Bubbles/Crises/Manias

Highlights Policymakers vs. the virus remains the story at the macro level: Fiscal support is the wild card, but we expect Senate hawks, caught between the House and the White House, will roll over in the end. The economy is perking up, but it is still too vulnerable to stand on its own: The direction is improving as the economy reopens, but the level still stinks and COVID-19 has not gone away. We’ve reached an accommodation with rich index valuations, … : The alternatives are dismal, the preponderance of professional investors have to participate and the possibility of positive virus surprises cannot be dismissed. … but there’s plenty of silliness at the individual stock level: Retail investors, running amok like Donald Duck’s nephews, appear to have triggered some remarkable moves, especially in small stocks. Feature The big picture remains unchanged, but the view from ground level is becoming increasingly disorienting. The dizzying activity in vulnerable industries and select micro-caps resembles nothing so much as a beach bar after final exams. Sun, noise, adrenaline and a sense of overdue release have come together to wash away any and all inhibitions or standard rules. The pull has been especially strong for newcomers to the scene. We suspect that some of the unusual action in individual equities over the last several weeks may have its origins in an upsurge of active retail participation. Waves of retail interest come and go like the tides, albeit irregularly, and the only thing new about the current iteration, with its smart phone apps and zero commissions, is that it is nearly frictionless. We have nothing against retail investors – we’ve been one since directing our paper route earnings to the purchase of odd lots in Ronald Reagan’s first term – and don’t see them as a portent of doom. Their moves are drawing attention, though, so we review freely available daily data to try to gain some insight into their recent activity and ongoing interest. Novices Versus Experts Chart 1Baseline Change In Robinhood Equity Ownership The Democratization Of Equity Investing The Democratization Of Equity Investing Robinhood is a deep-pocketed retail brokerage oriented toward novice investors. Although its customers’ balances are almost certainly small, it has over 10 million of them, and it has made a profound impact on the industry by pioneering commission-free trading. Data on its customers’ holdings are aggregated and uploaded several times throughout the day to the dedicated website robintrack.net. They are cumbersome – the full database contains over 8,000 spreadsheets – so we focused our analysis on Robinhood customers’ holdings in airlines, cruise ships and selected mortgage REITs. We found that the number of Robinhood accounts owning these stocks exploded since late March, but that datapoint cannot be considered in isolation because the number of accounts has been rising. Robinhood added over 3 million new accounts in the first four months of the year, an increase of as much as 30% from its year-end customer base.1 A blizzard of anecdotal reports characterizing day trading as a substitute for following professional sports reinforce the notion that ownership of all stocks has risen. To get a sense of how baseline equity holdings have changed since the S&P 500 peak on February 19th, we looked at the number of Robinhood accounts holding Apple (AAPL) and the iShares (SPY) and Vanguard (VOO) S&P 500 Index ETFs, and found they have all roughly doubled (Chart 1). Making equity investing more democratic may be a noble aim, but democracy can be messy. By contrast, the number of Robinhood accounts holding six large- and mid-cap airlines has risen 48 times, with component holdings of United (UAL) and Spirit (SAVE) leading the way at 87 and 81 times, respectively (Chart 2, top two panels), and Southwest (LUV) and Jet Blue (JBLU) bringing up the rear at 12 and 21 times, respectively (Chart 2, bottom two panels). The number of accounts owning cruise lines is up 177 times, on average, powered by Norwegian (NCLH), which has increased a remarkable 365 times (Chart 3, top panel). If Robinhood’s customers are representative of the retail investor population, betting that the pandemic will not be fatal for passenger airlines and cruise lines has become an extremely popular pursuit. Chart 2Buying The Dip In The Airlines The Democratization Of Equity Investing The Democratization Of Equity Investing Chart 3Stampeding Into The Cruise Lines The Democratization Of Equity Investing The Democratization Of Equity Investing Chart 4Unafraid Of Falling Knives The Democratization Of Equity Investing The Democratization Of Equity Investing Robinhood customers have also eagerly attempted to rescue ailing mortgage REITs. Mortgage REITs apply several turns of short-term leverage to their mortgage portfolios to fund generous dividend yields that typically range between the high single and low double digits. Mortgage REITs that invest solely in agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) were stressed when credit spreads blew out in March, but hybrid REITs with sizable concentrations of illiquid non-agency MBS and whole loans faced an existential crisis. Three hybrids – Invesco Mortgage Capital (IVR), MFA Financial (MFA) and AG Mortgage Investment Trust (MITT) – failed to meet margin calls from their repo lenders. MFA and MITT have indefinitely suspended their dividends, while IVR cut its dividend by 96% last week. The companies’ futures were in doubt in late March and early April, but Robinhood customers have poured into the breach. The number of accounts holding the stocks has risen 93-fold, on average, since the S&P 500 peaked in February, with IVR leading the way at 149 times (Chart 4, top panel). Robinhood customer interest began to surge when the three stocks bottomed but increasing numbers of accounts have added them to their portfolios all throughout a turbulent May and June. The stocks are not yet out of the woods and sell-side analysts have panned their recent surges, as it is unclear who else will want to own them when they don’t pay dividends. Stocks from the groups we highlighted all face daunting current predicaments. They might deliver sizable returns if they can emerge mostly unscathed but that is a big if. They have come to account for an outsized share of Robinhood customers’ holdings (Table 1), especially relative to their market capitalizations. Retail treasure hunting may account for some of the recent surges that seemed to spite fundamentals, but we doubt that a community of first-time investors has the heft to move any but the smallest stocks. We suspect that algorithms, hedge-funds and other fast-money pools of capital may be amplifying the momentum that retail activity has set in motion. Retail investors have provided institutions with an opportunity to exit stocks in the three stressed groups. Per weekly data on the level of institutional holdings from Bloomberg, the composition of ownership of all twelve stocks we examined has shifted materially from institutions to individuals (Table 2). In the case of these stocks, retail investors have served as liquidity providers to institutional sellers seeking to exit their holdings. Instead of amplifying volatility, they may have tamped it down, while helping to speed the redeployment of institutional capital. Table 1Searching The Bargain Bin The Democratization Of Equity Investing The Democratization Of Equity Investing Table 2Individuals Have Replaced Institutions The Democratization Of Equity Investing The Democratization Of Equity Investing   Direction Versus Level Many investors lament that the equity rally has occurred without regard for fundamental conditions or in seeming defiance of them. The imposition of rigorous social distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 immediately induced a sharp recession, but the economy has begun to bounce back, and a further rollback of virus containment measures will help it build forward momentum. The latest NAHB survey demonstrated that housing is making rapid strides, with buyer traffic smartly reviving (Chart 5, third panel) and builders’ sales expectations snapping back (Chart 5, bottom panel). May housing starts came in well short of the consensus expectation, but leading building permits indicate that a pickup is just around the corner, and the purchase mortgage applications index hit its highest level in eleven years last week (Chart 6). Chart 5Housing Is Coming Back Fast Housing Is Coming Back Fast Housing Is Coming Back Fast Chart 6Low Rates Help The Real Economy, Too Low Rates Help The Real Economy, Too Low Rates Help The Real Economy, Too The various regional Fed manufacturing surveys all bounced in May, and the June Philly Fed (Chart 7, top panel) and Empire State (Chart 7, second panel) readings extended the trend, zooming far past expectations. Their moves bode well for the Richmond, Kansas City and Dallas Fed readings due out this week and next. They are not all the way back to their pre-pandemic levels, but they’re moving in the right direction and point to a continued pickup in manufacturing activity (Chart 8). Chart 7Gaining Traction Gaining Traction Gaining Traction The economic surprise index hit an all-time high last week (Chart 9), reinforcing the point that the improvement in the direction of economic activity is widespread. Activity has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, and it won’t for a while, but it is beginning to pick up or at least weaken at a slower rate. As states progress through their reopening phases, the direction will continue to improve and the level will get closer to its previous position. Chart 8Weak Level, Improving Direction Weak Level, Improving Direction Weak Level, Improving Direction Chart 9Uncoiling The Spring Uncoiling The Spring Uncoiling The Spring A resurgence in infection rates, or a second wave like the one that appears to be emerging in China, is a threat to ongoing economic improvement. Some states which have moved more rapidly to reopen are experiencing increasing infection rates, but they will only see reversals in economic activity if they revert to strict social distancing measures. It is becoming steadily apparent that most communities, here and abroad, no longer have the stomach for broad lockdowns. It seems that government officials are willing to trade a modest pickup in infections for a pickup in economic growth and individuals are willing to trade an increased risk of infection for a return to some sense of normal life. A severe re-emergence could change the calculus, but for now there is powerful momentum to advance along the path to restarting the economy. Policymakers Versus The Virus A record-high economic surprise index distills the improved direction across a broad sweep of indicators. Our view that Washington will extend fiscal lifelines to households, businesses and state and local governments is still intact. Negotiations over an infrastructure spending initiative are progressing, and we expect a successor to the CARES Act will follow before the end of July. As we’ve discussed before, it is simply too risky politically for Senate Republicans to obstruct aid efforts heading into the homestretch of the campaign. Robust fiscal support, combined with whatever-it-takes monetary support from the Fed, should be enough to see the economy across the pandemic abyss provided that testing bottlenecks are resolved and treatment protocols advance. Investment Implications Wagging a finger at retail investors is not our style. Increased retail participation has probably catalyzed some unexpected equity outcomes but the only outright distortions we’ve seen have occurred in micro-cap stocks and do not have a larger macro resonance. Retail participation in the stock market has always waxed and waned, but major market and economic impacts like the dot-com bubble are rare. We therefore do not believe that equities have become unmoored from reality and that a threatening bubble has formed. The fundamental backdrop has improved. The economy is nowhere near recovering its pre-pandemic levels, but the stock market is a forward-discounting mechanism and direction regularly trumps level. There is surely some froth in the market, and 24 times forward four-quarter earnings is a pricey multiple for the S&P 500, especially when it seems that earnings expectations beyond 2020 are overly optimistic. Retail participation in equities comes and goes, and it rarely proves disruptive at the overall index level. There are also plenty of ways that the virus could spring a nasty surprise, and financial markets seem to be ignoring them. Our geopolitical strategists see scope for turbulence at home, as the administration tries to improve its re-election prospects, and abroad, as any of several hot spots from Iran to North Korea to the South China Sea could flare up. The potential for negative surprises, as well as the furious equity rally, keeps us equal weight equities and overweight cash over the tactical timeframe. We remain constructive on equities over a 12-month horizon, however, as things are moving in the right direction and the alternatives – cash with zero yields and Treasuries with microscopic yields – are so unappealing.   Doug Peta, CFA Chief US Investment Strategist dougp@bcaresearch.com Footnotes 1 Robinhood announced that it had surpassed the 10-million-customer mark in December.

Despite the strong rally in stocks since mid-March and a looming second wave of the pandemic, we continue to recommend that investors overweight equities on a 12-month horizon. Needless to say, this view has raised some eyebrows. With that in mind, this week we present a Q&A from the perspective of a skeptical reader who does not fully share our enthusiasm. Q: You said last week that a second wave of the pandemic is now your base case, yet you’re still sticking with your positive 12-month equity view. Why? A: A second wave of the pandemic, along with uncertainty about how the coming fiscal cliff in the US will be resolved, could unnerve investors temporarily. Nevertheless, we expect global equities to rise by about 10% from current levels over the next 12 months, handily outperforming bonds. While low interest rates and copious amounts of cash on the sidelines will provide a supportive backdrop for stocks, the main impetus for higher equity prices will be a recovery in economic activity and corporate profits. Q: It is hard to see the economy recovering very much if there is a second wave. A: It is important to get the arrow of causation right. Part of the reason we expect a second wave is because we think policymakers will continue to relax lockdown measures even if, as has already occurred in a number of US states, the infection rate rises. Granted, a second wave will moderate the pace at which containment measures can be dismantled. It will also prompt people to engage in more social distancing. Thus, a second wave would make the economic recovery slower than it otherwise would have been. However, it is doubtful that growth will grind to a halt. The appetite for continued lockdowns has clearly waned. For better or for worse, most western nations will follow the “Swedish model” of trying to limit the spread of the virus without imposing draconian restrictions on society. Chart 1CBO Projects The Unemployment Rate Will Fall Very Slowly CBO Projects The Unemployment Rate Will Fall Very Slowly CBO Projects The Unemployment Rate Will Fall Very Slowly Q: Even if the Swedish model works, and I doubt it will, we are still in a very deep economic hole. The unemployment rate in many countries is the highest since the Great Depression. The Congressional Budget Office does not foresee the US unemployment rate falling below 5% until 2028. A return to positive growth seems like a very low bar for success. We may need many years of above-trend growth just to get back to the pre-pandemic level of GDP! A: The Congressional Budget Office is too pessimistic in assuming that the recovery will be as sluggish as the one following the Great Recession (Chart 1). That recovery was weighed down by the need to repair household balance sheets after the bursting of a debt-fueled housing bubble. The current downturn was caused by external forces – an exogenous shock in econospeak. Historically, recoveries following exogenous shocks have tended to be more rapid than recoveries following recessions that were instigated by endogenous problems. Q: That may be so, but Wall Street is already penciling in a very rapid recovery. Last I checked, analysts expect S&P 500 earnings next year to be close to where they were last year. A: One has to be careful when comparing earnings estimates with economic growth projections. Chart 2 shows a breakdown of S&P 500 EPS estimates by sector. Appendix A also shows the evolution of these estimates over time. While analysts expect overall earnings per share (EPS) to return to last year’s levels in 2021, this is mainly because of the resilient profit outlook in the technology and health care sectors (the two biggest sectors in the S&P 500 by market cap). Outside those two sectors, EPS in 2021 is expected to be down 8.6% from 2019 levels, or 11.2% in real terms. Chart 2Breakdown Of S&P 500 EPS Estimates By Sector Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A If one looks at the cyclically-sensitive industrials sector, earnings are projected to fall by 16% between 2019 and 2021. Energy sector earnings are projected to decline by 65%. Earnings in the consumer discretionary sector are expected to decline by 8%, despite the fact that Amazon accounts for nearly half of the sector by market cap.1 This suggests that analysts are expecting more of a U-shaped economic recovery than a V-shaped one. Chart 3The Present Value Of Earnings: A Scenario Analysis Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Q: Fair enough, but I am ultimately more interested in what the market is pricing in than what analysts are expecting. It seems to me that stock prices have rebounded much more rapidly than one would have anticipated based on the evolution in earnings estimates. A: That is true, but it is important to keep in mind that the fair value of the stock market does not solely depend on the expected path of earnings. It also depends on the discount rate we use to deflate those earnings. For the sake of argument, let us suppose that S&P 500 earnings only manage to reach $144 per share next year (10% below current consensus) and take five years to return to their pre-pandemic trend. All things equal, such a decline in earnings would reduce the present value of stocks by 4.2% relative to what it was at the start of the year (Chart 3). However, all things are not equal. The US 30-year Treasury yield, adjusted for inflation, has declined by 59 basis points this year. If we use this real yield as a proxy for the discount rate, the fair value of the S&P has actually increased by 8.7% since January 1st, despite the decline in earnings. Q: I think you’re doing a bit of a bait and switch here. You’re assuming that earnings estimates return to trend by the middle of the decade, but that long-term bond yields remain broadly unchanged over this period. If the economy and corporate earnings recover, won’t bond yields just go back to where they were last year, if not higher? A: Not necessarily. Conceptually, there is not a one-to-one mapping between interest rates and the full-employment level of aggregate demand.2 For example, consider a case where an adverse economic shock hits the economy, making households and businesses more reluctant to spend. If that were all there was to the story, the stock market would go down. But there is more to the story than that. Suppose the central bank cuts interest rates in response to this shock, which boosts demand by enough to return the economy to full employment. Now we have a new equilibrium where the level of demand – and by extension, the level of corporate profits – is the same as before but interest rates are lower. The fair value of the stock market has gone up! Q: Hold on. Central banks came into this recession with little fire power left. I agree that their actions have helped the stock market, but they have not been enough to rehabilitate the economy. A: Good point. That is where the role of fiscal policy comes in. One of the unsung benefits of lower interest rates is that they have incentivised governments to borrow more at a time when the economy needs all the fiscal support it can get. As Chart 4 shows, the fiscal response during this year’s downturn has been significantly larger than during the Great Recession. Thus, it is more correct to say that the combination of lower interest rates and fiscal easing have conceivably increased the fair value of the stock market. Chart 4Fiscal Stimulus Is Greater Today Than It Was During The Great Recession Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Q:  And yet despite all this fiscal and monetary support, GDP remains depressed. A: The point of the stimulus was not to raise output or employment. It was to keep households and businesses solvent during a time when their regular flow of income had dried up. Q: If households and businesses did not spend much of that money, where did it go? A: Much of it remains in the banking system. The US savings rate shot up to 33% in April. As Chart 5 illustrates, this was almost perfectly mirrored by the increase in bank deposits. Anyone who claims that savings have nothing to do with deposits should study this chart. Chart 5Lots Of Savings Slushing Around Lots Of Savings Slushing Around Lots Of Savings Slushing Around   Chart 6Stocks That Are Popular With Retail Investors Are Outperforming Stocks That Are Popular With Retail Investors Are Outperforming Stocks That Are Popular With Retail Investors Are Outperforming Q: And now, I suppose, these deposits are flowing into the stock market? A: Correct. That is one reason why stocks popular with retail investors have outperformed the S&P 500 by 30% since mid-March (Chart 6). Q: Have these retail flows really been important enough to matter? A: They have probably been more important than widely portrayed. Many of the online brokerages touting zero-commission trades make their money by selling order flow to hedge funds. Thus, the trading of individuals is magnified by the trading of institutional investors. More liquid markets tend to generate higher prices. There is also another subtle multiplier effect worth considering. You mentioned that money was “flowing into the stock market.” Technically speaking, “flow” is not the best word to use. For the most part, if I decide to buy some shares, someone else has to sell me their shares. On a net basis, there is no inflow of cash into the stock market. Rather, what happens is that my buy order lifts the price of the shares by enough to entice someone to sell their shares. Thus, if retail investors bid up the price of stocks to the point that institutions are forced to sell, those institutions are now left with excess cash that they have to deploy elsewhere in the stock market. As the value of investors’ stock portfolios rises, the percentage of their net worth held in cash falls. This game of hot potato only ends when the percentage of cash held by investors shrinks to a level that is consistent with their preferences. Importantly, this means that changes in the amount of cash on the sidelines can have a “multiplier” effect on stock prices. For example, if cash holdings go up by a dollar, and people want to hold ten times as much stock as cash, then stock market capitalization has to go up by ten dollars. Q: How far along are we in this game of hot potato? A: Despite the rally in stocks since mid-March, cash held in money market funds and savings deposits is still 10% higher as a share of market capitalization than at the start of the year. This suggests that the firepower to fuel further increases in the stock market has not been fully spent. Chart 7Equity Risk Premium Is Still Quite High Equity Risk Premium Is Still Quite High Equity Risk Premium Is Still Quite High Q: Wouldn’t you think that after a pandemic people would be more risk-averse and hence inclined to hold more cash? A: That would be a logical assumption, but it is not clear whether it is empirically true. There is some evidence from the psychological literature that people who survive life-threatening events tend to become less risk averse rather than more risk averse after the event has passed.3 A pandemic seems to qualify as a life-threatening event. In any case, when considering the equity risk premium, we should not only think about the riskiness of stocks; we should also think about the riskiness of bonds. Bond yields are near record lows. To the extent that yields cannot fall much from current levels, this makes bonds a less attractive hedge against downside economic news than they once were. So perhaps the equity risk premium, which is still quite high, should actually be lower than it currently is (Chart 7). Q: It seems that much of your optimism is based on the assumption that policy will stay stimulative. On the monetary side, that seems like a safe assumption. However, as you yourself mentioned at the outset, there is a risk that stocks will be upended by a premature tightening in fiscal policy. A: This is indeed a risk. In the US, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will run out of funds over the coming month. The additional $600 per week in benefits that jobless workers are receiving will expire on July 31st, causing average unemployment payments to fall by about 60%. Direct payments to households have also ceased. Together, these three fiscal measures amount to about 5.5% of GDP. Furthermore, most states begin their fiscal year on July 1st. Despite receiving $275 billion in federal aid, they are still facing a roughly $250 billion (1.2% of GDP) financing shortfall in the coming fiscal year, which could force widespread layoffs. The good news is that both Republicans and Democrats want to avert this fiscal cliff. While negotiations over the next stimulus package could unnerve investors for a while, they will ultimately culminate in a deal. The Democrats want more spending, as does the White House. And if public opinion polls are to be believed, congressional Republicans will also cave in to voter demands for continued fiscal largess (Table 1). Table 1There Is Much Public Support For Fiscal Stimulus Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Q: It seems to me that the fiscal cliff is not the only political risk to worry about. Tensions with China are running high and there is domestic unrest in many cities around the world. Even if fiscal policy remains accommodative, President Trump will probably lose in November. This makes a repeal of his tax cuts more likely than not. A: It is true that betting markets now expect Joe Biden to become president (Chart 8). They also expect Democrats to regain control of the Senate. My personal view is that Trump has a better chance of being reelected than implied by betting markets. While the protests have hurt Trump’s favorability ratings in recent weeks, ongoing unrest could help him, given his claim of being the “law and order” president. It is worth recalling that after falling for more than 20 years, the nationwide homicide rate spiked by 23% between 2014 and 2016 following protests in cities such as St. Louis and Baltimore (Chart 9). This arguably helped Trump get elected, just like the Watts Riot in Los Angeles helped Ronald Reagan get elected as Governor of California in 1966. Chart 8Betting Markets Now Expect Joe Biden To Become President Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A If Senator Biden were to prevail, then yes, Trump’s corporate tax cuts would be in jeopardy. A full repeal of the Trump tax cuts would reduce EPS of S&P 500 companies by about 12%. Chart 9Continued Unrest May Help Trump, As It Has In The Past Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A However, it is possible that Democrats would choose to only partially reverse the corporate tax cuts, while also lifting taxes on higher-income households. One should also note that trade tensions with China would probably diminish under a Biden presidency, which would be a mitigating factor for equity investors. Chart 10Cyclical Sectors Should Outperform Defensives As Global Growth Recovers... And A Weaker Dollar Should Also Help Non-US Stocks Cyclical Sectors Should Outperform Defensives As Global Growth Recovers... And A Weaker Dollar Should Also Help Non-US Stocks Cyclical Sectors Should Outperform Defensives As Global Growth Recovers... And A Weaker Dollar Should Also Help Non-US Stocks Q: So to sum up, you are still bullish on stocks over a 12-month horizon, although you see some near-term risks stemming from the likelihood of a second wave of the pandemic and uncertainty about how and when the fiscal cliff problem in the US will be resolved. What are your favorite sectors, regions, and styles? A: Cyclical sectors should outperform defensives over the next 12 months as global growth recovers. Cyclicals are overrepresented outside the US, which should favor overseas markets. A weaker dollar should also help non-US stocks (Chart 10). The dollar generally trades as a countercyclical currency, implying that it will sell off as global growth recovers. Moreover, unlike last year, the greenback no longer enjoys the benefit of higher interest rates than those abroad. In terms of style, value should outperform growth. Growth stocks have done very well in a falling interest rate environment (Chart 11). However, interest rates cannot fall much further from current levels. Small caps should outperform large caps, both because small caps are more growth-sensitive and because they tend to be more popular among day traders. Google searches for “day trading” have spiked in the past few months (Chart 12). Chart 11Interest Rates Cannot Fall Much Lower From Current Levels, Which Will Allow Value To Outperform Growth Interest Rates Cannot Fall Much Lower From Current Levels, Which Will Allow Value To Outperform Growth Interest Rates Cannot Fall Much Lower From Current Levels, Which Will Allow Value To Outperform Growth Chart 12Day Trading Is Back In Vogue These Days Day Trading Is Back In Vogue These Days Day Trading Is Back In Vogue These Days Beyond the pure macro plays, the pandemic could lead to a number of unexpected changes that have yet to be fully discounted by markets. For example, we will likely see a surge in the demand for automobiles as people shun public transit. The pandemic could also accelerate the reshoring of manufacturing activity, particularly in the health care sector. Contract manufacturing companies with significant domestic operations will benefit. Additionally, more people will move to the suburbs to work from home and escape the virus and rising crime. This could boost the demand for new houses and lift suburban real estate prices. Since most suburbs are built on top of land previously zoned for agriculture, farmland prices could also rise. Appendix A Evolution Of S&P 500 EPS Estimates By Sector Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Peter Berezin Chief Global Strategist peterb@bcaresearch.com Footnotes 1  Amazon EPS is projected to rise by 54% between 2019 and 2021, from 11% of overall consumer discretionary earnings to 19%. 2 One can see this within the context of the IS-LM model that is taught to economics undergraduates. If the LM curve shifts outward while the IS curve shifts inward, one could end up with the situation where aggregate demand is the same as before, but the equilibrium interest rate is lower. 3  For example, Gennaro Bernile, Vineet Bhagwat, and P. Raghavendra Rau investigated the link between the intensity of early-life experiences on CEO’s attitudes towards risk. Their results suggest that CEOs who witnessed extreme levels of fatal natural disasters appear more cautious in approaching risk. In contrast, those that experience disasters without very negative consequences become desensitized to risk. For details, please see Gennaro Bernile, Vineet Bhagwat, and P. Raghavendra Rau, “What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You More Risk-Loving: Early-Life Disasters and CEO Behavior,“ The Journal of Finance, (72:1) February 2017.   Global Investment Strategy View Matrix Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Current MacroQuant Model Scores Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A Our Bullish 12-Month Equity View: A Skeptical Q&A

Highlights We conservatively estimate lost output from shutdowns and social distancing will equal $10 trillion, and we expect the jobs market to be permanently scarred. Inflation, even at 2 percent, is a pipe dream, which leads to three investment conclusions on a 1-year horizon: Overweight US T-bonds and Spanish Bonos versus German Bunds and French OATs. Any high-quality bond yield that can decline will decline. Overweight CHF/USD. The tightening yield spread will structurally favour the CHF, while the haven status of the CHF should prevent it from underperforming in periods of market stress. Overweight defensive equities (technology and healthcare) versus cyclical equities (banks and energy). This implies underweight European equities versus other markets. Fractal trade: Short Germany versus the UK. The recent outperformance of German equities is technically extended. Feature Chart of the WeekCredit Impulses Are Large, But The Hole In Output Is Much Larger Credit Impulses Are Large, But The Hole In Output Is Much Larger Credit Impulses Are Large, But The Hole In Output Is Much Larger Big numbers befuddle us. Hardly a day passes without someone listing the unprecedented global stimulus unleashed to counter the coronavirus forced shutdowns – the trillions in government spending promises, tax relief, loan guarantees, money supply growth, and central bank asset-purchases. The most optimistic estimates quantify the total stimulus at $15 trillion. This includes $7 trillion of loan guarantees plus increases in central bank balance sheets which do not directly boost demand. So the direct stimulus is closer to $7 trillion.1 Yet the size of the stimulus is meaningless until we quantify the massive hole in economic output that needs to be filled. Assuming no further large-scale shutdowns, we conservatively estimate that the hole will amount to 12 percent of world output, or $10 trillion. A $10 Trillion Hole In Output Last week, the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) helped us to estimate the hole in output, because unusually the ONS calculates UK GDP on a monthly basis. Between February and April, when the UK economy went from fully open to full shutdown, UK GDP collapsed by 25 percent. This despite the UK having an outsized number of jobs suitable for ‘working from home.’ For a more typical economy, we estimate that a full shutdown collapses output by 30 percent (Chart I-2). Chart I-2A Full Shutdown Collapses Output By 30 Percent A Full Shutdown Collapses Output By 30 Percent A Full Shutdown Collapses Output By 30 Percent The next question is: how long does the full shutdown last? Assuming it lasts for three months, output would suffer a hole amounting to 7.5 percent of annual GDP.2  But in practice, the economy will not fully re-open after three months. Social distancing will persist until people feel confident that the pandemic is under control. An effective vaccine against Covid-19 is unlikely to be available for a year. So, even without government policy to enforce social distancing, many people will choose to avoid crowds and congregations for fear of catching the virus. The size of the stimulus is meaningless until we quantify the massive hole in economic output. This means that the sectors that rely on crowds and congregations – leisure and hospitality and retail trade – will be operating at half-capacity, at best. Given that these sectors generate 9 percent of GDP, operating at half-capacity will create an additional hole amounting to 4.5 percent of output. More worryingly, these two sectors employ 21 percent of all workers, so operating at sub-par will leave the jobs market permanently scarred.3 Combining the 7.5 percent existing hole with the 4.5 percent future hole, the full hole in economic output will amount to around 12 percent of annual GDP. As global GDP is worth around $85 trillion, this equates to $10 trillion.  Crucially though, our estimate assumes that a second wave of the pandemic will not force a new cycle of shutdowns. If it does, the hole will become even bigger. Don’t Be Fooled By Money Supply Growth The recent growth in broad money supply seems a big number. Since the start of the year, the outstanding stock of bank loans has increased by around $0.7 trillion in the euro area, and by $1 trillion in both the US and China (Chart I-3 and Chart I-4). This has boosted the 6-month credit impulses in all three economies. Indeed, the US 6-month credit impulse recently hit its highest value of all time, and the combined 6-month impulse across all three blocs equals around $2 trillion (Chart of the Week). Chart I-3Don't Be Fooled By Money Supply Growth In The Euro Area And The US... Don't Be Fooled By Money Supply Growth In The Euro Area And The US... Don't Be Fooled By Money Supply Growth In The Euro Area And The US... Chart I-4...And In ##br##China ...And In China ...And In China This 6-month credit impulse quantifies the additional borrowing in the most recent six-month period compared to the previous period. Ordinarily, a $2 trillion impulse would create a huge boost to demand. After all, the private sector does not usually borrow just to hold the cash in a bank. Yet in the coronavirus crisis this is precisely what has happened. While the shutdowns lasted, firms drew on existing bank credit lines to build up emergency cash buffers. Therefore, much of the money growth will not generate new demand. While the shutdowns lasted, firms drew on existing bank credit lines to build up emergency cash buffers.  To the extent that this cash is sitting idly in a firm’s bank account, the monetary velocity will decline. Meaning there will be a much-reduced transmission from credit impulses to spending growth. Furthermore, when the economy re-opens, many firms will relinquish the precautionary credit lines. There is no point holding cash in the bank when there are few investment opportunities. Hence, credit impulses will fall back – as seems to be the case right now in the US. QE: The Great Misunderstanding To repeat, big numbers befuddle us. They must always be put into context. No truer is this than when it comes to central bank asset-purchases. The great misunderstanding is that the act of central banks buying assets, per se, drives up those asset prices. Central banks act as lenders of last resort to solvent but illiquid banks and sovereigns. If there is ample liquidity in these markets – as is the case now – then the primary function of central bank asset-purchases is to set the term-structure of interest rates. In turn, the term-structure of global interest rates establishes the prices of $500 trillion of global assets. The prices of these assets are inextricably inter-connected and inter-dependent4 (Chart I-5). Chart I-5The Prices Of $500 Trillion Of Assets Are Inextricably Inter-Connected The Prices Of $500 Trillion Of Assets Are Inextricably Inter-Connected The Prices Of $500 Trillion Of Assets Are Inextricably Inter-Connected The great misunderstanding is that the act of central banks buying assets, per se, drives up those asset prices. Yet central banks set no price target for their asset-purchases. They leave that to the market. Moreover, in the context of the $500 trillion of inter-dependent asset prices, the $10-15 trillion or so of central bank asset-purchases to date constitutes chicken feed (Chart I-6). Hence, the mechanism by which asset-purchases work is through the signal they give to the $500 trillion market on the likely course of interest rate policy. This sets the term-structure of interest rates, which in turn sets the required return on all the $500 trillion of assets (Chart I-7). Chart I-6$10-15 Trillion Of QE Is Chicken Feed... $10-15 Trillion Of QE Is Chicken Feed... $10-15 Trillion Of QE Is Chicken Feed... Chart I-7...Compared To $500 Trillion Of Assets Priced By The Term-Structure Of Interest Rates ...Compared To $500 Trillion Of Assets Priced By The Term-Structure Of Interest Rates ...Compared To $500 Trillion Of Assets Priced By The Term-Structure Of Interest Rates As the ECB’s former Chief Economist, Peter Praet, explains: “There is a signalling channel inherent in asset purchases, which reinforces the credibility of forward guidance on policy rates. This credibility of promises to follow a certain course for policy rates in the future is enhanced by the asset purchases, as these asset purchases are a concrete demonstration of our desire (to keep policy rates at the lower bound.)” The credible commitment to keep policy rates near the lower bound for an extended period depresses bond yields towards the lower bound too. But once bond yields have reached their lower bound the effectiveness of central bank asset-purchases becomes exhausted. Three Investment Conclusions The main purpose of this report was to put the $7 trillion of direct stimulus dollars unleashed into the economy into a proper context. With lost output estimated at $10 trillion and the jobs market permanently scarred, inflation – even at 2 percent – is a pipe dream. Moreover, a second wave of the pandemic and a new cycle of shutdowns would inject a further disinflationary impulse. This leads to three investment conclusions on a 1-year horizon: Any high-quality bond yield that can decline – because it is not already near the -1 percent lower bound to yields – will decline. An excellent relative value trade is to overweight US T-bonds and Spanish Bonos versus German Bunds and French OATs (Chart I-8). Long CHF/USD is a win-win. The tightening yield spread will structurally favour the CHF, while the haven status of the CHF should prevent it from underperforming in periods of market stress. Overweight defensive equities versus cyclical equities, with technology correctly defined as defensive, not cyclical. The performance of cyclicals (banks and energy) versus defensives (technology and healthcare) is now joined at the hip to the bond yield (Chart I-9). This implies underweight European equities versus other markets. Chart I-8Bond Yields That Can Decline Will Decline Bond Yields That Can Decline Will Decline Bond Yields That Can Decline Will Decline Chart I-9The Performance Of Cyclicals Versus Defensives Is Joined At The Hip To The Bond Yield The Performance Of Cyclicals Versus Defensives Is Joined At The Hip To The Bond Yield The Performance Of Cyclicals Versus Defensives Is Joined At The Hip To The Bond Yield Fractal Trading System* The recent outperformance of German equities is technically extended. Accordingly, this week’s recommended trade is to go short Germany versus the UK, expressed through the MSCI dollar indexes. Set the profit target and symmetrical stop-loss at 5 percent. MSCI: Germany Vs. UK MSCI: Germany Vs. UK In other trades, long euro area personal products versus healthcare achieved its 7 percent profit target at which it was closed. The rolling 1-year win ratio now stands at 65 percent. When the fractal dimension approaches the lower limit after an investment has been in an established trend it is a potential trigger for a liquidity-triggered trend reversal. Therefore, open a countertrend position. The profit target is a one-third reversal of the preceding 13-week move. Apply a symmetrical stop-loss. Close the position at the profit target or stop-loss. Otherwise close the position after 13 weeks. * For more details please see the European Investment Strategy Special Report “Fractals, Liquidity & A Trading Model,” dated  December 11, 2014, available at eis.bcaresearch.com. Footnotes 1 Source: Reuters estimate. 2 A 30 percent loss in output for a quarter of a year (3 months) amounts to a 30*0.25 = 7.5 percent loss in annual output. 3 Using the weights of leisure and hospitality and retail trade in the US economy as a proxy for the global weights. 4 The $500 trillion of assets comprises: real estate $300 trillion, public and private equity $100 trillion, corporate bonds and EM debt $50 trillion, and high-quality government bonds $50 trillion.   Dhaval Joshi Chief European Investment Strategist dhaval@bcaresearch.com Fractal Trading System   Cyclical Recommendations Structural Recommendations Closed Fractal Trades Trades Closed Trades Asset Performance Currency & Bond Equity Sector Country Equity Indicators Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Interest Rate Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations

Highlights The relaxation of lockdown measures, along with mass protests over the past two weeks, have made a second wave of the pandemic more likely than not in many countries. Unlike during the first wave, most governments will not shutter their economies in response to a renewed spike in infection rates. For better or for worse, the “Sweden strategy” will become commonplace. As today’s stock market selloff illustrates, a second wave could significantly unnerve investors, especially since it is coming on the heels of a substantial rally in stocks. However, global equity prices will still rise over a 12-month horizon. Easy monetary policy, improving labor market conditions, and significant amounts of cash on the sidelines should allow the equity risk premium to decline, especially outside the US where valuations remain quite cheap. The US dollar has entered a cyclical bear market. This is especially positive for commodities, economically-sensitive equity sectors, and non-US stocks. Opening The Hatch Chart 1Governments Are Lifting Lockdown Restrictions A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) Three months after the virus burst out of China, countries around the world are starting to relax lockdown measures. Our COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index, created by my colleague Jonathan LaBerge and showcased in last week’s Global Investment Strategy report, has been on an easing course since May. A similar measure developed by Goldman Sachs broadly shows the same loosening pattern. Reflecting these developments, the Dallas Fed’s index of “mobility and engagement” has been slowly returning to normal (Chart 1). The reopening of economies is taking place despite limited success in containing the virus. While some countries have seen a considerable drop off in the number of new cases and deaths, others continue to experience an increase in both metrics (Chart 2). Globally, the number of new cases has begun to trend higher after remaining flat for most of April. The number of deaths — which lags new cases by about three weeks but is less vulnerable to statistical distortions caused by changes in testing prevalence — has also ticked higher after falling for nearly two months. Mass protests starting in Minneapolis and spreading to much of the western world have the potential to further increase the infection rate. As Jonathan noted last week, large gatherings have been an important vector of transmission for the virus. While the protests have occurred outdoors, many protestors did not wear masks while singing and shouting nor practise social distancing. Chart 2Globally, The Number Of New Cases and Deaths Has Started To Trend Higher Again A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Risky Gambit How markets react to a second wave of the pandemic will depend a lot on how policymakers and the broader public respond. For better or for worse, the patience for continued lockdowns has waned. The US and a number of other countries appear to be moving towards the “Swedish model” of trying to keep a lid on the virus without imposing draconian lockdown restrictions. It is a risky gambit, especially in light of the jump in infections that Sweden has reported in the past two weeks. While some countries such as China and New Zealand, which have effectively eradicated the virus, can allow most activities – with the exception of international travel – to resume, others should arguably wait longer until they too have defeated the disease. As Professor Peter Doherty, renowned immunologist and co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Medicine, discussed in a webcast with my colleague Garry Evans on Monday, significant progress has been made towards developing a vaccine for COVID-19. Opening up economies now could cause a lot of needless death before a vaccine becomes available. Near-Term Risks To Stocks… Chart 3Earnings Estimates Have Taken It On The Chin Earnings Estimates Have Taken It On The Chin Earnings Estimates Have Taken It On The Chin Even if governments continue opening up their economies despite rising infection rates, some people will increase the amount of social distancing they practise regardless of official recommendations. Airline, cruise ship, and restaurant stocks had rallied mightily off their March lows before giving up some of their gains over the past few days. If a second wave occurs, they will fall further. The rally in stocks linked to the reopening of the economy occurred alongside a retail investor speculative frenzy. In one of the more bizarre episodes in financial history, stocks of bankrupt or soon-to-be-bankrupt companies surged on Monday as novice day traders snapped up shares of companies that most institutional equity investors had left for dead. Meanwhile, earnings estimates have taken it on the chin (Chart 3). Many companies chose not to provide guidance for the second quarter, citing unprecedented uncertainty over the near-term business outlook. Since Q2 will be the worst quarter for economic growth, it will probably also be a very bad quarter for earnings. The prospect of a slew of poor earnings reports in July could further dent investor sentiment, exacerbating the stock market correction we have seen over the past few days. All this suggests that global equities could experience some further weakness over the next few months. …But Still Sticking With Our 12-Month Overweight To Equities Chart 4Economic Activity Has Started Rebounding Economic Activity Has Started Rebounding Economic Activity Has Started Rebounding Despite these short-term risks, we are not ready to abandon our cyclical overweight view on stocks. While many people have remarked that the equity market has diverged from the economy, in fact, the rebound in the stock market has tracked the peak in initial unemployment claims and the trough in current activity indicators quite closely (Chart 4). A second wave would certainly slow the economic rebound. However, it would probably not reverse it completely given that the mortality rate from the virus now appears to be somewhat lower than initially feared and an increasing number of medical treatments are becoming available. If output and employment keep rising, stocks are likely to trend higher. A Deep Hole This does not mean that everything will return to normal soon. Even though global growth appears to have bottomed in April, the level of employment remains at depression-like levels (Chart 5). About 12% of US workers are employed in the hospitality, restaurant, and travel sectors. A return to normalcy in those sectors will take several years at best. Nevertheless, the recovery will not be nearly as drawn out as the one following the Global Financial Crisis. The Congressional Budget Office expects that it will take another eight years for the US unemployment rate to fall back to 5% (Chart 6). That seems unduly pessimistic. Chart 5Employment Remains At Depression-Like Levels Employment Remains At Depression-Like Levels Employment Remains At Depression-Like Levels Chart 6CBO Projects The Unemployment Rate Will Fall Very Slowly CBO Projects The Unemployment Rate Will Fall Very Slowly CBO Projects The Unemployment Rate Will Fall Very Slowly Cyclical Versus Structural Unemployment Chart 7Residential Construction Accounted For Less Than 20% Of The Job Losses During The Great Recession A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) Commentators like to talk about structural unemployment, but the truth is that large increases in joblessness usually reflect deficient labor demand rather than insufficient supply. For example, the decline in residential construction employment and related sectors accounted for less than one-fifth of the job losses during the Great Recession (Chart 7). You don’t have to fill a half-empty pool through the same pipe from which the water escaped. As long as there is enough demand throughout the economy, workers who lose their jobs will likely find new jobs elsewhere, whether it be at an Amazon distribution center or any number of manufacturing companies that will benefit from the repatriation of production back onshore. The shift in jobs from one sector to the next is not instantaneous, but it need not drag on for years either. Policy Will Stay Stimulative This is where the role of monetary and fiscal policy takes center stage. Despite the improving economic outlook, government bond yields have barely moved off their lows as investors have become increasingly convinced that central banks will keep rates at rock-bottom levels (Chart 8). This week’s FOMC meeting made it clear that the Fed has no intention of raising rates through 2022. “We’re not thinking about raising rates. We’re not even thinking about thinking about raising rates,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell declared during his press conference. Granted, the zero lower bound has prevented yields from falling as much as they normally would. Fortunately, fiscal policy has stepped in to fill the void. Chart 9 shows that governments have eased fiscal policy much more this year than they did in 2008-09. If governments tighten fiscal policy prematurely like they did after the Great Recession, the recovery will indeed be sluggish. Such a risk cannot be ignored. BCA’s geopolitical team, led by Matt Gertken, has argued that Republican Senators will initially resist the proposed $3 trillion in new stimulus, until they are forced to act by a major new round of financial or social turmoil. Nevertheless, Matt thinks that the Republican Senate will ultimately buckle under the political pressure, knowing full well that a large dose of fiscal largess could prevent a Democratic sweep in November. Chart 8Yields Remain Close To Recent Lows Yields Remain Close To Recent Lows Yields Remain Close To Recent Lows Chart 9Will It Be Enough? A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) Chart 10China Has Ramped Up Stimulus China Has Ramped Up Stimulus China Has Ramped Up Stimulus Outside the US, fiscal support shows little sign of being scaled back. Germany has pushed forward with additional stimulus, going so far as to propose a risk-sharing arrangement via the creation of an EU Recovery Fund. On Wednesday, the Japanese House of Representatives approved a draft supplementary budget of 32 trillion yen ($296 billion) providing additional funding for small businesses and medical workers. Jing Sima, BCA Research's chief China strategist, expects Chinese credit formation as a share of GDP to reach the highest level since 2009 and the budget deficit to widen to the largest on record (Chart 10). The upshot is that we may find ourselves in an environment over the next few years where global GDP and corporate profits are moving back to trend, while interest rates (and the implied discount rate used for valuing stocks) stay at very low levels. If profits return back to normal but interest rates do not, the surreal implication is that the pandemic could end up increasing the fair value of the stock market. Ample Cash On The Sidelines Stocks also have another factor working in their favor: huge amounts of cash on the sidelines (Chart 11). The combination of massive fiscal income transfers and low spending has led to a surge in private-sector savings. The US personal savings rate reached 33% in April, the highest on record. Reflecting this increase in savings, private sector bank deposits have ballooned (Chart 12). Chart 11Sizable Amount Of Dry Powder Sizable Amount Of Dry Powder Sizable Amount Of Dry Powder Chart 12Savings Have Spiked Amid Stimulus A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off)     Investors often talk about cash “flowing” in and out of the stock market. This is a somewhat misleading characterization. Setting aside the impact of corporate buybacks and public share offerings, the decision by one person to buy shares requires a corresponding decision by someone else to sell shares. The buyer of the shares loses some cash, while the seller gains some cash. On net, there is no inflow of cash into the stock market. Rather, what happens is that the price of shares adjusts to ensure that there is a seller for every buyer. If people feel that they have too much cash relative to the value of their equity holdings, they will bid up the price of stocks until enough sellers come forward. This will cause the amount of cash that people hold as a percentage of their total wealth to shrink, even if the dollar value of that cash remains the same. The process will only stop when the amount of cash that people hold is in line with their preferences. The amount of cash held in US money market funds and personal cash deposits has surged by $2.6 trillion since February. Despite the rally in equities, cash holdings as a percent of stock market capitalization remain near multi-year highs. This suggests that the firepower to fuel further increases in the stock market has not been exhausted. Start Of The Dollar Bear Market After peaking in March, the broad trade-weighted US dollar has weakened by 5.3%. The dollar is a countercyclical currency, meaning that it tends to move in the opposite direction of the global business cycle (Chart 13). While the dollar could strengthen temporarily in response to a second wave of the pandemic, global growth should continue to recover in the second half of the year provided that severe lockdown measures are not reintroduced. Stronger global growth will push the greenback lower. Chart 13The US Dollar Is A Countercyclical Currency The US Dollar Is A Countercyclical Currency The US Dollar Is A Countercyclical Currency Unlike last year, the dollar no longer has support from higher US interest rates. Indeed, US real rates are below those of many partner countries due to the fact that US inflation expectations are generally higher than elsewhere (Chart 14). Chart 14The Dollar Has Been Losing Interest Rate Support The Dollar Has Been Losing Interest Rate Support The Dollar Has Been Losing Interest Rate Support A Weaker Dollar Will Support Non-US Stocks The combination of a weaker dollar and stronger global growth should disproportionately help the more cyclical sectors of the stock market, particularly commodity producers. Since cyclical stocks tends to be overrepresented outside the US, non-US equities should outperform their US peers over the next 12 months. A weaker dollar will also reduce the local- currency value of dollar-denominated debt. This will be especially helpful for emerging markets. Despite the recent rally, the cyclically-adjusted PE ratio for EM stocks remains near historic lows (Chart 15). EM equities should fare well over the next 12 months.   Chart 15EM Stocks Are Very Cheap EM Stocks Are Very Cheap EM Stocks Are Very Cheap Peter Berezin Chief Global Strategist peterb@bcaresearch.com Global Investment Strategy View Matrix A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) Current MacroQuant Model Scores A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off) A Second Wave Is Now The Base Case (But Stocks Will Eventually Shrug It Off)

Please note that yesterday we published Special Report on Egypt recommending buying domestic bonds while hedging currency risk. Today we are enclosing analysis on Hungary, Poland and Colombia. I will present our latest thoughts on the global macro outlook and implications for EM during today’s webcast at 10 am EST. You can access the webcast by clicking here. Yours sincerely, Arthur Budaghyan Hungary Versus Poland: Mind The Reversal Conditions are set for the Hungarian forint to outperform the Polish zloty over the coming months. We recommend going long the HUF against the PLN. Hungarian opposition parties criticized the government about the considerable depreciation in the forint. As a result, we suspect that political pressure from Prime Minister Viktor Orban led monetary authorities to alter their stance since April. Critically, the main architect of super-dovish monetary policy Marton Nagy resigned from the board of the central bank on May 28. In line with tighter liquidity, interbank rates have risen above the policy rate. This is marginally positive for the forint. The Hungarian central bank (NBH) tweaked its monetary policy in April after the currency had plunged to new lows against the euro, underperforming its Central European counterparts. The NBH widened its policy rate corridor by hiking the upper interest band to 1.85% and keeping the policy rate at 0.90%. The wider interest rate corridor makes it more costly for commercial banks to borrow reserves from the central bank. Hence, such liquidity tightening is positive for the forint. For years, Hungary was pursuing a super-easy monetary policy and consumer price inflation rose to 4% (Chart I-1). With the NBH keeping interest rates close to zero, real rates have plunged well into negative territory (Chart I-2, top panel). Chart I-1Hungary: Inflation Could Pause For Now Hungary: Inflation Could Pause For Now Hungary: Inflation Could Pause For Now Chart I-2Hungary Vs. Poland: Real Rates Reversal Is Coming Hungary Vs. Poland: Real Rates Reversal Is Coming Hungary Vs. Poland: Real Rates Reversal Is Coming     In brief, the central bank has been behind the inflation curve. As a result, the forint has been depreciating against both the euro and its central European peers. In such a situation, the key to reversal in the exchange rate trend would be the monetary authority’s readiness to raise real interest rates. The NBH has made a small step in this direction. Going forward, the central bank will be restrained in its quantitative easing (QE) program and will not augment it any further. So far, QE uptake has been slow: around half out of the available HUF 1,500 billion has been tapped by commercial banks and corporates. Importantly, the NBH announced its intention to sterilize its government and corporate bond purchases. Already, the commercial banks excess reserves at the central bank have fallen to zero, which suggests that liquidity is no longer abundant in the banking system (Chart I-3). In line with tighter liquidity, interbank rates have risen above the policy rate. This is marginally positive for the forint. Hungarian authorities have become more cognizant of the economic and financial risks associated with their ultra-accommodative policies. For instance, they initiated a clampdown on real estate speculation, which is leading to dwindling real estate prices. This will lead to a decline in overall inflation expectations and, thereby, lift expected real interest rates. The open nature of Hungary’s economy – whereby exports of goods and services constitute 85% of GDP - makes it much more sensitive to pan-European tourism and manufacturing cycles. With the collapse in its manufacturing and tourism revenues, wage growth in Hungary is bound to decelerate rapidly (Chart I-4). Chart I-3Hungary: Central Bank Has Drained Liquidity Hungary: Central Bank Has Drained Liquidity Hungary: Central Bank Has Drained Liquidity Chart I-4Economic Growth: Hungary Is More Vulnerable Than Poland Economic Growth: Hungary Is More Vulnerable Than Poland Economic Growth: Hungary Is More Vulnerable Than Poland   Rapidly deteriorating wage and employment dynamics reduces the odds of an inflation breakout anytime soon. This will cool down inflation and, thereby, increase real rates on the margin. The central bank in Poland will stay super accommodative while the National Bank of Hungary will be a bit less aggressive. Bottom Line: Although this monetary policy adjustment does not entail the end of easy policy in Hungary, generally, it does signal restraint on the part of monetary authorities resulting from a much reduced tolerance for currency depreciation. This creates conditions for the forint to outperform. Poland In the meantime, Polish monetary authorities have switched into an ultra-accommodative mode. Recent policy announcements by the National Bank of Poland (NBP) represent the most dramatic example of policy easing in Central Europe. Such a policy stance in Poland will produce lower real rates than in Hungary, which is negative for the Polish zloty against the forint. The NBP is set to finance the majority of a new 11% of GDP fiscal spending program enacted by the government amid the COVID-19 lockdowns. This amounts to de-facto public debt and fiscal deficit monetization. The latter will not be sterilized unlike in Hungary and will therefore lead to an excess liquidity overflow in the banking system. The Polish central bank has cut interest rates by 140 bps to 10 bps since March. Pushing nominal rates down close to zero has produced more negative real policy rates than in Hungary (Chart I-2, top panel on page 2). Also, Polish prime lending rates in real terms have fallen below those in Hungary (Chart I-2, bottom panel). Chances are that inflation in Poland will also prove to be stickier than in Hungary due to the minimum wage raise at the beginning of the year and very aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus since the pandemics has erupted (Chart I-5). Critically, the Polish economy is much less open than Hungary’s, and it is therefore less vulnerable to the collapse of pan-European manufacturing and tourism. This will ensure better employment and wage conditions in Poland. All in all, Poland’s final demand outperformance, versus Hungary, will contribute to a higher rate of inflation there. Bottom Line: The central bank in Poland will stay super accommodative while the National Bank of Hungary will be a bit less aggressive. This is producing a U-turn in both countries’ nominal and relative real interest rates, which heralds a reversal in the HUF / PLN cross rate (Chart I-6). Chart I-5Polish Inflation Will Be Sticker Than In Hungary Polish Inflation Will Be Sticker Than In Hungary Polish Inflation Will Be Sticker Than In Hungary Chart I-6Go Long HUF / Short PLN Go Long HUF / Short PLN Go Long HUF / Short PLN   Investment Strategy For Central Europe A new trade: go long the HUF versus the PLN. Take a 3% profit on the short HUF and PLN / long CZK trade. Close the short IDR / long PLN trade with a 20% loss. Downgrade central European bourses (Polish, Czech and Hungarian) from an overweight to a neutral allocation within the EM equity benchmark. Lower for longer European interest rates disfavor bank stocks that dominate central European bourses. Andrija Vesic Associate Editor andrijav@bcaresearch.com Colombia: Continue Betting On Lower Rates Colombia has been badly hit by two shocks: the precipitous fall in oil prices and the strict quarantine measures to constrain the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. An underwhelming fiscal stimulus in response to the lockdowns will further weigh on private demand. An underwhelming fiscal stimulus in response to the lockdowns will further weigh on private demand. We have been recommending receiving 10-year swap rates in Colombia since April 23rd and this strategy remains unchanged: While oil prices seem to have rebounded sharply, they will remain structurally low (Chart II-1). The Emerging Markets Strategy team's view is that oil prices will average $40 per barrel this year and next.1 After the recent rally, chances of further upside in crude prices are limited. Chart II-1A Long-Term Perspective On Oil Prices A Long-Term Perspective On Oil Prices A Long-Term Perspective On Oil Prices Table II-1Colombia’s Fiscal Package Is The Lowest In The Region Hungary Versus Poland; Colombia Hungary Versus Poland; Colombia Colombia's high sensitivity to oil prices is particularly visible via its current account balance. Indeed, Colombia’s net crude exports cover as much as 50% of the current account deficit, such that low oil prices severely affect the currency and produce a negative income shock for the economy. Fiscal policy remains unreasonably tight, especially in the face of the global pandemic. The government’s fiscal response plan amounts to only a meagre 1.5% of GDP. This is low not only compared to advanced economies but also to the rest of Latin America (Table II-1). Moreover, President Duque’s administration has been running the tightest fiscal budget in almost a decade, with the primary fiscal balance reaching 1% of GDP before the pandemic. The country’s COVID-19 response has been fast and effective. Colombia has managed to achieve the lowest amount of infections and deaths among major economies in Latin America (Chart II-2). Chart II-2COVID-19 Casualties Across Latin America COVID-19 Casualties Across Latin America COVID-19 Casualties Across Latin America Duque’s administration has taken a pragmatic approach to handling the pandemic by enforcing strict lockdowns and banning international and inter-municipal travel since late March, only three days after the country’s first casualty. Further, the nationwide confinement measures have been extended until July 1st, with particularly stringent rules applying to major cities. These have helped the country avoid a nation-wide health crisis, but they will engender prolonged economic pain. Regarding monetary stimulus, the central bank (Banrep) has cut interest rates by 150 basis points since March of this year. It also embarked on the first and largest QE program in the region. Banrep has committed to purchase 12 trillion pesos worth of government and corporate securities (amounting to a whopping 8% of GDP). Consumer price inflation is falling across various core measures and will drop below the low end of Banrep’s target range (Chart II-3). This will push the central bank to continue cutting rates. Despite the monetary easing, nominal lending rates are still restrictive. Real lending rates (deflated by core CPI) remain elevated at 7% (Chart II-4). Chart II-3Colombia: Inflation Will Fall Below Target Colombia: Inflation Will Fall Below Target Colombia: Inflation Will Fall Below Target Chart II-4Colombia: Real Lending Rates Are Still High Colombia: Real Lending Rates Are Still High Colombia: Real Lending Rates Are Still High Chart II-5The Colombian Economy Was Already Under Pressure The Colombian Economy Was Already Under Pressure The Colombian Economy Was Already Under Pressure Importantly, there has not been an appropriate amount of credit support and debt waving programs for SMEs, as there has been in many other countries. Given that SMEs employ a large share of the workforce, and that household spending accounts for about 70% of GDP, consumer spending and overall economic growth will contract substantially and be slow to recover. Employment rates had already been contracting, and wage growth downshifting, before the pandemic started (Chart II-5). Household income is now certainly in decline as major cities are in full lockdown and economic activity is frozen. Investment Recommendations Even though we are structurally positive on the country due to its orthodox macroeconomic policies, positive structural reforms, and low levels of debt among both households and companies, we maintain a neutral allocation on Colombian stocks within an EM equity portfolio. This bourse is dominated by banks and energy stocks. The lack of both fiscal support and bank loan guarantees amid the recession means that banks will carry the burden of ultimate losses. They will suffer materially due to loan restructuring and defaults. For fixed income investors, we reiterate our call to receive 10-year swap rates and recommend overweighting local currency government bonds versus the EM domestic bond benchmark. The yield curve is steep and real bond yields are elevated (Chart II-6). Hence, long-term interest rates offer great value. Additional monetary easing, including quantitative easing, will suppress yields much further. Chart II-6A Great Opportunity In Colombian Rates A Great Opportunity In Colombian Rates A Great Opportunity In Colombian Rates Chart II-7The COP Has Depreciated Considerably The COP Has Depreciated Considerably The COP Has Depreciated Considerably   We are upgrading Colombia sovereign credit from neutral to overweight within an EM credit portfolio. General public debt (including the central and state governments) stands at 59% of GDP. Conservative fiscal policy and the central bank’s large purchases of local bonds will allow the government to finance itself locally. Presently, 40% of public debt is foreign currency and 60% local currency denominated. As a result, sovereign credit will outperform the EM credit benchmark. In terms of the currency, we recommend investors to be cautious for now. Even though the peso is cheap (Chart II-7), another relapse in oil prices or a potential flare up in social protests could cause further downfall in the currency. Juan Egaña Research Associate juane@bcaresearch.com   1 This differs from the view of BCA’s Commodities and Energy Strategy service. We believe structural forces such as the lasting decline in air travel and commuting will impede a recovery in oil demand while, at the same time, US shale production will rise again considerably if crude prices rise and remain well above $40   Equities Recommendations Currencies, Credit And Fixed-Income Recommendations

  In a webcast this Friday I will be joined by our Chief US Equity Strategist, Anastasios Avgeriou to debate ‘Sectors To Own, And Sectors To Avoid In The Post-Covid World’. Today’s report preludes five of the points that we will debate. Please join us for the full discussion and conclusions on Friday, June 12, at 8:00 AM EDT (1:00 PM BST, 2:00 PM CEST, 8.00 PM HKT).   Highlights Technology is behaving like a Defensive. Defensive versus Cyclical = Growth versus Value. Growth stocks are not a bubble if bond yields stay ultra-low. The post-Covid world will reinforce existing sector mega-trends. Sectors are driving regional and country relative performance. Fractal trade: Long ZAR/CLP.   Chart of the WeekSector Defensiveness/Cyclicality = Positive/Negative Sensitivity To The Bond Price Sector Defensiveness/Cyclicality = Positive/Negative Sensitivity To The Bond Price Sector Defensiveness/Cyclicality = Positive/Negative Sensitivity To The Bond Price 1. Technology Is Behaving Like A Defensive How do we judge an equity sector’s sensitivity to the post-Covid economy, so that we can define it as cyclical or defensive? One approach is to compare the sector’s relative performance with the bond price. According to this approach, the more negatively sensitive to the bond price, the more cyclical is the sector. And the more positively sensitive to the bond price, the more defensive is the sector (Chart I-1).   On this basis the most cyclical sectors in the post-Covid economy are, unsurprisingly: energy, banks, and materials. Healthcare is unsurprisingly defensive. Meanwhile, the industrials sector sits closest to neutral between cyclical and defensive, showing the least sensitivity to the bond price. The tech sector’s vulnerability to economic cyclicality appears to have greatly reduced. The big surprise is technology, whose high positive sensitivity to the bond price during the 2020 crisis qualifies it as even more defensive than healthcare. This contrasts sharply with its behaviour during the 2008 crisis. Back then, tech’s relative performance was negatively correlated with the bond price, defining it as classically cyclical. But over the past year, tech’s relative performance has been positively correlated with the bond price, defining it as classically defensive (Chart I-2 and Chart I-3). Chart I-2In 2008, Tech Behaved Like ##br##A Cyclical... In 2008, Tech Behaved Like A Cyclical... In 2008, Tech Behaved Like A Cyclical... Chart I-3...But In 2020, Tech Is Behaving Like A Defensive ...But In 2020, Tech Is Behaving Like A Defensive ...But In 2020, Tech Is Behaving Like A Defensive This is not to say that the big tech companies cannot suffer shocks. They can. For example, from new superior technologies, or from anti-oligopoly legislation. However, the tech sector’s vulnerability to economic cyclicality appears to have greatly reduced over the past decade. 2. Defensive Versus Cyclical = Growth Versus Value If we reclassify the tech sector as defensive in the 2020s economy, then the post mid-March rebound in stocks was first led by defensives. Cyclicals took over leadership of the rally only in May. Moreover, with the reclassification of tech as defensive, the two dominant defensive sectors become tech and healthcare. But tech and healthcare are also the dominant ‘growth’ sectors. The upshot is that growth versus value has now become precisely the same decision as defensive versus cyclical (Chart I-4). Chart I-4Defensive Versus Cyclical = Growth Versus Value Defensive Versus Cyclical = Growth Versus Value Defensive Versus Cyclical = Growth Versus Value 3. Growth Stocks Are Not A Bubble If Bond Yields Stay Ultra-Low Some people fear that growth stocks have become dangerously overvalued. There is even mention of the B-word. Let’s address these fears. Yes, valuations have become richer. For example, the forward earnings yield for healthcare is down to 5 percent; and for big tech it is down to just over 4 percent. This valuation starting point has proved to be an excellent guide to prospective 10-year returns, and now implies an expected annualised return from big tech in the mid-single digits. Yet this modest positive return is well above the extremes of the negative 10-year returns implied and delivered from the dot com bubble (Chart I-5). Chart I-5Big Tech Is Priced To Deliver A Positive Return, Unlike In 2000 Big Tech Is Priced To Deliver A Positive Return, Unlike In 2000 Big Tech Is Priced To Deliver A Positive Return, Unlike In 2000 Moreover, we must judge the implied returns from growth stocks against those available from competing long-duration assets – specifically, against the benchmark of high-quality government bond yields. If bond yields are ultra-low, then they must depress the implied returns on growth stocks too. Meaning higher absolute valuations (Chart I-6 and Chart I-7). Chart I-6Tech's Forward Earnings Yield Is Above The Bond Yield, Unlike In 2000 Tech's Forward Earnings Yield Is Above The Bond Yield, Unlike In 2000 Tech's Forward Earnings Yield Is Above The Bond Yield, Unlike In 2000 Chart I-7Healthcare's Forward Earnings Yield Is Above The Bond Yield, Unlike In 2000 Healthcare's Forward Earnings Yield Is Above The Bond Yield, Unlike In 2000 Healthcare's Forward Earnings Yield Is Above The Bond Yield, Unlike In 2000 In the real bubble of 2000, big tech was priced to return 12 percent (per annum) less than the 10-year T-bond. Whereas today, the implied return from big tech – though low in absolute terms – is above the ultra-low yield on the 10-year T-bond. If bond yields are ultra-low, then they must depress the implied returns on growth stocks too. The upshot is that high absolute valuations of growth stocks are contingent on bond yields remaining at ultra-low levels. And that the biggest threat to growth stock valuations would be a sustained rise in bond yields. 4. The Post-Covid World Will Reinforce Existing Sector Mega-Trends If a sector maintains a structural uptrend in sales and profits, then a big drop in the share price provides an excellent buying opportunity for long-term investors. This is because the lower share price stretches the elastic between the price and the up-trending profits, resulting in an eventual catch-up. However, if sales and profits are in terminal decline, then the sell-off is not a buying opportunity other than on a tactical basis. This is because the elastic will lose its tension as profits drift down towards the lower price. In fact, despite the sell-off, if the profit downtrend continues, the price may be forced ultimately to catch-down. This leads to a somewhat counterintuitive conclusion. After a big drop in the stock market, long-term investors should not buy everything that has dropped. And they should not buy the stocks and sectors that have dropped the most if their profits are in major downtrends. In this regard, the post-Covid world is likely to reinforce the existing mega-trends. The profits of oil and gas, and of European banks will remain in major structural downtrends (Chart I-8 and Chart I-9). Conversely, the profits of healthcare, and of European personal products will remain in major structural uptrends (Chart I-10 and Chart I-11). Chart I-8Oil And Gas Profits In A Major ##br##Downtrend Oil And Gas Profits In A Major Downtrend Oil And Gas Profits In A Major Downtrend Chart I-9Bank Profits In A Major ##br##Downtrend European Banks Profits In A Major Downtrend Bank Profits In A Major Downtrend European Banks Profits In A Major Downtrend Bank Profits In A Major Downtrend Chart I-10Healthcare Profits In A Major Uptrend Healthcare Profits In A Major Uptrend Healthcare Profits In A Major Uptrend Chart I-11Personal Products Profits In A Major Uptrend Personal Products Profits In A Major Uptrend Personal Products Profits In A Major Uptrend   5. Sectors Are Driving Regional And Country Relative Performance Finally, sector winners and losers determine regional and country equity market winners and losers. Nowadays, a stock market’s relative performance is predominantly a play on its distinguishing overweight and underweight ‘sector fingerprint’. This is because major stock markets are dominated by multinational corporations which are plays on their global sectors, rather than the region or country in which they have a stock market listing. It follows that when tech and healthcare outperform, the tech-heavy and healthcare-heavy US stock market must outperform, while healthcare-lite emerging markets (EM) must underperform. It also follows that the tech-heavy Netherlands and healthcare-heavy Denmark stock markets must outperform. Sector mega-trends will shape the mega-trends in regional and country relative performance. Equally, when energy and banks underperform, the energy-heavy Norway and bank-heavy Spain stock markets must underperform. (Chart I-12 and Chart I-13). These are just a few examples. Every stock market is defined by a sector fingerprint which drives its relative performance.  Chart I-12Sector Relative Performance Drives... Sector Relative Performance Drives... Sector Relative Performance Drives... Chart I-13...Regional And Country Relative Performance ...Regional And Country Relative Performance ...Regional And Country Relative Performance If sector mega-trends continue, they will also shape the mega-trends in regional and country relative performance – favouring those stock markets that are heavy in growth stocks and light in old-fashioned cyclicals. Please join the webcast to hear the full debate and conclusions. Fractal Trading System*  This week’s recommended trade is to go long the South African rand versus the Chilean peso. Set the profit target and symmetrical stop-loss at 5 percent. In other trades, long Spanish 10-year bonds versus New Zealand 10-year bonds achieved its 3.5 percent profit target at which it was closed. And long Australia versus New Zealand equities is approaching its 12 percent profit target. The rolling 1-year win ratio now stands at 63 percent. Chart I-14ZAR/CLP ZAR/CLP ZAR/CLP   When the fractal dimension approaches the lower limit after an investment has been in an established trend it is a potential trigger for a liquidity-triggered trend reversal. Therefore, open a countertrend position. The profit target is a one-third reversal of the preceding 13-week move. Apply a symmetrical stop-loss. Close the position at the profit target or stop-loss. Otherwise close the position after 13 weeks. * For more details please see the European Investment Strategy Special Report “Fractals, Liquidity & A Trading Model,” dated  December 11, 2014, available at eis.bcaresearch.com.   Dhaval Joshi Chief European Investment Strategist dhaval@bcaresearch.com Fractal Trading System   Cyclical Recommendations Structural Recommendations Closed Fractal Trades Trades Closed Trades Asset Performance Currency & Bond Equity Sector Country Equity Indicators Bond Yields Chart II-1Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Chart II-2Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Chart II-3Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Chart II-4Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields   Interest Rate Chart II-5Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Chart II-6Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Chart II-7Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Chart II-8Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations  

Highlights If policymakers can neutralize default pressures arising from the lockdowns, the lasting impacts of this recession may not be so bad: As Jay Powell put it on 60 Minutes several weeks ago, policymakers just have to keep people and businesses out of insolvency until health professionals can gain the upper hand over the virus. Fiscal spending caused income and savings to spike, … : Generous transfer payments have left the majority of the unemployed better off than they were when they were working, and April household income and savings soared accordingly. … allowing consumers to meet nearly all of their obligations … : April’s income and savings gains showed up in reduced delinquencies across all categories of consumer loans and in solid April and May rent collections. May’s employment gains suggest that the private sector may not be too far away from taking the baton from Congress: The May employment report blew away expectations and sent risk assets surging, but the positive surprise may derail plans for further fiscal support. Feature Since March, investors have been presented with a simple choice: believe their eyes or believe in the government. They could either focus on horrendous economic data illustrating the crippling effects of widespread lockdowns, or they could trust in policymakers’ ability to shield most citizens and businesses from lasting damage. Our base case has been that policymakers would succeed, for the most part, provided they didn’t have to contend with acute COVID-19 pressures for more than six months. There are as many guesses about the virus’ future path as there are commentators, but it seems reasonably conservative to estimate that the most onerous restrictions will be eased by October. Chart 1DC To The Rescue D.C. To The Rescue D.C. To The Rescue In our view, preventing defaults is the key to mitigating the effects of the virus. If newly vulnerable debtors can be kept from defaulting until the economy can return to something resembling normal, a negatively self-reinforcing dynamic will not take hold, the infection will not spread to the financial system and creditworthy individuals’ and viable businesses’ temporary liquidity issues will not morph into solvency issues. Banking system data to confirm or disprove our thesis will not be available until August, however, as Fed and FDIC data are quarterly, and the shutdowns only began in late March. The unemployment safety net has turned into a trampoline; ... In this report, we have turned to a range of other sources for higher-frequency insights into what is happening in real time. We start with an academic paper showing that most laid-off workers are eligible for benefits comfortably exceeding their previous income, a conclusion reinforced by the April personal income data (Chart 1). We then look at April delinquency data from TransUnion, one of the major credit reporting agencies, and April and May rent-collection data from an apartment trade organization and large-cap publicly traded apartment REITs. We also review the Fed’s Survey of Consumer Finances to get a sense of household indebtedness across the income and wealth spectrums. For now, the data support the conclusion that policymakers have successfully defused credit distress pressures. What Comes In … Unemployment benefits typically fall far short of workers’ regular compensation, averaging about 40% of the median worker’s wage. To cushion the blow of unemployment from COVID-19, the CARES Act included a federal supplement to unemployment benefit payments distributed by the individual states. Added onto the average $400 weekly state benefit, the $600 federal supplement would make the average worker whole (mean earnings are a little less than $1,000 a week). As income inequality has intensified, the compensation distribution for all American workers has come to exhibit a pronounced rightward skew. That skew has pulled mean compensation (the average of all Americans’ earnings) well above median compensation (the earnings of the worker at the exact middle of the earnings distribution).1 By targeting mean compensation, the CARES Act opened the door for a lot of lower-income workers to make more money in unemployment than they did when they were working. According to a recent paper from three Chicago professors, 68% of unemployed workers are eligible to receive benefits that exceed their previous income, while 20% of unemployed workers are eligible for benefits that will at least double it. Overall, they calculate that the median worker is eligible to receive benefits amounting to 134% of his/her previous income.2 ... instead of keeping laid-off employees' incomes from falling below 40 cents on the dollar, it's launched them to $1.30. We offer no judgments about the policy merits of a 134% median replacement rate, but unusually generous benefits should help reduce the drag from unemployment that would otherwise ensue with a 40% replacement rate. Thanks to lower-income households’ higher marginal propensity to consume, consumption should rise at the margin (once activity resumes). Thanks to increased income, lower-income households should be better positioned to meet their financial obligations. We suspect the marginal consumption boost may be hard to see with the naked eye, but auto, credit card and mortgage delinquencies should be appreciably lower than any regression model not adjusted to reflect record replacement rates would predict. … And What Goes Out The Personal Income and Outlays data for April reflected the significant impact on household income of the up-to-$1,200 stimulus checks (economic impact payments) and the supplemental unemployment benefits. Despite an annualized $900 billion decline in employee compensation, personal income rose by nearly $2 trillion in April, thanks to a $3 trillion increase in transfer payments. De-annualizing the components, $250 billion in transfer payments offset a $75 billion decrease in compensation. At about $220 billion, the economic impact payments accounted for the bulk of the transfer payments, and they will fall sharply in May. The IRS did not disclose the amount of economic impact payments it had disbursed by April 30, but it appears that around 80% of the distributions have been made, leaving approximately $55 billion yet to be disbursed. Unemployment insurance receipts will rise in May on an extra week of benefits and an increase in the weekly sums of initial and continuing unemployment claims. We project that employee compensation rose about 3% in May, based on a 2% gain in employment and a 1% increase in average weekly earnings. Aggregating the February-to-May changes, it appears that May personal income ought to exceed February (Table 1). Absent another round of stimulus checks, however, personal income will slide below its pre-shutdown level beginning in June. Table 1May Personal Income Should Exceed Its Pre-Pandemic Level So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) Income is not the sole driver of households’ capacity to service their debt, however. Assets matter, too, and even if the surge in cash flow was a one-off event, it left behind an elevated stock of cash as households slashed consumption in both March and April. Real personal consumption expenditures have fallen 19% from February’s all-time high and are now back to a level they breached in January 2012 (Chart 2). Households saved 33% of their April disposable income, and on a level basis, April savings were up nearly fivefold from their 2019 average. They were a whopping 20 times April interest payments, ex-mortgages (Chart 3). Chart 2Eight Years Of Spending Undone In Two Months Eight Years Of Spending Undone In Two Months Eight Years Of Spending Undone In Two Months Chart 3Consumers' Interest Coverage Ratios Have Soared Consumers' Interest Coverage Ratios Have Soared Consumers' Interest Coverage Ratios Have Soared Household Borrowers Are Staying Current … Table 2Consumer Borrowers Are Hanging In There So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) It is possible to make too much of the April income and outlays data. We had been expecting another round of stimulus checks, but lawmakers’ comments even before the blockbuster employment report suggested one may not be forthcoming. Some of the savings activity was forced on homebound consumers, and some pent-up demand will surely be unleashed as the economy re-opens. Households amassed a mighty savings war chest across March and April, however, and it has left them better-positioned to service their debt obligations going forward. Despite an unemployment rate not seen since FDR, households made their scheduled payments in April. According to TransUnion, delinquency rates fell month-over-month across every major consumer loan category and delinquency rates for mortgages and unsecured personal loans declined on a year-over-year basis (Table 2). The TransUnion data comes from its inaugural Monthly Industry Snapshot, intended to provide a higher-frequency read on headline consumer credit metrics than its typical quarterly releases. In addition to crunching the delinquency numbers, the report noted that forbearance programs have helped ease consumer liquidity pressures, consumers have reduced their outstanding credit card balances and credit scores have slightly improved. None of the factors is decisive on its own, but they contribute to a marginally improved consumer credit outlook. … And Apartment Tenants Are Paying Their Rent It is more common for households in the lower half of the income and net worth distributions to rent their residence than own it. Just one in every five households in the bottom two quintiles of the income distribution (Chart 4, top panel), and one in four in the bottom half of the net worth distribution (Chart 4, bottom panel), have a mortgage. Rent is the single largest recurring expense for these households and the shutdowns made paying it a concern. Several newspaper stories have highlighted the plight of distressed renters while discussing grassroots rent-strike movements, but the National Multifamily Housing Council’s (NMHC) Rent Payment Tracker tells a different story.3 Chart 4Households In The Lower Half Of The Income And Wealth Distributions Rent Their Homes Households In The Lower Half Of The Income And Wealth Distributions Rent Their Homes Households In The Lower Half Of The Income And Wealth Distributions Rent Their Homes The Rent Payment Tracker distills the results of a national survey covering over 11 million professionally managed apartment units. Through May 27th, it reported that 93.3% of renters had made full or partial payments for the month of May. The share of paying tenants was down just 150 basis points year-over-year, and up 160 basis points month-over-month. The six apartment REITs in the S&P 500 reported April and May rent collections that were better than the NMHC data. By the end of May, the REITs had collected 94-99% of the April rent they were due, and 93-96% of their May rents (Table 3). (Equity Residential (EQR) reported its April collections through April 7th and did not provide an end-of-month update; on June 1st, it reported that its May collections through May 7th were in line with April’s.) Essex Property Trust (ESS), which owns a portfolio of apartments in southern California, the Bay Area and greater Seattle, provided a table showing how the economic impact payments and the supplemental unemployment benefit would affect the income of unemployed California and Washington state couples without children. Table 4 expands it to cover four income scenarios, illustrating just how far up the income distribution CARES Act relief stretches. Table 3Residential Tenants Are Paying Their Rent So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) Table 4The CARES Act For Essex Property Trust Renters So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) So Far, So Good (How Markets Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Washington, DC) Who Borrows: Evidence From The Survey Of Consumer Finances Helping the households in the bottom half of the income distribution won’t materially limit credit distress across the economy if those households don’t have access to credit. The latest edition of the Fed’s triennial Survey of Consumer Finances, published in 2017, makes it clear that they do. Those households may be much less likely to carry mortgage debt (Chart 5), but they make up for it by borrowing via other channels. 64% of households in the bottom two quintiles have some debt, and the share grows to 70% when the middle quintile, which qualified for the full $1,200 economic impact payment, is included (Chart 6). Chart 5The Homeownership Income Divide The Homeownership Income Divide The Homeownership Income Divide Chart 6Households In The Lower Two Quintiles Have Debt To Service, Too Households In The Lower Two Quintiles Have Debt To Service, Too Households In The Lower Two Quintiles Have Debt To Service, Too Investment Implications The discussion above focused solely on the consumer, as we discussed the Fed’s efforts to assist lenders and business borrowers in a joint Special Report with our US Bond Strategy colleagues in April.4 Record corporate bond issuance in March and April – before the Fed bought a single corporate bond – testifies to the effectiveness of the Fed’s measures. Its corporate credit facilities bazooka was so large that it was able to soothe the roiled corporate issuance market without firing a single shot. Spreads have narrowed across the spread product spectrum and the primary and secondary markets are once again able to function normally. Too much economic improvement could be self-limiting, and the S&P 500 is trading at an ambitious multiple. We remain equal weight equities over the tactical three-month timeframe. The foregoing review of consumer performance reinforces our view that the SIFI banks should be overweighted relative to the S&P 500. The ongoing data indicate that the SIFI banks will not have to build up their reserves for loan losses as much as investors feared. Our conviction that the SIFI banks are unlikely to face material book value declines has only increased. It has become possible that second- and third-quarter reserve builds may be even less than our optimistic two-times-the-first-quarter view, but the virus will have the final say. The SIFI banks remain our favorite long idea. At the asset allocation level, we remain equal weight equities over the tactical three-month timeframe. We are encouraged by the green shoots visible in the employment report, but stocks are generously valued and the virus outlook is still unclear. The improvement on the ground could prove to be self-limiting if it kills the momentum for further fiscal assistance, or if it encourages officials and individuals to let their guard down regarding the social distancing measures that have been effective in lowering COVID-19 infection rates.   Doug Peta, CFA Chief US Investment Strategist dougp@bcaresearch.com Footnotes 1 According to the Census Department’s annual Current Population Survey, mean household income ($90,000) exceeded median household income ($63,000) by 42% in 2018. 2 Ganong, Peter, Noel, Pascal J., Vavra, Joseph S. "US Unemployment Insurance Replacement Rates During the Pandemic," NBER Working Paper No. 27216. 3https://www.nmhc.org/research-insight/nmhc-rent-payment-tracker/ Accessed June 1. 4 Please see the April 14, 2020 US Investment Strategy/US Bond Strategy Special Report, "Alphabet Soup: A Summary Of The Fed’s Anti-Virus Measures," available at usis.bcaresearch.com.

  Dear Client, In lieu of our regular report this week, we are sending you a Special Report from my colleague Jonathan LaBerge. Jonathan examines the global effectiveness of recent pandemic containment measures to judge both the odds of a second infection wave and what policy responses are likely to be effective in countering one were it to occur. In addition, I will take part in a discussion on the longer-term outlook for inflation alongside my colleagues Robert Robis and Robert Ryan in a live webcast this Friday, June 5 at 8:00 AM EDT (1:00 PM BST, 2:00 PM CEST, 8:00 PM HKT). Best regards, Peter Berezin, Chief Global Strategist   Highlights In this report we examine the effectiveness of COVID-19 containment measures across 30 of the largest global economies to determine which measures best explain cross-country “success” at fighting the pandemic. Our findings are generally consistent with the recommendations of health experts today and the historical experience of the Spanish flu. The speed at which measures were deployed appears to have been a very important factor contributing to success, and the most economically-damaging measures seem to have been among the most effective in combating the spread of the disease. This underscores that fighting a secondary infection wave, were one to occur, would be enormously costly even if more effective and less blunt containment measures succeeded at preventing uncontrolled spread. Equity investors are thus making a risky bet in extrapolating early reopening. We recommend a tactically neutral allocation towards equities versus bonds, within the context of a cyclically-overweight stance. Feature Global equities have rallied 38% from their March 23 low, and remain only 9% below this year’s high. The rally in stocks reflects, in part, the very aggressive response that has occurred from both fiscal and monetary authorities. But it also reflects the view that pandemic containment measures have succeeded in controlling the spread of the disease in the western world, and that developed countries will be able to continue to progressively roll back containment measures and restart their stalled economies. In this report we investigate the effectiveness of recent pandemic containment measures across 30 of the largest economies in the world, based on data sourced from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. The goal of the report is to determine which of the measures best explain cross-country “success” at fighting the pandemic, in order to judge both the likelihood of a second wave of COVID-19 infections and what policy responses are likely to be effective in countering one were it to occur. Our findings are generally consistent with the recommendations of health experts today and the historical experience of the Spanish flu. The speed at which authorities responded to COVID-19 appears to be among the most important factors contributing to the relative success among countries in combating the pandemic, and the most economically-damaging containment measures (school and workplace closures, event cancellation, and travel restrictions) appear to have been among the most effective in combating the pandemic, depending on the measure of success in question. For investors, this underscores that fighting a secondary infection wave, were one to occur, would be enormously costly even if more effective and less blunt containment measures succeeded at preventing uncontrolled spread. In this regard, it appears that equity investors are making a risky bet in extrapolating early reopening, arguing for a tactically neutral allocation towards equities versus bonds within the context of a cyclically-overweight stance. Measuring Government Responses To COVID-19 Chart 1The Forcefulness Of Government Responses To COVID-19 Over Time COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors The COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) was launched by the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government in late-March as a tool to track and compare policy responses of governments tackling the coronavirus outbreak. The tracker originally included 11 indicators of how governments were responding: 7 measures of closures & containment, 2 measures tracking the economic response, and 2 measures of investment in health care and vaccine research. The original 7 measures of closures & containment were combined into an aggregate measure dubbed the Government Response Stringency Index (Chart 1), which has been widely cited over the past two months. OxCGRT was updated in late-April, and the changes included both new indicators (bringing the total to 18) and amendments to the way in which some of the original indicators were defined. Table 1 provides a list of the closure/containment and health indicators as well as their definitions, along with the codes or scores used to denote the different levels of stringency in each indicator. In the charts shown in this report, indicator values are shown rescaled to be between 0 – 100; as an example, a score of 2 out of 4 for international travel would show up as a rescaled value of 50. Table 1Description Of The Oxford Government Response Stringency Index Components Pertaining To Closures & Containment And Health COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Among the measures shown in Table 1, we test the power of 11 indicators (all 8 closure/containment and 3 public health measures) to explain the cross-country “success” of 30 countries in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. “Success” is defined in three ways: limiting the magnitude of the virus’ spread (peak per capita cases and fatalities), limiting the time to the peak in new cases and fatalities, and the speed at which new cases and fatalities decline following a peak. Finally, we make our own adjustment to OxCGRT’s indicators by penalizing targeted measures rather than providing a bonus to general measures (as is done when calculating the official Stringency Index). We then combine these adjusted measures into our own index using the same equally-weighted methodology as employed when calculating the official Stringency Index. Our adjusted index has a somewhat stronger relationship with our three measures of success than OxCGRT’s Stringency Index, validating our approach to reducing the score of any given indicator by half when the measure is targeted rather than general in nature. Explaining The Magnitude Of The Cross-Country Spread For the 30 countries included in our analysis, Chart 2 illustrates the relationship between the degree of the virus’ spread (both in terms of current per capita confirmed cases and fatalities) and the average level of our adjusted stringency index in the early phase of each country’s outbreak. Chart 2At First Blush, Stringency Does Not Appear To Predict The Ultimate Magnitude Of The Spread… COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Given the persistent findings from epidemiological models that efforts to contain pandemics must occur quickly, we define this early phase as the first six weeks following the day in which a country reached five confirmed cases. This point was reached in late-January in most Asian countries, Australia, the US, and some parts of Europe, and in February for almost all of the remaining developed economies that we examined. Emerging market economies reached this point in the first half of March. The chart makes it clear that the average stringency of containment measures during this early phase has little power to predict the ultimate magnitude of the spread when considering all 30 countries. However, the charts also highlight that several European countries – Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland – are significant outliers, especially in terms of per capita fatalities. Chart 3 removes these outlying nations, and underscores that the degree to which the virus ultimately spread across countries is better explained for the remaining countries by the early stringency of their response. The higher the stringency of the measures, the lower the current (or peak) number of per capita cases and deaths. Chart 3…But The Relationship Is Stronger After Excluding Outlying European Nations COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Table 2 shows the R-squared values for each of the individual measures, including and excluding the five outlying countries noted above. The first noteworthy point from Table 2 is that the indicators appear to have a better ability to predict fatalities than confirmed cases, which is true for nearly all of the indicators across all three measures of success that we examine in this report. To us, this emphasizes a point that has become apparent over the past two months, namely that the meaningfulness of confirmed case data varies significantly across countries due to differences in testing practices and availability. To use the parlance of global macro analysts, confirmed cases are “soft data,” whereas fatalities (and hospitalizations) represent “hard data.” Of course, as is also the case in global macro analysis, the soft data tends to lead the hard data, which helps explain why confirmed cases of the disease will remain an important leading indicator for the US economy until they largely capture asymptomatic and mild cases that are not likely to lead to hospitalization or death. Table 2School Closures, Canceling Public Events, And International Travel Restrictions Seem To Explain Lower Fatalities COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors The second noteworthy point is that while none of the measures have particularly strong predictive power for all countries, several do when the outliers are removed. Importantly, strong restrictions on international travel during the early outbreak phase show up as being the most important predictor of reduced fatalities per capita, followed closely by school closures. The cancellation of public events, public information campaigns, and domestic travel restrictions also appear to be relatively important predictors. Notably, cross-country differences in testing policies and the comprehensiveness of contact tracing do not seem to explain the variation in per capita cases and fatalities. As a final point on the magnitude of the spread of COVID-19, it is not immediately clear why the five European countries that we highlighted have been such sizeable outliers in the direction of higher per capita cases and fatalities despite seemingly stringent measures. At present, we have two theories: Given the importance of early and strong restrictions on travel highlighted in Table 2, it is possible that the efficacy of these restrictions has somehow been lower in these countries. It is possible that higher cases and fatalities in these countries can be explained by differences in the management of nursing homes and other elder care facilities, a factor that is not directly measured in the OxCGRT data. On the latter point, data from the Canadian province of Quebec underscores the impact of managing (or mismanaging) long-term care facilities. While Chart 3 highlights that Canada’s experience as a whole appears to be reasonably well-explained by the fairly low stringency of its response during the early phase of its outbreak, the province of Quebec has incurred a particularly high per capita fatality rate that is on par with the outlying European countries that we noted. Chart 3…But The Relationship Is Stronger After Excluding Outlying European Nations COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Chart 4Mismanaging Elder Care Facilities Significantly Affects The Fatality Rate COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Chart 4 presents a breakdown of cumulative Quebec COVID-19 fatalities by place of residence, which clearly demonstrates the impact of public and private nursing homes on the overall fatality rate. The death toll in publicly-funded homes has been particularly high, which even after accounting for the higher proportion of elderly residents in these types of facilities points to mismanagement and/or inadequate funding as key drivers of the disease’s spread (and thus fatalities given that nursing home residents face high risk from the disease). Similar dynamics may exist in the European countries that we cited, which could help explain their outlier status. Evidence On Hastening A Peak, And Post-Peak Decline, In New Cases & Fatalities Chart 5 presents the relationship between the amount of time needed to reach a peak in new cases and fatalities and the measure we used to predict the virus’ spread: the average level of our adjusted stringency index in the early phase of each country’s outbreak. Chart 5Stringent Early Measures Shorten The Time To A Peak In New Cases And Fatalities COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Table 3School Closures, Workplace Closures, And Canceling Public Events Seem To Explain Lower Days To Peak Cases And Fatalities COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors The charts support the argument that stringent early measures shorten the number of days to a peak in new cases and fatalities. Table 3 presents the predictive power of the individual measures, which highlights some differences in the effectiveness of the measures to hasten the time to peak compared with their ability to predict the ultimate magnitude of the spread of the disease: Workplace closures appear to be somewhat better, and school closures somewhat worse, at predicting the speed at which countries reached a peak in new cases and fatalities than they were at predicting the ultimate magnitude of the spread. Closing public transport and restricting domestic travel were modestly successful at predicting the degree of spread but have essentially no power to predict the variation in the time to peak. Finally, restricting international travel was the strongest predictor of the degree of spread but also had essentially no power to predict the amount of time needed to reach a peak in new cases. As noted above, we use the average level of our adjusted stringency index as a predictor for both the prevalence of the disease and the time needed to reach a peak in new cases and deaths. Since it is an average of a given period of time, this variable measures a combination of the stringency of the restrictions as well as how early they were deployed. To test the relative importance of the severity of the measures versus the speed at which they occur, we apply the same approach as in Chart 5 but we replace OxCGRT’s score of each measure’s value for each country with a dummy variable (0 for no measures or 1 for any measures, again rescaled to be between 0 - 100) while retaining the penalty for targeted measures described above. In simple terms, we abstract from whether the severity of the measures is low or high and instead focus simply on whether any measures were applied and when. Chart 6 and Table 4 present the results. With the exception of a country’s testing policy’s ability to predict confirmed cases, the charts and table show that there is little difference between the full indicators and the dummy versions. This suggests that where general (rather than targeted) measures to reduce the spread of the virus have been effective, they have been so because of the speed of their deployment rather than their strictness. Chart 6The Deployment Speed Of Containment Measures Seems More Important Than Their Strictness COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Table 4Small Differences Between The Full Measures And Those Focused Only On The Existence Of Any Response COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Finally, Chart 7 and Table 5 present the ability of the various (full) indicators to predict how successful various countries have been at reducing new cases and fatalities following a peak. The chart and table underscore that the measures have not been particularly successful at explaining the degree to which countries have reduced new cases and deaths, with the exception of two measures: the cancellation of public events and contact tracing. And in the case of the latter, the prevalence of contact tracing appears to help explain greater reductions in new cases, but only weakly explains reduced fatalities. Chart 7Overall, Stringency Does Not Predict Success At Reducing New Cases And Fatalities Following A Peak COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Table 5Canceling Public Events And Contact Tracing Appear To Have Some Success At Hastening A Post-Peak Decline COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Key Takeaways Correlation does not necessarily imply causation, and thus the ability of a particular containment measure to predict differences in COVID-19 outcomes across countries may not always reflect the effectiveness of the measure. Nonetheless, there are several important takeaways from the evidence provided above: The speed at which authorities responded to COVID-19 appears to be among the most important factors contributing to the relative success among countries in combating the pandemic. Implementing general rather than targeted measures does seem to be important, but beyond that stringency does not appear to be the key driver differentiating outcomes across countries. Worryingly, the most economically-damaging containment measures (school and workplace closures, event cancellation, stay-at-home orders, and travel restrictions) appear to have been among the most effective measures in combating the pandemic, depending on the measure of success in question. While containment measures appear to have succeeded in bringing about a peak in new cases and fatalities in most developed economies, the evidence shown above highlights how long painful measures need to be in place in order to have an impact. For example, Chart 8 illustrates the relationship between workplace closure and the time to peak in new fatalities; with the exception of Hong Kong, even in the countries that acted quickly and forcefully to close workplaces it took over a month to reach a peak. To the extent that global policymakers are aware of the relative importance of restrictions on international travel in limiting the ultimate spread of the disease in the countries we examined, that may suggest that international borders will remain closed or severely restricted for some time or will reoccur very quickly if evidence of a secondary infection wave were to emerge later this year. Chart 8Reaching A Peak In Fatalities Is Costly Even For Countries That Act Quickly COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors There is another important insight for investors that is not immediately apparent from our work, but emerges when we examine two surprising findings. Looking closely, investors can infer that the public’s awareness and fear of the disease has contributed to successes in combating COVID-19, in ways that are not readily captured by the OxCGRT’s data. To us, the key observation is that both closures of public transportation and the forcefulness of stay-at-home orders showed themselves to be mediocre-to-poor predictors, when it seems straightforward to see that reduced crowding on buses and subways and physical distancing have very likely helped reduce the spread of the virus. This seeming discrepancy is likely resolved by the fact that the public acted themselves to take these measures out of fear of getting sick, meaning that cross-country differences in rules pertaining to these measures have not been especially relevant in predicting outcomes. Chart 9 supports this point by highlighting that subway ridership in New York city fell well before the city issued a mandatory stay at home order, as did the median year-over-year growth rate in US seated restaurant diners before the first stay at home order was issued in the US (Chart 10). Chart 9New York City Subway Ridership Fell Well Before The Stay-At-Home Order Was Issued COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Chart 10Diners Started Avoiding Restaurants Before Any Stay-At-Home Orders Were Issued COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Chart 11Sweden Is A Very Big Outlier In Terms Of Where The Stringency Of Its Measures Peaked COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors The importance of public behavior in altering the spread of COVID-19 is also evident from Sweden’s experience, albeit in a different way than has been commonly discussed. The charts above highlighted that Sweden has indeed been somewhat of an outlier in terms of its experience with COVID-19 relative to the stringency of its early response, but there have been a few other countries with similar experiences. Where Sweden has been a very significant outlier is the level at which its Stringency Index peaked, at least compared with other advanced economies (Chart 11). And yet, Sweden appears to have achieved a peak in new fatalities based on the data available today. Swedish policymakers have cited the country’s high levels of social trust and cohesion as part of the reason why more strict measures were not absolutely necessary to prevent an uncontrollable/exponential spread of the disease, and we see no reason to doubt that this has been an important, if not crucial, factor – Scandinavian countries have long ranked highly on these types of characteristics. Investment Conclusions The first important point for investors is that our findings are generally consistent with the recommendations of health experts today and the historical experience of the Spanish flu. One of the key lessons of the Spanish flu is that removing or relaxing measures too early can lead to a renewed rise in mortality rates,1 and it thus seems clear that the reopening of economies before the first wave of infections has fully dissipated increases the odds of a second wave. In this regard, it appears that US equity investors are making a risky bet in extrapolating early reopening. Second, the fact that the public's behavior can significantly alter COVID-19 outcomes across countries has both potentially positive and negative implications for the odds of a secondary infection wave and for near-term economic growth. For the economy, it implies the possibility of sustainable economic reopening alongside a controllable risk of renewed spread if the public can be convinced to treat the ongoing risk of the disease very seriously without fearing it. This outcome may be more likely if mask wearing in public – a variable not captured in OxCGRT’s data – becomes and remains widespread in advanced, western economies. At the same time, it may also suggest that the “Swedish approach” of accepting higher fatalities in exchange for lighter containment measures within the context of a “controlled” spread of the disease may not be possible in other countries, if Sweden does indeed enjoy higher levels of social trust and cohesion compared with other countries and if these factors have been key in preventing the disease from spreading there at an exponential rate. Finally, our analysis has underscored that fighting a secondary infection wave, were one to occur, would be enormously costly even if more effective and less blunt containment measures succeeded at preventing uncontrolled spread. Given this, and the higher risk of increased infections introduced by economic reopening and the recent widespread protests in the US, we recommend that investors remain tactically neutral equities versus bonds within the context of a cyclically-overweight stance.   Jonathan LaBerge, CFA, Vice President Special Reports jonathanl@bcaresearch.com   Footnotes 1    Please see Global Asset Allocation Special Report, “Lessons From The Spanish Flu,” dated May 20, 2020. Global Investment Strategy View Matrix COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors Current MacroQuant Model Scores COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors COVID-19 Containment Measures: The Evidence On Effectiveness, And What It Means For Investors  

Highlights Social unrest in the US is driven by structural and cyclical factors as well as election-year opportunism. It can still cause volatility. Unrest will weigh on consumer and business confidence – adding to already ugly fundamentals. The market has come around to our view that Trump is an underdog in the election. This is a risk to equities since a Democratic victory will bring full control of government. President Trump has low legal or political constraints to deploying the military if violence gets worse in the streets. This increases tail risks of a civilian death that amplifies the unrest. A “silent majority” of voters could give Trump a polling boost as a “law and order” candidate later this year. This could require us to upgrade his odds of reelection. The US dollar faces long-term headwinds but we are unlikely to reinitiate our long EUR-USD trade until the US election cycle is complete. Feature Chart 1Markets Skyrocket On Stimulus & Reopening Markets Skyrocket On Stimulus & Reopening Markets Skyrocket On Stimulus & Reopening Economic reopening and stimulus are winning the day as investors continue to look forward to a time when growth and corporate earnings recover yet inflation and risk-free rates remain suppressed. Judging by the breakout of cyclical versus defensive stocks and risk-on versus risk-off currencies, the rally could continue and the gap between stock markets and macro fundamentals could widen further for some time (Chart 1). The market is looking through the most widespread social unrest since 1968 in the United States, which emerged due to the death in police custody of a black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis. History suggests that over a one-year horizon, social unrest can be ignored – but in the near term it could yet provoke volatility. This risk is underrated because the market already believes that the unrest is a known quantity without material impact, yet this report shows otherwise. We see four new risks, the first three negative for the market. Chart 2US Consumer Sentiment Is Vulnerable US Consumer Sentiment Is Vulnerable US Consumer Sentiment Is Vulnerable Consumer confidence and activity could worsen in the face of historic national unrest. The slight uptick in improving consumer expectations could reverse (Chart 2). President Trump’s odds of reelection could fall permanently, triggering a downgrading of long-run earnings expectations. A mistake could cause unrest to reach an unknown critical threshold that strikes fear into investors about US stability. The US debate has moved on from racism to “fascism” as Trump’s opponents criticize him for his authoritarian rhetoric and deployment of military forces to secure parts of Washington, DC. Structural factors are driving the riots which means they may smolder and additional incidents could cause them to flare up throughout summer and fall. The deployment of troops to quell civil unrest – as in any country at any time – could easily lead to bloody mistakes. The upside risk is that Republican senators will capitulate even sooner on fiscal spending measures, seeing that their corporate power base is likely to feel more concerned about the collapse of society. The House Democrats and President Trump already share an interest in larding up the spending, so it was only a matter of time till the senate caved in anyway. If the next $2 trillion arrives without the June-July hiccup that we expect, then the market could power higher (Chart 3). Chart 3Global Fiscal Stimulus Continues To Grow Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility In this report we show why US social unrest is structural and how it can still bring equity volatility. Also, the online betting market has caught up to our view that Trump is the underdog in the election. The prospect of full Democratic Party control could start to weigh on US equities. The upside risk to this view would be markets cheer Biden – which is unlikely for long – or if the violent protests create a “silent majority” that helps Trump win the swing states. If his polling improves in the wake of the riots – and the stock rally continues unabated – then we may upgrade his reelection odds from 35% to 50% or higher. Bottom Line: A pullback would be a buying opportunity, but a 10% correction could easily transpire given that a falling market reduces Trump’s odds greatly and could kill the market’s faith in Trump reflation policy from 2021-24. How Social Unrest Came To The United States The US was ripe for a major bout of unrest, as we have highlighted in past reports such as “Populism Blues” (2017), “Civil War Lite” (2019), and “Peak Polarization” (2020), as well as in our top five “Black Swans” report for this year. Our updated “Great Gatsby Curve” shows countries with high levels of income inequality and social immobility. The US is right in the danger zone, joined by other countries that have had unrest or political disruptions (Argentina, Chile, UK, Italy) or will soon (China) (Chart 4). African Americans suffer the worst of these ills and also have long-running grievances with the criminal justice system. Chart 4The US Is In The Danger Zone For Populism, Unrest Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Unrest was an easy prediction even before the pandemic and recession, which made matters worse. The US ranks last, among developed markets, just below Greece, in our COVID-19 Unrest Index (Table 1). This index combines four factors – economic fundamentals, vulnerability to COVID-19, household grievances, and governance indicators – to rank countries according to their susceptibility to social unrest. US unemployment has soared higher than that of other countries as it has less generous automatic stabilizers. Table 1US Ranks Worst In Our COVID-19 Social Unrest Rankings Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility When it comes to the virus, the US is not any harder hit than most of its European peers (Chart 5). And the black community is not much harder hit than whites, although both have suffered more than their population share would imply, and more than the Hispanic community (Chart 6). Chart 5US No Different Than Western Europe On COVID-19 Deaths Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility   Chart 6COVID-19 Least Deadly For Hispanics Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility However, the lockdowns have caused the unemployment rate to soar and exacted a greater toll on the least educated and lowest paid members of society. The election is enflaming the situation. President Trump’s economy has now performed little better for households than President Obama’s economy, assuming they suffer an income and wealth shock at least equal to that of 2008-09 (Chart 7). Chart 7Households Suffer Massive Income Shock Households Suffer Massive Income Shock Households Suffer Massive Income Shock Given the collapsing economy, Trump is doubling down on “law and order,” taking an aggressive stance against rioting and looting and thus provoking a backlash. The media is also in a feeding frenzy as the pandemic and economic reopening narratives lose traction and yet Trump perseveres. Polarization is intensifying as a result. Trump’s rhetoric has been egregious as always. His threat to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 is not. President George Bush Sr invoked the act to suppress the LA riots in 1992. The act’s provisions, as well as the specific exceptions to the posse comitatus laws and norms, give the president broad discretion in matters precisely like these. The real constraint is not legal but political: any popular backlash from Trump and his advisers in trying to “dominate the battlespace” when it comes to civilians at home. Rioting and looting are also unpopular, so a larger crackdown could easily happen if more unrest takes place. Since the riots are driven by structural factors, they could still escalate, especially if another incident of police brutality occurs. Bottom Line: US unrest is driven by structural and cyclical factors and thus we are in for another “long, hot summer” like 1967. Negative surprises should be expected. The larger risks have to do with the impact on the election and sentiment. Trump’s Polling Was Dropping Even Before The Riots Trump’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest level this year and diverged from the historic average (Chart 8). This increases the risk that the market experiences volatility either in expectation of “regime change” in November or in reaction to Trump’s attempts to regain the initiative. Trump’s deviation from President Obama’s approval at this stage in 2012 is a warning sign (Chart 9). Chart 8Trump’s Polling Drops Below Average Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Chart 9Trump Falls Off Obama’s Pathway To Reelection Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Chart 10Trump’s Pandemic Bounce Turns Negative, Unlike Others Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Trump and the Republican Party received a smaller polling bounce from the pandemic – and year-to-date the bounce is not only gone but has turned negative, comparable only to Vladimir Putin and United Russia (Chart 10). At its peak it was smaller than that of previous US presidents in crisis situations (Table 2, see Appendix). These data come from before the George Floyd incident which will make matters worse for Trump, given that initial polls suggest 35% approve and 52% disapprove of his response to it. The presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is narrowly leading in all major swing states (Chart 11A). Trump has dropped off in critical swing states of Florida, Wisconsin, and Arizona (Chart 11B). Biden is closer to Trump than he should be in states like Ohio and even Texas. Chart 11ATrump Trailing Biden In Swing States Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Chart 11BTrump Loses Critical Support In FL, WI, AZ Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Chart 12Biden Polling Better Than Clinton Did Against Trump Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Biden is tentatively outperforming Hillary Clinton’s showing in 2016 in head-to-head polls against Trump, including in swing states (Chart 12). He has not been on voters’ minds much during the crises. But he has strong support among African American voters, who primarily handed him the party’s nomination, so he may be able to exploit the unrest. Voters indicate they favor him on race relations as well as the coronavirus, though they still favor Trump on the economy. Bottom Line: Trump’s polling was deteriorating before the social unrest. It will suffer more in the near term. But there are still five months until the election. The Market Now Recognizes That Trump Is An Underdog Now, with the country’s biggest cities ablaze, the market is waking up to the fact that Trump and the Republicans have a much greater chance of entirely losing control of the government in just five months. Online gamblers have recently upgraded Biden and the Democrats substantially (Chart 13). Opinion polling has shown weakness but now it is likely to seep into the financial industry’s consciousness that US domestic political risks could still go higher. Policy uncertainty will not fall as sharply as otherwise expected during the economic reopening. Unrest typically reflects negatively on the ruling party, suggesting the status quo is unacceptable and driving voters to vote for change. This is one of the 13 keys to the presidency under the scheme of Professor Allan J. Lichtman, at American University, who has predicted every popular vote outcome since 1984. If one accepts this thesis, then at least five of the keys have now turned against Trump and the GOP. If the economy somehow continues to shrink in the third quarter, or if GDP per capita falls harder than estimated in Chart 7 above, Lichtman’s model will turn against Trump (Table 3, see Appendix). Our own argument has been that a health crisis and surge in unemployment alone are enough to undercut him given his thin margins of victory four years ago and low approval rating. The George Floyd incident reinforces this logic. Not only is voter turnout correlated with the change in unemployment over the president’s term in office, but the correlation holds in swing states and among African Americans. Here is where the devastating impact of COVID-19 among blacks may be relevant (Chart 14). Chart 13Online Bookies Now See Trump Is Underdog Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Chart 14Hardship For Blacks In Swing States Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Chart 15Unemployment Pushes Up Voter Turnout (For Blacks And All) Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility If the pandemic and unemployment did not already provide sufficient motivation, then the George Floyd incident might rally this core Democratic Party constituency to turn up at the ballot box (Chart 15). That is a threat to President Trump given that Barack Obama is not on the ballot, so black turnout is unlikely to reach 2008 or 2012 levels. Bottom Line: An increase in African American voter turnout due to unemployment and poor race relations would broaden the electoral pathway to a Democratic victory in November. A Risk To The View: The Silent Majority Could the unrest help Trump? Possibly. Once the peaceful protests turned violent, the possibility emerged that Trump could benefit. The Democrats are not in a strong position whenever they link themselves to economic lockdowns and rioting and looting. It is clear from the police killings and unrest of 2014-15 that more and more people have lost confidence in police treating blacks and whites equally (Chart 16), but they do not make up a majority. Chart 16Over Time, Voters Losing Confidence In Police Fairness Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Chart 17Majority Sees Racism As Individual, Not Institutional Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Moreover, two-thirds of citizens, two-thirds of Hispanics, and almost half of blacks believed at that time that racism and discrimination stem from individual actions rather than institutional factors (Chart 17). Confidence and institutional trust will fall during today’s crisis moments but the above polls suggest limits to the protest movement. Generally Americans are satisfied with the work of their local police departments (Chart 18). This includes 72% of blacks. Only about a quarter of Americans report being harassed by the police at any time, according to a Monmouth University poll. Chart 18Silent Majority? Most Americans Satisfied With Local Police Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Almost 80% of people believe police funds should be increased or kept the same, versus 21% who agree with defunding the police. Only 39% of blacks support such a proposal (Chart 19). If House Democrats pass legislation characterized as taking funds away from police it will hurt them. Chart 19Silent Majority? Americans Don’t Want To Cut Police Funding Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Finally, regarding the use of the military, 58% of Americans approve of the US military supplementing city police forces, while 30% oppose (Chart 20). George Bush Sr deployed troops in a similar predicament, the LA riots of 1992, albeit with an invitation from the California governor. Chart 20Silent Majority? Americans Mostly Support Military Aid To Police Amid Unrest Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Legal constraints on Trump’s use of the military are low. Given that the political constraint is also low, a resurgence in violence will likely lead to a crackdown. Trump could benefit if it is managed successfully, but the risk of a bloody mistake that harms or kills civilians would also go up. Bottom Line: Trump could benefit from his pitch as the candidate of law and order if unrest continues, violence worsens, and his actions are deemed to restore order. We will upgrade Trump’s reelection odds if his polling improves and the stock market and economy continue to rebound. Investment Takeaways Historic bouts of unrest show that market volatility occurred in the wake of the 1965-69 disturbances, the 1992 LA riots, the breakdown of order in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the protests and riots against police brutality in 2014-15. Unrest did not prevent the market from rallying in all of these cases, but it did in some, and pullbacks also followed unrest periods. In every case presidential approval suffered – and in 1968, 1992, 2006, and 2014 the ruling party suffered losses in the election (Charts 21 A-D). Chart 21AThe ‘Long, Hot Summer’ Saw Inflation, Volatility The 'Long, Hot Summer' Saw Inflation, Volatility The 'Long, Hot Summer' Saw Inflation, Volatility Chart 21BLA Riots Saw Unemployment, Volatility LA Riots Saw Unemployment, Volatility LA Riots Saw Unemployment, Volatility Chart 21CKatrina Saw Volatility, Presidential Approval Drop Katrina Saw Volatility, Presidential Approval Drop Katrina Saw Volatility, Presidential Approval Drop Chart 21DFerguson Saw Volatility Amid Falling Unemployment Ferguson Saw Volatility Amid Falling Unemployment Ferguson Saw Volatility Amid Falling Unemployment Chart 22Confidence Suffers Amid Social Unrest Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Furthermore, consumer and business confidence generally suffered in these periods (Chart 22). Trump’s reelection bid could fail to recover, which would make him a lame duck and heighten political risks dramatically. Our longstanding view that the party that wins the White House will also win the senate is reinforced by this year’s polls. The market is reacting to stimulus now but policies look to turn a lot tougher on business. The election puts a self-limiting factor into the equity rally. Either the market sells off in the short run to register the currently likely victory of Joe Biden, who will hike taxes, wages, and regulation, or the market rallies all the way till the election, increasing the chances of President Trump’s reelection, which would revolutionize the global system, especially on trade, and would require a selloff around December. The US dollar faces near-term headwinds as global growth recovers and uncertainty related to COVID-19 abates, but the near term is murky, whereas the major headwinds are over a cyclical time horizon. Our theme of “peak polarization” in the US contrasts starkly with our theme of “European integration” and implies that the euro can continue to advance. However, we are unlikely to reinitiate our long EUR-USD trade until the US election cycle is complete. The risk of a Trump victory is still substantial and we view Europe as a marginal loser in that scenario. We still expect investors to flee to the dollar in the event of any global crisis, even if it originates in the United States.   Matt Gertken Vice President Geopolitical Strategist mattg@bcaresearch.com Appendix Table 2Trump’s Crisis Polling Bounce Compared To Previous Presidential Bounces Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Table 3Lichtman’s 13 Keys To The Presidency Likely Turning Against Trump … Economy Critical Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility Social Unrest Can Still Cause Volatility

Highlights Social distancing must persist to prevent dangerous super-spreading of COVID-19. The jobs recovery will be much weaker than the output recovery, because the sectors most hurt by social distancing have a very high labour intensity. This will force a prolonged period of ultra-accommodative monetary policy… …structurally favour T-bonds and Bonos over Bunds and OATs… …growth defensives such as tech and healthcare… …and the S&P 500 over the Euro Stoxx 50. Stay overweight Animal Care (PAWZ). Working from home has generated a puppy boom. Fractal trade: short gold, long lead. Feature As economies reopen, economists and strategists are quibbling about the shape of the output recovery: U, V, W, square root, or even ‘swoosh’. But for the furloughed or displaced worker, the more urgent question is, what will be the shape of the jobs recovery? Unfortunately, the jobs recovery will be much weaker than the output recovery – because the sectors most hurt by social distancing have a very high labour intensity (Chart Of The Week). Chart Of The Week 1ALeisure And Hospitality Makes A Large Contribution To Jobs Relative To Output A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom Chart Of The Week 1BFinance Makes A Small Contribution To Jobs Relative To Output A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom Output Might Snap Back, But Jobs Will Not The sectors most hurt by social distancing make a huge contribution to employment but a much smaller contribution to economic output. This is true for Europe and all advanced economies, though the following uses US data given its superior granularity and timeliness. The leisure and hospitality sector generates 11 percent of jobs, but just 4 percent of output. Retail trade generates 10 percent of jobs, but just 5 percent of output. It follows that if both sectors are operating at half their pre-coronavirus capacity, output will be down by 4.5 percent, but employment will collapse by 10.5 percent. Conversely, sectors which are relatively unaffected by social distancing make a small contribution to employment but a much bigger contribution to economic output. Financial activities generate just 6 percent of jobs, but 19 percent of economic output. Information technology generates just 2 percent of jobs, but 5 percent of output (Table I-1). Table I-1Sectors Hurt By Social Distancing Have A Very High Labour Intensity A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom If economies are reopened but social distancing persists – either via government policy or personal choice – then output can rebound in a V-shape, but employment cannot (Chart I-2). Forcing a prolonged period of ultra-accommodative monetary policy, with all its ramifications for financial markets. Chart I-2UK Unemployment Is Set To Surge If The US Is Any Guide UK Unemployment Is Set To Surge If The US Is Any Guide UK Unemployment Is Set To Surge If The US Is Any Guide This raises a key question. Must social distancing persist? To answer, we need to pull together our latest understanding of COVID-19. COVID-19: What We Know So Far Many people argue that coronavirus fears are disproportionate. The mortality rate seems comfortingly low, at well below 0.5 percent (Chart 3). Yet this argument misses the point. Chart I-3The COVID-19 Mortality Rate Is Not High A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom COVID-19 is dangerous not because it kills, but because it makes a lot of people seriously ill. It has a low mortality rate, but a high morbidity rate. According to the World Health Organisation, around one in six that gets infected “develops difficulty in breathing”. Moreover, The Lancet points out that many recovered COVID-19 patients suffer pulmonary fibrosis, a permanent scarring of the lungs that impairs their breathing for the rest of their lives. Hence, while COVID-19 is highly unlikely to kill you, it could damage your health forever1 (Figure I-1). Figure 1COVID-19 Is Unlikely To Kill You, But It Could Permanently Damage Your Lungs A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom A Jobless V-Shape Recovery, And A Puppy Boom The most famous COVID-19 victim to date is British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who spent several days recovering in intensive care. By his own admission, Johnson’s only pre-existing conditions are that he is overweight and “drinks an awful lot”. But those pre-existing conditions could apply to a large swathe of the population. COVID-19 is virulent. But we now know that most infections are the result of so-called ‘super-spreaders’ – a small minority of virus carriers who infect tens or hundreds of other people. We also know that talking loudly, singing, or chanting tends to eject higher doses of the virus, and in an aerosol form that can linger in enclosed spaces. This creates the perfect conditions for one infected person to infect scores of others very quickly.  Based on this latest knowledge, the good news is that economies can reopen. The bad news is that, until an effective vaccine is developed, social distancing must persist. Specifically, people must avoid forming the crowds, congregations, and loud gatherings that can generate very dangerous super-spreading events. Hence, the sectors that are most hurt by social distancing – leisure and hospitality and retail trade – will continue to operate well below capacity for many months, at a minimum. And as these sectors have a very high labour intensity, there will be no V-shape recovery in jobs. Without Higher Bond Yields, European Equities Struggle To Outperform Social distancing is set to persist, which will create heaps of slack in advanced economy labour markets. This will force central banks to push the monetary easing ‘pedal to the metal’ – though in many cases, the pedal is already at the metal. In turn, this will force bond yields to stay ultra-low and, where they can, go even lower. One immediate takeaway is to stay overweight positively yielding US T-bonds and Spanish Bonos versus negatively yielding German Bunds and French OATs. Depressed bond yields must also compress the discount rate on competing long-duration investments that generate safely growing cashflows. Meaning, growth defensive equities such as technology and healthcare. Now comes the part that is conceptually difficult to grasp because it is novel to this unprecedented era of ultra-low bond yields. Take some time to absorb the following few paragraphs. For growth defensives, both components of the discount rate – the bond yield and the equity risk premium (ERP) – compress together. This is because the ERP is a tight function of the difference in equity and bond price ‘negative asymmetries’, defined as the potential price downside versus upside. When bond yields converge to their lower limit, bond prices converge to their upper limit, which increases the potential price downside versus upside. The result is that the difference in equity and bond negative asymmetries converges to zero, forcing the ERP to converge to zero. As the discount rate on growth defensives such as tech and healthcare collapses towards zero, the net present value must increase exponentially. This exponentially higher valuation of tech and healthcare is a mathematical consequence of the novel risk relationship between growth defensive equities and bonds at ultra-low bond yields. The unprecedented phenomenon has a major implication for European equity relative performance. The Euro Stoxx 50 is heavily underweight technology and healthcare, and this defining sector fingerprint is the key structural driver of European equity market relative performance (Chart I-4). Meanwhile, the relative performance of technology and healthcare is just an inverse exponential function of the bond yield (Chart I-5). The upshot is that European equities tend to outperform other regions only when bond yields are heading higher and the growth defensives are underperforming (Chart I-6). Chart I-4The Euro Stoxx 50's Underweight In Tech Drives Its Relative Performance The Euro Stoxx 50's Underweight In Tech Drives Its Relative Performance The Euro Stoxx 50's Underweight In Tech Drives Its Relative Performance Chart I-5Tech Outperforms When The Bond Yield Declines... Tech Outperforms When The Bond Yield Declines... Tech Outperforms When The Bond Yield Declines... Chart I-6...Hence, Without Higher Bond Yields The Euro Stoxx 50 Struggles To Outperform ...Hence, Without Higher Bond Yields The Euro Stoxx 50 Struggles To Outperform ...Hence, Without Higher Bond Yields The Euro Stoxx 50 Struggles To Outperform Some commentators are calling the higher valuations in tech and healthcare a new bubble. But it is a bubble only to the extent that bond yields are in a ‘negative bubble’, meaning that ultra-low yields are unsustainable. However, with social distancing set to leave heaps of slack in the advanced economy labour markets, ultra-low bond yields are here to stay and could go even lower. Moreover, as shown earlier, tech and healthcare demand and output are immune to social distancing. They may even benefit from social distancing. Hence, on a one-year horizon and beyond, stay overweight the growth defensive tech and healthcare sectors. And stay overweight the tech and healthcare heavy S&P 500 versus Euro Stoxx 50. A Puppy Boom We finish on a very positive note for animal lovers. The shift to working from home has generated a puppy boom. The Association of German Dogs claims that “the demand for puppies is endless” and the UK Kennel Club says that “there is unprecedented demand.” In the era of social distancing, the waiting list for puppies has quadrupled, and prices of easy to look after crossbreeds such as cockapoos have more than doubled. The demand for pet food and equipment is also very strong. Dogs make excellent companions for the socially isolated, which describes how many people are now feeling. Furthermore, with millions of people now working from home or on extended furlough, a growing number of households can fulfil the dream of owning a dog. We have recommended a structural overweight to the Animal Care sector based on the ‘humanisation’ of pets and the structural uptrend in spend per pet, especially on veterinary costs (Chart I-7). Animal Care has outperformed by 50 percent in the past two and a half years, but the shift to working from home will add impetus to the structural uptrend (Chart I-8). Chart I-7Animal Care Prices Are Rising... Animal Care Prices Are Rising... Animal Care Prices Are Rising... Chart I-8...And The Animal Care Sector Is Strongly Outperforming ...And The Animal Care Sector Is Strongly Outperforming ...And The Animal Care Sector Is Strongly Outperforming Stay overweight Animal Care. The ETF ticker, appropriately enough, is called PAWZ.  Fractal Trading System This week’s recommended trade is to short gold versus lead, given that the relative performance recently reached a fractal resistance point that has successfully identified four previous turning points. Set the profit target and symmetrical stop-loss at 13 percent. In our other open trades, five are in profit and one is in loss. The rolling 1-year win ratio now stands at 64 percent. Gold Vs. Lead Gold Vs. Lead When the fractal dimension approaches the lower limit after an investment has been in an established trend it is a potential trigger for a liquidity-triggered trend reversal. Therefore, open a countertrend position. The profit target is a one-third reversal of the preceding 13-week move. Apply a symmetrical stop-loss. Close the position at the profit target or stop-loss. Otherwise close the position after 13 weeks. * For more details please see the European Investment Strategy Special Report “Fractals, Liquidity & A Trading Model,” dated  December 11, 2014, available at eis.bcaresearch.com.   Dhaval Joshi Chief European Investment Strategist dhaval@bcaresearch.com Footnotes 1    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30222-8/fulltext Fractal Trading System   Cyclical Recommendations Structural Recommendations Closed Fractal Trades Trades Closed Trades Asset Performance Currency & Bond Equity Sector Country Equity Indicators Bond Yields Chart II-1Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Chart II-2Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields   Chart II-3Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Chart II-4Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields Indicators To Watch - Bond Yields     Interest Rate Chart II-5Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Chart II-6Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations     Chart II-7Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Chart II-8Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations Indicators To Watch - Interest Rate Expectations