Only 11% of Asset Classes Have Posted Negative Total Returns in 2019 The rally is back, but for how long? According to Deutsche Bank AG, 90% of 70 financial asset classes posted positive total returns. Data for 2019 are through April. Picture Source: The Wall Street Journal
What if Companies Paid Dividends Instead of Buybacks? The S&P 500 Total Return (dividends reinvested) would have been 10% lower if buybacks subbed with dividends. But, are stock buybacks a good thing for shareholders? Yes, if done at a price below the intrinsic value of the company. Buybacks are a good substitute for dividends, because…
Is U.S. Household Debt a Problem? Not really, right now. Actually, the level of household debt alone does not tell an accurate picture of the current situation. However, U.S. household debt to GDP is much lower, U.S. household debt service payments as a percent of disposable personal income and U.S. household financial obligations as a percent…
“Real Fed Rates Are the Most Accurate Predictor of Future S&P 500 Volatility,” Says SocGen SocGen says it is the most accurate predictor of S&P 500’s volatility over the last 50 years. Should investors be nervous about rising real interest rates? Yes, higher real interest rates mean higher borrowing costs. Real Fed funds rate is…
“U.S. Stock Market, No Froth In Sight” Says Stock Market Sentiment Index Keep in mind that it is just another investor sentiment tool. But it does not show at all if the US stock market is overvalued or undervalued. See our stock market valuation model (99% correlation and R² = 0.97 since 1970).
Worst Start to Year for Equity Flows since 2008 Even if the S&P 500 is up 18% to date (best start to a year since 1987), it is the worst start to year for equity fund flows since 2008.
U.S. Unemployment Rate at 3.6% in April 2019 This is the lowest level since 1969! Is this a sign of a booming economy? In any case, the U.S. economy does appear to be gaining momentum and that’s good news. See how the U.S. productivity has increased under Trump. Image: Hedgeye Risk Management LLC
U.S. Corporate Stock Buybacks Are Booming Since 2010! Thanks to tax cuts and low interest rates. What would happen if companies reinvested instead of buying their own shares? Unfortunately, artificially low interest rates are associated with unnecessary debt. See how corporate debt-to-GDP has increased since the Great Recession.
Has the United States Ever Imported a Recession from a Single Foreign Country? The biggest U.S. trade partners are: China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany, South Korea, United Kingdom and France. So far, the US has never imported a recession from a single foreign country. A Chinese recession would be bad for the U.S. and the…
Why We Should Not Be Afraid By China’s Debt? In China, there is a high level of savings and controls on capital outflows. Currently, most of the Chinese savings are lent or invested in China. So, China’s debt reflects the Chinese savings rate. It would be much more worrying if China’s debt led to external debt,…
In Recent Years The Number of Unicorns Has Simply Exploded Artificially low interest rates have caused a bubble in the sector. But how sustainable it is? Only time will tell.