Why are we so closely monitoring political moves in Washington? Because staff serving on Congressional Committees, by making leaks about legislation in process, can move markets more than the FED.
The markets right now are incredibly dependent upon fiscal policy (fiscal policy is the means by which a government adjusts its spending levels and tax rates to influence the U.S. economy).
Fiscal policy is the brother strategy to monetary policy through which the Federal Reserve Bank (the FED) adjusts the U.S. money supply to influence the U.S. economy. For many years, the FED was the only game in town. Now, many believe the FED’s ability to influence the economy has withered. Maybe, just in time, the government is able to rev up fiscal policy.
The U.S. stock market has jumped since the November 8th election. We identified 4 initiatives on which the U.S. stock market is speculating to be successfully accomplished early in the Trump administration.
The 4 initiatives will have a tremendous influence on the “Heat Map” which forms the basis of our forward looking view of the U.S. economy. I consider the success or failure of the 4 initiatives to be “leading” indicators for the Heat Map.
Below are the 4 Trump administration initiatives upon which the stock market is speculating and what progress, if any, has been made:
Tax cuts and tax reforms benefiting most individuals and businesses- NO PROGRESS RECENTLY. CUMULATIVE PROGRESS TOWARD GOAL: 0%
Infrastructure spending of up to $1 Trillion over the upcoming 7 to 10 years. NO PROGRESS RECENTLY. CUMULATIVE PROGRESS TOWARD GOAL: 0%
Affordable Care Act amendment, reform or reorganization. BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE TOOK THE FIRST STEPS TO REPEAL THE ACT. NO REPLACEMENT HAS BEEN FINALIZED. CUMULATIVE PROGRESS TOWARD GOAL: 5%
Roll back of government regulations and Executive Orders considered to be difficult for businesses. ROLL BACKS HAVE CONTINUED AND SEVERAL TRUMP NOMINEES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE. CUMULATIVE PROGRESS TOWARD GOAL: 10%
As the action happens in Washington on these 4 initiatives, don’t be surprised if the political “tug and pull” contest results in a wilder than normal stock and bond market.
We will continue to report in future issues on the progress on each initiative.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is A- (very favorable). Favorable activity in the housing market continues to support growth in the level of spending. This category’s grade will improve if and when the Trump legislation is passed.
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C-. The FED has taken a wait and see attitude toward the economic impact of legislation the Trump Administrations has proposed. Some experts believe the FED could raise rates at a faster pace if and when the Trump proposed legislation is passed into law.
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is raised to a B (above average). Fourth-quarter earnings are on pace to grow by 8.4%, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, nearly double the 4.3% gain reported during the third. And analysts see earnings advancing at a double-digit clip during 2017’s first two quarters. Now it’s earnings that are driving shares higher. “With earnings turning positive,” they said, “we have a solid catalyst for 2017 turning out to be a good year.”
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 3. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Last week, U.S. Stocks and Bonds increased. Foreign Stocks were little changed. During the last 12 months, STOCKS outperformed BONDS.
Returns through 2-10-2017
1-week
Y-T-D
1-Year
3-Years
5-Years
10-Years
Bonds- BarCap Aggregate Index
0.4
0.5
1.0
2.6
2.2
4.3
US Stocks-Standard & Poor’s 500
.9
3.7
27.8
11.1
13.9
7.2
Foreign Stocks- MS EAFE Developed Countries
0.0
3.5
18.5
.5
5.6
.8
Source: Morningstar Workstation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. Three, five and ten year returns are annualized excluding dividends.
The show airs on WDIY Wednesday evenings, from 6-7 p.m. The show is hosted by Valley National’s Laurie Siebert CPA, CFP®, AEP®. This week Laurie and guest host, Roxie Munoz CLU of Valley National, will discuss:
“Taking care of loved ones through risk management”
Laurie and Roxie will take your calls on these topics and other inquiries this week. Questions may be submitted early through www.yourfinancialchoices.com by clicking Contact Laurie. This show will be broadcast at the regular time. WDIY is broadcast on FM 88.1 for reception in most of the Lehigh Valley; and, it is broadcast on FM 93.9 in the Easton and Phillipsburg area– or listen to it online from anywhere on the internet. For more information, including how to listen to the show online, check the show’s website www.yourfinancialchoices.com and visit www.wdiy.org.
It may not be chocolate and peanut butter, but a dose of healthy earnings and pro-business comments from President Donald Trump was enough to send the major indexes to all-time highs last week.
It sure didn’t look that way at first, as the market barely moved on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. But Thursday, while meeting with airline executives, Trump promised a “phenomenal” tax plan—and stocks were off to the races. By Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had gained 197.91 points, or 1%, to 20,269.37, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index had risen 0.8%, to 2316.10, and the Nasdaq Composite had climbed 1.2%, to 5734.13.
It’s no secret that the market has reveled in Trump’s pro-business comments, even though he has offered few details, particularly on his tax plan. Don’t expect the market reaction to change, says Mike O’Rourke, chief market strategist at Jones Trading. “It’s a void,” he explains. “Until we have substance and a framework, we will see this kind of reaction to noise.”
But stocks are also reacting to something more fundamental: corporate earnings. Yes, there have been some high-profile disappointments. Gilead Sciences (ticker: GILD) tumbled 8.3% to $66.36 after offering downbeat 2017 sales guidance, while General Motors (GM) dropped 3.2% to $35.17 as investors appear reluctant to believe its forecasts of continued strong profits in 2017. The stronger earnings growth is particularly important because the S&P 500 rose 9.5% last year, despite little-to-no earnings improvement, says Daniel Chung, CEO of asset manager Alger. That meant stocks were rising simply because valuations were climbing.
But if it’s earnings you’re interested in, it might be time to look to Europe. On the surface, that sounds risky, perhaps even ridiculous. Greece was back in the headlines last week after the IMF said the struggling European nation needed more debt relief. That sent Greek bond yields soaring, as investors worried about the possibility of a renewed crisis. Then there’s the potential for chaos from elections in the Netherlands, France, and Germany, which could take a populist turn, akin to that taken by voters in Britain and the U.S.
Yet Merrill Lynch strategist Ronan Carr notes that earnings growth in Europe could be faster than in the U.S. this year and next, after lagging behind by 76 percentage points since 2009. At the same time, the value of the MSCI USA index, relative to the MSCI Europe index, hit its highest level in 40 years. “A strong earnings recovery could be the catalyst to unlock the value potential in Europe,” Carr writes.
