Machinery

Investors have given up on European assets, which now suffer exceptional discounts to US ones. However, tighter US fiscal policy, the end of Europe’s austerity and deleveraging, the LNG Tsunami about to hit European shores, and the global capex fueled by the Impossible Geopolitical Trinity mean that Europe’s time to shine will soon come back.

Investors have given up on European assets, which now suffer exceptional discounts to US ones. However, tighter US fiscal policy, the end of Europe’s austerity and deleveraging, the LNG Tsunami about to hit European shores, and the global capex fueled by the Impossible Geopolitical Trinity mean that Europe’s time to shine will soon come back.

This year’s cash for clunkers program will have only a mildly positive impact on domestic demand for automobiles and home appliances in China. In the meantime, the equipment renewal program will prop up domestic manufacturing moderately as well as help the country reduce its reliance on high-end equipment imports. We recommend continuing to overweight onshore auto stocks relative to the A-Share Index.

The US manufacturing renaissance, spurred on by reshoring, automation, and government spending, is running its course but progress has slowed on the back of tight monetary conditions and the manufacturing recession. The deceleration of these positive trends weighs on the outlook for the Capital Goods industry group, impeding its performance over the short term. However, we reiterate that positive long-term trends for the industry remain intact. We downgrade Capital Goods to a tactical underweight. It remains a strategic overweight.

The trajectory of China’s infrastructure investment in 2023H2 will be like what occurred in 2021H2. Growth will likely drop from the current nominal 10% to 0-2% in the next six months. China will continue promoting environmentally friendly infrastructure projects that may prevent a contraction in infrastructure investment in 2023H2.

Losing Traction Losing Traction Neutral In light of the likely slowdown in Chinese data, last week we downgraded the S&P machinery index from overweight to neutral. This sub-surface industrials sector move also comes on the heels of our previous upgrade in the more domestically focused S&P railroads index, and does not affect the broad sector’s overweight stance. As China goes, so do machinery stocks. The latest Chinese manufacturing PMIs hooked down and any sustained weakness will weigh heavily on demand for US machinery new orders (not shown). Adding that to the waning impulse of Chinese total social financing aggregates including BCA’s downbeat forecast, and the risk/reward of being overweight machinery stocks loses traction (see chart). Bottom Line: We reiterate our recent downgrade on the S&P construction machinery & heavy trucks index to neutral. The ticker symbols for the stocks in this index are: BLBG: S5CSTF – CAT, CMI, PCAR & WAB. ​​​​​​​

Highlights Portfolio Strategy China’s slowdown, a grinding higher US dollar, extremely overbought technicals and historically pricey valuations, all signal that the time is ripe to book profits and downgrade machinery to neutral. Recent Changes Lock in gains of 4.3% and downgrade the S&P construction machinery & heavy trucks index to neutral, today. Table 1 Pricing Power Update Pricing Power Update ​​​​​​​ Feature While the Fed’s dots dovishly surprised market participants last week, the FOMC’s output and inflation projections were on the hawkish side. Adding the committee’s 2021 core PCE price inflation estimate to their real GDP forecast results in a roughly 9% nominal GDP estimate, assuming the PCE and GDP deflators approximate one another. Clearly, the Fed is in a bind as it tries to strike a delicate balance between short and long term rates. Our thesis, first posited on February 1, remains that the bond market will keep on testing the Fed’s resolve until the FOMC members start to “talk about talking about tapering”. An economy running on steroids buoyed both by ultra loose monetary and fiscal policies at a time when it is primed to reopen at full speed around Memorial Day is inherently inflationary. Under such a backdrop, the subsurface equity market’s response makes perfect sense. “Back-To-Work” stocks left “COVID-19 Winners” in the dust, small caps outperformed the Nasdaq 100, the Value Line Arithmetic Index and the RVRS1 exchange traded fund outshone the SPX and the S&P 495 trounced the S&P 5 (Chart 1). In other words, when growth is scarce as during last year’s recession investors flock to growth stocks, now that growth is abundant investors are cornering value stocks with the highest degree of operating leverage (top panel, Chart 1). While this deck reshuffling may go on temporary hiatus as the 10-year US Treasury yield pauses for breath, this sector rotation has cyclical staying power. Given this looming inflationary impulse context, today we update our Corporate Pricing Power Indicator (CPPI). Chart 2 shows that our CPPI has swung over 10 percentage points from the recent trough, accelerating north of 5%/annum pace. In fact, our diffusion index of the 60 selling price categories we track has vaulted to all-time highs (second panel, Chart 2). Chart 1Anatomy Of The Market Anatomy Of The Market Anatomy Of The Market Chart 2Corporate Pricing Power Flexing Its Muscles Corporate Pricing Power Flexing Its Muscles Corporate Pricing Power Flexing Its Muscles Wage inflation is also coming out of hibernation, with job switchers outpacing job stayers’ salary inflation, according to the latest Atlanta Fed wage growth trackers (third panel, Chart 2). Importantly, the most recent NFIB survey showed that small businesses have the hardest time filling job openings by finding qualified labor. Over the past three decades, this backdrop has been conducive to wage inflation (Chart 3), and if history at least rhymes, a pick-up in wage inflation is in the cards in the back half of the year (Chart 4). Our sense is that the economic reopening will by then be at full speed, further exacerbating wage pressures. Chart 3Inflation… Inflation… Inflation… While profit margins are on the cusp of shaking off the remnants of the COVID-19 accelerated recession, sell-side analysts’ 12-month forward profit margin estimates show no signs of input cost pressures, at least not yet. The risk is that corporations may find it challenging to pass on these looming wage increases down the supply chain and all the way to the consumer in order to preserve margins (bottom panel, Chart 2). The jury is still out on who will eventually have to bear the brunt of inflationary pressures, especially in the context of rising fiscal deficits (i.e. personal current transfers). Drilling beneath the surface, our CPPI signals that genuine inflationary pressures are mounting as supply chains are strained causing shortages on a slew of manufacturing industries. As a reminder, we calculate industry group pricing power from the relevant CPI, PPI, PCE and commodity growth rates for each of the 60 industry groups we track. Table 2 also highlights shorter term pricing power trends and each industry's spread to overall inflation. Chart 4…Is Coming …Is Coming …Is Coming Table 2Industry Group Pricing Power Pricing Power Update Pricing Power Update While 68% of the industries we cover are outright lifting selling prices, half are doing so at a faster clip than overall inflation. With regard to pricing power trends, encouragingly only 30% of the industries we cover are in a downtrend (Table 2). Services industries mostly populate the bottom half of Table 2 with the usual suspects – airlines, air freight, hotels and movies & entertainment – that COVID-19 wreaked the most havoc to occupying the bottom four spots. Nevertheless, this is looking in the rearview mirror. The tide is slowly turning as a recent update from the TSA highlighted that passenger enplanements are perking up. Lumber has reached escape velocity and has sustained forest products atop our table with a meteoric year-over-year growth rate of 149%! Commodities populate nine out of the top ten spots and while gold has fallen down the ranks since our last update, it is still expanding at a near 10%/annum rate, despite the greenback’s year-to-date rise. Energy related commodities are on fire and peak oil inflation will hit in April/May due to base effects. Keep in mind that last spring WTI crude oil prices sank into a deeply negative print per bbl. While at first sight all seems upbeat in the commodity complex, beneath the surface some cracks are forming. This week, we revisit our number one macro risk for the back half of the year: China’s pending slowdown, and downgrade a deep cyclical capital goods sub-group to neutral. Gauging China’s Slowdown Cresting in Chinese data pushed us to downgrade the cyclical/defensive portfolio bent from overweight to neutral last month (third panel, Chart 5), and now we highlight yet another warning shot originating across the Pacific Ocean. Bloomberg’s compiled China High-Frequency Economic Activity Index (CHFEAI) has downshifted since peaking last December, warning that investors should keep their “China” guard up. The CSI 300 is following down the path of the CHFEAI (second panel, Chart 5), and the near-term risk is that the S&P 500 may be next in line (top panel, Chart 5), as it has closely tracked China, albeit with a slight lag, since COVID-19 hit, as we first showed in our December 21, 2020 Special Report. Tack on the absence of an SPX valuation cushion, and there are rising odds that select deep cyclical/highly levered/China exposed sectors will start to sniff out some China trouble. Taking cue from Chinese financial market data is also instructive. The MSCI China stock price index, its short-term momentum, net EPS revisions and 12-month forward EPS growth all troughed last spring. It is slightly unnerving that by all these metrics China’s stock market recovery is coming off the boil and may be a precursor to a soft-patch in the coming months (Chart 6). Chart 5Monitor China Closely Monitor China Closely Monitor China Closely Chart 6What Are Chinese Stocks Sniffing Out? What Are Chinese Stocks Sniffing Out? What Are Chinese Stocks Sniffing Out? Importantly, select commodities, especially ones that are hypersensitive to Chinese activity, appear exhausted and have likely hit, at least a temporary, zenith. While anecdotes of metal related scams and thefts are mushrooming especially catalytic converters mostly owing to rare earths soaring prices, we would not be surprised were bronze/copper statues to start disappearing and sold for scrap, as was prevalent in the mid-2000s commodity super cycle. Dr. Copper has more than doubled in the past year, is near all-time highs and already discounts a lot of good China recovery news (top panel, Chart 7). Historically, Google Trends searches for “commodity super cycle” have been closely correlated with cyclicals/defensives relative performance and the recent spike near all-time highs likely corroborates that the Chinese recovery is well advanced (Chart 8). Chart 7Glass Ceiling Glass Ceiling Glass Ceiling Chart 8“Commodity Super Cycle” Hubris? “Commodity Super Cycle” Hubris? “Commodity Super Cycle” Hubris? WTI crude oil prices have also jumped over $100/bbl after hitting the negative $37/bbl mark last April. In the mid-60s/bbl crude oil has likely hit a ceiling and will have a tough time surging past this long term resistance. Sentiment is as extreme as it was during the Desert Storm in the early 1990s, which is the last time the oil RSI jumped over 80 (Chart 9)! Chart 9Slippery Slope? Slippery Slope? Slippery Slope? The Australian dollar, a commodity currency levered to China’s wellbeing, has also been on a tear since last March with AUDUSD rising from 0.55 to roughly 0.80. The Aussie is currently at the upper band of its range, since the Hawke/Keating government floated it in 1983, and facing stiff resistance. There are rising odds that AUDUSD is also sniffing out some China softness in the coming months (bottom panel, Chart 7). Finally, Chinese surveys and money aggregates data also signal that a garden variety slowdown will take root, especially post the 100-year Communist Party anniversary this summer. The Chinese manufacturing PMI is awfully close to the 50 expansion/contraction line, at a time when both M1 money supply has ticked lower and the total social financing impulse has rolled over (Chart 10). Tack on our sister’s China Investment Strategy’s recent estimate of a further steep deceleration in the latter and factors are falling into place for an engineered slowdown in China in the back half of the year (bottom panel, Chart 10). Bottom Line: China is on the cusp of a slowdown, remains a key macro risk to monitor, and thus we use this opportunity to book gains in a deep cyclical industrials sub-group and downgrade to neutral. Chart 10Keep Your China Guard Up Keep Your China Guard Up Keep Your China Guard Up CAT Stalling? As China’s economic growth downshifts, we are compelled to book gains in machinery stocks and downgrade to neutral. This sub-surface industrials sector move comes on the heels of last week’s upgrade in the more domestically focused railroads, and does not affect the broad sector’s overweight stance. First, machinery stocks are extremely overbought by historical standards outpacing the SPX by 36% on a year-over-year basis. Valuations have also spiked: the relative price to sales ratio is back near par and trades at a 25% premium to the historical average (Chart 11). Such lopsided positioning is fraught with danger and could at least temporarily reverse in a violent fashion. Second, while the US dollar has been boosting the industry’s exports and adding to machinery P&L via positive translation gains, the greenback’s year-to-date appreciation will eat into profits, at the margin, in the back half of the year (second & middle panels, Chart 12). Chart 11Too Far Too Fast Too Far Too Fast Too Far Too Fast Chart 12First Signs Of Cracks Appearing First Signs Of Cracks Appearing First Signs Of Cracks Appearing Sell-side analysts have taken notice and net profit revisions have topped out. Similarly, our EPS growth macro models suggest that machinery stocks will struggle to outearn the SPX (Chart 12). Lastly, as China goes, so go machinery stocks. The latest Chinese manufacturing PMIs hooked down and any sustained weakness will weigh heavily on demand for US machinery new orders (fourth panel, Chart 12). Tack on the waning impulse of Chinese total social financing aggregates including BCA’s downbeat forecast, and the outlook for machinery end-demand darkens further (Chart 13). Nevertheless, before getting outright bearish on machinery stocks, there are a few offsetting factors. Commodity prices, while toppy, remain firm, and alleviate fears of a severe Chinese slowdown. Moreover, Chinese excavator sales are on a tear surging to a three year high. While China’s manufacturing PMI has petered out, both the global PMI and developed market PMIs are reaccelerating. As the global economy reopens, services PMIs will further boost the global composite PMIs (second & bottom panels, Chart 14). Chart 13Chart Of The Year Candidate Chart Of The Year Candidate Chart Of The Year Candidate Finally, while our relative EPS growth models hover near the zero line, the same is also true for the sell side’s profit growth estimates and represent a modest hurdle for the industry to surpass (third panel, Chart 14). Netting it all out, China’s slowdown, a grinding higher US dollar, extremely overbought technicals and historically pricey valuations, all signal that the time is ripe to book profits and downgrade machinery to neutral. Chart 14Reasons Not To Turn Outright Bearish Reasons Not To Turn Outright Bearish Reasons Not To Turn Outright Bearish Bottom Line: Downgrade the S&P construction machinery & heavy trucks index to neutral today for a relative gain of 4.3% since inception. The ticker symbols for the stocks in this index are: BLBG: S5CSTF – CAT, CMI, PCAR & WAB.   Anastasios Avgeriou US Equity Strategist anastasios@bcaresearch.com     Footnotes 1     The Reverse Cap Weighted U.S. Large Cap ETF (Ticker: RVRS) provides exposure to the companies in the S&P 500 index. However, while traditional market cap weighted indexes such as the S&P 500 weight companies inside the index by their relative market capitalization, RVRS does the opposite, weighting companies by the inverse of their relative market cap. By investing smallest-to-biggest, the fund is tilting investment exposure to the smaller end of the market cap spectrum within the large cap space. https://exponentialetfs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Reverse-ETF-Factsheet_2020.12.311.pdf Current Recommendations Current Trades Strategic (10-Year) Trade Recommendations Overdose? Overdose? Size And Style Views February 24, 2021 Stay neutral cyclicals over defensives January 12, 2021  Stay neutral small over large caps June 11, 2018 Long the BCA Millennial basket  The ticker symbols are: (AAPL, AMZN, UBER, HD, LEN, MSFT, NFLX, SPOT, ABNB, V). January 22, 2018 ​​​​​​​Favor value over growth

Machinery And China Machinery And China Overweight In the coming months the market may sniff out the China driven slowdown we highlighted in recent research. This will likely present an opportunity to further augment machinery exposure as a number of macro forces are supporting this industrials sub-sector. First, the correlation between the greenback and global growth is as negative as ever. As long as the ongoing tactical USD appreciation is seen in the context of a secular bear market, machinery stocks will remain stellar cyclical outperformers (US dollar shown inverted, second panel). Second, the industry-level inventory cycle has not yet reached an apex. Given that the pandemic grounded machinery new orders to a halt, the economic reopening will pave the way for a significant rebound in machinery spending (third panel). Finally, our multi-factor macro sales (not shown) and earnings models, both argue that a sharp rebound in top and bottom line growth is in the cards (bottom panel). Bottom Line: We remain overweight the S&P machinery index, but are mindful of a potential transitory China-related headwind.     

In this Monday’s Weekly Report we reiterated our overweight stance in the S&P machinery index owing to a healthy macro backdrop. Starting from overseas, China is providing a large enough stimulus, which is on a par with the early-2016 numbers. On the currency front, the US dollar has entered a bear market, and we expect it to resume once the recent election uncertainty retracement phase fully plays out. The weakening US dollar is a material tailwind for machinery stocks as they derive a significant portion of their revenues from abroad. Domestically, manufacturing surveys are in a V-shaped recovery across the board which will further underpin the machinery stock rally. All of these dynamics are well filtered through our macro sales and earnings models that emit a positive signal (see chart). Bottom Line: Stay overweight the S&P machinery index. The ticker symbols for the stocks in this index are: BLBG S5MACH– CAT, DE, PH, ITW, IR, CMI, PCAR, FTV, OTIS, SWK, DOV, XYL, WAB, IEX, SNA, PNR, FLS. Buy The Machinery Breakout Buy The Machinery Breakout