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A Mixed Bag, But Optimistic on the Consumer
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
Inflation-adjusted consumer spending growth, 70% of Gross Domestic Product, rose at a lackluster 1.8% annual rate in the advance estimate for 3Q14. That figure is likely to be revised higher, but the pace is expected to remain disappointing relative to job growth (this year, we are on track to post the largest increase in jobs since 2005). The main restraint on spending appears to be the weak trend in average wages. Until the job market tightens a lot more, were unlikely to see a significant pickup in wage growth.
Dash Dash...Dot Dot
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
Dash, Dash ... Dot, Dot is all about Morse Code where the dash is three times the duration of the dot. According to Wikipedia, Each character (letter or numeral) is represented by a unique sequence of dots and dashes. Each dot or dash is followed by a short silence, equal to the dot duration.
Income Inequality and Fed Policy
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
Income inequality has been an important topic this year, but it is one that is mired in politics. That means it is a potentially treacherous debate for the Federal Reserve chair to wade into. To be fair, Yellen said that the purpose of her recent talk on income inequality and opportunity was not to provide answers to these contentious questions, but rather to provide a factual basis for further discussion. She provided a mountain of evidence from the Feds triennial Survey of Consumer Finances, and then got out of the way, as appropriate.
The Week That Was
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
In the June 26th edition of the Morning Tack, Jeff Saut wrote, I do believe the VIX bottomed last Friday (6/20/14) with an undercut low, much like the undercut low of October 4, 2011 that we identified as the valuation low, and recommended should be bought with the SPX trading back then at 1075. Well that proved to be fitting timing, since from that 6/20 low to the high on Wednesday 10/15, all the VIX did was shoot up about 200%!
Risk and Uncertainty, Confidence and Fear
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
In recent weeks, the financial markets appear to have been reacting less to weaker expectations of global growth and more to the increased downside risks that is, to the fear that things could get a lot worse. The downside risks to Europe are considerable, but America is much less dependent on exports than most other countries and the prospects for moderately strong growth into 2015 remain promising.
No More Black Mondays
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
In a true demonstration of impeccable and apropos timing given the recent volatility we have experienced, yesterday marked the 27th anniversary of one of the stock markets most infamous and chronicled events. Black Monday, October 19, 1987 was one of those multiple standard deviation occurrences that statisticians will tell you are not supposed to ever really happen, but as is the case more frequently than most realize, it of course did happen, and its impact is still being felt today even as there are fewer and fewer investors around that actually had to suffer through it.
Global Worries (And Some Benefits)
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
In the latest update of its World Economic Outlook, the IMF revised lower its expectations of global growth in 2014 and 2015. None of that should have surprised anyone. At this point, the IMF expects that European GDP will be relatively weak in 2014 (+0.8% 4Q14/4Q13) and should improve in 2015 (+1.6% 4Q15/4Q14). However, risks are weighted predominately to the downside. Weaker European growth and a stronger dollar will have a significant impact on many U.S. firms, but may have some benefits for the economy as a whole.
The Right Question
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
In this business it has been said, Sometimes knowing the right question is more important than actually knowing the answer. Over the years I have found that old Wall Street axiom to serve me well. One example would be reading the footnotes in a companys annual report.
That Was the Week That Was...
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
A week ago yesterday I arrived in New York City just in time to have dinner with some friends. Avra Estiatorio is arguably the best Greek seafood restaurant in the city and it is located 20 steps from my hotel of choice, the Hyatt 48 lex, which is aptly named since it sits on the corner of Lexington and 48th street.
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
Real GDP is now estimated to have risen at a 4.6% annual rate in 2Q14. However, the second quarters strength must be balanced against the first quarters weakness (a -2.1% pace). As the third quarter ends, we still dont have a complete picture. However, figures are likely to suggest a moderately strong pace of growth and a gradual taking up of economic slack.
Sisyphus Succeeds!
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
I have been reminded of the Greek mythology character Sisyphus since mid-July as investors tried to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down. In this case the boulder in question has been the D-J Industrial Average (INDU/ 17279.74), which since late July has tried seven times to better its all-time high of 17138.20 made on July 16th of this year.
The Dots
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
As was widely anticipated, Federal Reserve policymakers reduced the monthly pace of asset purchases by another $10 billion and kept the considerable time language. Fed policymakers revised slightly their forecasts of growth, unemployment, and inflation. However, the really interesting item in the Feds Summary of Economic Projections was the dot plot, the projections of the appropriate year-end level of the federal funds rate for each of the next few years. There is a huge range of uncertainty among Fed officials.
Mind Your Language!
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The Federal Open Market Committee is widely expected to take another trip to Taper Town on Wednesday, reducing the monthly pace of asset purchases by another $10 billion, one step closer to ending the program in late October. The more interesting issue is whether well see any change in the Feds forward guidance on short-term interest rates specifically, whether the FOMC will jettison the considerable time language.
Then and Now
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
Dallas-based Greenbrier Partners is captained by my friend Frederick E. Rowe, who is fondly referred to as Shad. Now anyone from Virginia is familiar with the fish known as a shad, and are probably familiar with the political event known as the Shad Planking.
As The World Turns ...
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
U.S. economic data were mixed last week, but there was nothing in the August Employment Report to suggest that growth is slowing down. A surprise move from the European Central Bank pushed the euro lower, but there appears to be a lot more that the ECB can do.
Lucid Dreaming!
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
Evidentially, the lucid dreamers on Wall Street practiced their skills two weeks ago as professional traders were sneaking large buy orders into the equity markets on the closing bell. Simultaneously, the Commitment of Traders Report showed those same traders were dramatically reducing their short sale bets.
A Roadmap, Not a Timetable
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
On Friday morning, Fed Chair Janet Yellen will deliver the keynote address at the Kansas City Feds annual monetary policy symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Those looking for clues on the timing of the first Fed rate hike are likely to be disappointed.
How Much Slack Is There In the Job Market?
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The amount of slack in the labor market will be a key driver of monetary policy in the months ahead. Fed officials differ in their perceptions of job market slack, leading some to want to tighten policy sooner rather than later. Labor market data can present somewhat different pictures, but on balance, there is still a large amount of slack remaining.
A New York State of Mind
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
I met Arthur, as well as a host of other friends, last Thursday afternoon during my NYC sojourn to see institutional accounts and do media events. Over a scotch, he related the aforementioned story to me. The timing was propitious because another one of our friends had just telephoned to tell us the President was authorizing air strikes against ISIS. After a dinner at Mr. Chows, I went back to my hotel to find the preopening S&P 500 futures printing down roughly 11 points.
Always Wrong?!
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
s the public always wrong? This is probably the most frequently asked question about the Theory of Contrary Opinion. For a correct answer we need to change the words in the question. Let me put it this way: Is the public wrong all the time? The answer is decidedly, No.
So, What Did We Learn?
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The busy week of economic news left investors uneasy. The 4.0% GDP growth figure contributed to concerns that the Fed may be forced to raise short-term interest rates sooner rather than later. However, while the economic data reports, and even the Fed policy statement, had something for everybody, the outlook for monetary policy should be essentially unchanged.
Trains and Boats and Planes?
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
hose of you who know me know that I have had a love affair with boats ever since I was a kid. In my youth it was speedboats on various lakes in Michigan. In my teens, and into my forties, it was sailboats combined with an occasional trawler. In later life, however, it has been strictly powerboats.
Should Be an Eventful Week
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The economic calendar is packed with important items this week. Oddly, Wednesday afternoons policy announcement from the Federal Open Market Committee may be the least interesting. One shouldnt put too much weight on the advance GDP estimate, as the figures will be revised, but the initial estimate, along with annual benchmark revisions, should have important implications for the outlook for growth in the second half of the year.
Are Interest Rates Too Low?
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
In her monetary policy testimony to Congress, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen offered no new clues regarding when the central bank will begin raising short-term interest rates. The Fed has been criticized for being behind the curve on inflation and for fueling bubbles. Neither criticism is right.
How High is High? (To Whom?)
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
I have a number of friends who succeeded as investors in the late 1960s, and they are succeeding now. The key to their success more than 20 years ago was that they managed to get out with most of their capital when the market turned down. Most investors were not so astute.
Fireside Chats
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
While I was in the Pacific Northwest and Canada most of last week, I did have the privilege of listening to J.P. Morgans (JPM/$55.80/Strong Buy) Chief Market Strategist last Monday. Dr. David Kelly has long been known for his keen insights on the equity markets, with JPMs senior portfolio managers like George Gatz and Tom Luddy steering their mutual funds, on said strategic views, to outsized gains for many years.
Reaching Escape Velocity?
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The strong pace of growth in nonfarm payrolls suggests much more than a rebound from bad weather. While recent economic figures have been generally mixed, the job market is clearly improving, led by increased hiring at small and medium-sized firms. The hope is that good news will feed on itself, lifting the pace of growth in the second half of the year. However, there are a few concerns in the outlook.
Gut Wrenching
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The greater-than-expected downward revision to first quarter GDP was a shocker (even more of a surprise than Spain, Italy, and Portugal not making it out of group play in the World Cup). However, investors were willing to dismiss the bad first quarter performance. An inventory correction and a wider trade deficit subtracted 3.2 percentage points from 1Q14 GDP growth.
Making a Market Call
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
In last Mondays strategy report I noted that the week before July 4th has an upward bias for the equity markets. On Tuesday I backed that up by writing, From 1950 to 2013 the market has delivered positive returns 72% of the time during the last two days of June and the first five days of July.
Truth or Consequences?
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
I am always trying to manage the risks inherent with investing (or trading), for as Benjamin Graham stated, The essence of investment management is the management of risks, not the management of returns. Well-managed portfolios start with this precept. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I often wait on an investment until its share price is at a point where if I am wrong, I will be wrong quickly, and the incidence of loss will be small and manageable.
The Feds Outlook: Optimistic? Or Just Hopeful?
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
As expected, Federal Reserve policymakers left short-term interest rates unchanged, did not alter the forward guidance on the federal funds target rate, and trimmed the monthly pace of asset purchases by another $10 billion (to $35 billion beginning in July). In its policy statement, the FOMC was a bit more optimistic about a pickup in growth. Fed officials forecasts of 2014 GDP growth were revised lower, but implicitly, forecasts for the final three quarters of 2014 remained strong.
Bizarro World
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
I feel like I am living in Bizarro World. First named "Bizarro World" in DC Comic books, the term has come to mean a situation or setting that is weirdly inverted or opposite of expectations. I mean weve had the ATFs Fast & Furious where we sold guns to Mexican smugglers. The NSA is spying on us. The IRS is using its power to target select groups and now the IRS claims it has lost 28 months of Lois Lerners emails. Benghazi. The Department of Justice going after the Associated Press and Rosengate.
Fed Outlook: Playing It Close to the Vest
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The Federal Open Market Committee will meet this week to set monetary policy. The FOMC is widely expected to further taper the monthly pace of asset purchases (not on a preset path, but continuing in measured steps). The bigger question is when the Fed will begin to raise short-term interest rates. The correct answer is it depends. Fed officials are currently debating the order of steps to be taken as they begin to normalize monetary policy.
Many Moving Parts
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter, but it appears very unlikely that weve entered a recession. Weather disruptions and the late Easter have made it difficult to gauge the underlying trends in the economic data, but a significant second quarter rebound appears to be baked in. Still, taking the first two quarters together, growth in the first half of the year is likely to be disappointing relative to earlier expectations.
Everybody’s Unhappy?!
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
In Last Friday’s Morning Tack I had this to say, “While there are no current major negatives from my indicators, this does indeed feel like the end of a trading move and not the beginning of another huge leg to the upside.” What causes such inflection points is when the folks that have doubted the rally finally can’t stand it any more and they throw in the towel and buy stocks.
Everybody’s Unhappy?!
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
If the equity markets don’t experience a sell-off this week, we can probably assume the SPX is in its final upside “blow-off” stage on a trading basis. In such a stage the markets make it seem unbearable to be in too much cash, or worse, totally out of the market. Blow-offs usually end with a parabolic peak and often with a buying climax. If you want to see what a buying climax looks like, go look at the “selling climax” at the March 2009 lows and turn the chart upside down. Longer-term, I continue to hold the belief we are in a secular bull market, but in the sho
Computer Tutor?!
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
My friend Jerry Goodman died recently. His nom de plume was Adam Smith, obviously taken from the legendary economist Adam Smith (1723 1790). In addition to the book The Money Game, Jerry wrote numerous other books. In his later years, he worked at another friends establishment, that being Craig Drill, eponymous captain of the insightful Drill Capital Management.
A Revised Bond Market Outlook?
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
A year ago, as Fed Chairman Bernanke spoke of the possibility of tapering the Feds Large-Scale Asset Purchase program (QE3), bond yields moved higher. Theyve been range-bound over the last year, but have more recently dipped to the lower end of that range. Whats driving the bond market?
Concerned Optimism
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
In her congressional testimony, Fed Chair Janet Yellen chose her words carefully. She indicated that if the economic outlook evolves as anticipated (growth picks up, the labor market tightens, and inflation moves toward the Feds 2% goal), then the Feds asset purchase program (QE3) will likely end in the fourth quarter. However, she refused to be pinned down on when the Fed would begin raising short-term interest rates. Global concerns and the housing sector will bear close observation.
Old Turkey
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
I revisit the Old Turkey story this morning, which I first read in the classic book Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, about the escapades of Jesse the boy plunger Livermore, because of the reference I made to him last week that drew so many questions. The wisdom of Old Turkey is as good today as it was when first published in 1923. The problem with most investors today is that they have never experienced the 1923 1929, the 1946 1964, or the 1982 2000 secular bull markets.
You Gotta Have Heart
by Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James,
Secretariat (3-30-70 10-4-89) is considered the greatest American racehorse of all time. In 1973 he became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years, and in the process he set records in all three races that still stand today. In the Kentucky Derby his time was 1:59 2/5, in the Preakness it was 1:53, and in the Belmont Stakes 2:24.
The Job Market, GDP, and the Fed
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
The U.S. economy added 1.15 million jobs in April thats prior to seasonal adjustment. We normally see large (unadjusted) job gains each spring. This year appears to be stronger than normal, partly reflecting a rebound from a bad winter. Strength in the seasonally adjusted payroll figure is certainly good news, but it may not necessarily be suggestive of a sharper underlying trend in job growth. There is still a very large amount of slack in the job market.
Yellen?s Three Big Questions (and a Few Others)
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
Speaking to the Economic Club of New York, Fed Chair Janet Yellen presented an analysis of the monetary policy actions taken to address the Great Recession and offered guidance on what will drive policy decisions going forward. The centerpiece of her talk was about the three big questions that the Fed has to answer. However, there are a number of other debates going on in economics right now that have long-term consequences.
Yellen?s Three Big Questions (and a Few Others)
by Scott Brown of Raymond James,
Speaking to the Economic Club of New York, Fed Chair Janet Yellen presented an analysis of the monetary policy actions taken to address the Great Recession and offered guidance on what will drive policy decisions going forward. The centerpiece of her talk was about the three big questions that the Fed has to answer. However, there are a number of other debates going on in economics right now that have long-term consequences.
Results 1,401–1,450
of 1,802 found.
