by winston » Mon Oct 02, 2023 8:48 am
Market trend analysis report "Topic #8 - S&P 500 tends to underperform following US yield curve un-inversion"
With the yield curve steepening lately where the 10-Year treasury yield is rising faster than the 2-Year treasury yield, the yield curve is approaching its closest to uninversion since the banking crisis took place in March.
This report looks at the consequence on S&P 500’s performance when the yield curve uninverts and steepens thereafter
Looking at the 3 instances in 1990, 2001, 2007 (excluding 2019 due to unprecedented US$2.2 trillion stimulus following the COVID-19 crisis) when the yield spread steepened significantly post uninversion, the S&P 500 has declined on average over 7% 6 months and over 9% a year after uninversion takes place, respectively.
In addition, in every instance following uninversion, the US economy went into recession within 2 years, with the median time at 16 months.
A plausible reason why the yield curve can predict recessions is because market participants anticipate the Fed will cut policy rates to provide monetary policy accommodation during a downturn.
Long-term bonds which are more sensitive to interest rates than short term ones, will decline in price at a faster rate, resulting in long-term and short-term yield differential to increase and cause the yield curve to steepen
Week 40 equity strategy: Once again we go through the drama of a US government shutdown. The threat has been averted for 45 days. Every year the government must approve the discretionary spending (or appropriation bill) for the upcoming fiscal year from October.
It affects around 25% of the government's total spending. There have been 20 shutdowns since 1977. The longest was 34 days in late December 2018. According to the CBO, the impact of that shutdown was 0.02% points in real GDP. Thus, the impact on the equity market is minimal.
Shifting focus, we have more confidence the Fed will refrain from hiking interest rates. Core PCE inflation continues to trend downwards. August was the lowest monthly increase in more than three years.
At the current pace, inflation could hit the Fed's target by mid-2024. Fed Vice-Chair John Williams said that rates are at, or near, the peak but need to be restrictive for some time.
Source: Phillips
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