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October 5, 2022 – Two huge up days in a row put bulls back in charge. Is this the market bottom? Only time will tell. It will largely depend on the severity of the pending economic downturn. But retreating interest rates, and weaking labor market statistics suggest the end to the Fed’s cycle of higher interest rates is nearing an end. That is at least one key ingredient to the end of a market downturn.

//  by Tower Bridge Advisors

For those of you who have read my letters over the years, you should know about my 2-day rule. It states that two consecutive days of outsized moves in the opposite direction of recent market trends marks a reversal. Certainly, the gains Monday and yesterday qualify as strong up sessions in sharp contrast to the sharp declines of late August and September. They signify a trend reversal. I use two days in my rule to eliminate sharp one-day rallies usually accelerated by short covering. The second day means real buyers are starting to step in while sellers hesitate.

The rule sounds a bit foolish but has a good track record. The real question is whether the rally that began Monday represents a market bottom or an interim bear market rally. To answer that, we need to first try to decipher what triggered it.

As I noted Monday, it is my belief that the steep interest rate increase cycle is nearly complete. As often happens when prices spike, either up or down, momentum can carry a bit too far. It is rare to see big daily moves in bond yields. Last week and so far this week, daily changes of 10-20 basis points have been the norm. 1-2 is normal. At one point, Friday, the 10-year Treasury yield reached 4.1%. The real yield, as measured by TIPS spreads exceeded 1.75%. Only in the last few months has that spread been positive, meaning there was a real cost to borrowing. By yesterday, the yield had settled back to about 3.6%, a more reasonable figure.

Again, as noted in recent letters, a material slowing of the upward slope for interest rates means the bear market P/E adjustment is coming to an end. Fed Fund futures suggest another increase of 50-75 basis points in November (just last week, 75 was a near certainty), perhaps another 50 in December, followed by a pause. Again, just last week, another 25 was predicted for early next year. I should note that the market forecast for Fed rate changes has been quite volatile for months. First the markets were more hawkish than the Fed. Then, by late August when Jerome Powell spoke forcefully at Jackson Hole, the Fed got more hawkish than the market sparking a sharp September decline in stock prices. It could always change again, depending on data. Key release dates to watch near term are Friday’s employment report for September, and an updated CPI reading before the market opens on October 13th. Either could move markets meaningfully.

If the P/E cycle is done, the next question is the earnings cycle. Right now, markets are discounting fairly flat earnings next year on top of sub-normal gains this year. That is synonymous with a slow economy but not a severe recession. At the moment, any prediction is more a guess than anything else.

Where does that leave us? If markets are in the range of fair value, it suggests any further rally from here should be fairly muted until there are clearer signs that a slowdown or recession is near an end. We should learn a lot more during earnings season. It should also remind us that the performance of any one company’s stock can deviate materially from the leading averages. Some companies and some industries are going to be hurt by a pending slowdown more than others. We saw similar divergences during and immediately after the pandemic. 70% of our GDP relates to consumer spending. In real terms, that should be flat to down a bit over the next year. In nominal terms, however, there will be growth, even if inflation slows. The ability to be able to raise prices, if necessary, is important and will vary company to company.

The bottom line is that I believe we are entering a phase where individual company performance will trump overall market trends. When markets are rising or falling at an annualized pace of 20-30%, that trend overwhelms individual company performance. When markets trade in a much narrower range, individual company performance dominates.

If this is a market bottom, expect a “dead cat bounce” for some of the names most beaten down in the bear market. Don’t be tempted. The word dead is part of that expression for a reason. What an investor is always looking for is a growing company with improving prospects. Warren Buffett famously opts for great companies at a fair price rather than decent companies at a cheap price. Market bottoms are a great time to find such great companies attractively valued.

I don’t know whether this is a market bottom or not. If there is a stronger than expected downturn next year, there will be another earnings adjustment needed and stocks could ultimately retreat to a final low, but I believe we are near a bottom. We will learn a lot more this earnings season that begins next week. If this isn’t a bottom, there is still room for a tradable rally within the context of a market groping for a bottom. If the economic bottom, the depth of the downturn, is to be reached sometime in the middle of 2023, a bottom could be near. Just as likely, a downturn could extend to the end of next year meaning the bear market isn’t over yet. I offered a current fair value range based on different earnings outcomes of 3200-3600 recently with upside to or above 4000 by the end of next year depending how bright the 2024 outlook is by the end of 2023. I still believe that post-recession or slowdown, real GDP growth will average no better than 1-2% with inflation close to 2.0-2.5%. Stocks will do well to average 5-7% per year after the initial bounce off bear market lows. The big difference versus last cycle is that I expect the days of free money to be over. A Fed Funds rate of 2-3% will be the new norm and longer duration rates closer to 4% or even a bit higher. Bonds that offer positive real returns will be more attractive than they were in the 2008-2021 era. Balanced portfolios are likely to revert to historic 60-40 mixes versus the 70-30 allocations of the past decade when real bond returns were negative.

Today, the artist Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, is 63. Neil deGrasse Tyson turns 64. It is also the 120th anniversary of the birth of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc.

James M. Meyer, CFA 610-260-2220

 

Additional information is available upon request.

Tower Bridge Advisors manages over $1.7 Billion for individuals, families and select institutions with $1 Million or more of investable assets. We build portfolios of individual securities customized for each client's specific goals and objectives. Contact Nick Filippo (610-260-2222, nfilippo@towerbridgeadvisors.com) to learn more or to set up a complimentary portfolio review.

# – This security is owned by the author of this report or accounts under his management at Tower Bridge Advisors.

Additional information on companies in this report is available on request. This report is not a complete analysis of every material fact representing company, industry or security mentioned herein. This firm or its officers, stockholders, employees and clients, in the normal course of business, may have or acquire a position including options, if any, in the securities mentioned. This communication shall not be deemed to constitute an offer, or solicitation on our part with respect to the sale or purchase of any securities. The information above has been obtained from sources believed reliable, but is not necessarily complete and is not guaranteed. This report is prepared for general information only. It does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation or the particular needs of any specific person who may receive this report. Investors should seek financial advice regarding the appropriateness of investing in any securities or investment strategies discussed in this report and should understand that statements regarding future prospects may not be realized. Opinions are subject to change without notice.

Filed Under: Market Commentary

Previous Post: « August 26, 2022 – Markets continued to consolidate the ~20% spike off June’s low with minor rebounds the past few days. In anticipation of Chairman Powell’s long-awaited speech at Jackson Hole today, stocks are priced for a somewhat hawkish update. Anything that deviates from that position could release energy in either direction. Other news items require some attention as well that could affect GDP going forward.
Next Post: October 12, 2022- As we enter earnings season, attention will shift from interest rate fears to corporate performance. Pepsi kicked it off this morning with good results, hopefully an encouraging sign. As always, the story for the season will revolve around expectations versus reality. In July, reality beat expectations sparking the best rally of the year. The key will be the relative performance of the large tech names, notable laggards coming into earning season. »

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  • September 22, 2023 – Stocks fell sharply, continuing a negative reaction to the outcome of Wednesday’s FOMC meeting. While rates remained unchanged, the committee expressed a bias toward increasing rates again at the next meeting that ends November 1. In addition, the dot-plot of projections from Committee participants suggested only one (net) rate cut between now and the end of 2024. While short-term rates barely budged, yields on 10-year Treasuries rose by about 15 basis points, suggesting tougher economic conditions ahead, higher rates for longer and, by extension, lower P/E ratios. Lower P/Es mean lower stock prices.
  • September 20, 2023 – Today concludes the 2-day FOMC meeting. No change in rates is expected but investors will parse every detail of the post-meeting releases as well as comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Recent data suggests both inflation and the economy are slowing. The ideal soft landing is still within reach, but it is also quite possible that the economy might slip into recession over the next few months.
  • September 18, 2023 – Markets are directionless, torn between better economic activity and an increase in storm clouds from labor unrest to China. What is crucial is the future trend for interest rates. Investors will parse this week’s FOMC meeting for clues, but probably won’t get a much clearer picture for their efforts.
  • September 15, 2023 – Auto workers are out on strike. So far, markets don’t care. They probably won’t care overall, unless the strike becomes extended. Elsewhere the public offering of ARM Holdings signals a healthier IPO market. Instacart is likely next. Traders are waking up from the late summer doldrums, but valuations, high bond yields and rising oil prices probably suggest more sideways churning ahead.
  • September 13, 2023 – Today’s focus will be on the August CPI report. The headline number will be disturbing thanks to higher oil prices, but core inflation is likely to stay muted. Bond yields have been creeping higher and are back at the top end of recent trading ranges. Any breakout to higher yields would be disturbing to equity markets.
  • September 11, 2023 – Spectrum and Disney are locked in a battle over how TV content is delivered to the home. Both want a bigger economic piece of the pie. The battle reminds us of the strike by actors and screenwriters. All are fighting for a bigger piece of a smaller pie. These battles are part of a process, one where the consumer will be the winner in the end. But before the wars end, there will be lots of carnage as economic reality sorts out those parts of the puzzle that cannot survive.
  • September 8, 2023 – The reported impending ban on the use of iPhones in Chinese government offices sent Apple’s shares reeling and infected the entire tech sector, sending stocks lower this week. While China’s government hasn’t officially commented, this news is yet another sign of the deterioration of economic cooperation between the U.S. and China. Economically, that can’t be a good sign.
  • September 6, 2023 – Stock prices remain slaves to interest rates. A spike in rates the past two days has put downward pressure on stock prices once again. Higher oil prices add further pressure. With little economic or corporate news coming that should change sentiment, the key data in the weeks ahead will focus on the pace of decline in inflation readings.
  • September 1, 2023 – We all hear about the lag effects of higher rates. That lag varies from sector to sector. When rates first started to rise, it affected home buyers immediately. But for those who financed or refinanced debt in 2020 or 2021, the impact was delayed. For some, that cheap debt is starting to come due. Over the next couple of years, debt service is going to become a bigger and bigger cost of doing business.
  • August 30, 2023 – At a time on the calendar when there is a dearth of economic and corporate data, traders look to the bond market for direction. Yesterday, yields on the10-year Treasury fell by almost 2% and stocks staged a solid rally. Trying to guess day-to-day moves in the bond market is pure folly, and thus trying to guess the stock market’s next move is equally foolhardy. Friday’s employment report could be market moving.

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