Breaking News

As we go to print there are a number of news headlines of significance. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a Russian-produced missile hit a Polish village near the border of Ukraine, killing two Polish citizens. This incident sparked a flurry of NATO leaders declaring that all NATO territories must be defended and as a result, fanned fears of an escalation and/or expansion in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. News of this explosion in Poland aborted an early-day rally that had been kindled by better-than-expected third quarter earnings from Walmart Inc. (WMT – $147.44).

Later this evening former President Trump is expected to announce his intention of running for re-election in 2024. This could split the Republican Party which is already showing signs of post-election fatigue and upheaval. The midterm elections did not produce a red or blue wave, but it is expected to create a shift in leadership in Congress. Rick Scott (R – FL) announced he will run against Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R – KY) for the role of minority leader in the Senate. And if the Republicans edge out the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy is expected to take the role of Speaker of the House from the indefatigable Democrat Nancy Pelosi. New leadership in Congress is unlikely to generate a meaningful difference in policy, but it is reassuring that a divided Congress is usually seen as a positive for the equity market.

These news events took the attention away from the collapsed crypto exchange FTX which has dominated financial news in recent days. The exchange, among the world’s largest, filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday after traders pulled $6 billion in three days from the platform and rival exchange Binance abandoned a possible rescue deal. FTX is the highest-profile crypto blowup to date and bankruptcy filings indicate the exchange faces a “severe liquidity crisis” and could have more than 1 million creditors. This is a warning of possible liquidity issues in unsuspected places in the upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, it is possible that FTX founder and former chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried will face felony charges due to what might be “unauthorized transactions” on its platform.     

The Rally

News of the wayward Russian missile threw a curve ball in what appeared to be an improving outlook for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The retreat of Russian troops from Kherson left Russia with no forces on the right, or western, bank of Europe’s third largest river that bisects Ukraine and flows into the Black Sea. This is a vital conduit for Ukrainian grain exports. In fact, there were unsubstantiated reports that an agreement might be possible between Russia’s Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. We believe this possibility contributed to the massive rally in the euro and the decline in the dollar last week. This prospect, coupled with short covering, were catalysts for the rally in equities last week.

Yet stocks rose for a number of reasons including financial headlines like “US Fed could soon start easing rate policy.” We found this headline to be very misleading. Using the word “easing” in terms of monetary policy translates directly into the prospect of the Fed lowering interest rates. However, in this case, the media is actually referring to the possibility that interest rate increases could get smaller. However, these are two very distinct and different concepts. We question whether this headline was intentional and thereby playing with investor psychology or was it simply a symptom of naïve and inexperienced journalism. We do not know, but we do know that the market responded as if interest rates were about to decline. This makes us nervous about the rally.

Higher Interest Rates Ahead

As noted, investors celebrated better-than-expected CPI data for October with a massive rally, but as seen on page 5, the improvement was minor. Headline CPI was 7.8% YOY in October versus 8.2% YOY in September. Core CPI rose 6.3% YOY versus the 40-year high of 6.6% recorded in September. PPI data was somewhat better since it is coming down from cyclical highs recorded in June. In October, finished goods PPI rose 11.2%, core finished goods rose 8.1% and final demand PPI rose 8.0% YOY. Yet clearly, these rates remain well above the long-term average of 3% and remain at the highest pace in 40 years.

What is important to emphasize is that core CPI (6.3% YOY) and core PPI (8.1% YOY) remain well above the pace of wage growth (4.8% YOY) and this means household purchasing power continues to erode. This has been and will be a factor that will weigh on economic growth in the coming months. See page 6.

Another consideration that will slow economic activity is steady monetary tightening. Recent inflation data indicates that the fed funds rate continues to be negative and as a result, the Fed is not expected to stop raising rates in the foreseeable future. See page 7. All in all, we question the validity of the discussion around a Fed pivot. Even though the pace of interest rate increases may slow, this has very different implications from a reversal in interest rates. Sentiment on monetary policy is too optimistic, in our view. The Fed will continue to raise interest rates and depress economic activity in coming months making a recession likely in 2023.

Meanwhile, consumer and business confidence continue to erode. NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index declined 0.8 points in October to 91.3, the 10th consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98. Of the 10 Index components, two increased, seven declined, and one was unchanged. Small business earnings and sales are at levels last seen during the 2020 recession and employment plans are declining. See page 3. Headline University of Michigan consumer sentiment hit a record low of 50.0 in June before rebounding. Nevertheless, it fell from October’s 59.9 to 54.7 in November. Economic expectations in the University of Michigan and Conference Board consumer sentiment indices, as well as the small business survey, have been falling nearly every month in the last two years. See page 4.

Technically Good News

The 25-day up/down volume oscillator is currently overbought for the third consecutive trading day with a preliminary reading of 3.83. This is significant because bear markets rarely reach overbought territory and if they do the reading tends to be modest and brief. In sum, this will be a key indicator to monitor in the coming days to assess the strength of any advance in prices. A long and extreme overbought reading would change our view of this rally merely being a strong bear market rebound. We will keep you posted.

In the interim, it is clear that this bear market has defined a transition of leadership. The FANG phenomenon is over. This new cycle is shifting from classic growth to value, from large capitalization to mid-to-small capitalization, and from global to domestic. We continue to favor recession-resistant areas such as energy, utilities, staples, aerospace and defense and recession-proof healthcare. 

Gail Dudack

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Politics and inflation are the features of this week; however, third-quarter earnings results continue to provide plenty of drama in the background.

Politics and Equities

In terms of this week’s elections, a number of strategists are noting that since WWII, the S&P 500 has had a perfect record of gains following the midterm elections. In addition, the S&P 500 has posted an increase in each of the 12-month periods after the midterm vote and these gains have averaged an impressive 15%. As we show on page 3, the fourth quarter of the midterm election year tends to be the best fourth quarter of any of the four years in the election year cycle. And more importantly, the first quarter of the pre-election year tends to be the best quarter in the entire election cycle for most of the popular indices. In short, the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 are periods that have a solid history of being strong periods for stock prices.  

To date, 2022 has been very volatile and has underperformed historical averages. This severe underperformance is best displayed by the chart on page 4. However, it is this underperformance that may have led to the strong rebound seen in October. Yet even apart from politics, November marks the start of the best 3-month and 6-month periods for equity prices. In short, the stock market should have the wind at its back in the coming months.

And we do not see anything in terms of election results that could hamper stock prices. History shows that equity investors tend to like a split Congress. According to Reuters, when a Democrat is president, the market performs best when Republicans hold either the House, Senate, or both. The average annual S&P 500 returns have been 14% with a split Congress, 13% with a Republican-held Congress, and a 10% gain when Democrats control both the White House and Congress. All in all, the midterm elections should have a positive effect on investor sentiment.

Earnings Revisions

While we do expect the election to be a positive for equities, we are less optimistic about the next six to twelve months due to the deterioration we see in corporate earnings. The steady decline in S&P 500 earnings for this year and next year has continued as the third-quarter earnings season passes its midpoint. This week the S&P Dow Jones consensus earnings estimates for 2022 and 2023 fell $0.57 and $2.76, respectively. Refinitiv IBES consensus earnings forecasts fell $0.36 and $3.28, respectively. What is notable about the last two weeks’ revisions is not just that they continue to fall but that estimates for 2023 are beginning to plummet. As a result, the 2022/2023 forecasts from S&P Dow Jones and IBES Refinitiv are now $204.17 and $230.11 for 2022 and $220.91 and $232.64 for 2023. Earnings growth rates for 2022 are (1.9%) according to S&P and 6.1% according to IBES.

We have been stating that our S&P 500 earnings estimates would be reviewed after third quarter results, however, results have been so poor that we believe our earnings estimates need addressing this week. Our 2022 and 2023 estimates are slashed this week from $209 to $202 and from $229 to $204, respectively. The decline in this year’s estimate reflects the weakness seen in 2022 earnings results to date. More importantly, and more dramatically, our revision for 2023 earnings is due to the negative impact we expect to see from current and future Fed rate hikes on economic activity. Although some economists are now placing odds on the ability of the Fed to maneuver a soft landing in 2023, we believe many parts of the economy are already in or will inevitably face a recession. As a result, this will continue to put pressure on consumers and therefore on top-line revenue growth. Plus, inflation will continue to pressure corporate profit margins. For these reasons, we continue to favor the more recession-resistant areas of the stock market such as energy, utilities, staples, and defense stocks. Healthcare is a DRG-neutral weighting (see page 13) but many health-related stocks are necessities and are therefore recession resistant. Note that this means one should emphasize value versus growth and growth at a reasonable price.

In terms of the economy, the ISM nonmanufacturing survey’s composite index fell from 56.7 to 54.4 in October and the details of the report were unfavorable. New orders and business activity declined, and employment slipped below the neutral 50 mark. Note that the service sector, which has been the relative outperforming sector of the US economy, now appears to be joining the manufacturing sector which has been in decline since early 2021. See page 5.

Valuation

The jump in short-term interest rates from nearly zero to 4.2% is currently having and will continue to have a dramatic impact on equity valuation. The current earnings yield of 5.4% and dividend yield of 1.8% still hold a slight edge over bonds, but this will continue to evaporate as interest rates rise and earnings forecasts fall. When we put our revised earnings forecasts of $202 and $204 into our valuation model, coupled with our estimates for headline CPI of 7.1% this year and 4.0% next year, and short-term interest rates of 4.75% this year and 5.0% for next year, equity valuations fall. The midpoints of our valuation model drop to SPX 2666 for 2022 and to SPX 3020 for 2023. In sum, equity risk due to inflation, rising interest rates, and falling earnings continues. See page 7.  

Technical Indicators Remain Interesting

The charts of the popular indices are as revealing as many of our technical indicators this week, and each tells a slightly different story about the equity market. On page 8 we have ordered the charts of the indices in terms of technical strength. The DJIA is the strongest index and has just exceeded its long-term 200-day moving average this week. It is less than 3% above the moving average that confirms a breakout, nevertheless, it is trading above all its moving averages. The Russell 2000 is approaching its 200-day moving average but remains below it. The S&P 500 continues to find resistance in the narrow range between its 50-and-100-day moving averages. And lastly, the Nasdaq Composite is the weakest of all the indices and is trading well below all its moving averages. This divergence in the indices is a demonstration of shifting leadership from growth to value. 

The 25-day up/down volume oscillator is currently neutral with a reading of 1.11. Last week we noted that the indicator was rising toward an overbought reading of 3.0 or greater, which could signal a turning point for the market. The significance of an overbought reading is that bear markets rarely reach overbought territory and if they do the reading is brief. However, in recent days this indicator retreated before reaching overbought territory – a sign of decelerating buying pressure on the rally. Nevertheless, this indicator will be important to monitor in the coming weeks since it could be a bellwether of the strength of future advances in prices. See page 9. With many indices at, or near resistance levels, it will be important to see if this week’s inflation data has a significant impact on investor sentiment.

Gail Dudack

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This week is significant since it marks the heaviest five days of the third quarter earnings reporting season. It also includes the November FOMC meeting and October’s employment report and precedes the midterm election on November 8. Each of these issues has ramifications for the equity market, but in our view, earnings reports should have the biggest short- and long-term impact on stocks.

The Importance of Earnings

To date, third quarter earnings results are coming in lower than much-reduced expectations. Last week the Refinitiv IBES estimates for this year and next fell $0.87 and $2.86, respectively. The S&P Dow Jones consensus estimates, which are important since S&P follows GAAP methodology, fell $2.00 and $2.52, respectively. As a result, the respective consensus estimates for this year are currently $221.27 and $204.70, which represent growth rates of 6.3% YOY for IBES and negative 1.7% YOY for S&P. See page 8. The steady decline in earnings estimates is a concern because we believe bear markets bottom out when the outlook for valuation is improving, or at least hopeful. Unfortunately, assuming the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this week and again in December, and since rising interest rates suggest a weaker economy in 2023, the outlook for earnings is not optimistic. As a result, estimates for 2023 earnings are probably still too high and one can expect more negative surprises in the quarters ahead. Earnings disappointments erode investor confidence over time. In the short run, this week’s battery of earnings reports could set the tone for whether there is hope for 2023 earnings, or if estimates are still too high.

Nonetheless, our skepticism on S&P 500 earnings is not broadly based. In fact, we have been in favor of recession-resistant sectors and seek stocks where earnings growth is most predictable. In general, the current economic environment favors value stocks versus growth stocks, and we have been emphasizing necessities such as energy, staples, defense/aerospace, and utilities. The utility sector has shifted from being an outperformer to an underperformer in the last month, but keep in mind that “performance” in utilities should not be measured just by price, but by total return. We have a neutral weighting on healthcare, however, since healthcare is another household necessity with pricing power, it should not be overlooked in our view. See page 13. From a historical perspective, bear markets tend to be a transition period for a significant shift in leadership. We believe this is true of the current market. Notably, S&P sectors labeled as “growth” have varied over the decades, but they have had one thing in common and that is that they have represented the highest earnings growth rates of all 11 S&P sectors. In the next few years, or at least until inflation has come under control, we believe recession/inflation-resistant companies will provide the best earnings and price performance and will outperform the S&P 500 index. In truth, energy has been the growth sector of 2021 and 2022.

A Fed Pivot

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise the fed funds rate from its current range of 3% to 3.25% to 3.75% to 4.0% this week. This would be the fifth interest rate hike in a twelve-month period and the fourth consecutive 75 basis point increase this year. It would also constitute an increase of 375 basis points in the last 20 months. This will certainly have a major dampening effect on economic activity in the first half of next year and it has already put the residential real estate market in a recession. We would challenge market pundits who are focused on whether a 50-basis point increase at the December FOMC meeting would constitute a “Fed pivot” and a key buying opportunity, because we believe this misses a very important point — a 375-basis-point increase in the fed funds rate in a mere twelve months is likely to trigger a recession in 2023. Again, there are many reasons to focus on recession and/or inflation resistant companies at this juncture, even though we would note that the best three-month period for stocks (November, December and January) has just begun.

A Critical Technical Juncture

Technical indicators are at an interesting and, in some cases, critical juncture just as important information from earnings, the Fed, economic data, and political elections loom on the horizon. The most important indicator this week is the 25-day up/down volume oscillator which is currently neutral with a reading of 2.61. However, this is surprisingly close to an overbought reading of 3.0 or greater. Since bear markets rarely reach overbought territory and if they do the reading is brief, there is the possibility of a turning point in this indicator. In sum, we will be watching the 25-day up/down volume oscillator very carefully in coming weeks.

And as the oscillator faces a potential turning point so does the S&P 500 index. A convergence of the  50- and 100-day moving averages at roughly SPX 3900 represents a key resistance level. If bettered, it would be a positive for the intermediate-term outlook and fall in line with the favorable seasonality that is typical of year end. If it proves to be resistance, it will confirm that the bear market cycle remains intact. See page 9. Nevertheless, the indices are not moving in unison, and it is worth noting that the DJIA is trading above its shorter-term moving averages and currently testing its 200-day moving average. The Russell 2000 is similarly close to its 200-day moving average. This divergence and relative outperformance of small capitalization stocks is favorable since the large capitalization stocks tend to be the last to fall in a bear market.

Economic Data

After contracting in the first two quarters of the year, GDP grew 2.6% (seasonally adjusted annualized rate – SAAR) in the third quarter. However, trade contributed 2.8% to the quarter as exports of oil & gas to Europe increased and a strong dollar translated into fewer dollars spent on imports. In short, these may be short-term influences and the domestic economy continued to struggle. See page 3.

Household consumption contributed less to third quarter activity than it did in the second quarter and consumer spending was disproportionately in services. Businesses slashed spending on structures and residential investment fell at a 26.4% annual rate. Residential fixed investment was the largest drag on third quarter GDP falling 1.4% (SAAR), followed by inventories which fell 0.7% (SAAR). Third quarter typically sees an inventory build ahead of the holiday season; however, real retail sales have been weak in recent months and retailers appear to be cautious. The one bright spot in the GDP report was a small decline in the GDP deflator from 7.6% to 7.0%. See pages 4 and 5.

In September, personal income grew 5.2% YOY and personal disposable income grew 3.2% YOY. But the true measure of household consumption is demonstrated by real personal income which declined 1.0% YOY and real disposable income which fell 2.9% YOY. See page 6. Yet despite a lack of purchasing power, personal consumption expenditures rose 8.2% YOY in September and grew 8.4% over the last three months. Not surprisingly, the savings rate fell from 3.4% to 3.1% in the same month. Overall, consumption may not be sustainable at this level.

Gail Dudack

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World News

It was a quiet week in terms of domestic economic news, but it was far from dull in terms of global news. In the UK, Rishi Sunak took over as Britain’s 57^th prime minister, replacing Liz Truss, whose 45 days in office was the shortest tenure in UK history. Sunak will be the first prime minister of South Asian descent, the first person of color, the first Hindu prime minister, and at 42 years old is the youngest person to hold the office in modern times. He has previously worked for Goldman Sachs, was a managing director of a hedge fund, and might be the richest person to ever hold the office. He formerly served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) in Boris Johnson’s cabinet. Sunak inherits a difficult economic environment, but the market’s first reactions were favorable and British sterling rallied on the news. Separately, the Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates 75 basis points on November 3, one day after the Federal Reserve is expected to raise the fed funds rate by another 75 basis points.

This week Russia took allegations to the UN Security Council implying that Ukraine is preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory. Western and Ukrainian officials dismissed these charges as misinformation, but many worry that this could be a pretext prior to Putin escalating the war. Simultaneously Putin notified the US of plans to carry out annual exercises of its nuclear forces.  

Over the weekend, the Chinese Communist Party unanimously chose Xi Jinping to be its leader for another term of five years, while also granting him a breadth of institutional power not seen since the days of Mao Zedong. In 2017 Xi removed term limits for the presidency. And in a blatant expression of power, Xi had China’s former president, Hu Jintao, forcibly removed from the final session of the 20^th National Congress, a sign that Xi is pushing all but his most loyal allies out of positions of power.

Saudi Arabia’s energy chief Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman blasted the use of emergency oil reserves to manipulate prices in a direct warning to President Biden who just released millions of barrels from strategic petroleum reserves. Saudi’s energy minister stated, “Losing emergency stocks may be painful in the months to come.” President Biden has signed off on historic use of the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) this year, releasing 180 million barrels of oil since April, with another release of 14 million barrels this month. This supply has helped to keep a lid on energy inflation in the weeks before the midterm elections, but it is also putting oil markets under pressure with the SPR at its lowest level since 1984. 

Earnings

At the end of the week, slightly more than half of the S&P 500 component companies will have reported third quarter earnings. This week the S&P consensus EPS estimate for 2022 declined to $206.74 and IBES fell to $222.14 bringing EPS growth rates for 2022 to -0.7% and 6.7%, respectively. These estimates are down from $227.51 and $230, respectively, at the end of April. This means the S&P consensus estimate has declined nearly 10% in the last five months and it is still falling. This week forecasts for 2022 declined 59 cents and for 2023 fell 28 cents. And estimates are apt to fall again this week. Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O – $104.48) reported earnings of $1.06 per share versus $1.40 a year earlier, based upon disappointing ad sales. Last week Snap Inc. (SNAP – $9.60) reported its slowest ever revenue growth rate and the stock collapsed. Microsoft (MSFT – $250.66) reported earnings of $2.35 per share in its fiscal year ending in September, versus $2.71 a year earlier, and projected quarterly revenue below Wall Street targets across its business units. Microsoft suffered its worst quarterly net income decline in two years and the weakest revenue growth in more than five years. These results fanned fears of a slump in personal computer sales and slowing growth in its cloud computing business. General Electric Co. (GE – $73.00) trimmed its full-year forecast after reporting a decline in third quarter earnings due to higher raw material costs in its renewable energy business and demand uncertainty due to the expiration of renewable electricity production tax credits. In sum, we expect consensus earnings estimates for the S&P 500 will continue to decline. This fact puts our current 2022 estimate of $209 at risk. We will be reassessing our estimates at the end of third quarter earnings season.

A Bounce

There have already been two bear market rallies that tested the 200-day moving averages in the indices in this bear market cycle, and the recent oversold condition suggests we may be in the midst of a third test. This implies there is room at the top for this rally, but we would keep in mind where resistance could be expected. Key resistance levels are Dow Jones Industrial Average: 32,703; S&P 500 index: 4,126; Nasdaq Composite index: 12,458; and Russell 2000 index: 1891. We are monitoring the Russell 2000 index most closely since it is currently testing key resistance at 1,800. This could prove to be significant this week. Failure to better this level would be a sign that the broader rally is weakening. Remember, the Russell had been a lead indicator of the broad market in 2021 when it failed to move in step with the larger capitalization indices, warning of market weakness ahead. And more recently, October’s decline failed to slip significantly lower than the June low, a subtle sign of outperformance. As long as the Russell 2000 stays between resistance at 1,800 and support at 1,640 the technical trend is neutral. However, a break above 1,800 or below 1.640 could be a trigger for the next intermediate term move. See page 7.

The 25-day up/down volume oscillator is currently neutral with a reading of negative 1.21. However, back on September 30, the oscillator hit an oversold reading of negative 5.6 which was a deeper oversold reading than the negative 5.17 reading seen on July 14, 2022. It was also in oversold territory for 8 of 10 consecutive trading sessions in July and oversold for 18 of the 24 consecutive trading sessions in September/October. This was a longer oversold reading than at the previous low and a sign of intense selling pressure. In short, October’s test of the June lows was unsuccessful by several measures, and the bear market cycle continues. This is true despite the nearly 6% two-day gain seen in the market to open October, the 4% two-day gain seen last week and this week’s 1.6% up day. See page 8.

Our views on the stock market and economy are unchanged. With interest rates apt to move higher, the economy is likely to slow. This suggests a focus on recession resistant stocks and sectors, which means finding companies that can have the most predictable earnings streams in a difficult economic environment. In general, this favors value rather than growth as a strategy. We maintain an overweight status on energy, utilities, staples, and defense-related companies in the industrial sector. Our recommendation on healthcare is a neutral weighting, but we do appreciate its defensive qualities. See page 11.

Gail Dudack

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Technical Indicators

Our view of the recent rally is quite simple. The popular equity indices fell well below their moving averages in recent weeks and a rebound to at least the 50-day moving averages is likely in coming trading sessions. The levels to look for are 31,277 in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 3,915 in the S&P 500, 11,637 in the Nasdaq Composite, and 1,822 in the Russell 2000 index. Note that a test of these levels equates to another 2.5%, 5.3%, 8.0%, and 3.7% upside, respectively, in the indices. See page 9.

The good news is that the current rebound has more potential; but unfortunately, the market’s action in recent weeks also suggests the bear market is ongoing. In short, the lows are yet to be found. Breadth data deteriorated in September, and in particular, the 25-day up/down volume oscillator hit an extreme oversold reading of negative 5.6 on September 30. This was a deeper oversold reading than the one seen at the June low. The 25-day oscillator was also in oversold territory for 10 consecutive trading sessions in September and to date, it has been oversold for a second time in six of the last seven trading sessions. This represents a much longer and persistent oversold condition than the six out of eight consecutive trading sessions seen at the June low. All in all, it indicates an escalation in selling pressure which means the test of the June lows was unsuccessful by several measures and the bear market continues. See page 10.

The current reading in the 25-day oscillator is oversold at negative 3.3, which is rather amazing given the nearly 6% two-day gain seen in the market to open October and the 4% two-day gain seen this week. This oversold reading reveals that despite these sharp rallies, selling pressure has overwhelmed buying pressure over the last 25 trading sessions, typical of a bearish trend. A successful test of a bear market low materializes when a new low in price is accompanied by less selling pressure and a less severe oversold reading. This indicates that selling pressure and downside risk is abating. In other words, a “non-confirmation” of a major low is a positive sign. Sadly, that is not what has been seen in October, to date.

Sentiment indicators have also been extreme recently, but this is favorable. Last week’s AAII readings showed bullishness at 20.4% and bearishness at 55.9%. Also noteworthy was the 17.7% bullish reading seen the week of September 17th since it was among the 20 lowest readings since the survey began in 1987. Bearish sentiment has been above 50% for seven of the last eight weeks which is also rare. Equity prices tend to be higher in the next six and/or twelve months following such extreme readings. Keep in mind that sentiment indicators are never good at timing market peaks or troughs, but they are good at indicating which way to lean. In this case, it suggests that investors should not be overly bearish on equities and should be looking for a buying opportunity ahead. See page 12.

Earnings Forecasts

We are happy to report that some anchors on CNBC are now pointing out that even though some companies are reporting third quarter earnings results that exceed consensus expectations, these earnings are nonetheless weaker than a year earlier. That is a step in the right direction, since the market had been ignoring the fact that earnings have been weakening in 2022.

This week the S&P Dow Jones consensus earnings estimates for 2022 and 2023 fell $0.79 and $2.62, respectively. Refinitiv IBES consensus earnings forecasts fell $0.76 and $1.17, respectively. To date third quarter results are triggering larger earnings cuts than what was seen in the second quarter. The S&P consensus EPS estimate for 2022 is now at $207.33 and the IBES estimate fell to $222.58 bringing EPS growth rates for 2022 to negative 0.4% and positive 7.7%, respectively. See page 8. Our 2022 and 2023 estimates are currently $209 and $229, respectively, but remain under review. Based on early releases, our S&P 500 earnings estimates could come down significantly before year end. Unfortunately, this means the fair value range for the SPX will also fall. The range in our valuation model currently shows a low of SPX 2354, a high of SPX 3430, and a midpoint of SPX 2890. It is the midpoint of the range that is the most likely to contain downside risk, in our view. However, this explains why lowering our earnings forecast poses even more downside risk in the marketplace.

Inflation

September’s inflation data disappointed many and this disappointment will continue in coming months unless analysts look deeper into CPI data. Forecasters were expecting lower inflation numbers because energy prices fell 6.2% month-over-month in September. Nevertheless, September’s CPI was unchanged year-over-year and core CPI rose. And note, this was not due entirely to owners’ equivalent rent, as some are saying. See page 3.

As we expected, healthcare prices are rising in the fourth quarter which tends to be a seasonal trend. Housing prices may be peaking in some regions of the country, but housing is still rising in the CPI index. More importantly, unnoticed by many is the fact that food and beverage prices rose 10.8% YOY in September. This should be a concern for all investors because food inflation is not impacted significantly by energy (except for transportation costs) but will be impacted by the conflict in Ukraine since Ukraine – the breadbasket of Europe — is a major grain producer. We expect grain shortages will drive prices higher for the foreseeable future. In addition, Hurricane Ian damaged large portions of agricultural land in central Florida which could have an impact on the supply of fruits, vegetables, and beef. In our view, food shortages are likely to add to inflation in the months ahead. See page 4.

Some economists are fixated on owners’ equivalent rent which has a 24% weighting in the CPI and rose 6.7% YOY in September. They are challenging the validity of homeowners’ equivalent rent as a measure of housing costs since it is measured not by transactions, but from a survey of home prices and rents in various neighborhoods. Some say the surveys are not reflecting the deceleration in home prices. This is true since rents always lag home prices, sometimes by quite a few months, but this has always been true. Still, when we compare the history of owners’ equivalent rent to the National Association of Realtors median single-family home price, we find the homeowners’ equivalent rent has been much more subdued than home prices and has been a slow and steady measure of costs over time. However, the 6.7% increase seen in September was above the normal range of zero to 6%. See page 6. Rents are likely to fall in time since housing is clearly in a down-cycle. Signs of a housing recession are numerous, including the year-long decline in NAHB confidence. See page 6. However, this is not the problem that we see. Food and beverages have a 14.5% weighting in the CPI and rose a greater 11% YOY. This combination concerns us. Moreover, inflation is rising 8.2% YOY and wages are rising 4.8%. This equates to a 3.4% loss of purchasing power. See page 5. We remain cautious and continue to favor recession resistant sectors and stocks.

Gail Dudack

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