The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the deepest downturn in global economic activity in the post-war era, but almost certainly the shortest recession. US stocks have rebounded over 50% since the March 23rd lows and the S&P 500 is now up over 5% through three quarters. Historically, the 4th quarter is the strongest quarter of the year, but there are some potential headwinds going into year-end. The largest concerns that we are hearing from clients surround the election and what it will mean for their investments. Please click here to continue reading our 3rd Quarter Newsletter.
As investors continue to grapple with the near-term issues impacting global markets, we believe there is disruptive innovation happening simultaneously and could be the transformative innovation platforms that can drive the economy out of a potential recession and power growth for many years in the future. The key areas are (Source: Ark Investments):
On August 14th, the 10 year Treasury Yield went slightly below the yield for the 2 year Treasury, the first time this has happened since 2007. Economist pay close attention to the 10 year vs. 2 year Treasury yields, as its historically been a strong predictor that a downturn is on the way. The yield curve has inverted before every US recession since 1955, although it sometimes happens months or years before the recession starts. The average time between the last 5 yield curve inversions and a recession was 17 months. This lead time is the key and its still very uncertain how long a lead time we may have in the current economy before there is an actual recession. That said, an inverted yield curve, like most other indicators, is not perfect and doesn’t mean a recession is imminent.
Despite what some people may say, no one really knows the exact reason as to why the market has pulled back so ferociously, but what we do know is that in any given year, the market normally has 3 drops of over 5%. This is the 2nd drop this year after zero in 2017. In other words the market generally goes up over time, but can take a step back or two at any moment. That said, markets tend to move in cycles and we must be cognizant of where we are because, as cycles get longer, pullbacks tend to become more frequent and more severe.
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” -Mike Tyson
While we are bullish in the short term, we remain cognizant of where we are in the cycle and are preparing ourselves for what a down market may bring. Having a plan in place beforehand helps control emotions and ultimately leads to better investment decisions. In this latest newsletter, we’ve taken a look back at this past quarter, some of the things that are causing the choppiness in the market: tariff talks and rising interest rates, and how we are preparing for a more volatile market environment.
Successful investing is often determined by one’s ability to stay the course. Since 2009, investors have had every excuse to bail out of stocks, but the market has continued to climb a wall of worry, becoming one of the longest bull markets in history. In fact, since March of ’09, the S&P 500 is up 290%. By historic measures, this market has lasted 108 months vs 54 months for the average bull market. The question becomes: Where are we now? In our humble opinion, we are probably pretty deep into the 4th quarter and might go into overtime.
