| Home | About | Archives | RSS Feed |
@theMarket: Investors Reduce Risk as Stimulus Talks Fail
 |
Hope springs eternal, but even the most strident bulls threw in the towel this week. American politics took precedence over the country's economic well-being once again, as both political parties refused to compromise on a stimulus deal.
But it wasn't only politics that spooked investors. Across the Atlantic, investors watched as COVID-19 outbreaks escalated across Europe. Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Italy reported new records in infections, while France announced a curfew in order to stem their own skyrocketing cases. In the U.K., Londoners are now banned from mixing with other households indoors.
In this country, despite denials by a large portion of the population, as well as some in government, coronavirus cases are surging across the nation. In the fall, schools, despite warnings by medical authorities, opened anyway with predictable results. Students became super spreaders, infecting their classmates and extending the infection into the surrounding communities. Now, U.S. medical experts are warning that the onset of cold weather and increased inside activities could generate a second resurgence of the coronavirus.
What could this mean for the U.S. markets and national economy? If we follow in the footsteps of the European Community, the U.S. could see an avalanche of new restrictions forced on individual cities and states, not by the government, but by the coronavirus. That's just for starters. Businesses would likely close, but if past actions are any indications, that would have to wait until our already-weakened national hospital system ran out of beds and hallways to treat coronavirus victims. Let's hope this doesn't happen, but you should be prepared if it does.
Only now are investors beginning to realize that a "cure," or at least a vaccine (despite the many statements of our officials outside of the medical community) is taking far longer than promised. It appears that even if there is a breakthrough tomorrow on this front, it would be far too late to save the country, or the economy, from a potential winter COVID-19 surge.
Despite the difference of opinion between who is right, or wrong, what is fake news, and what isn't, there are two truths that investors should understand. Number one: COVID-19 could care less about what you think, whether you wear a mask or not, or who you are going to vote for. It will do what pandemics do, so adjust accordingly. In my opinion, the best advice so far has been given by the medical community. Listen to it.
Number two: the stock market calls it as it sees it. It can be wrong at times, but only for a short while. In the end, the market ignores the hype, but not the facts, leaving investors who ignore its directions holding the bag. Right now, the U.S. markets are not giving us clear guidance, which reflects the uncertainty of this health crisis, lack of more stimulus, and the noise of the political elections, so look elsewhere.
Europe appears to be 4-6 weeks ahead of the U. S. in their battle with the coronavirus. Investors should therefore be following the events in Europe closely. If additional restrictions begin to pile up and/or the virus cases continue to rise, watch and compare what happens to Europe's main stock indexes as a prelude to what might happen in the U.S. in November.
The markets will continue to move up and down next week, as they have this week. As for the future, what I can promise you is that over the next 18 days, markets will become even more volatile than they have been month-to-date. After that, it depends on COVID-19.
Bill Schmick is now the 'Retired Investor.' After working in the financial services business for more than 40 years, Bill is paring back and focusing exclusively on writing about the financial markets, the needs of retired investors like himself, and how to make your last 30 years of your life your absolute best. You can reach him at billiams1948@gmail.com or leave a message at 413-347-2401.
@theMarket: One way or Another, Markets Expect More Stimulus
 |
As the U.S. presidential elections approach, politics are becoming a bigger factor in what is moving the stock market. Some investors are already betting on the winner, and positioning their portfolios for an expected outcome. It is a risky bet to make.
As of this week, many on Wall Street are positioning for what they expect will be a "Blue Wave" where both houses of Congress and the next presidency of the United States will be captured by the Democratic Party. What, you may ask, is their reasoning, aside from partisanship?
Well, the number of polls that put Joe Biden in a widening lead, for one thing, as well as waning support for Republicans (once again, according to the polls) in general. Given the last election, and how badly the polls turned out, one might at least have waited until the numbers reflect a higher probability of success, but when has Wall Street ever shied away from risk?
This week, therefore, cyclical sectors came back into vogue. A big stimulus package plus talk of a huge infrastructure package under Biden sent basic materials and some industrials flying. Alternative energy plays, home builders, small cap stocks, and even some cannabis stocks were bid up. Technology did OK, but was not the focus of attention.
While the financial media is focused on the minute-by-minute political machinations of will there or won't there be a stimulus bail-out package before the elections, investors have come to the conclusion that when doesn't matter. Just as long as there is one. The thinking goes that a Blue Wave victory would up the ante on fiscal stimulus by several trillion dollars. In turn, that would certainly help the economy, and with it, the stock market.
But what about the tax increases that are almost certain to come with a Democratic sweep?
In times past, higher taxes have hurt the markets and the economy. Evidently, more stimulus outweighs any tax increase, according to current thinking. Aside from investors, the Federal Reserve Bank is also cheerleading more fiscal stimulus. Fed Chair Jerome Powell spoke this week at the National Association for Business Economics. Powell, while commenting on the need for more — not less — fiscal stimulus, said, "By contrast, the risks of overdoing it seem, for now, to be smaller. Even if policy actions ultimately prove to be greater than needed, they will not go to waste."
During the last few days, investors were blindsided when President Trump at first called off stimulus negotiations with the Democrats that had been going on for weeks. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, wanted $1 trillion more than the Republicans were willing to spend. After the president’s tweet, markets fell out of bed closing down on Tuesday by well over 1 percent. That night, Trump had a change of heart and now is offering a partial, case-by-case deal to the Democrats. That was followed by word that he had changed his mind again and was now looking for a comprehensive package. I expect this horse trading to continue, but any substantive deal will likely have to wait until after the elections.
Nonetheless, the drama is sure to continue swinging markets up and down on a day-to-day basis. Those should not surprise my readers, since it is the scenario that I predicted would occur throughout the month of October.
But saying that, I am still bullish overall on the markets. My advice is to try and ignore the election noise, and instead focus on the future where I continue to see gains.
Bill Schmick is now the 'Retired Investor.' After working in the financial services business for more than 40 years, Bill is paring back and focusing exclusively on writing about the financial markets, the needs of retired investors like himself, and how to make your last 30 years of your life your absolute best. You can reach him at billiams1948@gmail.com or leave a message at 413-347-2401.
@theMarket: Markets Feel the Heat
 |
First, the good news: there is only one more week until the end of the month. The bad news, however, is that October may not treat investors any better than did September. As my swabbie friends would say, is it time to "batten down the hatches?"
Let me say I take no joy in being right. During the last few weeks of writing, the volatility I predicted has come home to roost. This kind of correction is especially painful because in these times of great uncertainty, we could have at least pointed to the stock market, and our investments accounts, as one piece of good news.
As I wrote last week: "Investors, therefore, should be mentally and emotionally prepared. If you witness days, or even weeks of ups and downs, don't be surprised. It would not surprise me to see several pullbacks, only to regain those losses, before selling off once again."
That quote sums up the market action throughout this week. All of the worries I have enumerated: the possibility of a winter wave of coronavirus, a slowing economy, the elections, and China trade have converged to drive most financial instruments lower.
Global stocks, commodities, interest rates, even high-yield junk bonds (the last instrument supposedly supported by the Federal Reserve Bank), fell hard. Gold, thought to be a safe haven, "go to" investment, was also clobbered, hitting a low of $1,850 an ounce late in the week. Only the U.S. dollar climbed, staging a big comeback from its multi-week lows.
After last week's declines, some investors hoped that we had seen the worst, but nothing has really changed. The president, who uses the stock market as his barometer of success or failure, added yet another worry to our growing pile of concerns. Wednesday evening, President Trump, in response to a reporter's question, refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, if defeated in November. It wasn't the first time the president has said that, but investors took his comments seriously this week. As for me, I chalk it up to campaign rhetoric, but it illustrates the point I have been making about volatility.
We have an entire month ahead of us in which we should expect heated comments from both sides on so many issues that I lose count. The Supreme Court vacancy after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg is just the latest controversy, but there could be others. Driving further downside in the markets, for example, could be revelations dealing with the president's tax returns and/or Vice President Joe Biden's (and his son's) history with Ukraine. Further accusations of foreign interference in U.S. elections, and/or additional mail-in ballot issues could be with us up until, or even after, the actual November 3 election. All of these possibilities could add fuel to the fire throughout October's stock markets.
On the plus side, a coronavirus vaccine could be in the offing as early as next month, according to the President. While most pundits believe another stimulus deal is dead in the water until sometime after the elections, who knows? The Democrats are readying another stimulus plan with a $2.4 trillion price tag. That is down from the $3.5 trillion bill the House passed a few months ago and could be on next week's agenda for passage.
Unfortunately, the Republicans' Senate, with a few exceptions, does not seem willing to compromise, and they are sticking with their own $500 billion proposal. That could change if the markets really take a hissy fit. It might be just enough to get the two sides talking again.
Any or all of the above considerations could cause market swings of anywhere from 3-7 percent in both directions. It might be a day trader's dream, but it could also be their worst nightmare. My advice is to stay out of it.
If things fall apart from here, I could see the S&P 500 Index pull back into the 3,050-3,140 range. If the lower end of that guesstimate were to happen, we would be looking at a 15 percent decline from top to bottom. I hope not, but if so, take your lumps and wait until the smoke clears in November, or possibly December.
Bill Schmick is now the 'Retired Investor.' After working in the financial services business for more than 40 years, Bill is paring back and focusing exclusively on writing about the financial markets, the needs of retired investors like himself, and how to make your last 30 years of your life your absolute best. You can reach him at billiams1948@gmail.com or leave a message at 413-347-2401.
@theMarket: Investors Face a Rollercoaster Ride
 |
Volatility returned to the stock market this week as the level of uncertainty increased on several fronts. Unfortunately, there won't be any definitive answers to what concerns investors for at least two months.
It is September, after all, and this month is notorious for inflicting pain on investors. Historically, October is not much better, and in a presidential election year it can be worse. While the financial media will provide their thoughts on just why stocks drop or rise on any given day, it is not much use to you.
The real reason for "why" will only be known after the fact. This week, the excuse for Thursday's and Friday's decline had to do with the Fed, or so many believe. But Jerome Powell, the chairman of our central bank, did not say anything new, nor did the Federal Open Market Committee meeting notes add any insight on Fed policy. The message that rates will stay lower, for longer, was repeated again with the Fed's timeline somewhere between infinity and beyond.
I suspect the disappointment for many was that the central bankers did not indicate their willingness to provide additional quantitative easing. In fact, one could infer that the Fed would be pleased if the long end of the yield curve started to move higher at some point. What that means is that shorter-dated bonds and notes would yield less than longer-term 20- and 30-year bonds. In a perfect world, that is what should be happening, but it's not thanks to the Fed's past stimulus efforts.
It could be why technology shares sold off, or at least that is my guess. These high growth companies normally borrow money at the long end of the curve, and invest that money in their businesses to produce even higher growth years into the future. If that cost of capital were to rise, it could clip the future growth rates of these high-flyers.
However, overall, the Fed assured us that whatever comes, it "has our back." And if so, why the sell-off? The simple answer is future uncertainty. The economic data is giving the markets conflicting signals. Unemployment, while dropping, is not happening quite as fast as the markets would like. Since there is no additional fiscal stimulus as of yet, the economy may still grow, but again just not as fast as investors would like.
Then there is the conflicting information on when a coronavirus vaccine will become available. Will it be in October, as some in the political arena contend, or will it be later, at the end of the year, or sometime in 2021? Since just about everything to do with the economy depends on that vaccine, investors' expectations are all over the place. And, finally, there is the presidential election.
This week, a new worry surfaced, centered upon the outcome of what might be a contested election. The prospect of a really close race where an avalanche of mail-in ballots is recounted, and where opposing parties squabble over every single vote, could drag on for weeks, some say months. The Biden team has already hired lawyers to prepare for such an eventuality. Back in the year 2000, when the outcome of the Gore/Bush election was questioned, markets waited in limbo for five weeks into December. In the meantime, the stock market declined 10 percent, until Al Gore reluctantly accepted defeat.
On the China front, the TikTok sale (or shutdown) has basically been booted to after the election, on Nov. 12, so I will ignore that. Downloads of WeChat, the main internet line of messaging and communication between Chinese people living, working, and studying in the U.S. and the Mainland, will be shut down on Sunday, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. That may elicit a counter response from the Chinese government or it may not — more uncertainty.
Investors, therefore, should be mentally and emotionally prepared. That doesn't mean the worse will happen, but it could. If you witness days, or even weeks of ups and downs, don't be surprised. It would not surprise me to see several pullbacks, only to regain those losses, before selling off once again. However, once we are through this thicket, markets should resume their uptrend.
Bill Schmick is now the 'Retired Investor.' After working in the financial services business for more than 40 years, Bill is paring back and focusing exclusively on writing about the financial markets, the needs of retired investors like himself, and how to make your last 30 years of your life your absolute best. You can reach him at billiams1948@gmail.com or leave a message at 413-347-2401.
@theMarket: Markets Reach for the Sky
 |
Credit the Fed for this week's bump up in the averages. Technology shares led the charge as usual, shrugging off a sinking economy, higher unemployment and no progress on another bail out. What else is new?
At the annual Jackson Hole Symposium of world central bank leaders, conducted virtually this year, Jerome Powell, the chairman of our central bank, took center stage. In his prepared remarks, Powell announced a shift in the U.S. inflation policy. Rather than using the oft-stated, long-held inflation target of 2 percent, the Fed will now "seek to achieve inflation that averages 2 percent over time."
What's the big deal, you might ask? In laymen's terms, if inflation rises above 2 percent for some period of time, the Fed now will sit on its hands, instead of taking action preemptively to slow the economy and douse inflation.
Of course, he stated all the usual caveats about taking action if inflation were to run too hot, but reminded us that the Fed has not been able to get the inflation rate up to 2 percent in well over a decade. Inflation remained low, even when unemployment dropped to 50-year lows, he explained, instead of the opposite, which was what most experts expected.
The Fed believes that the markets are convinced that inflation won't ever get any higher than 2 percent because of past Fed policy. In which case, interest rates should stay low and maybe go lower still. That is the conundrum the Fed believes the markets and Fed policy find themselves.
A way out, they believe, is to be more flexible in targeting inflation in the future. If investors are no longer exactly sure how high the inflation rate might go. Before the Fed acts, it may break down some of the deflationary psychology that permeates the markets. Unfortunately, their policies thus far have resulted in what I call "bad" inflation. Asset prices such as gold, housing prices, and the stock market have seen huge price increases. But "good" inflation, as represented by wage growth, for example, has gone the other way.
One bit of good news was that the China/U.S. trade talks turned out to be a non-event. I guess the administration has bigger fish to fry at the moment. The RNC convention this week was a four-day affair. In addition, the White House attempted (but failed) to get the stimulus bail-out talks re-started between the two parties. In any event, the market believes that a sale of TikTok, the Chinese-owned company in the administration's cross hairs, will be sold shortly to any one of a number of American bidders.
In the meantime, I have not changed my view that over the next few weeks stocks should pull back. Investor sentiment, already in the danger zone, has risen even further last week. The fear index, called the VIX, bears watching as well. Over the last few days, while the stock market continued to climb, so did the VIX. Usually, the opposite occurs. It is just another sign that the frothiness of the market needs to be reined in for the time being.
I also expect the election campaign to begin in earnest after Labor Day. It usually ushers in a period of uncertainty through November, when the race is this close. Markets, as you know, do not like uncertainty. And judging by the tone of both party's conventions, I expect the level of vitriolic debate will stun us all.
Bill Schmick is now the 'Retired Investor.' After working in the financial services business for more than 40 years, Bill is paring back and focusing exclusively on writing about the financial markets, the needs of retired investors like himself, and how to make your last 30 years of your life your absolute best. You can reach him at billiams1948@gmail.com or leave a message at 413-347-2401.
