Treasury yields have resumed their upward ascent and the 10-year T-Note yield appears poised to move toward 2.0%. I saw a study this week from Joe Kalish of NDR that suggested such a move would put further downward pressure on the NASDAQ 100 (to the tune of a 20% peak-to-trough decline). Joe’s analysis tends to be pretty astute, so it’s something to think about even if you don’t come to the same conclusion. Another thing to keep an eye on: if these new highs in Treasury yields are going to be sustained, the yields around the world are likely going to echo the move in the US. Right now, yields in both Germany and Japan are shy of their late-February peaks (0.17% for the JGB and -0.26% for the Bund).
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.
1. Dow Averages Take The Driver Seat
At the index level, the Large-Cap Growth-heavy Nasdaq has felt the burden of the last month’s selling pressure. In fact, all other major indices in the US have generated positive returns over the last month. The Nasdaq is the one negative standout. It’s not that we’re seeing money flow out of stocks. Instead, we’re seeing money rotate between stocks.
Coming out of recession, economy typically roars beyond expectations
Economic confidence is heating up but needs to expand
Rise in yields & inflation reflect economic strength and are opportunities for investors
It’s been over two decades, but policy makers may finally be getting it right. This is not a blanket endorsement of the stimulus bill that is inching its way through Congress and toward the President’s desk. But it is a recognition that after bearing the cost of stimulus, the economy may be poised to reap the benefits of it as well. Wall Street has certainly celebrated excessive liquidity from the Fed. Fiscal stimulus at this juncture may help the Main Street recovery gain momentum and actually exceed expectations. That used to be the norm, though in recent decades recoveries have stalled out before gaining much traction. This has produced a bifurcated economy where those with Wall Street exposure have greatly benefitted and those with Main Street exposure have struggled to keep up.
Key takeaway: Sentiment shifts last week seemed more reflective of weakness in the headliners than the new weekly closing highs in the equal-weight S&P 500. This is a healthy development, especially for active investors who are seeing the market coalesce around a new leadership group while optimism comes off a boil. For passive investors, the pain of loss is more acute. This risk for the market overall is that diminished optimism morphs into more meaningful pessimism and breadth digestion turns to sustained deterioration. We have not seen that. Even as options data shows more concern and weekly sentiment surveys turn more neutral, fund flows continue to display optimism. When this reverses, risks are likely to rise. From a strategic positioning perspective, risks are elevated and passive investors may just be starting to feel uncomfortable.
Key Takeaway: Crowded trades have come back to earth, but average stock and cyclical industry groups are making new highs. Economic momentum is building as recovery accelerates. Bond yields are still rising and long-awaited leadership rotation remains underway.
Don't miss this weeks Momentum Report; our weekly summation of all the major indexes at a Macro, International, Sector and Industry Group level. As a reminder, we analyze this shorter-term data within the context of the structural trends at play.
The monthly jobs report always gets a lot of attention. Headlines usually focus on the number of jobs added (or lost) in the month and the unemployment rate. Occasionally, the hourly earnings number will be quoted and even more rarely there will be a mention of average weekly hours worked. While the noise focuses on the payroll number (+379,000 in February), more important news is that this accompanied a contraction in the average weekly hours number. The combination of these is the aggregate weekly hours index, which fell in February to its lowest level since September and remains more than 6% below its peak. If the US economy is on a sustainable road to recovery, this index should start to move meaningfully higher in the months ahead. It’s something I’ll continue to be watching.
Our Top 10 report was just published; our weekly report highlighting the best 10 ideas and respective charts we are seeing across the markets this week.
Key takeaway: Another bout of late-month market volatility produced quickly frayed nerves. The VIX spiked and put/call ratios moved away from excessive complacency. Our tactical sentiment indicators point to still-elevated optimism even as sentiment surveys have eased recently. Risks arise when breadth deteriorates and a sustained shift from optimism to pessimism emerges. We are not seeing this yet. The $78 billion of equity ETF inflows in February (over the past two months equity ETFs have seen daily net outflows on only 3 occasions) suggests excessive investor positioning, but the risks inherent in that have not yet been manifested. Despite last week’s volatility, cyclical sector leadership persisted and defensive areas made new lows. That does not suggest investors are moving quickly to a risk-off posture.
Sentiment Chart of the Week: XLU/SPY & XLP/SPY Ratios
This All Star Charts PLUS Monthly Playbook breaks down the investment universe into a series of largely binary decisions and tactical calls. Paired with our Weight of the Evidence Dashboard, this piece is designed to help active asset allocators follow trends, pursue opportunities, and manage risk.