United States
Global financial markets relapsed in May. After a relatively strong start to Q2, most of the major financial assets we track generated below average returns last month. A shift in investor expectations for the path of the Fed funds rate, the resurfacing of…
BCA Research’s Global Asset Allocation service continues to recommend an overweight on government bonds, neutral on cash, and underweight on equities and credit. Market technicals do not suggest this is a robust broad-based equity rally. The US stock…
Risk assets would perform well over 12 months only if inflation falls to 2% without triggering a recession. That would be unprecedented. We recommend investors stay defensive.
The JOLTS survey for April shows job openings unexpectedly rising from an upwardly revised 9.7 million to 10.1 million – above expectations of a decline to 9.4 million. The job openings rate inched up to 6.1% from 5.9% while the ratio of job openings to…
The Fed’s Beige Book is signaling that the US economy is losing steam following an improvement in momentum earlier this year. The release revealed that future growth expectations deteriorated. In particular, manufacturing activity was weak across most of the…
Over the past month, market participants have shifted their expectations for the path of the Fed funds rate. At the start of May, expectations were for the Fed to cut rates below current levels to just above 4.5% by the end of the year. Participants now…
Expectations for oil demand growth through 2023-24 are way too optimistic. Until these expectations fall to -0.5-1 percent, the oil price has further downside. Plus: collapsed complexity confirms that AI is in a mania, while basic materials stocks and ZAR/EUR are rebound candidates.
One of the most noteworthy developments of the Q1-2023 earnings season was that the net profit margin widened from 10.7% in Q4-2023 to 11.1%. This marked the first margin expansion since the 12.9% peak in Q2-2021. The year-end target for net profit margin is…
Favor Aerospace & Defense On A Strategic Basis
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Market pricing of Fed rate expectations has moved closer in line with our US bond strategists’ expectations. According to the CME FedWatch tool, Fed funds futures are pricing in a 40% chance that the fed funds rate will be lower than current levels following…