Get yourself fit! A diversified portfolio is like a well-balanced diet. You need all major asset classes/food groups for proper nutrition. Think of the major asset classes (equities, fixed income, alts) as your protein, carbs, and fats. If you were to load up in one particular area (e.g. carb loading), you might feel better in the short-term, but it could seriously affect your health in the long-term. And it’s the same way with investing: if you “overindulged” in any one particular area for too long; you are bound to get ill at some point. Which is a good segway for this quarter’s market commentary. Yes, US stocks – those in the large cap growth area in particular - ended the third quarter near records, but now is not the time to be one-dimensional.
But, before we dive into a proper nutritional program, let’s see how the major asset classes fared in 3q18:
Equities: Let’s start with the spicy lasagna…the S&P500, the hot index right now, which climbed 7.7% in the quarter and up 10.6% for the calendar year. However, most don’t realize that just three companies (Apple, Amazon, & Microsoft) make up one-quarter of those year-to-date (“YTD”) gains. Besides these outliers, returns in general for equities are more muted as represented by the MSCI AC World Index registering a 3.9% 3q18 & 3.65% YTD return. Emerging Markets* continue to be the cold broccoli, down 1.1% for the quarter and now -7.7% for the year. In other words, even though the headlines – which like to focus on domestic big-cap stocks, like the ones in the S&P500 and Dow – are flashing big numbers; in reality, the disparity amongst equity benchmark returns is huge this year with some areas up sizably and some areas down sizably.
Fixed Income: The Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index, was basically unchanged for the quarter and down 1.6% YTD. The Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index fell 0.9% and now down 2.4% YTD. Pretty unappetizing. The shorter duration, i.e. the weighted average of the times until the fixed cash flows within your bond portfolio are received, the better your return. It’s a challenging environment when interest rates go up, but the Fed continues to do so in a gradual and transparent manner. Last week, the Fed raised its benchmark federal-funds rate to a range between 2% and 2.25%. We could see another four rate hikes, one for each Fed quarterly meeting, before they stop/pause for a while.
Alternatives: The Credit Suisse Liquid Alternative Beta Index, our chosen proxy for alternatives, increased +0.7% for the quarter and now off only 1.2% for the year. Alts come in many different shapes and forms so we’ll highlight just a few here. Gold** continued to drop, down 4.9% for qtr and now off 8.6% for year. Oil*** continues to rise, up 4.7% 3q18 & 27.5% YTD. MLPs**** jumped 6.4% on the quarter and now +5.0% for 2018. Whereas alts have not been “zesty” as of late, think of them like your morning yogurt: a great source of probiotics, a friendly bacteria that can improve your health when other harmful bacteria emerge.
So after a decent 3q18 for most investors, where do we go from here and what should be part of one's nutritional program?
Let’s first talk about the economy. It’s been on a buttery roll as of late. The Tax Cut & Jobs Act of 2017 has created a current environment for US companies that has rarely been more scrumptious, as evidenced by earnings per share growth of 27% year-over-year (“YOY”). Unemployment clicked in at last measure at 3.9% and most likely will continue to drop in the near future. With the economy this strong, many may find it surprising to see the lack in wage growth and inflation. Wages are only up 2.8% and core inflation is up only up 2.0% YOY. Wages are staying under control as the Baby Boomers and their higher salaries exit the work field, replaced by lower-salaried Millennials and Gen Z. Part of the lack of inflation growth is because of the internet/technology that gives so much information to the Buyer at the tip of their fingers, keeping a lid on prices. Trade talk/tariffs, have been a big headliner as of late creating a lot of volatility; but that story only seems to be improving with the revised NAFTA taking shape with Mexico and Canada. Some type of agreement with China could be on the near horizon too.
This is all delectable news, but the tax stimulus effect will peak in mid-2019 and companies will have to perform almost perfectly to remain at their current record profit margin levels. With earnings a major component of valuation, any knock to them could affect stock prices. Further, the S&P500 is now trading at a forward PE ratio of 16.8x, which is north of its 16.1x 25-year average. This is not the case in other areas of the world – Europe, Japan, Emerging Markets - where valuations are actually lower than averages. If you haven’t done so already, time to put those on your menu.
It’s not only a good diet you want for your portfolio; you also want to make sure of proper fitness/maintenance, i.e. rebalancing back to established long-term asset allocation mix targets. Time to bank some of those equity gains and reinvest those into the undervalued areas if you haven’t already done so recently. Regular portfolio rebalancing helps reduce downside investment risk and instills discipline so that investors avoid “buying high” and “selling low”, a savory way to keeping you and your portfolio healthy.
In conclusion, we are in interesting times. The economy is peppery-hot, but incapable of keeping this pace. A slowdown is inevitable. The question is two-fold: how big will that slow-down be, and are you prepared for it? Now is the time to revisit your risk tolerance and compare that to how much risk is in your current portfolio. That spicy lasagna, aka the S&P500, has been a delicious meal as of late, but don’t let too much of it ruin your diet. Make sure your portfolio is diversified in a well-balanced manner. Stay healthy and in good shape by working with a wealth manager like DWM who can keep your portfolio as fit as a triathlete.
Brett M. Detterbeck, CFA, CFP®
DETTERBECK WEALTH MANAGEMENT
*represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index
**represented by the iShares Gold Trust
***represented by the Morningstar Brent Crude Commodity ER USD
****represented by the UBS AG London BRH ETracs Alerian MLP ETF