My favorite leading indicator is Young Research’s Moving the Goods Index. Moving the Goods is a market-capitalization-weighted index of non-airline transportation companies. Transportation companies are some of the first businesses to realize a change in economic activity. You have to move the goods before you produce or sell the goods. Young Research’s index is a real-time leading indicator of economic activity. GDP data show the economic downturn started in the third quarter of 2008. I recognize that the National Bureau of Economic Research, the official arbiter of U.S. recessions, dates the … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2010
Are Small Stocks Safer Than Large Stocks?
A recent study in Financial Analysts Journal (FAJ) found that a portfolio of small-capitalization stocks is no more risky than a portfolio of large-capitalization stocks. And if the number of stocks in a small-cap portfolio exceeds 25 or so, that portfolio may be less risky than a large-cap portfolio. The authors compare volatility in two time periods, 1963 to 1984 and 1985 to 2008. In the earlier period, a portfolio of small-cap stocks was found to be significantly more volatile than the market, even for a portfolio of 50 equally weighted names, but in the more recent period, once a small-cap … [Read more...]
If Greece Fails, is Portugal Next?
Greek government bond yields have surged to over 16% in recent days. If Germany doesn’t step into to save the Greeks, a default is not out of the question. But the larger problems for Europe are the risk of contagion. Bond yields on other overly indebted euro-area countries are now surging. Portugal is the market’s next target. Yields on short government debt have surged 230 basis points in a matter of weeks. … [Read more...]
Beat the S&P 500 by 2 to 1
My chart shows the long-term performance of $1 invested in the consumer non-durables sector in June of 1926 to $1 invested in the S&P 500 at the same time. The consumer non-durables industry includes companies that make and sell everyday items. Demand for non-durables, or what are more commonly referred to as consumer staples, is not heavily influenced by the business cycle. You don’t stop eating or brushing your teeth just because the economy is in recession. The consistency and stability of consumer staples companies definitely appeals to investors in or nearing retirement, but all … [Read more...]
The #1 Investment Book
You may be surprised to hear that Moneyball by Michael Lewis is my #1 investment book, given that it’s about baseball, not Wall Street or the stock market. Moneyball is a story about how one of the poorest teams in baseball, the Oakland A’s, and their GM, Billy Beane, built a roster chock full of talent and won 103 games. Beane did it by discovering hidden value through faith in his convictions and obscure stats, like a hitter’s pitches per plate appearance—helpful in tiring out a pitcher and getting on base. He drafted baseball players who were overlooked by other GMs blinded by their … [Read more...]
A Wake Up to Governments & The First G7 Nations Raise Rates
IMF Warns of 'New Phase' in Crisis – By Tom Barkley and Bob Davis, The Wall Street Journal "Higher debt levels have the potential for spillovers across financial systems, and to impact financial stability," the IMF said, noting that debt levels among advanced countries have already risen to levels not seen since the end of World War II…. "Careful management of sovereign risks is essential: governments need to design credible medium-term fiscal consolidation plans in order to curb rising debt burdens and avoid taking the credit crisis into a new phase," the IMF said in its report. Greece's … [Read more...]
Emerging Market Stocks Up Over 110%
Emerging market stocks are up over 110% since hitting lows in March of last year. Net flows into foreign stock funds, much of it into emerging market funds, have been positive for 11 months in a row while U.S. stock funds have seen outflows in six of the last seven months. Those investors liquidating U.S. stocks and piling into emerging market stocks could be disappointed over coming quarters. Our relative strength chart shows that emerging market stocks have a very toppy look vs. U.S. stocks. Individual country and issue selection in emerging markets is now more important than ever. … [Read more...]
Stay Defensive
Confidence in the economic recovery is improving, and retail investors are moving back into equities. Here are four reasons to remain defensive in the face of this renewed optimism: Stocks are now discounting a sustained and robust economic recovery. A second contraction in economic output is no longer priced into the market. If the economy contracts or comes up short of expectations, stocks could be in for a significant correction. Taxes on income, capital, and possibly even consumption are going up. Higher taxes resulting from Obama’s health-care boondoggle are only the tip of the … [Read more...]
Comparing Bull Markets
Based on the historical performance of four bull markets that were preceded by devastating bear markets, the current bull market is approaching exhaustion. … [Read more...]
The Future of Oil Demand
According to the International Energy Agency, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries'–i.e., rich countries'–oil demand peaked in 2005 near 50 million barrels per day. OECD oil demand is down 10% from the 2005 high, yet total oil demand is up over the same time period. The reason of course is that oil demand in non-OECD countries has risen 50% over the last decade–a 4% compound annual growth rate. Global economic growth is the primary driver of oil demand. My Oil Demand Growth vs. Economic Growth chart shows that economic growth and oil demand growth are … [Read more...]