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What Does “Reflation” Actually Mean?, July 7, 2017

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What Does “Reflation” Actually Mean?

One of the reasons I started the Sevens Report more than five years ago was because I hated the overuse of jargon by analysts and commentators. Frankly, markets and economics are not particularly complicated topics. There are a lot of variables involved, so getting the future right is difficult. However, understanding market dynamics and economic conditions is actually mostly common sense, because markets and economies are just the sum of collective actions by people. And, since people generally act in their own best interests, it’s not too difficult to understand markets and economics once you get past the jargon.

To that point, I’ve found myself using the terms “reflation” and “cyclical” entirely too much lately. That’s jargon, and I want to make sure that everyone knows exactly what I mean when I say “reflation trade” or “cyclical outperformance.”

So, what is Reflation?

Reflation is simply the idea that economic growth is going to accelerate in the future. To understand why we use the term reflation, think of the economy as a soccer ball. The ball is full of air when we have consistent 3% GDP growth. But, fallout from the financial crisis has put GDP growth around 2% for nearly a decade. So, the soccer ball (i.e. the economy) is deflated.

However, if we see economic acceleration back to consistent 3% growth, the ball (i.e. the economy) has been “reflated.” So, any economic news that implies better growth is termed “reflation.”

And, since reflation is just the expectation of an accelerating economy, people (i.e. investors and the market) react to that expectation. That reaction, typically, is comprised of:

1) Selling bonds (so higher rates) because in an accelerating economy central banks hike rates and inflation rises, both of which are negative for bonds.

2) They allocate investment capital to sectors of the economy that are more reactive to better economic growth.

These sectors are called cyclicals, because their profitability rises and falls with economic growth (like a cycle). Banks (better economy=more demand for money), industrials (better economy=capital investment in projects), small caps (better economy=rising tide for products and more availability of capital), and consumer discretionary (better economy=more spending money) all are cyclical sectors.

Companies in those sectors usually make more money when the economy is getting better, and the anticipation of that attracts capital at the expense of bonds and “non-cyclical” sectors such as utilities, consumer staples, healthcare, and, increasingly, super-cap tech.

Up until June, the non-cyclicals outperformed because there was no evidence of higher rates or better growth. But in June central banks sent a shot of confidence into the markets, and since then, in anticipation of that economic acceleration, cyclical sectors have outperformed. And, if today’s jobs report is strong, beyond any short term “Taper Tantrum 2.0” that’s likely a trend that will continue, especially given the trend change in bonds.

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What Does Reflation Actually Mean for the Economy-

When Will the Decline in Bond Yields Matter?, June 27, 2017

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Get the simple talking points you need to strengthen your client relationships with a free trial of The Sevens Report.

For three months, we and other macro analysts have been warning that the bond market, via falling yields and a flattening yield curve, was sending a worrisome signal about future economic growth and inflation. And, that falling bond yields would act as a headwind on stocks.

Over that three months, the S&P 500 has moved steadily higher.

when will bond market yields matter?

When will this chart matter? The S&P 500 (bar chart) has been diverging from yields (green line chart) for three-plus months. At some point, that gap must close.

Now, given that, it might seem like falling bonds yields don’t matter to stocks. However, decades of experience in this business combined with listening to experienced analysts and traders tells me that bond yields always matter to stocks… it’s just a question of “when” they matter.

Regarding when, most of us are working on a medium/longer-term time frame (i.e. quarters and years), so getting the bigger market signals right is more important than outperforming over a few weeks.

To that point, if bond yields do not reverse in the coming weeks/months, then I am quite sure that over the medium/longer term the stock market is in for a potentially significant pullback. Avoiding that pullback will be the key to multi-year outperformance.

So, the really important question is: “When will low bond yields matter?”

I believe the answer is: When investors realize bond yields are warning about a slowing economy, not lower inflation.

Right now, stock bulls are saying the drop in Treasury yields is just due to declining inflation—not because of potential slower economic growth.

Specifically, they’re pointing to statistical measures of inflation such as the CPI, PCE and the Price Deflator in GDP. Those measures of inflation are falling, which usu-ally means deflation (which is bad for stocks).

But, the bulls aren’t as concerned about falling statistical inflation because, in their view, inflation has changed. Specifically, there is a growing school of thought that in a technology-dominated world, the old inflation statistics (CPI/PCE/Price Deflator) no longer capture true inflation in the economy.

For instance, those inflation statistics are currently being driven down by 1) Lower oil, 2) The Amazon effect, where retail margins are relentless slashed, and 3) General technology making most everyday items cheaper and more efficient.

However, those price declines aren’t bad for the economy, and they don’t reflect the lack of consumer demand that usually accompanies falling prices. Technology and margin compression is making these prices fall, not an unwillingness of consumers to spend.

Meanwhile, asset and other forms of inflation are rising quickly. Over the past few years, home prices are up; rents are up, car prices are up, airfares are up, health insurance is up, tuition is up, the stock market is up and the bond market is up. So, the prices of all the things we “need” are up, but the prices of discretionary items (HD TVs, laptops, tablets, dishwashers, appliances) are down. Since CPI measures consumer goods heavily, inflation statistics are subdued.

Based on this logic, many investors aren’t sweating the decline in bond yields, because they believe, for now, that it’s just reflecting the decline in statistical inflation and not a future slowing of actual economic growth.

The key will be to recognize when investors begin to believe low bond yields reflect slower economic growth. That will be the time to get seriously defensive in asset allocations. Yet as Monday showed, with the market ignoring the soft Durable Goods report, we’re not there yet. But if this data doesn’t turn around, we will get there. Unfortunately, we don’t believe it’s different this time and if bond yields don’t start rising in the near term, then stocks will eventually suffer, like they’ve done virtually every time we’ve seen this type of stock/bond discrepancy.

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Oil Outlook: Getting More Bearish, March 15, 2017

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Oil Rig - Oil Report was BearishWhy the Monthly OPEC Report Was Bearish Oil

An excerpt from today’s Sevens Report—get a free 2-week trial of the report with no commitments.

Oil remains the big story, as its early morning sell-off to multi-month lows prompted a pullback in stock futures, and ultimately the major US equity indices opened lower. WTI futures finished the day down 1.43%, only slightly above where they opened ahead of the late-November OPEC meeting, where members agreed to collectively cut output.

OPEC released its monthly oil market report yesterday, and the big catalyst in the data was a self-reported increase in February oil production by the de facto leader of the cartel, Saudi Arabia. According to direct communication, Saudi Arabian oil output rose 263.3K b/d to 10.01M b/d. The dip below the psychological 10M mark in early 2017 helped futures stay afloat above $50, as Saudi Arabia was showing their commitment to price support by cutting below their allotted quota (which in fairness they are still below). While data gathered by secondary sources showed another drop of 68.1K b/d to 9.80M b/d in Saudi production, the markets focused on the bearish direct communication data, as it suggests that Saudi Arabia’s commitment to oil cuts may be becoming exhausted.

Another notable takeaway from the release was that OPEC only projects that US oil supply will grow at 340K b/d in 2017. Still, at the current pace (which we will admit does not seem sustainable through the medium term), US producers have already brought 318K b/d online in 2017. Today’s EIA report very well could show an increase through that annual expected rise of 340K b/d.

Bottom line, the rapid increase in US production in recent months has been the biggest long-term headwind for the oil market, as it has offset the efforts of the global production cut agreement while simultaneously causing angst within the ranks of OPEC (namely the Saudis) as they start to see market share slip away.

Without the full commitment of Saudi Arabia to the global production cut agreement, the deal loses a lot of its luster, as they are the key player who has always taken on the bulk of the cuts and taken the near-term hit in market share for the longer-term benefit of the entire cartel. Meanwhile, “compliance cheating” by other members is historically high, and the chances that compliance remains as high as it is right now if Saudi Arabia begins to increase production are essentially zero.

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Chart of the Day: 10 Yr Yield Screams to New Multi-Year High

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tnx-12-14-16

The 10 Year Note yield screamed to a more than 2 year high yesterday in response to the more hawkish than expected Fed Announcement.

 

Bonds and Currencies Report (BOE Surprise?)

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It was a generally quiet day in the currency and bond markets as the various cross currents (election, M&A, economic data, etc.) all largely cancelled each other out.  The Dollar Index closed little changed after spending most of the day modestly stronger.

The euro was modestly weak for most of trading Monday (down 0.30% at the low) thanks to a slightly soft October core HICP (their CPI). Year over year, core HICP rose just 0.7% vs. (E) 0.8%, and with inflation still sluggish the idea that the ECB will materially reduce its QE program remains an outlier. The risk to markets is that they underwhelm with their extension (i.e. taper and extend, as opposed to extending the current 80 billion monthly purchases).

It is just one indicator, and growth has appeared better in October, so it wasn’t a materially dovish influence and the euro rallied yesterday afternoon to finish with mild losses. Going forward, The Sevens Report continues to expect the euro to chop largely sideways near 1.10 vs. the dollar until we have more color on the ECB’s plans for its QE program.

Looking elsewhere in the currency markets it was quiet. The yen, Aussie and loonie were all little changed (the loonie held up well despite the plunge in oil, down just 0.20%).

It was equally quiet in bonds as Treasuries rallied small (the 10-year yield rose 1 basis point while the 30-year Treasury rose 0.33%). Part of that was buying following the soft EMU HICP (remember, deflation in Europe sends money into higher-yielding US Treasuries) and some of that rally was just general election angst given the October email surprise.

Going forward, the FOMC, BOE and jobs report are the next significant catalysts for the bond market, so I’d expect generally quiet trade into those events starting Wednesday.

Bottom line, if those events are hawkish and the 10-year yield moves up through 1.90% and towards 2% (remember the 10-year yield rose 11 basis points last week, so it could theoretically get close to 2%) that will be a headwind on stocks.

The Bank of England meeting is the most important Central Bank meeting this week.

Much of the media focus is on the Fed meeting this week, but actually the central bank meeting with the greatest potential market impact is the Bank of England meeting on Thursday.

The reason is well known. US Treasury yields continue to follow global yields (remember, Bund and GILT yields rose more than Treasury yields last week), and if BOE Governor Carney disappoints markets on Thursday we’ll see GILT yields move higher, and that will drag Treasury yields higher and become a headwind on stocks.

The risk into Thursday’s meeting is that Carney backs away from his promise for more stimulus this year because of the near-20%, post-Brexit collapse in the British pound, which is causing an uptick in inflation pressures across Britain.

Now, to be clear, he’s not expected to dial back his support for more stimulus, but it is possible, and that’s a risk to stocks as markets have priced in another move by the BOE (in December).

So, while the media likely won’t cover it nearly as much as a likely anti-climatic Fed or jobs report, this BOE announcement actually has the biggest potential to surprise markets this week. Stay tuned.

Election Investing, Stock Market Sweet Spot & Bonds Italian (Video)

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Another episode with Tom Essaye and Adam Johnson on Market’s Bell discussing: Election Investing, Stock Market Sweet Spot & Bonds Italian Style.

The Market’s Bell with WSJ Best-Selling Author Simon Constable

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WSJ best-selling author Simon Constable puts a little British spin on the US economy where to invest now. He’s fun, brutally honest and wicked smart.

Is the Bond Bull Market Over? (Central Bank Preview)

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SL: Is the Bond Bull Market Over? (Central Bank Preview)

In the next 24 hours we’re going to get the answer to two very important questions:

  1. Is the Bond Bull Market Over?
  2. Have We Seen the Highs in Stocks for 2016?

And, it’s the Bank of Japan that likely will decide the answers to those questions, which will decide whether we see a potentially sharp decline in both stocks and bonds.

I’m not one for patting myself on the back, but I don’t know of many other research firms that were pounding the table back in August (when the market was quiet) saying:

  1. The July rally in stocks was in trouble because global bond yields were moving higher (they did, and the S&P 500 is down 2% from the August highs), and
  2. That the Bank of Japan and ECB were more important to US stocks than the Fed (the ECB caused a pullback two weeks ago and the Bank of Japan may do so tomorrow).

So, now I’m reiterating that tomorrow is a potentially very important day for clients’ stock and bond holdings, because even if we don’t see a lot of volatility immediately following the meetings, the Bank of Japan decision may mean the continuation of this rally in global bond yields, and the decline in stocks.


And, that could have significant consequences on clients returns as we enter the fourth quarter.

We are committed to making sure our paid subscribers know, before their competition, whether the Bank of Japan will cause global bond yields to move higher or lower, because that will be the key to getting clients properly positioned to outperform in Q4.

We’ve already delivered our Plain-English BOJ Preview to paid subscribers and they already know:

  1. What The Market Expects from the BOJ
  2. What will Make the Meeting “Dovish” and the likely market response
  3. What will Make the Meeting “Hawkish” and the likely market response

So, tomorrow, while other advisors and investors are searching WSJ.com, MarketWatch or CNBC to try and determine whether the meetings were bullish or bearish for stocks and bonds, our subscribers will already know.

But, more importantly, our subscribers know that at 7 a.m. Thursday morning we will deliver clear, Plain-English analysis of what the meetings mean for all asset classes (Stocks, Bonds, Commodities, Currencies) in the short and long term, and what tactical ETFs or general allocations we think will outperform in Q4 and beyond (and if that means raising cash, we’ll say it!).

Our paid subscribers won’t have to wait for a delayed, compliance-approved recap from their brokerage firm that just explains what the BOJ or Fed did, and ignores how to either protect gains or profit from the decisions.

We are going to tell our subscribers (at 7 a.m., and in plain English): 1) What Happened, 2) What it Means for Client Holdings (Stocks, Bonds, OI, Gold, the Dollar) and 3) How We Think We Can Make Money from It.

And, because this is such an important time for markets, we will be hosting a special webinar this Thursday at 1 P.M. EDT titled: “Breakout or Breakdown? 4th Quarter Market Preview.”

We will discuss the outlook for both stocks and bonds (and how we think investors should be positioned) heading into the 4th quarter.

There are a lot of moving pieces to tomorrow’s BOJ meeting and there aren’t a lot of clear, easy-to-read previews out there, so I’ve included an excerpt of our BOJ Preview as a courtesy:

 

BOJ Preview: What’s Expected

The fear going into tomorrow’s meeting will be that the BOJ will tacitly admit that it is indeed out of bullets, and is no longer able to provide meaningful stimulus to the Japanese economy. And while Japan is a unique case, this matters to all developed stock markets for two reasons.

  • First, and most directly, if the BOJ raises a symbolic white flag tomorrow, Japanese Government Bond yields will keep rising, which will make US Treasury yields rise, and that will keep a headwind on stocks.

  • Second, global stock markets have been supported (or propped up, depending on your definition) by the idea of ever more accommodative central banks. If the most aggressive central bank just declared itself impotent to spur further growth or inflation, what does that say about the ability of other central banks to support stocks prices/the economy if we see a slowdown? I often say at its heart, the market is little more than a confidence indicator, and a BOJ that disappoints markets again will strike a big blow to market confidence.

Bottom line, for global stock and bond markets that have been driven higher by the expectation of forever-low rates and ever-increasing central bank stimulus, having the most active player tacitly admit defeat is not good.

Now that we have the context, let’s look at what’s expected (there are a lot of moving pieces here, so bear with me):

  • QE: The first thing I will look at when I get up Wednesday will be to see if the BOJ increased the amount of QE. What’s Expected: No change to QE. If there is no change to QE, this BOJ decision will be at best neutral for stocks.
    • Dovish If (and Likely Market Reaction): Restricted for Subscribers
    • Hawkish If (and Likely Market Reaction): Restricted for Subscribers

     

  • Interest Rates:
    What’s Expected: Deposit Rate Cut from -.1% to -.3%.

     

    • Dovish If (and Likely Market Reaction): Restricted for Subscribers
    • Hawkish If (and Likely Market Reaction): Restricted for Subscribers

Wildcard to Watch: If the BOJ increases the inflation target from 2% to 3% (or close to 3%) that will be a surprise dovish move, and be taken as an unexpected positive (positive for stocks, negative for global bond yields).

 

Have a Plan In Place If Yields Keep Rising (and Stocks Keep Falling)

If you’re like me, and most advisors and investors, the biggest risk for tomorrow’s meetings is that global bond yields keep rising and stocks keep falling, creating an extension of the past 10 days where both stocks and bond holdings are falling together.

Given that risk, we spent last week providing subscribers with our “Higher Rate Playbook” they can refer to if we see that negative outcome, because in that scenario protecting profits and finding sectors that can outperform will be critically important! Paid subscribers already have this tactical playbook they can refer to, because we all know thinking clearly gets much more difficult when markets are falling!  

Play #1: Get Short the Long End of the Yield Curve, and/or Reduce the Overall Duration in any Bond Ladders

If we see a sustained decline in bonds/rally in yields, the belly and long end of the yield curve will get hit much harder than the short end of the yield curve.

There are two reasons for this:

First, the long end (say beyond 10 years) is over inflated because of foreign money, and as such has a lot further to fall before we get to compelling values.

Second, the short end of the curve (really 2 years or less) trades off Fed expectations, and the Fed simply isn’t going to raise rates quickly regardless of what happens in the markets (and especially if we see a selloff in stocks). So, the Fed will anchor the short end of the yield curve while the longer end rises, meaning the declines in short-term bonds will be less than in longer-term bonds.

ETFs to Get “Short” the Long Bond (there are many ETFs to do this but this is a list of the most liquid and targeted): Restricted for Subscribers

What to Buy in the Bond Markets: Restricted for Subscribers.
We don’t think everything in the bond market is toxic and we continue to have a top pick in the fixed income market for incremental capital that is less than five-year duration and the best alternative in a bond market that may be broadly declining.


Play #2: Focus on Good (but not Great) Credit Quality in Corporates

First, I think there may be opportunities for additional yield in the tier right below the top end of investment grade.
Point being, I would take the extra yield in that space between AAAs and junk, because barring a broad economic slowdown, corporate balance sheets are as strong as they’ve been in years.

Second, if I had a large allocation to junk bonds, I would rotate into higher-quality corporates because junk will get hit, and hit hard, in a declining bond market (think of junk bonds as the “subprime” of the bond market). Yes, junk pays a good yield, but in a rising rate environment it’s not worth the incremental risk.

How to Get Short Junk Bonds: Restricted for Subscribers.

How to Put on a Long Investment Grade/Short Junk Spread:
Restricted for Subscribers.


Play 3: Shift Exposure in US Stocks Out of “Yield Proxy Sectors.” (Know the difference between high-yielding sectors and truly defensive sectors).

If bonds and stocks keep falling, sector selection is going to become very important, and knowing the difference between truly “defensive” sectors vs. sectors that pay big dividends will matter for performance.

We provided the specific defensive sectors we like to paid subscribers in a report last week.

Play 4: Get a General Hedge Against “Risk Off.”

For over a year now we’ve used a specific inverse ETF as a broad hedge against a “risk-off” move in stocks, as this ETF has direct, specific exposure to some of the weakest sectors of the market, and as such can cushion any broad declines in the markets (like we saw in August/December 2015 and in January/February 2016).

We provided this specific ETF to subscribers once again in a report last week.


To be clear, I’m not advocating taking any of these steps right now, as it’s simply not clear that the bond market has indeed turned. So, we have to be wary of (another) head fake in this multi-year bull market.

But, if the bond market does turn and 10-year Treasury yield moves towards 2%, it is important that advisors have a plan before the declines start, because things could get ugly quickly.

If you don’t have a morning report that is going to give you the plain-spoken, practical analysis that will help you navigate the BOJ and Fed decisions tomorrow, and help you get positioned properly to outperform into year end, then please consider a quarterly subscription to The Sevens Report.

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Best,
Tom

Tom Essaye
Editor, The Sevens Report

 

 

 

Higher Rate Playbook

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Eight years ago today, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and, in my opinion, this business hasn’t been the same since.

That event, and the subsequent fallout, forever changed the way I analyze and invest in the markets, and I bet that’s true for you and your clients as well.

For me, the biggest change pre-Lehman to post-Lehman was the realization that the worst-case scenario can happen, so you can’t be dismissive of it regardless of how low the probability.

That’s one of the reasons that I produce The Sevens Report
– because I want to make sure our subscribers have someone watching their back and looking for risks to client portfolios across asset classes.

And, that’s sometimes why some people think I’m bearish.

I’m not bearish, but one of my main jobs is to make sure that my subscribers aren’t blindsided by seemingly obscure macro risks (like the ECB or BOJ).

That’s also why we spend hours each day watching stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies and economic data so that we can tell our subscribers when risks are materializing, and so we can suggest strategies to protect client portfolios and profit from market conditions.

And, that’s why three weeks ago we told subscribers not to be fooled by a quiet market, and alerted them to the fact that there were critical central bank events looming in September.

So far, we’ve been right:

  • Fed Jackson Hole Conference August 26th: Will Yellen be “dovish” in her speech? Result: Bearish. Yellen was dovish, but Fed Vice Chair Fischer was “hawkish” and put a September rate hike on the table, causing a drop in stocks.

  • The ECB Meeting September 8th: Will the ECB hint at more stimulus (bullish) or not (bearish)? Result: Bearish. The ECB did not hint at more stimulus and that has contributed to this pullback in stocks.

  • The Fed Meeting September 21st: Will the Fed hike rates (very bearish), hint at hiking rates in December (bearish) or stay ultra-dovish (bullish)?
  • The Bank of Japan Meeting September 21st: Will the BOJ adopt “Helicopter Money Light” (bullish), or just do another inconsequential easing like in July (bearish).

You know by now that next week’s meetings are key because if the Bank of Japan disappoints markets and the Fed is “hawkish,” bond yields will keep rising and stocks will keep falling.

But, just knowing that isn’t enough.

Advisors needs to have a plan in place to protect client portfolios if the selling gets worse.

That’s why earlier this morning we included, in the regular daily Sevens Report, a “higher rate” playbook of ETFs that will protect client portfolios if the decline in bonds and stocks continues or accelerates.

So, not only have we given our paid subscribers:

1) The information and talking points that show clients and prospects they understand the markets and weren’t surprised by the volatility, but also

2) A specific, tactical plan to protect client portfolios and maintain performance, should these events cause a significant pullback in stocks and bonds.

That’s how we make The Sevens Report
more than just a daily research report, and instead make it a tool that advisors use to get more assets and grow AUM.

Understanding how to be positioned should we see a continued decline in both stocks and bonds is critically important if an advisor or investor wants to successfully navigate these markets in the fourth quarter, and I’ve included an excerpt of that research below as a courtesy.

 

Higher Rate Playbook Part 1 (Sevens Report Excerpt)

Let me be perfectly clear: The major risk I see to portfolios right now is that we see a continuation of last week – namely both stocks and bonds decline together.

 

Given that, I want to lay out a general “playbook” of what to do if we do see bonds breakdown materially (which likely will drag stocks down).

Now, to be clear, I’m not saying execute on this today. But I do want to produce a list of ETFs and strategies that everyone can refer back to should we see bonds drop further.

Play #1: Get Short the Long End of the Yield Curve, and/or Reduce the Overall Duration in any Bond Ladders

If we see a sustained decline in bonds/rally in yields, the belly and long end of the yield curve will get hit much harder than the short end of the yield curve.

There are two reasons for this:

First, the long end (say beyond 10 years) is over inflated because of foreign money, and as such has a lot further to fall before we get to compelling values.

Second, the short end of the curve (really 2 years or less) trades off Fed expectations, and the Fed simply isn’t going to raise rates quickly regardless of what happens in the markets (and especially if we see a selloff in stocks). So, the Fed will anchor the short end of the yield curve while the longer end rises, meaning the declines in short-term bonds will be less than in longer-term bonds.

ETFs to Get “Short” the Long Bond (there are many ETFs to do this but this is a list of the most liquid and targeted): Restricted for Subscribers

What to Buy in the Bond Markets: We don’t think everything in the bond market is toxic and we continue to have a top pick in the fixed income market for incremental capital that is less than 5-year duration and the best alternative in a bond market that may be broadly declining.

Play #2: Focus on Good (but not Great) Credit Quality in Corporates

On the corporate side, there will be broad pressure on all corporate bonds if Treasuries decline, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be attractive yields in certain corners of the corporate bond market.

Money will likely initially rotate into very high-quality corporates as it exits Treasuries, so we could see yields in AAA bonds fall and become unattractive. But I think there may be opportunities for additional yield in the tier right below the top end of investment grade.

Point being, I would take the extra yield in that space between AAAs and junk, because barring a broad economic slowdown, corporate balance sheets are as strong as they’ve been in years.

That said, I would not reach for yield into the junk market.

In fact, if I had a large allocation to junk bonds, I would rotate into higher-quality corporates because junk will get hit, and hit hard, in a declining bond market (think of junk bonds as the “subprime” of the bond market). Yes, junk pays a good yield, but in a rising rate environment it’s not worth the incremental risk.

How to Get Short Junk Bonds:
Restricted for Subscribers.

How to Put on a Long Investment Grade/Short Junk Spread:
Restricted for Subscribers.

Play 3: Shift Exposure in US Stocks Out of “Yield Proxy Sectors.” (Know the difference between high-yielding sectors and truly defensive sectors).
Included in tomorrow’s paid edition of The Sevens Report.

If bonds and stocks keep falling, sector selection is going to become very important, and knowing the difference between truly “defensive” sectors vs. sectors that pay big dividends will matter for performance.

We will detail the specific defensive sectors we like in tomorrow’s report.


 

Play 4: Get a General Hedge Against “Risk Off.”
Included in tomorrow’s paid edition of The Sevens Report.

For over a year now we’ve used a specific inverse ETF as a broad hedge against a “risk off” move in stocks, as this ETF has direct, specific exposure to some of the weakest sectors of the market, and as such can cushion any broad declines in the markets (like we saw in August/December 2015 and in January/February 2016).


 

To be clear, I’m not advocating taking any of these steps right now, as it’s simply not clear that the bond market has indeed turned. So, we have to be wary of (another) head fake in this multi-year bull market.

But, if the bond market does turn and 10-year Treasury yield moves towards 2%, it is important that advisors have a plan before the declines start, because things could get ugly quickly.

 
 

Increased Market Volatility Will Be an Opportunity for the Informed Advisor and Investor

We aren’t market bears, but we said consistently that things were going to be volatile in 2016, and we were right!

And, as we approach the biggest event for markets since Brexit (the BOJ meeting next Wednesday) the advisor who is able to confidently and directly tell their nervous clients what’s happening with the markets and why stocks are up or down, and what the outlook is beyond the near term (without having to call them back), will be able to retain more clients and close more prospects.

We view volatility as a prime opportunity to help our paid subscribers grow their books and outperform markets
by making sure that every trading day they know:

1) What’s driving markets

2) What it means for all asset classes, and

 

3) What to do with client portfolios.

We monitor just about every market on the globe, break down complex topics, tell you what you need to know, and give you ETFs and single stocks that can both outperform the market and protect client portfolios.

All for $65/month with no long term commitment.

I’m not pointing this out because I’m implying we get everything right.

But we have gotten the market right so far in 2016, and it has helped our subscribers outperform their competition and strengthen their relationships with their clients – because we all know the recent volatility has resulted in some nervous client calls.

Our subscribers were able to confidently tell their clients 1) Why the market was selling off, 2) That they had a plan to hedge if things got materially worse and 3) That they were on top of the situation.

That’s our job, each and every trading day, and we are good at it. We watch all asset classes to generate clues and insight into the near-term direction of the markets, but our most important job is to remain vigilant to the next decline.

While we spend a lot of time trying to identify what’s really driving markets so our clients can be properly positioned, we also spend a lot of time identifying tactical, macro-based, fundamental opportunities that can help our clients outperform.

If you want research that comes with no long-term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, click the button below to begin your subscription today.
 

Finally, everything in business is a trade-off between capital and returns.

So, if you commit to an annual subscription, you get one month free, a savings of $65. To sign up for an annual subscription simply click here.
 

Best,
Tom

Tom Essaye
Editor, The Sevens Report

Bond Bubble

/in /by

Something potentially very important just happened with the 10-year Treasury yield.

It broke a downtrend in place since the start of 2016, and if it can hold this breakout through the Bank of Japan and Fed meeting next week, it will be a strong signal that the bond bull market may be ending, and interest rates may be (finally) moving higher.

 

I’m under no illusions that bonds aren’t exactly the most exciting topic in the markets, but the reason we keep focusing on the action in the bond markets is because what bond yields do from here will
be critically important for how stocks and bonds perform in Q4.

 

Stocks have pulled back a bit recently as bond yields have risen, but the potential is still there for either a continued melt up (at which point advisors are going to want to be very long) or a potentially violent pullback in both stocks and bonds (at which point advisors are going to want to be very defensive). 

So, with the BOJ and Fed meeting looming next week and the first presidential debate the week after that, the rest of September will be an especially critical time if you are an advisor or investor who has underperformed markets so far in 2016 (and there are a lot of very good advisors who have underperformed this difficult market), as these events will present an opportunity to close that performance gap… if you know what’s happening and how to be positioned. 

 

And, we’ve seen that over the past few weeks. Banks and other “higher-rate sensitive” sectors have massively outperformed, while tech and higher beta allocations have lagged, rewarding cautious advisors and investors who didn’t chase markets higher in late July/August.

We are going to be very focused on making sure our paid subscribers know, immediately, what the implications are for each of these key events,
and which sectors will benefit from those events, whether it’s banks, consumer staples, utilities, tech or inverse ETFs. 

 

In tomorrow’s edition of The Sevens Report
we are going to be providing a “Higher Rate Playbook” for paid subscribers that details (with specific ETFs):

 

1) How to hedge a higher interest rate driven decline in stocks,

 

2) Which market sectors will outperform in a higher rate environment, and

 

3) What parts of the bond market will outperform and underperform in a rising rate environment.

Look, it’s been a very tough year to beat lazy indexing, but we recognize the chance to make up ground over the coming weeks, and into Q4 and we’re going to be focused on helping our advisor subscribers do just that by making sure they have the need-to-know analysis of all asset classes and global regions, not just US economics or the Fed. 

We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of the August 2015 collapse in stocks, and while markets are higher (finally), so is volatility, as international events exert greater influence over the Fed, the US economy, and the US stock market.

We understand that in this market, clients’ assets are at the mercy of the BOJ, ECB, Italian banks, Chinese policy makers, etc., and that’s why, every day, we make sure our paid subscribers know the key trends in:

  • Stocks
  • Bonds
  • Commodities
  • Currencies
  • Economic data

It’s only by providing that 360-degree coverage, every day, that advisors and investors can truly have an understanding of the risks and opportunities for their portfolios in this environment. 

The end of the bond bull market has been called many times by analysts over the past several years, and while I’m not about to do that today (the benefit of the doubt remains with the bulls) there is a subtle but important change in the markets that may signal the lows in Treasury yields are in for a long, long time.  

 

Another Nail in the Bond Bubble Coffin?

Hopefully by now we’ve driven home the point that next week’s BOJ meeting is the most important event on the calendar since Brexit, because if the BOJ disappoints markets it’ll send Japanese bond yields higher, which will pull Treasury yields higher and hurt stocks.

But, even if the BOJ chooses to do more stimulus, we still may have seen the lows in global bond yields for a very long time.

The reason?

Currency hedging (and Las Vegas).

Longer-term readers know that foreign buying of Treasuries has been a massively positive influence on Treasury prices/negative influence on yields.

One of the reasons foreign buyers have gobbled up Treasuries over the past several years was because it was very easy and cheap to hedge out the currency exposure (a German portfolio manager who bought Treasuries was also buying dollars, and that represented an additional risk he or she would want to hedge out, so it became a pure yield play).

But too much of a good thing can become a problem, and in this case the ocean of foreign money flowing into Treasuries, all looking for the same currency hedge, has caused a problem.

For those who follow sports, it’s the same problem bookies have each week when betting the spreads.

In Las Vegas, when too much money goes towards one team, bookies have to adjust the point spread to make a bet on the other team more attractive.

That’s why betting spreads move during the week, as the bookies are always trying to make the amount bet on Team A equal to the amount bet on Team B. That way the bookies have no risk and just collect fees. It’s similar with currency dealers and trading desks.

To bring it back to the markets, if everyone wanted to hedge out the risk of the euro or yen strengthening vs. their Treasury positions, the bets become too one sided and the currency dealers and trading desks have to increase their fees to insulate themselves against losses.

That has been occurring in the foreign exchange markets over the past several months, and at this point, according to reports from Deutsche Bank and Reuters (and I’ve read similar articles from other firms), it now costs so much to hedge out that foreign exchange risk that it has totally offset the additional yield you get in Treasuries over other government debt.

Basically, the “Long Treasuries” trade has become too crowded, and isn’t worth it anymore.

That’s important for advisors and their clients for one simple reason:

It means that a major source of demand for Treasuries has been diminished, which is Treasury negative regardless of what the Fed or BOJ does next week.

 

Have a Plan in Place if Stocks and Bonds Drop

Let me be clear: If the BOJ disappoints markets next week, both stocks and bonds will drop. But, even if the BOJ does unleash more stimulus, depending on what happens with global bond yields, we still could see Treasury yields rise (or at least not fall very much).

We are committed to making sure our paid subscribers have a strategy to protect client portfolios in either environment, and that’s why tomorrow, we are going to be providing a “Higher Rate Playbook” for them that details (with specific ETFs):

 

1) How to hedge a higher interest rate driven decline in stocks,

 

2) Which market sectors will outperform in a higher rate environment, and

3) What parts of the bond market will outperform and underperform in a rising rate environment.

If all we do is help you navigate the next six weeks correctly and help you get properly positioned in client accounts for the fourth quarter, we will have more than covered our subscription cost.

If you don’t have a morning report that is going to give you the plain-spoken, practical analysis that will help you navigate the coming weeks and help you get positioned properly to outperform into year end, then please consider a quarterly subscription to The Sevens Report.

There is no penalty to cancel, no long-term commitment, and it costs less per month than one client lunch!

With thousands of advisor subscribers from virtually every firm on Wall Street and a 90% initial retention rate, we are very confident we offer the best value in the private research market.

I am continuing to extend a special offer to new subscribers of our full, daily report that we call our “2-week grace period.”

If you subscribe to The Sevens Report today, and after the first two weeks you are not completely satisfied, we will refund your first quarterly payment, in full, no questions asked.

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Finally, everything in business is a trade-off between capital and returns.

So, if you commit to an annual subscription, you get one month free, a savings of $65. To sign up for an annual subscription simply click here.
 


Best,
Tom

Tom Essaye
Editor, The Sevens Report