Weekly (distribution list)
Today, The Wall Street Journal ran a front-page, above-the-fold article titled “Dividend Darlings Trail Stock Market Despite Pumped-Up Yields.” The authors point to underperformance by dividend payers within the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index, an equally weighted index consisting of all S&P 500 companies that have increased dividends every year for the past 25 consecutive years. The article highlights some iconic dividend payers with large yields suffering large share price drops this year. So says The Wall Street Journal: “Exxon Mobil Corp., whose dividend yield is sitting at a near-record of more than 10%, has declined 51% in 2020… AT&T…
Roughly 160 of the world’s nearly 200 countries are considered emerging markets (EM), and approximately 6 billion people, or 85% of the world’s population, live in emerging economies (map, below). Thus, there are plenty of reasons not to ignore emerging markets in a portfolio. But there are special considerations unique to emerging markets. These include currency movements, different political and legal systems, greater exposure to commodity prices in some cases, and periodic debt troubles. However, none of this is new, and many emerging markets are evolving from immature, rapid growth toward more mature, slower growth. Even though growth may be…
As we start the fourth quarter, the major U.S. stock market averages hover around a 0% return for the year. That unexciting performance masks extraordinary volatility — a 35% February-March decline and a 50% March-August bounce back. Other assets demonstrated similar volatility (graph, next page). Through September 30, Long-term U.S. Treasury bonds returned over 20%, and Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate U.S. Bond Index returned 6.5%. Short-term T-Bills returned about 0.7%, and gold is up 24%. Volatility again ruled the roost in 2020, and diversified portfolios generally did better than all stock portfolios. As we head into the final quarter of 2020,…
Imagine an investment strategy wherein you might seek out the most successful and valuable companies. We will refer to this as the “big five” portfolio. Further, imagine that this “big five” portfolio bought the five most valuable companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index at each year’s end starting in 2000. Imagine further that this process was repeated each year ever since. How might this strategy of buying big and valuable stocks have done? The strategy produced positive returns, but the journey would have been painful and frustrating (chart A, below). Investing in the “big five” at the start…
Even though stocks should rise over time, we think the pace of the market rally is set to slow because extraordinary government supports for the economy are set to fade, and valuations have run ahead of fundamentals. Changing Tack It is hard to bet against stocks for the long-term. Since the 1920s, stocks have produced a positive return every 20 years based on S&P 500 annual returns. Stocks tend to beat bonds and cash over time, supporting the idea that markets tend to reward risk. But this fact obscures the reality that stock investing also involves periodic drops. Not everyone…
Years ago, it was easy to make money. Those who were around during the 1970s may even remember earning near 20%. A three-month CD in December 1980 earned over 18%, according to data from the Federal Reserve. Such rates are near 0.18% today — far below the core inflation rate (+1.3% year-over-year). At that rate, a $100 investment would grow to only $101.80 over ten years. Evaporating Interest Rates And don’t think buying longer-term bonds is the answer, either. Ten-year U.S. Treasury bonds now yield 0.7% compared to over 3% just two years ago. A $100 investment in a zero-coupon…
We continue to see improvement in several indicators from a very weak second quarter. It is likely that, after a 30% annualized drop in GDP in Q2, Q3 could see a 25% annualized rebound. Progress is also seen in weekly data such as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Weekly Economic Index (WEI). This index tracks ten daily and weekly indicators of real economic activity scaled to align with the four-quarter GDP growth rate (Chart A, below). The WEI spotlights consumer behavior, the labor market, and production weekly. As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too…
It is hard to conclude almost anything with certainty amid this pandemic. Are schools open? Or closed? Or half-open and half-closed? There seems to be less unanimity in Congress on policy issues. The size of continued supplemental unemployment benefits was at issue before this weekend’s executive order. Republicans favored a $200 additional benefit, and Democrats wanted $600. President Trump’s $400 figure falls neatly in the middle of the $200-$600 range, but questions over the order and funding for the order remain. The “muddled middle” will have to suffice for now, but, by comparison, today’s situation is far better than where…
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…
Negotiations over a second stimulus round are underway, ahead of Congress’ early-August recess. News reports suggest President Trump’s team may be looking for a $1 trillion package focused on payroll deductions and support for unemployed workers that does not create “disincentives” for returning to work. By contrast, the House of Representatives advanced the $3 trillion HEROES bill in May. That bill seeks more significant direct cash payments to individuals, aid for states, and other measures. The GOP is expected to release details of its plan over the next few days. Whatever the final number, this will likely be the last…
Executive Summary: The second quarter brought a surge in stock values predicated on three critical assumptions. First, fiscal and monetary measures would be sufficient to support an economy suffering a tremendous hit. Next, the economy could begin a process of “reopening” and avoid a second wave pandemic shutdown. Finally, progress will be forthcoming toward a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19. While the future could always play out differently than expectations, equity markets seemed willing to focus on positives, rather than lingering unknowns, throughout most of the second quarter.
The second quarter saw stocks roar back from March losses. Global shares rose 38%, and high yield corporate bonds rose 20%. Long-term Treasury bonds were flat, and gold was up 15% (chart, below). The rally began after global stocks fell by one third from February 19 through March 23 as COVID-19 spread outside China, and shutdowns began. Since March 23, markets focused on measures taken to deal with the pandemic and its effects on the economy. A $2.2 trillion stimulus package and extraordinary central bank actions triumphed over fear and uncertainty. Volatility reigned throughout the first half of this year….
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