is on a historic run, with U.S. stocks eclipsing $42 trillion in value for the first time ever last week. The broad market, measured by the S&P 500, continues a decade of strong returns with the rolling 10-year real return for the market above 10% (Chart A, below). Chart AS&P 500 Trailing 10yr Real Annualized Return Market of Stocks Many of this year’s “stay at home” themes are playing out and the technology sector is on a tear. Yet, this year reminds us it is not so much a “stock market” as a “market of stocks.” Even…
In the realm of corporate finance, “real options” are those that allow managers flexibility to make decisions in the future. Instead of making all decisions upfront, managers can wait and make additional choices in the future. The assumption, of course, is that conditions could change or more information might be available then. One of the simplest real options managers have is timing. Delaying investment in hopes of improved information in, say, a year could help improve the project’s value. The same line of thinking can be applied to allocating assets in the context of a thoughtful investment portfolio process. Some…
For years, stock investors have fixated on “style,” which means investing in “growth” or “value.” “Value” in this context is usually defined as buying stocks with low price-to-book or low price-to-earnings ratios. Some are now rethinking the very foundations of this framework as the return to value indexes continues to shrink (Chart A, below). Others are leaving behind simplistic notions of “style” investing and looking for all sorts of new factors to find performance. In our view, adding a multitude of new factors to the mix is also the wrong approach. The right perspective simply relates price to a few…
The best-performing stocks since the beginning of the pandemic have had one thing in common — a high degree of financial flexibility. The worst-performing stocks were the least flexible. Before we start, it is important to define “flexibility.” For us, it has always meant low debt and high profitability. These characteristics tend to build buffers that help ensure survival during difficult times. Where to Find Flexibility Technology stocks, for example, have been a good place to find flexibility lately. The average technology company is very profitable, with very little debt. The sector’s return on assets (10.6%) is higher than any…
The stock market is up over 40% from the March 23 bottom. This spectacular 50-day rise bookends the 33% market drop from mid-February to the March bottom. Overall, the S&P 500 moved by more than 70% in a little over three months, leaving many investors bewildered. But recent market action implies that most traders are expecting conditions to improve from here. Stimulus measures, reopening the economy, and hopes for a virus vaccine or treatment are all part of the recovery scenario. In this week’s commentary, we look at what is driving the case for both bears and bulls. We also…
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