One issue strategists are highlighting of late is the fact the earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 Index in 2019 is expected to decelerate from the mid to high 20+% level this year to the mid single digit percentage level in 2019. Some have indicated this slowing earnings growth rate may negatively impact U.S. equity returns next year. Of course the strong rate of earnings growth this year is due...
The American Association of Individual Investors reported sentiment data for the week ending December 12, 2018. The sentiment survey reported the largest change in the difference between bullish and bearish sentiment since April 11, 2013. The swing in the current week equaled -35.4 percentage points.In terms of bullish sentiment, the level of 20.9% is the lowest bullish sentiment level since May 2...
Although the November NFIB Small Business Optimism Index remains at a high level of 104.8, today's report is the third consecutive decline in the optimism index. The index high of 108.8 was reached in August of this year.A constraint on growth and optimism seems to be related to the tight labor market. The category cited most frequently as the single most important problem facing business was the ...
The most recent flow data for ETF's and mutual funds reported by ICI last week notes outflows occurred in nearly all of the broad asset categories. One exception was a small positive flow into commodity oriented investments. Source: ICIFollowing the large $18.6 billion bond investment outflow for the week ending 10/31/2018, bond investments continued to be sold by investors. Below investment grade...
What seems to be influencing the market the most at the moment is the trade issues with China and the U.S. Jeff Miller who writes at the Dash of Insight blog published a short article yesterday that seems to get to some of the main issues surrounding trade and the equity markets. A couple of highlights from the article follow, but the entire post is a worthwhile read. Jeff notes the market's react...
Today General Motors (GM) announced a restructuring that will cut 14,000 positions and the possibility of closing five auto manufacturing plants. Some headlines attributed the restructuring to an economy that may be slowing. However, when one reviews the data that comprise new sales of automobiles and light trucks, the exact opposite conclusion is drawn. A divergence has developed in the sale of c...
Investor sentiment continues a trend of turning less bullish. Today's Sentiment Survey report from the American Association of Individual Investors noted individual investor bullish sentiment decline 9.8 percentage points to 25.3%. Neutral sentiment declined 1.3 percentage points with the result that bearish sentiment rose 11.2 percentage points. The net result is the bull/bear spread of -21.8 pp ...
At the end of October the American Association of Individual Investors reported individual investor bullish sentiment was 28.0%, one standard deviation below the bullishness average. Sentiment measures are contrarian ones and are most actionable at their extremes. October's reading was certainly not an extreme level; however, the reading was at a low level of bullishness for the individual investo...
Today's NFIB Small Business Optimism Index was reported at a strong 107.4, down only 1.4 points from the Index's 45-year August high. According to the NFIB report for October,"Small business optimism continued its two-year streak of record highs. Overall, small businesses continue to support the 3%+ growth of the economy and add significant numbers of new workers to the employment pool. Owners bel...
Historically the U.S. Dollar has had a tendency to exhibit strength over a 7-year cycle. In July of this year the Dollar strength cycle crossed into its eighth year though, as seen in the below chart.One factor impacting the Dollar's rise is the increasing interest rate environment in the U.S. relative to rate moves outside the U.S. The U.S. Dollar has a high positive correlation (+.71) to the dir...