From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

Wall Street is a trend following machine.

We all know the universal disclaimer: past performance being no guarantee of future results. 

But what has worked recently always gets a ton of attention from Wall Street. And for the past decade, buying and holding US large-cap stocks has worked. 

If you’ve benefited from that trend, you deserve congratulations. Deviating from the principles of diversification and putting all your investment eggs in that one basket has increased your return and reduced volatility. To some extent, the worse your behavior (relative to theory), the greater your reward.

There is plenty of historical data that says that was not supposed to happen. But it did. Price is price, and we don't argue with it. Lived experience takes place in the space between theory and anecdote. That is where most actual investment decisions take place as well.

But we can only celebrate the last victory for so long before getting ready for the next game. 

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

Key Takeaways:

• Housing market activity restrained by supply imbalances
• Surging demand and lack of supply sends home prices to record levels
• Buyers becoming price-sensitive and home buying plans plummet

I’ll start by acknowledging more questions than answers on this subject. But that itself is part of the point. The housing market was one of the earliest parts of the economy to bounce back last year, but activity in recent months has been more uneven. Existing home sales in April unexpectedly fell (and are at their lowest level since June) and new home sales fell more than expected last month and data for the preceding month was revised lower.  There is evidence that supply constraints (in terms of both current housing stock as well as workers and supplies necessary to build additional units) are weighing on activity. But when something as diverse and complex as the national housing market gets wrapped up in a narrative that is almost universally endorsed, I get more than a little skeptical. 

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

From the desk of Steve Strazza @Sstrazza

Check out this week’s Momentum Report, our weekly summation of all the major indexes at a Macro, International, Sector, and Industry Group level.

By analyzing the short-term data in these reports, we get a more tactical view of the current state of markets. This information then helps us put near-term developments into the context of the big picture and provides insights regarding the structural trends at play.

Let’s jump right into it with some of the major takeaways from this week’s report:

* ASC Plus Members can access the Momentum Report by clicking the link at the bottom of this post.

Macro Universe:

From the desk of Steve Strazza @Sstrazza

Our Top 10 report was just published. In this weekly note, we highlight 10 of the most important charts or themes we're currently seeing in asset classes around the world.

Europe Stands Strong On The Global Stage

European equities are in the process of staging a reversal relative to global equities after forming a formidable base. If this ratio of the FTSE Europe ETF can decisively move above this downward sloping 7-year trendline, this would confirm the beginning phases of a new structural uptrend for a region that has acted as a perennial laggard in a Growth dominated environment.

Now that we’re finally witnessing rotation into Value areas like Financials and Natural Resources, Europe no longer is being anchored down by its constituents. That exposure is swiftly becoming a powerful tailwind.

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

This is the video recording of the May 20th Town Hall Meeting w/ Willie Delwiche

05/20/21 2PM ET

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

A box of family photos showed up at my house this weekend. 

Some are relatively recent, others stretch back nearly a century. Together, they tell a story of generation after generation experiencing life in its many stages. Each one captures a moment

One that really stuck out to me was an image of a camping trip from more than 90 years ago. You can see an old car with a canvas tent pitched against it. At a picnic table, we see a lady and two young boys. The younger of these two is my grandfather. Next to him is his brother. Behind him is their mother (my great-grandmother).

“Now that's camping done right,” I thought as I inspected the picture.

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

Key Takeaways:

• Speculative excesses are being unwound as risk appetites reverse
• Upward pressure on bond yields a headwind for equities
• Liquidity is the lifeblood of the market and right now it is evaporating

While the Fed is musing about tapering, the market, as usual, is already in action. Upward momentum in bond yields and an economy that has soaked up liquidity have become headwinds for equities at a time when investors are already re-thinking risk appetites.

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.