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Weekly Market Recap

Weekly Market Recap – July 9, 2021Download

Large cap US equities moved higher last week, with the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq all closing at fresh all-time highs on Friday. Most sectors finished the week higher, although financials and energy were dragged lower by the flatter yield curve and lower oil prices, respectively. Small and midcap stocks underperformed, as did international equities, as investors kept a keen eye on the rise of new cases caused by the delta variant.

Bond markets rallied yet again last week, with 10y Treasury yields falling 6 basis points to finish at 1.36%, while 30y yields finished the week just slightly below 2%. After tightening relentlessly all year, credit spreads showed the first hint of widening last week, although they remain extremely tight by historical measures. Nevertheless, last week’s modest widening resulted in corporate bonds underperforming Treasuries and Munis.

Energy prices finished the week slightly lower on concerns regarding global demand and a lack of consensus on production from OPEC+.

Economic news got off to a weak start last week with a significant miss in the ISM Services Index, which initially sent equity prices and bond yields lower. Later in the week, however, there were fresh signs of labor market strength, as the monthly JOLTS report held steady at 9.2 million jobs available, while jobless claims continued to drift lower.

This audio version of the Weekly Market Recap can be found in your favorite podcasting app. Search for “Albion Financial Group“
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Weekly Market Recap

Market Recap – Week 18Download

Weekly Recap: Equity markets rode a roller coaster fueled by inflation fears last week, with most stocks finishing lower. Headline inflation (as measured by CPI) rose above 4% for the first time since 2008, causing a short-lived spike in interest rates as well as widespread selling in equities as discount rates were
recalibrated. The fear of persistently higher inflation began to subside a bit
on Friday, allowing rates to fall and equities to recoup some of their losses.

Large cap tech stocks were hit the hardest, dragging down sector
performance for communications (-2.0%), information technology (-2.2%), and consumer discretionary (-3.7%). Meanwhile, cyclicals as well as traditional defensive sectors were mixed, with only consumer staples
(+0.4%), financials (+0.3%), and basic materials (+0.1%) finishing higher on the week.

Interest rates finished the week modestly higher, with benchmark 10y
Treasury yields rising 5bp while 30y yields were up 6bp. Credit spreads were mostly stable, resulting in small price declines across all sectors of the bond market on the back of the rise in Treasury yields.

Oil prices rose, with WTI closing back above the $65/barrel threshold.
Meanwhile, the national average price of gasoline rose above $3 per gallon
for the first time since late 2014. See the Chart of the Week for a time series.

Albion’s “Four Pillars”: Economy & Earnings – GDP growth was +6.4% annualized in Q1 2021, and is forecast to accelerate to +8.1% in Q2. Meanwhile, EPS for the S&P 500 turned positive y/y in Q4 2020 and will rise significantly y/y in Q1 2021 as the economy laps the onset of the pandemic.

Equity Valuation – the S&P 500’s forward P/E of 22x is above the historical average, and long-term valuation metrics like CAPE (cyclically adjusted P/E ratio) suggest that compound annual returns over the coming decade are likely to be in the single digits. That said, lower equity returns may be justified in the context of ultra-low yields on alternatives like bonds and cash.

Interest Rates – Rates remain low by historical standards despite recent
volatility, supporting equity valuations and lowering borrowing costs.

Inflation – After staving off deflation early in the pandemic, the Fed has
communicated tolerance for short periods of above-target inflation. A
cyclical bump in inflation may occur in 2021 as pent-up demand is released, testing the Fed’s resolve, but we do not expect higher inflation to persist.

Market Recap – Week 18Download
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Weekly Market Recap

Week 17 of 2021
Rates and commodity prices moved higher last week, while most bond and equity prices moved lower. Economic news was all good, including consumer confidence, durable goods orders, home prices, jobless claims, and of course, that hefty Q1 GDP print of +6.4% q/q annualized.
Weekly Market Recap – 20210430Download

Equities finished on a softer note last week, pulling back on Friday after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite had set fresh all-time highs on Thursday and Monday, respectively. Sector performance was mixed, with energy, communications, and financials all rising 2% or more, while healthcare and tech were both down ~2% on the week. US small and midcap stocks also finished the week slightly lower, as did international equities.

Bucking the April trend, interest rates began to rise last week. Benchmark 10-year and 30-year Treasury yields both finished 7 basis points higher w/w, the largest weekly increase in rates since mid-March. Credit spreads compressed, cushioning the downward price movement in investment grade corporates, while riskier (and shorter duration) high yield bonds registered small gains.

Commodity prices finished April on a strong upward trajectory, with oil
(WTI) closing above $65/barrel on Thursday before pulling back a bit on
Friday. Many other commodities were up sharply during the second half of
April, including most grains, textiles, and building products.

Economic news was positive last week. Consumer confidence rose sharply in April, jobless claims remain near pandemic-era lows, durable goods orders rebounded, and home prices continued to rise. Meanwhile, the Fed reiterated its commitment to keep rates low and maintain its asset purchase programs, while welcoming signs that the economic recovery is strengthening.

Weekly Market Recap – 20210430Download
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Weekly Market Recap

Weekly-Market-Recap-20210416Download

Risk assets rallied around the world last week, with equities, bonds, andcommodities all moving higher. In US equity markets, the Dow and S&P 500both finished the week at fresh all-time highs, while the Nasdaq closed lessthan 1% off of the high set back in February. Small and midcap indices delivered strong performance on the week, pushing further into double-digit return territory for 2021. International stocks also rallied, although they continue to lag the US market on a YTD basis.

Bond markets rallied as US Treasury yields fell. Benchmark 10y yields were down 8bp on the week and are now 16bp lower during the month of April. Credit spreads were stable last week, allowing corporate and municipal bonds to see price gains from the move in Treasuries. See the Chart of the Week for a time series of 10y US Treasury yields.

Oil rallied last week on lower US inventories and an increase in the global demand forecast from OPEC+. Other commodities resumed their upward trajectory as well, including natural gas, gold, copper, and aluminum.

US economic news was mostly positive, with jobless claims, retail sales, housing metrics (permits, starts, builder sentiment), consumer sentiment (U of M), and industrial production all improving sequentially. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout continues to move forward at a rapid pace in the US, with much more mixed results elsewhere in the world.

Weekly-Market-Recap-20210416Download