File 026893
Goldman Sachs Investment Strategy Report on Market Correction (File 026893)
Investment Strategy Group report from Goldman Sachs analyzing the October 2018 stock market pullback, arguing that underlying economic fundamentals remain strong despite investor concerns about market volatility.
Summary
This document is a Goldman Sachs Investment Strategy Group analysis dated October 14, 2018, assessing a 7.8% market decline between September 21 and October 11. The report argues that despite media headlines about market 'carnage,' the pullback is smaller than previous corrections and underlying economic factors—including steady GDP growth (3.5-4%), low inflation (2.0-2.3%), robust corporate earnings growth (12% EBIT expansion), and strong employment (190k jobs monthly average)—support continued market stability. The analysis concludes that steady economic factors will likely prevail over temporary market concerns, with interest rate expectations of 3.0-3.5% in 2019.
From: Richard KahnSent: 10/15/2018 6:56:57 PMTo: Jeffrey Epstein [jeeyacation@gmail.com]Subject: Fwd: The Unsteady Undertow Commands the Seas (Temporarily)Attachments: The Unsteady Undertow Commands the Seas (Temporarily).pdf; Untitled attachment 572865.htmImportance: HighRichard KahnHBRK Associates Inc.575 Lexington Avenue 4th FloorNew York, NY 10022telfacellBegin forwarded message:From: Judie Taylor <Subject: The Unsteady Undertow Commands the Seas (Temporarily)Date: October 15, 2018 at 2:36:30 PM EDTTo:HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026893Sunday Night InsightOctober 14, 2018The Unsteady Undertow Commands the Seas (Temporarily)Sharmin Mossavar-RahmaniBrett NelsonMaziar MinoviAndrew DubinskyMichael MurdochMary RichChief Investment OfficerHead of Tactical Asset AllocationManaging DirectorVice PresidentVice PresidentVice PresidentThe 7.8% intraday peak-to-trough decline in US equities between September 21st and October 11thhas rattled investor confidence. Numerous headlines of stock market "carnage" have further erodedtheir confidence. As a result, some of our clients have asked whether this drop signifies the beginningof the end of a nearly 10-year bull market.We do not think so. So far, this pullback is actually smaller than the two prior downdrafts weexperienced in late January and in mid-March, neither of which derailed the US economy nor the bullmarket. The steady factors we highlighted in our annual Outlook—such as economic growth, benigninflation, robust earnings, and low probability of recession—have not dissipated. Furthermore, whilethe investor focus has shifted to the risks around the unsteady undertow, most of these factors are,on balance, less concerning today than they were at the beginning of 2018.Of course, that is not the case across all geopolitical concerns. While trade tensions with Mexico andCanada have abated, those with China have certainly deteriorated and will continue to do so for theHOUSE OVERSIGHT 026894foreseeable future. But, in aggregate, there has been more improvement than deterioration, in ourview.In this Sunday Night Insight, we will provide a brief update on the steady factors and unsteadyundertow. We then conclude with our view that the steady factors will likely continue to win this tug-of-war between the two.Steady FactorsWhile the headlines warn of equity market carnage, the facts do not support such alarming headlines.The S&P 500 is still up 5.1% on a year-to-date total return basis and financial conditions remain ateasier levels today than they did when the Federal Reserve began this tightening cycle in 2015,despite the recent decline in equities and 0.76 percentage point increase in 10-year Treasury yieldsyear-to-date. Most importantly, as highlighted by Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, we arein "extraordinary times" of steady growth and low inflation.Economic GrowthEconomic growth remains firm in the US. Both the Institute for Supply Management leading indexesfor manufacturing and non-manufacturing remain at very strong levels. Current activity indicators ofreal GDP growth average about 3.5% for the third quarter and closer to 4% for the fourth quarter.Forecasts for third quarter real GDP average 3.8% and fourth quarter forecasts are about2.8%. While growth is slowing from the 4.2% estimate of the second quarter, it is still forecast to beabove trend and we believe a modest slowdown is certainly preferable to continued growth at a pacethat was likely unsustainable and possibly even inflationary.In aggregate, the economic data since the intraday peak of US equities on September 21st does notpoint to any worrisome slowdown in GDP growth or the pace of employment. In fact, while the recent134K increase in non-farm payrolls was less than expectations, revisions to earlier months offset themodest headline miss and the unemployment rate still fell to 3.7%. Furthermore, this 134k increaseis above the estimated sustainable level of employment growth based on population growth andchanges in labor force participation, which our colleagues in Goldman Investment Research estimateis around 96k. Importantly, a modest slowdown in the 3-month average of non-farm payrolls, whichcurrently stands at a very robust 190k jobs, is more likely to keep inflation in check.Robust Earnings and BuybacksContinued above-trend economic growth is supporting solid corporate fundamentals. While many arequick to dismiss this strength to US tax reform, it is only half the story. Earnings before interest andtaxes (EBIT) expanded by a very healthy 12% in the first half of this year and are expected to grow bydouble-digits again in the third quarter. This robust organic profit growth is also fueling sizablecorporate buybacks—a key source of equity market support. Our colleagues on the corporatebuyback desk expect the highest dollar amount for buybacks on record in 2018, with $1tn inauthorizations and $850bn in executed buybacks.Even so, such robust earnings growth has begun to foster concern that we have reached a peak inEPS growth. While we do expect the pace of growth to slow next year, a local peak in earningsHOUSE OVERSIGHT 026895growth has not signified an imminent peak in the S&P 500 historically. In fact, about 3/4ths of marketpeaks occurred more than two years after the peak in the growth rate of earnings. Moreover, stockmarket returns have remained healthy during this period, with high odds of a positive outcome overthe subsequent 6-24 months (see Exhibit 1). In short, the market ultimately follows the path ofearnings and while their growth rate may be slowing, their absolute level is still rising.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg.Inflation and Interest RatesInflation data has remained at relatively low levels for all of 2018, as shown in Exhibits 2 and 3. Infact, some of the most recent data released in October have ticked slightly lower. Average hourlyearnings dropped to 2.8% from the prior month's level of 2.9%. Headline CPI dropped to 2.3% from2.7% and Core CPI ex-food and energy remain at a low 2.2%, unchanged from the prior month. TheFederal Reserve's preferred inflation indicator, Core PCE, also remains low at 2.0% which is in linewith the Federal Reserve's target, and unchanged from the prior month.While 10-year Treasury yields have risen by 0.76% (or 76 basis points) over the course of 2018, wedo not think the resulting 3.2% yield is enough to derail US economic growth. Keep in mind that mostof the recent increase since late August was due to stronger real growth rather than runaway inflationexpectations. We expect interest rates to range between 3.0% and 3.5% in 2019 with a midpoint of3.25%, barring any major geopolitical conflicts such as one between US and China and or escalatingconflicts in the Middle East.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026896Note: Average hourly earnings is available for the private sector starting in 2006 and is releasedin the monthly employment report. The BLS hourly earnings data for production and nonsupervisoryemployees, -80% of the private sector, is available back to 1964.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Haver.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Haver.Of course, the recent backup in interest rates is providing equity investors with another source ofangst. Yet our work suggests there are several reasons why rates could continue to rise beforebecoming a material headwind for stocks. First, the 4% trend growth rate of nominal US GDP—reflecting 2% real growth and 2% inflation—remains comfortably above the 10-year Treasury yield ofHOUSE OVERSIGHT 0268973.2% (i.e. the cost of borrowing). Stocks typically struggle when the cost of borrowing exceeds thenominal growth of the economy (see Exhibit 4). Second, the recent backup in interest rates wasdriven primarily by improving real growth expectations, not higher inflation. This distinction is critical,because higher rates in response to improving real growth tend to benefit earnings sufficiently toovercome the downward pressure they place on valuation multiples. Finally, it will take a number ofyears before higher rates meaningfully impact aggregate S&P 500 interest expense, considering 91`)/0of S&P 500 debt is fixed-rate and only 13% matures over the next two years.Source: Investment Strategy Group. Bloomberg.Low Probability of RecessionWe continue to maintain a low, 10%, probability of recession driven by:• The positive trend of leading economic indicators• Low levels of inflation• The continued slow but steady pace of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. We believe thatFederal Reserve Chairman Powell's recent commentary indicates that the FOMC will continue to bedriven by data and financial market conditions. Their stated goal is to extend this expansion"indefinitely." While the Federal Reserve dots point towards four more interest rate hikes by the endof 2019, we do not think that such hikes materially increase the odds of a recession in an economythat continues to grow at levels that are generally regarded as above trend growth in the US.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026898Recent steepening of the yield curve. We have highlighted two measures of the yield curve as sign-posts we watch as an early harbinger of a recession. Both have steepened since their lows, as shownin Exhibits 5 and 6.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg.*"Near-Term Forward Spread" is the implied 3-month forward yield 18-months from now.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026899Unsteady UndertowAs market observers attempt to explain the recent drop in US equities, the risks of geopolitical factorshave garnered considerable attention. Potential US retaliation over the recent disappearance of aSaudi journalist has only added fuel to the fire of worries given the risk that oil exports could be usedas a political weapon in a world with tighter oil supply thanks to impending US sanctions on Iran.As we review the geopolitical developments of 2018, it is clear that some of the risks have abatedwhile others have increased. With the exception of a significant spike in oil prices due to the impact ofsanctions on Iran or any escalation in US-Saudi tensions, we believe that the net impact of theseshifts is not material enough to derail the US economic expansion or bull market.Risks that have abatedMexico: the election of the left-of-center populist president (Andres Manuel Lopes Obrador referredto as AMLO) has reduced fear of a reversal of recent reforms. While concerns about fiscal profligacyand reverting to a nationalist energy policy that reduces oil production may reappear, AMLO does nottake office until the end of the year.Brazil: The strong showing of Jair Bolsonaro, a law-and-order former army captain, in the first roundof elections and the latest data that points to a 75% probability of Bolsonaro becoming the nextpresident of Brazil has provided a boost to the Brazilian real. His current standing has substantiallyreduced the election of another left-wing worker's party candidate who would keep the status quo inBrazil.NAFTA: The agreement on a revised NAFTA deal between the US, Canada, and Mexico onSeptember 30th meaningfully reduced the risk of the US withdrawal from NAFTA. While the newagreement, US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), has not been ratified by the Mexican andCanadian national parliaments nor by the US congress, and a divided congress after the mid-termelections may lead to some uncertainty, we believe it is likely to be ratified.US-EU Trade Friction: Tension between the US and European Union eased significantly after a July2018 deal between European Commission President Juncker and President Trump to "work togethertoward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods". Thecoast is not totally clear given the threat of auto tariffs, but we do not anticipate any significantincrease in trade rhetoric in the near future.Risks that have increasedChina: The trade war with China continues to escalate and as we have stated before, we believe thatit cannot be resolved simply by China importing more US goods. The issues range from:• A large and growing trade deficit with China• Industrial policies & unfair trade practices that reduce competition, such as subsidies and"dumping good at below-market prices"• "Made in China 2025" policies which "harm US companies"HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026900• Uneven tariff rates and the banning of some US goods• Intellectual property theft• Forced technology transfer• Strategic US technology acquisitions• Outright cyber theft• Foreign ownership restrictionsRecent headlines that the trade war may be escalating to a cold war are not without merit, as webelieve that US-China relations are changing on a more structural basis and will have a longer-termimpact. On a short-term basis, however, US exposure to China is limited with merchandise exports,corporate profits and foreign claims at about 1% of GDP. As seen in Exhibit 7, the Chinese equitymarkets have also deteriorated much more significantly than US markets in 2018.Of course, specific stocks with greater exposure to China through higher sales have underperformedthe S&P 500 by about 6% since the latest tariffs were imposed on $200bn of Chinese products, asshown in Exhibit 8.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026901Note: High China sales basket is aggregated and defined by Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg.Italy: Concerns about Italy have risen to peak levels since the election of a populist government inMay and credit default swaps have increased to reflect these higher risks. The government'sexpansive fiscal plan, with a proposed budget deficit of 2.4% of GDP, may be rejected by theEuropean Union commission and result in rating downgrades. While the EU is likely to manage thissituation in its usual incremental and reactive way, the possibility of new elections in late 2019reigniting euro viability questions will keep Italy on our radar screens.BREXIT: It is hard to know whether Brexit risks are unchanged, higher or lower given the minute byminute headlines out of the UK. Our base case remains that while the internal politics of theConservative party will keep uncertainty at elevated levels and the European Union will notcompromise on its key tenants of free movement of goods, services, and people, the two sides willagree to a deal that defers the difficult choices on the shape of a final agreement with the EU until late2020.The Middle East: Risks in the Middle East have not changed substantially with respect to Iraq, Syria,or even the impositions of sanctions on Iran. However, the disappearance of the Saudi journalist whoentered the Saudi Embassy in Turkey on October 2nd has the potential to raise risks to global oilsupply. While there has been a global uproar, it is not yet clear whether the US will impose serioussanctions or Saudi Arabia would retaliate by reducing oil exports if the US finds sufficient evidenceregarding the alleged killing of the Saudi journalist. The recession in 1973-74 was partly due to thequadrupling of oil prices due to the Arab Oil Embargo. Later in that decade, the Iranian Revolutionand the Iran-Iraq War also led to a 2.5 times spike in oil prices that, along with Federal Reservetightening by then Chairman Paul Volcker, led to a US recession. While we think it is unlikely thatSaudi Arabia would react so aggressively in the face of serious US reprisals, we note that it remains areal risk.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026902Some Notable ObservationsUS Equities Have Been Shunned All AlongIn both our 2018 Outlook and mid-year update, we highlighted the surprising absence of inflows intoUS equities based on flows into mutual funds and Exchange-Traded Funds. As shown in Exhibit 9,flows into US equities were negative in 2018, even before the recent downdraft. In fact, US equitieshave seen outflows of $81 billion through August 2018 (based on the most recent comprehensivedata), while non-US developed equities and emerging market equities have had inflows of $72 billionand $20 billion respectively. This is further evidence of our view that while sentiment and short termpositioning among speculators and hedge fund managers shifts frequently, more stable investorshave shunned US equities during this long bull market in favor of other developed and emergingmarket equities and global bonds.This steady outflow of assets from US equities has been offset by record levels of stock buybacks byUS companies given high levels of profitability and incremental cash from repatriation of overseasearnings, as mentioned above.Note: Based on ICI weekly estimates through August 30,2018. Flows exclude reinvested dividends.Source: Investment Strategy Group, ICI.Some Headwinds Facing the FANG MAN Stocks Will PersistThe basket of FANGMAN (i.e. Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Nvidia)stocks have dropped across the board from their respective peak price levels, with Facebook's 29%decline the largest and Apple's 4% decline the smallest among the group. Even so, each of theHOUSE OVERSIGHT 026903stocks, with the exception of Facebook, still have positive year-to-date returns and have outperformedthe S&P 500, as shown in Exhibit 10.This is not a recommendation to buy or sell individual securities but rather an assertion that thesestocks represent a small portion of S&P 500 earnings. Anyone looking to buy or sell single nameequities should consult Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research.Source: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg.Nevertheless, we believe that some of the headwinds that have plagued this sector will continue.These include:• Data privacy issues impacting a broad range of companies, including Facebook, Google, Twitter,Alipay and Tencent.• High likelihood of greater regulatory scrutiny in the US2 and Europe as policy makers increasinglybelieve that these companies will not address "the privacy and security issues of social mediausers"3 on their own.• Increased focus by ESG investors (Environment, Social, and Governance) that many of thetechnology and social media companies are falling short on social and governance issues.While this basket of stocks may or may not lead the market in the future, it is important to note thatthey represent only 10% of S&P 500 earnings.Investment ImplicationsThe recent market downdraft has understandably rekindled fears that the longest bull market inhistory is coming to an end. While there are no certainties in investing, we do not think the oddssupport that conclusion based on our read of the steady and unsteady factors discussed above. Keepin mind that about 75% of historical US bear markets—defined here as equity market declines of 20%or more—have occurred during economic recessions. In fact, US equity returns have remainedfavorable until about five to six months prior to the onset of recession, highlighting the penalty forprematurely exiting the market (see Exhibit 11). With only 10% odds of recession over the next year,we think the economic backdrop remains favorable for stocks.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026904Source: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg.Of course, none of the supportive factors discussed above precludes further bouts of equity volatility.As we highlighted at the beginning of the year, the historical probability of a 5% or greater correctionfrom current valuation levels was 96%. Yet these statistics alone do not justify underweightingequities, since such pullbacks often occur after sizable equity rallies, as this year reminds us.Moreover, such pullbacks are quite normal historically. After all, stocks have suffered a median of twopullbacks of at least 5% and one of at least 10% per calendar year in the post-WWII period, leavingboth the frequency and magnitude of this year's dips in line with past experience. Most importantly,years that experienced a similar number of pullbacks as 2018 nonetheless ended with a median gainof 6% and had 77% odds of a positive return.ConclusionAlthough we have painted a less alarmist view of recent market weakness, we are by no meansPollyannaish. While bull markets do not die of old age, they do become more susceptible to ailmentsover time. Yet as we survey the tug of war between the steady factors and the unsteady undertow,we do not think the balance of risks is strong enough to topple the ongoing US expansion and thecontinued growth of corporate earnings it supports.That said, this viewpoint does not preclude further market volatility and the market may still make newlows if the current downdraft persists. But history suggests the bull market is likely to continue untilabout 5-6 months prior to the end of this economic expansion. Thus, it will take a significant increasein the odds of an imminent recession to provide the trigger—that has been lacking thus far—totactically underweight equities. In the interim, we continue to recommend that clients maintain theirstrategic allocation to US equities.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 026905Sources: Investment Strategy Group, Bloomberg, Datastream, Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research, Haver.Endnotes:(1) Kate Davidson and Sarah Chaney, "Fed Chair Powell Sees 'Remarkably Positive Set of Economic Circumstances,- The WallStreet Journal, October 3, 2018.(2) Statement by the Acting Director of FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection Regarding Reported Concerns about FacebookPrivacy Practices, March 26, 2018.(3)Senator Mark. R Warner, Press Release, September 28, 2018Investment Strategy Group. The Investment Strategy Group (ISG) is part of the Investment Management Division ofGoldman Sachs. ISG is focused on asset allocation strategy formation and market analysis for Private WealthManagement. 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