Is there anything more important than the US Dollar these days? We’re on pace for the 10th straight week of gains for the US Dollar Index, a feat matched only once in the history of the index (2014). And for the last few years, the Dollar has had a strong negative correlation with stocks.
What do we want to own?
That’s the question we ask ourselves every day. Stocks? Bonds? Commodities? Crypto? Cash? The answer doesn’t have to be like flipping a light switch. It’s not like we want to be all in on stocks on Monday, then all in on Treasurys by Tuesday afternoon. Instead, the answer to “What do we want to own?” evolves slowly over time. Our minds gradually change as new evidence comes in, and our decisions follow those slowly-formed opinions.
Stocks have been the place to be since last fall. There’s not much argument about that. In recent weeks, though, the tide seems to have turned in favor of other asset classes. Commodities are leading the way. Check out the ratio of the Invesco DB Commodity Fund (DBC) vs. the S&P 500 below. We’ve broken the downtrend line, momentum just reached overbought territory for the first time all year, and the ratio crossed above the 200-day moving average. It’s a bit early to definitively call this the start of a new uptrend, but at the very least, this year-long downtrend has weakened considerably.
Someday, perhaps, we’ll get to stop talking about inflation. As long as prices remain the most important variable in the economic outlook, though, we’ll keep providing updates for our readers.
Last week, we received a fresh batch of inflation data with the August CPI and PPI reports. The Consumer Price Index revealed positive news for economic observers. Core inflation fell for the fifth straight month, and on a 3-month annualized basis, dropped to the lowest level since March 2021.
However, that good news came with a caveat. ‘Core’ measures of inflation strip out the price of food and energy – and energy prices are reaccelerating.
Continue reading “Mid-Month Macro Update”
The US Dollar index has risen for 9 weeks in a row. That’s only happened two other times: 2014 and 1997. Crude oil, meanwhile, has risen 10 of the last 12 weeks, and so has the price of 10-Year Treasury futures. Equity indexes were mostly unchanged for the week, and gold and bitcoin both rose modestly.
Nobody said getting inflation under control would be easy. After more than a year of decelerating price increases from last summer’s peak inflation rate, prices are heading the wrong way once again. Last week’s data release showed the Consumer Price Index jumped to 3.7% in August, up from June’s 3% annual rate, and still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual target. A rebound in energy prices (thanks in part to the aforementioned rally in crude oil) is largely to blame for the disappointing inflation report, while the contribution from food and services continues to decline.
At this week’s FOMC meeting, Fed officials will have to contend with the troubling reversal in CPI while balancing the risks to economic growth.
Continue reading “The Weekly Grind: September 18, 2023”The Consumer Staples sector has hovered near the flat line all year, despite a big gain for the benchmark S&P 500 index. Only the Utilities have turned in a worse performance so far in 2023.
Perhaps the final quarter of the year will be a different story? October, November, and December have historically been the best months of the year to own the Staples, so they’re worth watching closely for any signs of a bounce.
Continue reading “Top Charts from the Consumer Staples Sector”After being one of the weakest sectors in 2022, there are fewer stocks setting new highs in the Real Estate sector than anywhere else. Just 30% of sector constituents have set a new 6-month high more recently than setting a 6-month low. Less than 20% have broken out of a regime of new lows on a 52-week basis.
It’s tough to outperform at all when you’re mired in a protracted downtrend. The Utes are stuck on the left side of the weekly Relative Rotation Graph, alternating between the ‘Lagging’ and ‘Improving’ quadrants, but never reaching the ‘Leading’ one.
It’s a trend that’s been in place for the last 15 years.
The Health Care Sector is near the bottom of the year-to-date sector derby. The benchmark S&P 500 index has risen 16.8% before dividends, but that gain hasn’t been broadly distributed. Health Care stocks are down 2%.
The problem isn’t really that Health Care is in a downtrend. The problem is there’s no trend at all.
If we’re going to see the Consumer Staples bounce, it’ll need to start with an improvement in breadth.
Today, nearly three-quarters of the sector’s constituents are in long-term technical downtrends, while the other quarter remain in technical uptrends. But things are deteriorating on a short-term basis, where just 1 in 10 are in short-term technical uptrends.
The sector will need to turn things around in short order if it’s to have any hope of riding a fourth quarter rally.
The National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index is cratering.
You’ve more than likely seen this chart before, but even if you haven’t, there’s a good chance you’re feeling the effects anyway. Whether you’re a first time buyer, upgrading to accommodate a larger family, relocating for work, or just looking for a change in scenery, it’s rarely been more expensive for Americans to buy a home.
The problems aren’t hard to identify. The first is the most obvious: home price increases have accelerated.
Continue reading “Will Home Prices Ever Come Back Down?”