News & Insights

After a dizzying late February and March that saw the stock market fall into bear market territory (down 20% or more) at the fastest pace in history, the recovery from the S&P 500’s low of 2,237 on March 23rd has been almost as breathtaking, a roughly 30% advance. For 2020 the index is down about 10% for the year, substantially better than might be expected given the health and economic damage inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent statistics on the health impact of the virus are daunting. Johns Hopkins’s COVID-19 dashboard reports over 4.2 million cases worldwide and approximately 290,000 deaths. The U.S. alone now has over 1.35 million cases and approximately 81,000 deaths, 27,000 of which have occurred in New York State. The human toll COVID-19 has wrought is tragic.

The S&P 500 followed up its more than 30% total return in 2019 with a decline of 20% in the first quarter of 2020. That understates the severity of the move, as small- and mid- cap stocks were down 30%, and at its lows the S&P 500 was 35% off its recent peak. In March, the S&P 500 moved an average of 5% per day, the most of any month on record.

Nobody is certain about the extent of the damage done to the economy as a result of efforts to combat COVID-19. We do know that there has been a severe demand shock that will result in a sharp economic contraction and a meaningful decline in corporate earnings. In response to these concerns, the Federal Reserve Board, Administration, and Congress moved to support workers and businesses with programs to preserve as much of the economy as possible while large portions of the country are shut down.

We are all concerned about the potential impact of the coronavirus outbreak on our families and friends, particularly those who are elderly or who are already dealing with other medical issues. We hope you are well and urge everyone to exercise appropriate caution. Although it is uncomfortable to lose our social avenues, we hope the closing of public facilities will severely limit the opportunity for this virus to spread further.

Investment Comments typically focuses on economic and market developments, and the outlook. Recent economic statistics primarily reflect the pre-coronavirus economy, which is now a matter of historical record rather than an indicator of where we are headed. The economy has clearly taken a hit—we can see it with our eyes, and the market movement has confirmed it.

In January, after spending much of two years wrestling with trade issues, the U.S. signed two important pieces of legislation. The first, and likely more important, is the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, an update to NAFTA covering trade rules for North America. The second was a “Phase 1” agreement with China that reduced the likelihood of further tariff escalation and laid out a negotiating timeline to work through difficult discussions such as protection of intellectual property. The markets breathed a sigh of relief and began to rally on the thinking that businesses could now rely on (relative) certainty of trade and tariffs to support long-term product sourcing decisions.

Then along came the coronavirus (COVID-19). According to the World Health Organization, as of February 18, the virus has sickened more than 73,000 and killed 1,853. With most of these cases concentrated in the country of origin, China, the world has responded with various degrees of isolation. More than 30 airlines have suspended service to China and a 78-nation matrix of rules and quarantines from the U.S. to Singapore have all but banned Chinese travelers from foreign soil.

The S&P 500 produced a total return of 31.5% in 2019.  That huge advance is particularly astonishing considering that aggregate corporate earnings barely grew at all.  According to the 1/10/20 edition of FactSet Earnings Insight by John Butters, analysts expect full-year 2019 earnings to average a meager 0.2% growth with revenue growth of 3.9%.  Roughly speaking, this means the year’s entire rally is currently manifested in higher P/E multiples.  We can think of some reasons why the current investment climate supports higher valuations than the climate of just 12 months ago, but 31.5%? That is a lot to explain.

For starters, those modest corporate growth numbers are a bit of a red herring, weighed down by low energy prices and industrial sector softness that will probably turn out to be temporary.  More on this below.  Overall, the U.S. economy remains on solid footing.  Measured unemployment is holding steady at 3.5%. Normal wage growth is running at approximately 3%, fairly strong.

This has been a very good year for investors, with the S&P 500 on pace for its strongest year since 2013.  Total returns including dividends through November stood at more than 27%.  The headline number is aided by 2018’s lackluster performance, which was the S&P’s first decline in a decade despite posting 20% earnings growth.  Earnings in 2019 appear headed for low single-digit growth, and early projections for 2020 are for a near double-digit advance.  The forward P/E multiple is approximately 17.5x, above the 5-year average though lower interest rates support the case for a higher-than-average multiple.  Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds started the year at 2.6% but more recently were closer to 1.8%.

Despite concerns about slowing global growth, which have been reflected in modest business investment and a contraction in manufacturing activity, the economic backdrop looks generally favorable.  GDP growth in 2019 should be in the neighborhood of 2%, consistent with expectations for 2020.  This isn’t particularly inspiring, but it could certainly be worse. 

As we look toward year-end, global stock markets have had a remarkable year despite tepid growth outside the U.S.

Stock markets in the U.S., Japan, and Germany are up greater than 20%.  China’s index has also risen by more than 20%, but remains well below its springtime high for 2019 and far behind its record high from early 2018.  Canada’s major index gained 15% so far this year.  Even the U.K. is up in the high-single digits despite all the commotion surrounding Brexit.  These returns are in local currency.  Therefore, U.S. investors in overseas markets have experienced lower returns because of the strength of the dollar versus other currencies.

U.S. economic growth is hovering around 2%, down from 2.9% for 2018 but well above other developed economies.  Europe experienced 0.8% growth in both the second and third quarters even as certain key economies are flirting with recession.  GDP growth in Canada and Japan is running at 1.3% with the caveat that an October 1st sales tax increase in Japan will likely lead to weak economic conditions judging from reactions to past tax increases.  Growth in India was 5%, but trends appear to be slowing.  In China, 6% GDP growth was the slowest in 27 years.  Anecdotal reports from companies doing business in China paint an even less optimistic portrait of economic conditions there.

From listening to the media, it is hard to believe the market is again flirting with all-time highs.  An “inverted” yield curve, trade policy uncertainties, overseas economic weakness, and always-present political instabilities, such as the recent attack on Saudi Arabian oilfields, should surely be enough to make anyone run for cover.

 But these concerns don’t seem to be holding back equity investors.  The forward 12-month P/E ratio for the S&P 500 is 16.8, just slightly ahead of the 5-year average of 16.5 and about 14% above the 10-year average of 14.8, a period that includes very weak earnings from 2009 and 2010.  Further, unlike a year ago, analysts aren’t expecting double-digit earnings growth.  For calendar years 2019 and 2020, earnings are expected to grow 4.3% and 5.6%, respectively.

Cautionary Signs or False Signals?

The 30-year Treasury bond recently yielded just over 2%, an all-time low.  Think about it:  investing one’s money for three decades for a negative return after taxes and inflation are factored in.  Usually long-term Treasuries perform well during periods of economic uncertainty, especially at the onset of a recession.  That’s the initial message investors perceive from this low bond yield.

 Another cautionary sign is that the Treasury yield curve is partially “inverted.”  A “normal” yield curve is upwardly-sloping, meaning that investors demand a higher yield in exchange for taking on the risks of investing over a longer period of time.  The 30-year Treasury typically yields more than the 10-year, and the 10-year more than the 2-year or a 90-day Treasury bill.  An inverted yield curve occurs when the opposite is true, that short-term Treasuries pay better than long ones.  This is rational only when the outlook is for lower interest rates as long-dated bonds will appreciate more than shorter bonds when interest rates fall.  Recently, shorter maturities like the 2-year and 5-year Treasury and the 90-day bill yielded more than a 10-year Treasury.  The 30-year bond still yields about half a percentage point more, hence the term “partial inversion.”