INVESTMENT EDGE
Yawwwwwwwn. Sideways chop within the Jan -Feb consolidation range until we see a catalyst. I thought maybe trade war fears would be enough to break the trend but apparently not. Bulls are still in charge. I don't expect to see a resolution for months so until then, sit back, enjoy the summer and check out this month's Charts on the Move video at the link below ...
When economist talk about the “yield curve” they are really just referring to a plot of yield versus varying bond maturities. An inverted curve is when the difference between the yields of long term bonds (usually 10 year) rates to short (usually 2 year) is negative (short term yields are higher than long). This is a very closely watched benchmark by knowledgeable investors because we know every recession that has occurred in the US over the past 60 years has been preceded by an inverted yield curve, according to research from the San Francisco Fed. Curve inversions have correctly signaled all nine recessions since 1955 and had only one false positive, in the mid-1960s, when an inversion was followed by an economic slowdown but not an official recession, according to the Fed’s data.
While the US yield curve is still positive (NOT inverted) the global curve just recently inverted for the first time since 2007 where its inversion lasted briefly (less than 6 months). I have not seen any studies that show if global yield curve inversion has the same strong correlation to economic slowdowns (recessions) as it has in the US, so the implications of the crossover may or may not be of significance.
As a minimum though, it raises a warning flag for investors to take the portfolio off autopilot and have a plan. There is no question, a recession, if it were to ensue around the world would likely drag the US along. Economic slowdowns are rarely ever good for stock prices and when combined with us being in the latter stages of the 2009 economic recovery cycle while stock prices are at very extended valuations, next year looks like it could be shaping up to present challenges investors have not had to face in many years.
As you can see in the graphic below, for the most part US equities mirror those of the rest of the world. Well, at least we can say they tend to both move up and down together. There are times when one of the two considerably outperforms the other. The first instance of this performance divergence occurred beginning in 1986 when global equities turned tail and left US stocks in the dust. It took about a decade before they came back into balance.
For the next 20+ years the two pairs tracked fairly well except just before the 2007-’08 huge market draw-down where foreign stocks, once again, vaulted to the upside. In both cases of foreign stock out-performance, you needn’t look any further than the dollar for an explanation as it fell precipitously, bringing rise to foreign asset values.
Fast forward to today’s post-apocalyptic 2008 market crash revival, US stocks are massively outperforming. The reasoning may be flipped but the cause is still the same, the dollar. It’s been ripping higher since the 2009 stock market bottom. If you are like me and believe the dollar is on a mission to much, much higher levels, its likely US stocks will continue their tremendous out-performance. Keep this in mind as you rebalance your portfolio. If I am wrong, it will present investors with one the greatest reversion-to-mean trades in recent history. Forewarned is forearmed.
The US stock markets continue to consolidate and digest its huge 2017 year run-up and subsequent double digit correction. The lone exception being small cap stocks as they have moved on to all-time highs. Will the rest of the market follow suit? The benefit of the doubt has to be given to the prior underlying trend but I don't think the answer will be resolved any time soon. Until then, check out this month's Charts on the Move video at the link below ...
Looking at the daily chart of 20-year US treasury bonds TLT below, you can see after forming a double top, they have fallen more than 8% and closed right on the 116 support zone. With the large head and shoulders topping pattern in the background and price below a falling 200 day moving average, long term bonds look like a horrible place to be invested right now. This is especially true if price cannot stay above the pattern’s (green horizontal) neckline as it portends to another 8% or more decline.
As we have learned, looking at a longer term time frame helps identify the direction of the trend and helps to keep us focused on the bigger picture. The 5-year weekly chart below looks familiar, doesn’t it? The huge head and shoulders topping pattern stands out like a sore thumb. It should be obvious but if not, notice how the daily chart above is just a close up of the right shoulder in the weekly chart below. Yup, another example of a pattern within a pattern (see Monday’s post “Nesting”).
It goes without saying that if bonds break their current levels being pushed down by rising rates, we can likely put a fork in the 35+ year bond bull market. If this should occur, it could have an ominous impact for all investment markets. I have been warning about this potential for years, its impact to investor’s portfolios (most investors don’t know what a bond bear market is or how to deal with it) and just as importantly the huge potential negative impact to pension funds here in the US and across the globe. It’s time to be concerned, very concerned if this scenario unfolds and reaches its downside pattern target. The bullish alternative scenario would be If support holds right here and the pattern fails. Only time will tell but because of the impact bond holdings have on overall portfolio returns, its easy to see why we are at a crossroad.
