January 2016 – Monthly S&P Market Strategy Update

Welcome to 2016!

And what a start it was. All negative of course, as you know.

In the first day of trading in 2016 the Chinese market sold off 7% and their regulators closed the market. And all this occurred before the opening bell on European and North American markets for 2016. China giving its version of Adele’s “Hello It’s Me” to the rest of the world.

And so everyone, globally, hitting the sell button for the rest of the week…save for Friday…giving us a day of rest not knowing what to expect in the following weeks.

Being in the financial business I hate and bored by the hundreds of financial predictions that will occur for the forward-looking calendar year. Back in the old days, when financial news was very hard to come by, predictions from ‘old sages’ (Bob Farrell and the like) seemed to have good value and laced ‘nuggets of gold’ giving myself a good reason to endure ink stained fingers for a day or two. Now I have to hear millennials giving predictions based on regressed data that has as much nutrients as a fast food meal.

The only prediction I can make is that the financials markets will be open this coming year and stuff will happen. And the market will telegraph whether the economic fundamentals will be improving or getting worst. Yes, that’s right. The market will tell you what’s going on…and it communicates through Model Price Theory [MPT] and all we; as users of MPT, have to do is observe. Prediction is easy however it occurs all year round and not just at the end of December/beginning of January.

The other observation I will make is we are entering the 7^th year, marked by March 9, 2009 S&P 500 market bottom, of the financial crisis. Central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, have been experimenting with monetary policy trying to get the global economy back on track of pre-financial crisis global aggregate demand. The preferred policy tool of choice has been printing money or quantitative easing (QE). Asset prices have been boosted including equity valuations and real estate. And I have to admit this is a good thing. The business press is filled with what I call the ‘liguidationists’, who would like asset prices to fall to some 1930s level, so a very small minority, could benefit. This policy response would certainly skew income inequality even more than it is today.

As the US Federal Reserve increased interest rates in December, the market seemed to take this policy action in stride. The financial press and the man on the street was focused, of course, on the 25 basis points increase in Fed Funds. What they don’t see, and is critical, is the ‘reverse repro’ financial mechanism that was introduced at the same time. The New York Fed has been testing this financial instrument for the last two years. Not to get too technical but the Fed through this new instrument will start to drawdown the excess reserves sitting on the banks balance sheets. Estimates range from $3.5 to $2.5 trillion of excess reserves the Fed pumped into the banking system during the financial crisis, that the banks, collectively, have been sitting on and the Fed wants to take some of this back. Of course, they will start slowly at first, say $300 billion or so, but the important thing is the Fed is starting this process.

So over the last year or so, the US Federal Reserve has stopped QE and are in the process of withdrawing excess bank reserves. This is healthy and signs of the US economy returning to normal. Yes, good news…but you won’t hear this anywhere else.

So let’s look at our Model Price Chart of the S&P 500 Index.

S&P 500 Index with weekly price bars and EBV Lines

As a reminder we aggregate all companies in the S&P 500 Index into one chart on a market capitalized basis (like the S&P 500 Index itself), so we can see where the market – S&P 500 – is trading relative to its EBV lines.

As you can observe the US equity market, as defined by the S&P 500 closed Thursday, January 7th at 1943.06. If the market rallied to EBV+4 (2208) this would represent a gain of some 14%. If the market corrected back to EBV+3 (1766) investors would be suffering Index losses of almost 9%.

For people new to Model Price Theory [MPT] the index value or equity price can move within an EBV zone with no real consequence. However when a transit occurs – index value or equity price crosses one of our parallel lines – our EBV line, either positive or negative this gives Model Price users a signal that fundamentals are improving or deteriorating, respectively.

What is our Model Price chart saying?

Simple, we are in the zone between EBV+3 and EBV+4, as we have been for a year and a half, and nothing much as changed. Yes, within the S&P 500 Index itself, stocks are winning and losing, based on their top line and earnings growth estimates. And this has occurred, cyclical and secular rotations, since public markets were invented.

As I have said previously we could trade down to EBV+3 some 9% lower. But would this be the end of the world? Not according to Model Price Theory. It would suggest, if we were to go there, more upside potential than downside and obviously a good reward/risk scenario for investors.

Is there anything in our Model Price chart that is worrisome? Not that I can see. As you can see the S&P 500 fell to 1867 back in the last week of August 2015. And by the end of October we were within 4% of an all time high!

Obviously the world is focused on China right now. For the last thirty years China has been nothing short of a major economic miracle. From a poor fourth world economy to a $60 trillion dollar economic behemoth and will soon rival the US for economic supremacy. Their next stage of economic development is to transition their economy from an investment lead economy to one of a middle class and consumption. In the history of the world this has not happened to any nation without a deep recession/depression. However, China is doing this transition with large amounts of foreign reserves and the best economic brainpower on the planet. As Bank of England head, Mark Carney said to Charlie Rose in an interview several years ago, it’s in everyone’s interest, globally, that this transition happen without economic repercussions for the rest of the world and every central bank is willing to help China with this transition.

The reason I mention this China has a big decision to make in relation to their currency. They have been pegged to the US dollar and have been feasting or reaping the economic benefits as the US dollar has been low compared to other currencies especially the Japanese Yen over the last few decades. However the US dollar has been rallying because, as I have said previously, the US is emerging from the financial crisis and their currency is appreciating against all other currencies worldwide. So what is China to do here? Because of the currency peg the renembi (RMB) is stronger than most of their competitors (i.e., Japan, South Korea and the like) and putting downward economic pressure on their economy.

The Chinese have been trying to devalue their currency slowly and intermittently against the US dollar over the last few months and this is causing everyone concern. Thus your seeing panic selling in the Chinese markets with ripples out to the rest of the world. For if China devalued the RMB, say 30 to 40% against the US dollar, this would send a wave of deflation out to the rest of the world as China’s manufacture goods would be competitively priced compared to other exporting countries.

And what if the US dollar rallies higher from these current levels? As readers will know I’m predicting a large and secular rally for the US dollar against all global currencies over the longer term 5-7 years. If China is having a tough time at these present levels…what happens if the US dollar rallies substantially higher?

So you can see why there is cause for concern by global investors and they are re-pricing asset prices/valuations in case things go badly.

Conclusion

As last Friday’s job numbers have pointed out the US is finally emerging out of the financial crisis that started nearly seven years ago. The problem at this particular time is much of the global economic world is monetarily out of sync and is either losing their economic strength (China and the emerging economies) or have been mired in very slow growth (Europe) over the last several years. These ‘macro’ considerations have taken over the narrative in global financial markets leaving all participants to be cautious and worried.

Hopefully this ‘marco’ narrative changes in the coming weeks as US companies start reporting their 4^th quarter financial results with guidance for the rest of 2016.

Yes, the market could fall to EBV+3. And, yes the S&P 500 Index could rally up to EBV+4 and make all-time highs for the S&P Index. Good companies, will show their stuff in the coming weeks and we will see how the market reacts to possible forward fundamentals.

 

March 2015, S&P/TSX Composite Market Strategy Update

Every time I look at our model price chart of the S&P/TSX Composite Index I see a visual. What is that visual picture you ask?

Well, first let’s look at the model price chart of the aforementioned Canadian index.

S&P/TSX Composite Index with weekly price bars and EBV Lines.

As a reminder we aggregate all companies in the S&P/TSX Composite Index into one chart on a market capitalized basis (like the S&P/TSX Composite Index itself), so we can see where the market – S&P/TSX Composite – is trading relative to its EBV lines.

For people new to Model Price Theory [MPT] the index value or price can move within an EBV zone with no real consequence. However when a transit occurs – index value or equity price crosses one of our parallel lines – an EBV line, either positive or negative this gives Model Price users a signal that fundamentals are improving or deteriorating, respectively.

This is the visual I have in mind…

Hanging in there!

The Canadian market like this poor little kitten is trying to hang in there. Trying to hold on to EBV+2. Yes, this Canadian market index trades a little above and below this EBV line and has yet to make up its mind where it wants to go.

And this stalemate – between the buyers and the sellers – may last for sometime into the future.

The risk is the S&P/TSX Composite Index falls to EBV+1 or over 16 percent from the March 6^th close that I have annotated on the above model price chart.

The other question that should be asked: Can the Canadian market have the strength to rally up to EBV+3 or 20,571 (approx. 38% from the March 6^th close). Maybe! Though I think the probability would be low but must be considered. As we all know kittens have a habit of defying gravity sometimes. If the most bullish scenario occurs in the U.S. equity markets (see my March blog post on the S&P 500) then the Canadian equity markets would certainly follow the U.S. lead in terms of expanding equity valuations.

So we wait.

The Canadian market is at support with one of our structural EBV lines, and that makes sense, and it’s waiting. So we have to be patient as well.

Not earth shattering analysis, but sometimes boring is good.

March 2015 – Monthly S&P 500 Market Strategy Update

When the global central banks want asset values to go up…. They go up!

As I noted in my last blog, we have seen unprecedented central bank activity so far in 2015 resulting in – no surprise – higher asset (equity) values especially in the United States.

Can asset prices go up forever? Or better still can confidence in the men and women who control central bank activities go any higher when everyone in the investment community is already giving them a standing ovation?

Let’s have a look at our Model Price chart to look for clues on how far asset pricing can go.

S&P 500 Index with weekly price bars and EBV Lines (colored lines).

As a reminder we aggregate all companies in the S&P 500 Index into one chart on a market capitalized basis (like the S&P 500 Index itself), so we can see where the market – S&P 500 – is trading relative to its EBV lines.

As you can observe the US market, as defined by the S&P 500, is now at the top of the zone bookmarked by EBV+3 and EBV+4. If the market rallied to EBV+4 (2175) this would represent a gain of some 2.7%. If the market corrected back to EBV+3 (1739) investors would be suffering losses of almost 18%.

For people new to Model Price Theory [MPT] the index value or equity price can move within an EBV zone with no real consequence. However when a transit occurs – index value or equity price crosses one of our parallel lines – our EBV line, either positive or negative this gives Model Price users a signal that fundamentals are improving or deteriorating, respectively.

 

Top of Zone EBV+4

 

I believe it’s fair to say we are finally at the top of the zone (EBV+4). Viewing the market this way, call it my first iteration; this is what I believe is the “top” in the U.S. market – valuation wise.

Long time readers of this blog have seen our long-term model price chart on the S&P 500 Index a few times previously but I include it below to illustrate that even if I view EBV+4 as the “top” of the S&P 500 Index in terms of valuation the market can crawl along just underneath our calculated EBV line for a number of years as the market index did from 2003 to 2007.

Long-term Model Price chart of the S&P 500.

S&P 500 Index with monthly price bars and EBV Lines (colored lines).

 

Sharp-eyed observers will notice that our EBV+4 line (black line between the ‘Red’ line and ‘Yellow’ EBV line) continues on after the last price bar as of March 2, 2015. We project out our estimation of our EBV line by calculating from a bottom up basis or company-by-company basis adding daily pro-rated mean estimates to each company’s net worth less stated dividends and calculate (forecast, if you will) what our EBV values will look like. We do this on a daily basis to incorporate all the latest changes in company fundamentals within each index.

Our calculation of EBV+4, for March of 2016, is 2378. From the March 2, 2015 close (2117) this suggests an implied rate of return of 12% just on the growth of book values (net of dividends, of course) in the S&P 500 Index. Add in a further 2% for dividends and an investor can guesstimate an implied upside for U.S. equities of 14% without any increase in valuation if things go swimmingly.

But one has to ask the most obvious of questions.

Could the S&P 500 have a positive transit of EBV+4?

This is the second iteration an investor has to consider. Again, as sharp-eyed readers can observe back in 1995, the S&P 500 Index was following along the same EBV+4, when it lifted-off and the index ran up to EBV+5 in 1997. As a matter of fact, as you can see from our long-term model price chart, the S&P 500 index almost made it to our calculated EBV+6, calculated back in the day!

The question has to be asked: Was the economic scenarios or environment different in the 1995-2000 period from the 2002-2007 period?

The answer is a resounding yes!

What was the difference?

The U.S. dollar!

Below is a long-term chart of the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) from Bloomberg.

U.S. Dollar Index (DXY)

 

I have annotated on this chart the various Bull/Bear market cycles of the U.S. Dollar (DXY Index) coinciding with each U.S. President.

Hopefully, you can clearly see the difference between the two equity bull markets of 1995-2000 and 2002-2007 periods. The first, 1995-2000 equity bull market, occurred while the U.S. dollar was also in a bull period, while the second, 2002-2007 equity bull market occurred while the U.S. Dollar Index was going down or in a bear market.

I have been on record, certainly on BNN and other media outlets, that I believe the fundamentals are in place that we can see a value on the U.S. Dollar Index that would rival the Ronald Reagan Bull Market of the U.S. Dollar Index at over 160. (Maybe this is a little optimistic but certainly Clinton’s Bull Market rally to over 120 would certainly work in my analysis.)

When global money flows pour into the U.S. Dollar, as momentum is starting to pick up since December 2014, global investors will look for U.S. dollar dominated assets to park their cash. Yes, the U.S. Treasury market is an obvious choice but certainly some money flows will seek out the S&P 500 Index ETFs for diversification and maybe a little extra return…. not to mention a 2% dividend yield that rivals current 10-year U.S. Treasury yields.

Is the analysis too simple? Sometimes simple is best!

And yes, fundamentals do count… eventually over secular periods of time, however in my experience money flows usually trump fundamentals over the short-term.

What Am I Saying?

Readers have to consider that conditions are in place that a positive transit of EBV+4 is indeed possible and if money flows get out of hand or momentum is too strong EBV+5 could indeed be possible.

The risk here is that the investment community is way too bearish and conditions are in place that the U.S. equity markets have another EBV zone to go, in terms of valuation, to the upside.

Model Price Theory has the timing problem solved!

You hear and read this all the time on various websites, especially on bearish or perm-a-bear forecasts. Yes, the world is coming to an end because of all these very logical reasons however they can’t tell you ‘When’ this will happen.

O.K. you will face financial ruin…. but we can’t tell you when.

Model Price Theory [MPT] to the rescue!

How does MPT solve the timing issue you ask? Easy, wait for any negative transit of one of our EBV lines. Will this negative transit occur at EBV+4, EBV+5 or EBV+3? I haven’t a clue…but I will know it when I see it.

Doesn’t this solve the timing problem?

I believe so. So on a negative transit, any negative transit – which I will probably blog about – somewhere out there in the future, we will turn cautious on U.S. equities.

Again, my critics may scream “too simplistic.”

I don’t know about you but I do like “simple.”

Conclusion

The S&P 500 Index is now at the top of our EBV zone between EBV+3 and EBV+4. I have speculated or hypothesized on two iterations where the S&P 500 Index either crawls along just under EBV+4 until fundamentals or money flows start to turn negative – that could be years down the road – or the S&P 500 Index has a positive transit of EBV+4 and may have enough momentum to carry the index all the way to EBV+5.

Do I know for certain which scenario will occur? No, I don’t.

But I am certain any negative transit will give me the opportunity to adjust my asset allocation to a more cautious stance if and when this aforementioned negative transit has indeed occurred. And I will be ready for the widely believed financial calamity everyone seems to be forecasting.

 

 

P.S. I would be remiss not in acknowledging the anniversary of the bottom on the S&P 500 Index six years ago – on March 9, 2009 to be exact – at an index level of 666.

Not to be overly overt but I have included a screen shot of the front page of our Acker Finley website giving the performance relative to our benchmark (S&P 500 Total Return Index in CDN$) of our Acker Finley US Value 50 Fund priced in CDN dollars. Yes, we are up over 350% from March 3, 2009 to present, after all fund expenses.

Acker Finley Select US Value 50 Fund performance over the last six years. March 3, 2009 – March 4, 2015

 

I will never forget this bottom for as long as I live and it hardly seems possible that this event occurred six years ago – feels like yesterday.

A substantial part of this return occurred because we were fully invested at the market bottom on March 9, 2009.

For those interested, I blogged what I did differently in the market crash of 2008 that I didn’t do in my previous experienced market crashes of 1987 and 2000 on the fifth anniversary of the market bottom obviously one year ago. Of all my blogs this one remains one of the most popular.

“10 Things I Did Differently in the Crash of 2008; That I Didn’t Do in 1987 and 2000.”

 

February 2015 – Monthly S&P 500 Market Strategy Update

Are the global central banks playing chess or checkers?

January saw an unprecedented amount of central bank activity. By Zero Hedge’s count a total of 14 independent national central banks, including Canada, eased interest rates in the first month of 2015. So the market focus was not on equities per se but on the global macro view that any experienced market watcher would have to admit is cloudy to say the least.

Central banks are the elephants in the global finance circus and their actions have significant consequences to global fund flows and ultimately asset pricing. So to have the absolute number and the actions of so many of these institutions is unprecedented.

However have a look at our model price chart for the S&P 500 and you see an equity market that is patiently waiting for all the fireworks to die down and a hair’s breath under all time highs set in December.

S&P 500 Index with weekly price bars and EBV Lines (colored lines).

 

As a reminder we aggregate all companies in the S&P 500 Index into one chart on a market capitalized basis (like the S&P 500 Index itself), so we can see where the market – S&P 500 – is trading relative to its EBV lines.

As you can observe the US market, as defined by the S&P 500, is still in the middle of the zone bookmarked by EBV+3 and EBV+4. If the market rallied to EBV+4 (2196) this would represent a gain of some 6.5%. If the market corrected back to EBV+3 (1756) investors would be suffering losses of almost 15%.

For people new to Model Price Theory [MPT] the index value or price can move within an EBV zone with no real consequence. However when a transit occurs – index value or price crosses one of our parallel lines – an EBV line, either positive or negative this gives Model Price users a signal that fundamentals are improving or deteriorating, respectfully.

So what are my observations for the month of January 2015?

The U.S. equity market is waiting. It’s being patient. Central banks the world over are doing stuff…mainly lower interest rates and quantitative easing…and the U.S. market is waiting for the impact or the result of all these actions.

No big deal….

And as far as answering the question of which board game the central banks are playing? I’m not sure, and willing to bet that central bankers have to improvise and modify what they are doing in different time periods as the economic analysis indicates. My point is that US equity markets seem happy to be patient and don’t really care which game their playing. And if the US equity markets are happy so am I.

January 2015, S&P/TSX Composite Market Strategy Update

 

Is the tide coming in or out?

Don’t get this reference? Please refer to my previous blog “January 2015, S&P 500 Market Strategy Update” for a refresher.

The tide is certainly going out in Canada. World money flows have reversed not only in the commodity countries (Australia and Canada) but also in the BRIC countries, as well.

Commodity prices are slumping, with a huge drop in oil prices leading the way. Actually it’s kind of fun watching people in the financial press spin themselves into circles trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to what is depressing crude and other prices.

I have no clue as to what is going on here – I can guess like others – but it seems to me both on the supply and demand side of the equation market dynamics and complexities are being sorted out by a daily market price that we all can see. So leave the predictions to others, here at Model Price, we have no need to entertain worthless prognostications when dealing with real facts.

See here at Model Price we have two pieces of independent data coming together and giving you real information – investible and tradable information. What are these two pieces of information? Stock prices (index values) and our calculated EBV Lines! Each source and piece of information is both independent and verifiable. I don’t know of any other financial concept or tool in use today that even comes close to this very valuable tool. And to me, even though it looks like technical analysis, this information gives me clues and a heads up on future fundamentals of a company and the market. Sure, we will never know in real time what the public future news will be, but as we all know markets always seem to move before the fact.

What is the Canadian market saying through Model Price?

First, let’s have a look at the model price chart of the S&P/TSX Composite Index as of January 12^th, 2015

S&P/TSX Composite Index with weekly price bars and EBV Lines.

 

As a reminder we aggregate all companies in the S&P/TSX Composite Index into one chart on a market capitalized basis (like the S&P/TSX Composite Index itself), so we can see where the market – S&P/TSX Composite – is trading relative to its EBV lines.

As you can observe the Canadian market, as defined by the S&P/TSX Composite, is in the zone bookmarked by EBV+1 and EBV+2. If the market rallied to EBV+2 (14,764) this would represent a gain of some 3.5% (Upside). If the market corrected back to EBV+1 (12,405) investors would be suffering Index losses of almost 14% (Downside).

For people new to Model Price Theory [MPT] the index value or price can move within an EBV zone with no real consequence. However when a transit occurs – index value or price crosses one of our parallel lines – an EBV line, either positive or negative this gives Model Price users a signal that fundamentals are improving or deteriorating, respectfully.

As I have annotated on the above model price chart we have experienced three negative transits starting back in mid-September. What does this mean? Simply the fundamentals are deteriorating in Canada and the market will probably feel more comfortable trading in the valuation zone between EBV+1 and EBV+2. Yes, this means EBV+2 now becomes resistance and EBV+1 becomes support. And, support for this market is a long way down…some 13%!

As I have said in last month’s blog on the Canadian market;

Where are we going, in terms of the Canadian equity market? Not sure! But until we see positive transits both in individual stocks and the S&P/TSX Composite Index I would be cautious with a healthy cash balance and wait and see where this market wants to go. I’m reminded of the great quote by Yogi Berra, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” A negative transit is a negative transit and an investor can act accordingly, the future can take care of itself with or without my and your capital.

Conclusion

Three times the market has spoken. This is rare that a market through an index or a stock gives anyone this much of a warning. But in this situation the Canadian index is certainly giving all Canadian investors a warning that negative fundamentals maybe on the horizon. Certainly investors in the Canadian oil patch have already experienced negative (maybe severely negative) rates of return.

Any stock in the Canadian equity markets that resides in your portfolio and has a negative transit would be a sell candidate in my mind. Bear markets are about survivability on one hand and opportunity for excessive trading profits when to dust and the falling stock prices have stopped. This spells great opportunities ahead in the Canadian equity markets for those with capital and superior leading information about changing market fundamentals – future positive transits.

I can’t wait!

January 2015, S&P 500 Market Strategy Update

Sometimes simple is best.

Over the Christmas holidays I overloaded on financial business news. How do I know I was overloaded? I got confused. Like a pilot flying by the horizon on a cloudy day and not by his/her instruments, I was off course and started to stall.

Do you get like this sometimes especially about the financial markets? You want to take everything in. You want to hear from all the so-called experts and go through their PowerPoint decks. But at the end of the day…. what are you left with? What information should you weigh more than others? Speaking for myself I simply get confused and locked in a world where doing nothing, or worse, thinking I should go to cash is the result even though I know it’s not the optimal course of action.

Then I return to my world of MPT [Model Price Theory] and everything starts to make sense to me. All stock prices and index values look logical and rational. And a simple aphorism usually leaps out of nowhere from my subconscious that guides me on the right course. And in this instance it came to me in the form of a question.

“Is the tide coming in or out?”

Yes, I know I’m from the east coast – where tides rise and fall 35 to 38 feet, 40 minutes from where I grew up – but I think this simple question will help you distill all the financial analysis that is currently out there.

Huh?

If you have seen me on television you know I’m a big fan of the US dollar. (If not see my blog here on ‘King US Dollar Returning’.) So what does a strong US dollar have to do with anything? Well if the world is purchasing US dollars they need to purchase something with these dollars…yes? A lot of these dollars usually end up in the bond market, US Treasuries as a matter of fact. However some of these dollars do end up in the equity markets. And like the US Treasuries the instrument of choice for most foreigners is the S&P 500 Index ETF or what is known as ‘Spiders’.

Also big moves in currencies usually take a while to occur, that I like to call ‘secular’. How long is ‘secular’? Probably five (5) years a least. So as the US dollar floats upward this usually begets more buying further increasing the value of the dollar.

So, is the tide (in the value of the US dollar) coming in (up) or out (down)?

The tide is certainly coming in! And will do so for a ‘secular’ period of time. What will that do to US assets as a whole? US assets will go up, again over time.

How simple is that? “Pretty, pretty simple!” as Larry David would say.

And I like simple.

You?

As usual in these monthly blogs, let’s have a look at our Model Price chart on the S&P 500 Index to see what is going on.

S&P 500 Index with weekly price bars andEBV Lines (colored lines).

 

As a reminder we aggregate all companies in the S&P 500 Index into one chart on a market capitalized basis (like the S&P 500 Index itself), so we can see where the market – S&P 500 – is trading relative to its EBV lines.

As you can observe the US market, as defined by the S&P 500, is still in the middle of the zone bookmarked by EBV+3 and EBV+4. If the market rallied to EBV+4 (2217) this would represent a gain of some 8.2%. If the market corrected back to EBV+3 (1773) investors would be suffering losses of almost 14%.

For people new to Model Price Theory [MPT] the index value or price can move within an EBV zone with no real consequence. However when a transit occurs – index value or price crosses one of our parallel lines – an EBV line, either positive or negative this gives Model Price users a signal that fundamentals are improving or deteriorating, respectfully.

Having another look at our long-term model price chart of the S&P 500 Index.

I haven’t published our long-term model price chart for a while, so let’s have a look.

S&P 500 Index with monthly price bars and EBV Lines (colored lines).

 

As you can appreciate this long-term chart highlighting monthly price bars doesn’t change very often however I find this chart interesting to look at every once and a while.

What I like to draw your attention to are points ‘A’ and ‘B’ that I have annotated on the above chart. Roughly between 2002 and 2007, 5 years, the S&P 500 Index travelled along EBV+4, finding price support and resistance, along our calculated EBV Line.

Could this happen again?

Absolutely! Investors should consider all possibilities and probable market outcomes including the possibly of the slow upward gird. Less thrilling and won’t sell financial news impressions (‘clicks’) or link-bait but very profitable for investors who are long equities.

Is EBV+4 exceedingly expensive in terms of valuation?

Not really! Certainly the S&P 500 Index travelled this path before with higher interest rates and the US in the middle of raging two very unpopular wars – viewed in hindsight.

Were there scary moments over those 5 years – between 2002 and 2007 – that investors worried about holding equities? Again, I’m sure there were but the market still barreled forward in terms of gains, matching the compounding of book value of companies, included in the S&P 500, but not increasing the valuation of the overall market.

During this time period 2002 and 2007 the US dollar was in general moribund. The ‘action’ or money flows was directed to commodity countries (Canada and Australia) and of course the BRICs. Currently, with positive US dollar fundamentals this ‘tide’ will lift all boats, if you will. Economic fundamentals will count, of course, but money flows will help companies not only maintain valuations but also help during periods of economic and industrial rotations and/or dislocations. In other words, market corrections should be shallower and brief.

Conclusion

I don’t know if it’s me but the financial stuff I’m reading on the Internet is unusually bearish. And as I preface this blog even I get bogged down in the negativism that seems to be everywhere. But don’t be fooled, money flows into the US dollar are now positive – the tide is coming in! This very important and infrequent occurrence will help support the market’s valuation and may help increase valuations, maybe to EBV+5, as our global economic issues dissipate as national governments and central bankers adjust to new economic realities.

There are now millions of financial websites and I’m guessing here but most seem to be negative in orientation. Everyone viewing these sites on a regular basis can get caught up in their own ‘echo chamber’ of regular and recurring negative news even in good equity markets!

For me, this endless series of bad news and market factoids not only clutters up my thought process and at worst a major time waster. But sometimes, like over Christmas vacation, one does, and I did, take a peek to see what’s out there – guilty, your honor! Thank goodness for MPT [Model Price Theory]. At least I (and you) can run back to a world we have created that valuation of equities make rational and economic sense.

December 2014 – S&P/TSX Composite Market Strategy Update

Everything you learn and read about financial markets seems so wishy-washy (call it subjective).

I’m a black and white sort-a-guy (and an accountant) and when it comes to dollars and cents my question has always been can’t the field of finance be more…. objective?

If you’re like myself…and why wouldn’t you be… then Model Price Theory [MTP] is made for you.

Welcome to the world of black and white!

And speaking of black and white, Canadian equities are in a BEAR market and that’s not being wishy-washy, it’s OBJECTIVE!

The last BEAR market in Canada was in 2007-08, and man, it was a doozy! I will be sporting those market scars for sometime. (See my blog “10 Things I Did in the Crash of 2008; That I Didn’t Do in 1987 and 2000”) However before I go into what a BEAR markets means for investors let’s review what transpired, in terms of market action, since my last blog (November 6, 2014) on the S&P/TSX Composite.

As a reminder here is the model price chart I included on my November 6^th blog.

S&P/TSX Composite Index with weekly price bars and EBV Lines (colored lines).

I stated in this blog:

The first negative transit is usually the market testing or whether the index belongs in a lower zone, in this case between EBV+1 and EBV+2. Again, in general, the market (I’m talking about indices here) usually rallies above the EBV Line it just negatively transited.

And sometime later – could be months/quarters another negative transit will occur confirming the initial negative transit.

THIS SECOND NEGATIVE TRANSIT WOULD CONFIRM THAT THE CANADIAN MARKET HAS ENTERED INTO A BEAR MARKET.

Well, guess what…. we had a second negative transit!

Here’s a current view of the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

S&P/TSX Composite Index with weekly price bars and EBV Lines (colored lines).

 

And it was a sneaky negative transit that occurred on December 4, 2014, which was a Thursday. I notified members of the Model Price community on Facebook through the following comment:

From the ‘Comments Section’ from the Model Price app on Facebook

 

Friday, December 5, 2014 was also an interesting day that looked peaceful on the surface but according to Model Price Theory [MPT] the Canadian market through the S&P/TSX Composite Index communicated to those willing to listen. I wrote the following comment on Facebook:

From the ‘Comments Section’ from the Model Price app on Facebook

And the following week, the week of December 8^th to the 12^th, the S&P/TSX Composite was down in round percentage numbers 4.5% (see model price chart above).

What This Means To You as Investors

Gravity will have an impact on all asset values (share prices) in Canada even top quality or respected big corporate names we can all list off the top of our heads. For those who know Model Price Theory [MPT] selling stocks that have a negative transit is a must, even those respected corporate names we all know. Investors must be vigilant about all Canadian shares to ensure loss of capital is kept to a minimum.

Where are we going, in terms of the Canadian equity market? Not sure! But until we see positive transits both in individual stocks and the S&P/TSX Composite Index I would be cautious with a healthy cash balance and wait and see where this market wants to go. I’m reminded of the great quote by Yogi Berra, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” A negative transit is a negative transit meaning an investor should act accordingly, the future can take care of itself with or without my (and your) capital.

Conclusion

Model Price Theory [MPT] is giving you ‘objective’ information. ‘Black and White’ info that only an accountant would love. Yes, we are in a BEAR market in Canada but that’s not the end of the world. As I have said in previous blogs, you can make money in a BEAR market, it’s just you have to redouble your energy, efforts and your discipline if you choose to participate.

When I come to the office everyday, my first question of the day is: “What market are we in”? Up until last Thursday, December 4^th, the answer was always “We are in a Bull market”! Now that answer has changed and I’m judging myself accordingly.

Hope you are as well.

December 2014, S&P 500 Market Strategy Update

I guess everyone sees what is going on in the global equity world.

The US equity market, by all consensus including everyone at a cocktail party I went to last Saturday night, is the global equity market of choice. Yes, of course everyone is bullish and I’m sure investors are shifting portfolio allocations as I write this.

And yes, this is making me extremely uneasy.

We calculate a six-year total rate of return on our US equity mutual fund, Acker Finley US Value 50, on the front screen of our website, here. And on selected days we are up 250% over a rolling six-year period on recent days the market closes, handsomely outperforming our benchmark, the S&P 500 Total Return Index in Canadian dollars. Can we do any better? I don’t think so.

In other words, the fundamentals of the US economy, especially with falling energy costs and ever increasing US dollar, haven’t been this good for a long time. As my cocktail banter shows people see what’s going on here. Yes, the U.S. equity market has figured out this good news a while ago and has accordingly priced these improving fundamentals with ever increasing share price valuations while the market bears were yelling “Bubble!” And people being people they are lining up for the returns that have already happened!

As usual in these monthly blogs, let’s have a look at our Model Price chart on the S&P 500 Index to see what is going on.

S&P 500 Index with weekly price bars andEBV Lines (colored lines).

 

As a reminder we aggregate all companies in the S&P 500 Index into one chart on a market capitalized basis (like the S&P 500 Index itself), so we can see where the market – S&P 500 – is trading relative to its EBV lines.

As you can observe the US market, as defined by the S&P 500, is still in the middle of the zone bookmarked by EBV+3 and EBV+4. If the market rallied to EBV+4 (2206) this would represent a gain of some 7%. If the market corrected back to EBV+3 (1764) investors would be suffering losses of almost 14%.

For people new to Model Price Theory [MPT] the index value or price can move within an EBV zone with no real consequence. However when a transit occurs – index value or price crosses one of our parallel lines – an EBV line, either positive or negative this gives Model Price users a signal that fundamentals are improving or deteriorating, respectfully.

Squeezing Up to the Top of EBV+4

The next few quarters are usually very strong, seasonally, for US equity share prices. And I do expect the S&P 500 Index to squeeze up to EBV+4 giving equity participants more equity gains over the next little while. This shouldn’t be hard to imagine as worldwide investors (especially Japanese and European investors) evaluate rates of return on global assets and seeing their portfolio equity returns in US dollars will simply say to their respective financial advisors, “Gimme more of that!”

Risk versus Return

As I have said previously, the S&P 500 Index can float between EBV+3 and EBV+4 without consequence according to Model Price Theory [MPT]. However there is a big difference in the risk/reward scenarios if the Index is closer to EBV+3 than EBV+4. I would caution U.S. equity investors’ that as the S&P 500 Index pushes closer to EBV+4 the more investment risk investors are taking with their US holdings.

Conclusion

Everyone now sees the US equity market as the market of choice, in terms of rates of return, for the next few quarters at least. At the same time as the S&P 500 Index pushes towards EBV+4, investors are taking on an increasing amount of risk with limited upside return, assuming EBV+4 is the maximum valuation level this market will achieve (and this will be a future blog post for sure!).

For investors who have been in the US market since the market bottom of March 6, 2009, it has been one hell of a ride. (From EBV+1 to a little under EBV+4, so far!) Unfortunately new investors hoping to capture any of these huge index gains of the past will be sadly disappointed. I’m not predicting doom and gloom here but just pointing out the obvious…returns will be lower with a much higher risk levels for those first timers eagerly throwing their capital in US equities at this time.

CPG – Having an Adult Conversation about Crescent Point Energy – Reblog

Thought this blog that I wrote on Crescent Point back in April, 2013 was worth a re-blog. A lot of pain out there on this one, and from my weekend reading investors still hopeful Crescent Point can still meet its distribution obligations. Hope this blog answers some questions and gives everyone who was invested in CPG pause for thought. The proverbial writing was on-the-wall on this one and with the fall in oil prices since September only enhances the weak fundamentals that were clear, at least to us!

This blog has two objectives.  The first is to highlight the valuation divergence currently underway between our model price calculation and CPG’s stock price.  The second objective is to discuss why we use Net Income or earnings for our valuation analysis instead of cash flow per share.

Valuation divergences occur all the time in financial markets especially with individual equities.  Where the fundamentals and the market price of an individual stock price can go in opposite directions for whatever reason.  These divergences can correct themselves, with fundamentals changing positively or the stock price correcting to the appropriate valuation level without warning, so investors have to be vigilant.  Model Price is a service that calculates valuation, model price or fair market value, for over 2000 companies using the same company data for our algorithms.  No special treatment is necessary or special calculations for individual companies.  Also divergences can last for a prolonged period of time.  Timing when divergences can disappear is very hard to predict.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.  So let’s start with a picture.  Here is the long-term chart of Crescent Point Energy.

Crescent Point Energy with monthly price bars, EBV Lines (colored lines) and model price (dashed line)

This model price chart displays our calculation of model price over the last 7 1/2 years.  After peaking in mid-2007, model price or our calculation of fair market value has steadily fallen over the last six years.

So what’s going on here?

Crescent Point Energy finally issued their 4^th quarter and full year results on March 14, 2013.  I have downloaded the most recent financials, just as I have done with every annual report filed by CPG for the last few years.  This is fun reading for me.  Nothing like getting into the numbers, the balance sheet and don’t forget the all-important notes to the financial statements.

Three Reasons Crescent Point is notable!

First, the company clearly had a model price valuation either above its stock price – see chart above – or in the neighborhood of CPG’s trading value back in 2006 to 2009. Over time, since 2009, our model price calculation has eroded with no impact on the share price of CPG.  The gap in our calculated model price and CPG’s actual share price is getting wider as time goes on.  The market doesn’t seem to notice or doesn’t seem to care about this widening valuation gap.

One has to wonder why this is the case?  Doesn’t the market recognize the deteriorating fundamentals of the company’s earnings per share?  Certainly other Canadian oil companies have seen their share prices erode over the most recent past.  (Suncor and Imperial Oil are examples of this)  Are investors so enamored with the company and its annual distribution of $2.76 paid monthly that oil industry fundamentals are ignored?

Second, CPG has repeatedly paid investors distributions in excess of earnings for the last 4 years as I highlight in the table below.

	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008
Cash Flow/Share	4.69	4.80	3.48	4.08	4.72
Net Income/Share	0.58	0.73	0.09	(0.19)	3.74
Distributions	2.76	2.76	2.76	2.76	2.61

The third item of note is the amount of shares Crescent Point has issued in the last two years.  The company has issued some 171 million shares!  At an average price of say $40 CDN, that’s a cool $6.8 billion of market value.  These shares were issued for company acquisitions and secondary offerings to investors.  CPG had a market capitalization at the end of 2009 of some $8.3 billion.  CPG’s market cap has grown to $14.8 billion as at mid March 2013, without a material change in the company’s share price!

Are you with me so far?

Let’s get into the current numbers and our model price chart.

Crescent Point Energy with weekly price bars, EBV Lines (colored lines) and model price (dashed line)

For those interested, a daily updated chart of CPG subsequent to this post will be maintained on Facebook, here.

As you can see we have calculated model price or fair market value of CPG to be $21.25 as at the close on April 9, 2013.  This is a 43% discount to CPG’s stock price of $37.67.  We use expected earnings estimates to determine the fair market value for every stock included in our database comprising of some 2,000 securities including CPG.  At the time of our calculation CPG had a mean earnings estimate for 2013 of $0.56.

Positives on Crescent Point

Are you shocked!  Yes there are positives.

The first positive is the company’s solid execution of production, which was ahead of consensus.  For instance, in this latest quarter – 4^th quarter – production was 108,007 boe/d ahead of consensus of 102,000 boe/d.  This increase in production drove funds flow, highlighting …

… The second positive, again in the 4^TH quarter funds flow came in at $1.18 and ahead of consensus of $1.14.  The company beat on both metrics keeping investors and investment bankers happy for another quarter.  Several analysts revised upward Cash Flow per Share (CFPS) to recognize improved company performance.

The company seems to be a well run company, executing in a industry that seems to be struggling with commodity pricing, output cost inflation and decreased industry equity valuations.

One does have a sense, like any other growth stock, if CPG were to disappoint in the above noted metrics, oil production and cash flow, investors will be annoyed with possible consequences for CPG’s stock price.

Cash Flow versus Earnings

This is where the rubber hits the road for investors.  Crescent Point, as I stated earlier, is paying out an annual $2.76 a share in distributions on a monthly basis.  This payout offers investors a yield of 7.3% based on CPG current stock price.  This yield is “juicy” and certainly higher then anything else of quality in the fixed income area.

Highlighting my table (see above) the company seemingly does have the cash flow to pay such a generous distribution to its’ shareholders.  However earnings of the company over the last few years have been meager to say the least.  So which row of numbers, cash flow/share or net income/share, is more relevant to you the investor?

We use earnings per share in the calculation of model price.  Why?  Here is the distinction.

Ask yourself why the accounting profession, which I belong, has spent the last hundred years trying to define earnings of a company.  The reason for this pickiness is the earnings of a company belong to the common shareholders after all actual and potential stakeholders are accounted for.  An accumulation of these earnings is held in the retained earnings of the company.  The company builds equity, if you will, over time through compounding belonging to the owners of the company – the shareholders.

Cash Flow belongs to the enterprise.  Various stakeholders, debt holders, pension liabilities, banks, suppliers, employees all have claims against the cash flow of the company.  A company must continually invest in plant and equipment, people, R&D to maintain their competitive position.  Various managements, over time in the annals of financial history, can and have, restricted expenditures, boosting cash flow substantially in the short term only to the determent of the company longer term.  (I am NOT saying this is the case with CPG) In other words cash flow can be manipulated, volatile and of little use to the common shareholder as information regarding the financial net worth of their company.  Don’t get me wrong, cash flow is important to the company.  Without positive and sustainable cash flow the viability of the company can be impacted.  I am not arguing otherwise.  The issue becomes what number, cash flow or earnings, is more credible for valuation purposes – we favor net earnings of the company.

Lastly I found this quote from Graham and Dodd!

“No one questions the importance of cash flow– it is required to service debt and finance future growth, and it is the best predictor of the future stream of dividends.  However, we reject the notion that cash flows should be thought of as being the same as earnings.”  From Graham and Dodd’s Security Analysis – Fifth Edition. Page 262.

Model Price is falling for CPG

CPG maybe meeting and exceeding expectations with regards to production and cash flow however actual net income along with other metrics we use in our model price algorithm has been less impressed yielding a downward sloping model price calculation over the last 5 years.

Looking at the published financial statements of Crescent Point Energy (CPG), December 31, 2012, we can review the retained earnings to see how much has been accumulated on behalf of shareholders.  The retained earnings balance has a deficit of $2.755 billion dollars.  In other words the company has paid common shareholders $2.755 billion more than what they are entitled to.  So there is an overdraft, if you will.  Who is covering this overdraft?  Strangely enough, the common shareholders themselves are covering this overdraft with dilution of their own shares.

Huh?

OK, the accountants – yes the guys and gals with the green eyeshades – have determined that common shareholders have been paid too much by way of distributions relative to accumulated of Net Income – retained earnings – of the company since inception.  So who made up or funded this $2.755 billion difference?  The common shareholders with additional shares issued!    As additional shares are issued the less fractional share of the company you own.  From the beginning of 2010 – assuming you purchased shares on this date – your share or ownership stake in CPG would have been diluted by some 45%.

So What?

“So what?” you say, and continue;  “My CPG shares are trading in the stock market at the same value that I purchased them back in January 2010 and I’ve been receiving my distribution to boot.  Certainly this makes CPG is one of the best performers investment wise considering both equity and fixed income alternatives.”

To which I say; “Yes, you are right!  However …”

One has to ask, “Without major corporate finance activity in the last two years would CPG have been able to pay their distributions?”

“What if CPG is too generous with the company’s distribution (yield), which is directly responsible for the elevated valuation of CPG’s current stock price?”

“What if CPG is relying on secondary share offerings to fund the company’s current high distributions instead of relying on its’ own business operations?”

“What if capital markets, which can be fickle, are not as generous to CPG in the future as they have in the past?”  The last secondary issue for CPG was back on November 1, 2012 the company issued 18.75 million shares at $40 per share.  With investors down 6 percent, will they readily accept more shares even though they have been collecting their distribution?

The second consideration is the law of large numbers.  With a market capitalization of $14.8 billion and distributions of over $1 billion dollars annually to shareholders Crescent Point is no longer a small-capitalized company.  As companies get larger, laws of compounding and acquisition size become problematic, as the numbers just get unrealistically large for the company to manage or to meet shareholder expectations.

I’m just saying there are limits both in terms of investor’s appetite for additional CPG shares and compounding law of large numbers.  Today there are “clear blue skies” and no sign of investor fatigue of corporate activity but in the future who knows.  I do have to ask the question with corporate activity possibly diminished can CPG sustain its distribution policy to its shareholders.  Leading to the ultimate question of this blog, without the generous distributions of CPG are investors and market participants more willing to see the clear divergence gap opening up between our model price calculation and the CPG’s share price.  Who knows!

Conclusion

So there you have it.  This will be an interesting situation in seeing how this divergence gap, between our model price calculation and CPG current stock price resolves itself, and I will be in the front row.  With all the corporate activity CPG has been doing over the last few years, both acquisitions and secondary offerings, coupled with large distributions relative to what is available in fixed income, investors can be challenged in deciphering what fair market value would be for Crescent Point Energy in the public markets.  The Model Price Service – our Facebook App – crunches the numbers and calculates model price consistently focusing on the relevant inputs that calculate our model price, including our focus on earnings instead of cash flow.  Pundits and experts may rely on cash flow and yield but unfortunately these attributes are NOT variables that make up fair market value of a public company in my estimation or variables used in our calculations.

Teck Cominco Goes “Into The Blue”!

 

NEWS FLASH – NOVEMBER 10, 2014 CITIGROUP CUTS 2015 IRON ORE PRICE EST. TO $65/TON VS $80/TON, SAYS IRON ORE PRICES MAY FALL BELOW $60/TON.

 

Welcome to the new world of decreasing commodity prices.

The business media still hasn’t got their arms around this story. And it’s a big story.

China added 5.9 billion square meters of commercial buildings between 2008 and 2012 – the equivalent of more than 50 Manhattans – in just five years and that’s a lot of steel/copper!

What do you think is happening in China now?

Are they going to build another 50 Manhattans…probably not is my guess.

Iron ore prices started around $16 per dry metric ton in 2004 and spiked to almost $200 a ton in October 2010 and now it’s on the way down as you can read from this tweet from Twitter.

This shouldn’t be any surprise to the Model Price user. There have been many negative transits of Teck Cominco since peaking in price in early 2011 and finally falling into the “Blue” – going below EBV-3 – some six weeks ago and one of our strongest sell signals. See Model Price chart below.

Teck Cominco with monthly price bars, EBV Lines (colored lines) and model price (dashed line)

 

Now if Teck Cominco was trading at over $60 per share in early 2011 and is now trading for less than $18 today, one would think that most of the pain would be over for shareholders. And you can probably see the value orientated money managers rubbing their hands in glee. Teck now trades at about 45% of accounting book value and pays a generous 5% dividend yield.

As a matter of fact while enroute to the office kitchen last week, I overheard on the trading room television – which is always tuned into BNN – a portfolio manager recommending Teck Cominco to viewers with the usual comments…. “Great management, great assets and of course, a nice dividend”!

Really!

What Model Price Theory [MPT] is saying?

When the stock price of a public company drops below EBV-3 this signifies that balance sheet write-offs of recorded asset values will be coming sometime in the future. And when the company starts to write-off recorded assets, debtholders start to get nervous. And, you guessed it, when debtholders get nervous the dividend payout to the common shareholders will be cut if not eliminated.

In essence Teck Cominco can and probably will be a ‘value trap’ in that, yes, the company looks like it has good value, a high discount to accounting book value, and a high dividend only to potentially disappear before your very eyes.

And, yes I have noticed that our model price is calculated at $26 this year and over $40 in 2015. But this is based on equity analysts’ earnings estimates today. Will these estimates be impacted by Citigroup’s lowered forecast estimates for Iron Ore? Has the declining spot price of Iron Ore fully reflected in the estimates we are currently using? And has the declining price of Iron Ore been so precipitous that equity analysts have been frozen and have not updated Teck’s earnings waiting for some sort of stabilization in the pricing of the commodity so any earnings estimate – guesstimate – can be realistic.

Of the two pieces of information – model price value or EBV Lines – my preference is always tilted towards our EBV Lines especially in down markets. Why? It’s what the market is communicating that has more value to Model Price users than what the analysts are saying.

Most Cyclical Stocks Are Pro-Cyclical

What do I mean by this….pro-cyclical? Cyclical companies balance sheets also seem to explode in the dollar amount of net equity or net worth as a consequence of peak cyclical earnings and intra-industry acquisitions. Have a look at our long-term model price chart of Teck Cominco’s. Notice how the balance sheet of the company has grown since 2004 – upward sloping EBV Lines mirroring the growth of Teck’s balance sheet (below). Hmm…. Can this balance sheet growth be a coincidence with the price of Iron Ore? This is what I mean by pro-cyclical in that, in this case, as the price of the commodity – Iron Ore – escalates so does the balance sheet of the company.

Teck Cominco’s Long-term Model Price chart from 1995 to Present

As commodity prices recede or reset, to much lower prices, the company is forced to write-off excess assets that are non-productive or non-economic relative to the cost of production versus the falling price of the commodity in question.

As the write-offs occur over a period of time or the ‘big bath’ write-off is taken – usually by new management not accountable for past investment decisions – the size of the pro-cyclical company’s balance sheet reverts back to lows seen at the bottom of previous cyclical lows. And cyclical lows for Teck’s balance sheet is a long way down as you can see.

Conclusion

So don’t be fooled. Yes, Teck Cominco seems cheap. Yes, the company is paying out a healthy dividend. And, yes, our model price calculation is above where Teck’s currently trading at what appears to be a 43% upside. But our model price calculation is only as good as the group of analysts with their earnings estimates and nobody I know has a crystal ball or better still knows what is going on in China.

The very important “tell” here is the share price of Teck going below our EBV-3 or as we say in our office ‘Going into the Blue’. This is very important information alerting investors that serious balance sheet realignment (write-offs) will be coming.

Yes, you can see the future in this situation and the counter-cyclical forces will play havoc on investors who think they are purchasing Teck’s recorded assets at 55 cents on the dollar and a dividend stream – yes, getting paid to wait (cough!) – that may not last beyond a few quarters!