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Weekly Issue: Trade and geopolitical issues make for a less than sleepy August 2019

Weekly Issue: Trade and geopolitical issues make for a less than sleepy August 2019

Key points inside this issue

  • Trade and geopolitical issues make for a less than sleepy August 2019
  • What to watch this week
  • Earnings this week
  • Economic data this week
  • The Thematic Aristocrats?

Uncertainty continued to grip the stock market last week as the U.S.-Chinese trade dispute once again took center stage. After the return of tariff talk week prior, the battle expanded this week to include a war of words between Washington and Beijing over the Chinese yuan’s devaluation.

The market ultimately shook that off, in part due to the renewed thought that the Federal Reserve could accelerate interest-rate cuts. But then stocks closed lower week over week after President Trump suggested Friday that trade talks with China set for next week might be canceled.

There’s also renewed geopolitical uncertainty — not just Britain’s Brexit process, but also a looming no-confidence vote against Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte that’s once again plunging Italy into political turmoil. And as if that wasn’t enough, over the weekend escalating tensions between Chinese authorities and protesters in Hong Kong were added to the mix, making for one big ball of uncertainty even bigger.

Meanwhile, global economic data continue to soften. This gives some credence to the notion that the Fed could become more dovish than Chairman Jerome Powell suggested during his July 31 press conference following the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision to cut rates. While I don’t expect anything near-term, down below we have a calendar date to mark even though I don’t think it will mean much in the way of monetary policy.

We’re seeing confirming signs for the economic data in oil and copper prices, both of which have been mostly declining of late. Not exactly signs of a vibrant and growing global economy.

Odds are that as we head into summer’s final weeks, stocks will be range-bound at best as they trade based on the latest geopolitical headlines. And odds are there won’t’ be any newfound hope to be had on the earnings front. With 90% of S&P 500 stocks already reporting second-quarter results, it looks like we’ll see another year-over-year decline in quarterly average earnings. For the full year 2019 those earnings are only growing at a 2.5% annual rate, but if President Trump goes forth with the latest round of announced tariffs, odds are those expectations could come down in the coming weeks – more on that below.

All in all, barring any meaningful progress on US-China trade, which seems rather unlikely in the near-term, at best the stock market is likely to be rangebound in the coming weeks. Even though much of Wall Street will be “at the beach” the next few weeks, odds are few will be enjoying their time away given the pins and needles discussed above and further below.

What to watch this week

We have three weeks until the Labor Day holiday weekend, which means we’re entering one of the market’s historically slowest times. There’s typically lower volume than usual, as well as low conviction and wishy-washy moves in the market.

Traditionally, a more-sobering look emerges once Wall Street is “back from the beach” following the Labor Day holiday. This tends to bring a sharper picture of the economy. There are also ample investor conferences where companies update their outlooks as we head into the year’s last few months.

But as we saw this past week, geopolitical and trade tensions could make the next few weeks much more volatile than we’ve seen in the past. As we navigate these waters, we’ll continue to assess what this means for earnings — particularly given that analysts don’t expect the S&P 500 companies to see year-over-year earnings-per- share growth again until the fourth quarter. In my view that puts a lot of hope on a seasonally strong quarter that could very well be dashed by President Trump’s potential next round of tariffs. I say this because retailers now face the 10% tariffs set to go into effect on September 1, which will hit apparel and footwear, among other consumer goods.

The risk is we could very well see 2019 turn into a year with little to no EPS growth for the S&P 500, and if factor out the impact of buybacks it likely means operating profit growth had at the S&P 500 is contracting year over year. We’ll know more on that in the coming weeks, but if it turns out to be the case I suspect it will lead many an investor to question the current market multiple of 17.6x let alone those market forecasters, like the ones at Goldman Sachs, that are calling for 3,100 even as their economists cut their GDP expectations.

Earnings this week

This week will have the slowest pace of earnings releases in about a month, with only some 330 companies issuing quarterly results. That’s a sharp drop from roughly 1,200 such reports that we got last week.

Among those firms reporting numbers next week, we’ll see a sector shift toward retail stocks, including Macy’s (M), J.C. Penney (JCP) and Walmart (WMT). Given what I touched on above, I’ll be listening for their comments on the potential tariff impact as well as comments surrounding our Digital Lifestyle and Middle-class Squeeze investing themes, and initial holiday shopping expectations.

This week’s earnings reports also bring the latest from Cisco Systems (CSCO), Nvidia (NVDA), and Deere (DE). Given how much of Deere’s customer base sells commodities like U.S. soybeans (which China has hit with tariffs), we’ll carefully listen to management’s comments on the trade war. There could be some tidbits for our New Global Middle-class theme from Deere as well. With Cisco, we could hear about the demand impact being generated by 5G network buildouts as well as the incremental cyber security needs that will be needed. These make the Cisco earnings conference call one to listen to for our Digital Infrastructure and Safety & Security investing themes.

 

Economic data this week

On the economic front, we’ll get July reports for retail sales, industrial production and housing starts, as well as the August Empire Manufacturing and Philly Fed surveys. Given the importance of the consumer, the July Retail Sales will be one to watch and I for one expect it to be very bullish for our Digital Lifestyle investing theme if and only if because of Amazon’ 2019 Prime Day and all the other retailers that tried to cash in on it. I suspect, however, the report will reveal more gloom for department stores. All in all the week’s economic data points will help solidify the current quarter’s gross domestic product expectations, which are sitting at 1.6%-1.9% between the New York and Atlanta Fed.

Based on what we’ve seen of late from IHS Markit for Japan, China and the Eurozone, that still makes America the best economic house on the block. Granted, the U.S. vector and velocity are still in the down and slowing positions, but we have yet to see formal signs of a contracting domestic economy. As Tematica’s Chief Macro Strategist Lenore Hawkins pointed out in her most recent assessment of things, we’ll need to keep tabs on the dollar for “The deflationary power of a strengthening US dollar strength in the midst of slowing global trade and trade wars just may overpower anything central banks try.”

Odds are that as the latest economic figures hit, especially if they keep the economy’s recent vector and velocity intact, we will see more speculation on what the Fed might do next. While there’s no Fed interest-rate meeting scheduled for August, the Kansas City Fed will hold its widely watched annual Jackson Hole symposium Aug. 22-24 in Wyoming. The central bank doesn’t usually discuss monetary-policy plans at this event, but as noted above, we aren’t exactly in normal times these days.

 

The Thematic Aristocrats?

Given the recent market turbulence as prospects for more of the same in the coming weeks, I’m sitting back and building our shopping list for thematically well-positioned companies. Given the economic data of late and geo-political uncertainties as well as Lenore’s comments on the dollar, I’m focusing more on domestic-focused, inelastic business models that tend to spit off cash and drive dividends. In particular, I’m looking at companies with a track record of increasing their dividends every year for at least 10 years. And of course, they have to have vibrant thematic tailwinds at their respective back.

Perhaps, we can informally call these the “Thematic Aristocrats”?

I’ll have more as I refine that list.

What Investors Need to Know About the Implications of Trump’s Tariffs

What Investors Need to Know About the Implications of Trump’s Tariffs

 

A couple of days ago, I shared my view that President Trump’s tariff overtures are more than likely a negotiating tactic as he looks to tackle yet another of his campaign promises – international trade. The resignation of Gary Cohn on Tuesday, President Trump’s top economic adviser and the head of the National Economic Council, have certainly fanned the flames that this might not be a bluff by Trump — either that or Gary Cohn was unwilling to play the game.

I continue to think Trump is following the negotiating strategies he laid out in his 1987 book, Art of the Deal. But as an investor, we have to game out the potential outcomes so we can assess the potential risk and position ourselves accordingly. 

 

Should Trump enact the seemingly unpopular trade tariffs on steel and aluminum, what then? 

For starters, with an increase in the cost of importing from other countries and a lack of price pressure on American suppliers, steel and aluminum will become more expensive to U.S. companies. No big surprise there. The companies impacted will be wide, ranging from manufacturers of aircraft, high-speed rail, cars, trucks, construction equipment, motors, satellite dishes, smartphones, tablets and appliances. And let’s not forget cans, which will impact the price of food, soda and beer, as well as a variety of other products.

What this means is the cost production for Boeing (BA), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Navistar (NAV), Paccar (PCAR), Caterpillar (CAT, Deere (DE), Cummins (CMI), Apple (AAPL), Dell, Whirlpool (WHR), Coca-Cola (KO), PepsiCo (PEP), Molson Coors (TAP), Anheuser Busch (BUD), and numerous others will rise. 

 

Will those companies look to change to domestic suppliers? 

Most likely, but that will take not only time, but require more domestic capacity to come on line. As we’ve seen in the domestic oil industry, it’s not as easy as flicking a light switch – it takes time, and more importantly, it takes people, the right people. That’s right, the skill set to work in a steel or aluminum plant is not the same as working at McDonalds (MCD), the Gap (GPS) or an AMC Theater (AMC).

What we’re likely to see amid a rise in demand for domestic steel and aluminum is rather similar to what we are seeing in the freight industry. The currently capacity constrained domestic truck market has led to sharp increases in freight costs cited by a growing number of consumer product companies ranging from Tyson Foods (TSN) to J.M. Smucker (SJM) and Ross Stores (ROST). 

The same materials constraints is poised to happen to homebuilders this spring, given the current lumber shortage… and yes the current truck shortage could mean a double whammy for homebuilders like Toll Brothers (TOL), D.R. Horton (DHI), Lennar Corp. (LEN) and the rest of the industry, both public and private, as they truck materials to new building sites.

We’ve talked quite a bit about how rising home prices due to low supply have likely priced out a number of prospective buyers. Let’s also remember the rising level of consumer debt and lack of wage gains for the vast majority of workers that Lenore Hawkins, Tematica’s Chief Macro Strategist, and I have been talking about on the Cocktail Investing Podcast and writing about. What this probably means is more consumers will be priced out of the housing market as homebuilders look to offset rising costs with higher prices. Basic economics. 

Getting back to the impact of the proposed Trump tariffs, while they would help potentially level the playing field for steel and aluminum companies like AK Steel (AKS), Steel Dynamics (STLD), Century Aluminum (CENX), Arconic (ARNC) and other, in the short to medium term they will more than likely lead to higher prices. 

While companies may look to offset those rising costs, the reality is that in today’s world where a public company must at a minimum meet the bottom EPS expectations lest it’s stock price get crushed, odds are they will raise prices to minimize the hit to the profits and the bottom line. We’ve seen this time and time again over the years at Starbucks (SBUX) with a nickel here and there price increase with its latest in September ranging from 10 to 30 cents on a variety of menu items. 

To use the lingo favored by the Fed and economists, we run the risk of inflation. Yes, folks, I said it, inflation, and as we know over the last few weeks that word has become a focus for investors as they look to gauge how far and how fast the Fed will boost rates in 2018 and before too long 2019. We know in watching these higher prices will weigh on the buying activity of Cash-Strapped Consumers and most likely others as items become less affordable. Not sure, consider the median U.S. income last year was all of $31,685 compared to $31,248 in 2000 – over 18 years an income gain of just $437! 

This is where I remind you that the U.S. consumer is a meaningful contributor to the domestic economy, (with consumer spending accounting for nearly 70% of GDP) and Lenore would kick me if I didn’t remind you how far along we are in the business cycle. The combination of rising prices and questionable consumer demand also runs the risk of profit and EPS pressure that would likely weigh on stock prices. 

Boiling it down, the question is does Trump want to run the risk of torpedoing the economy and the stock market, two of his much tweeted about barometers for his presidency?

My thought is probably not.

I do, however, expect Trump and his ego will continue down this negotiation path, ultimately compromising for a better trade deal than the current one. And yes, my fingers are crossed. 

Will it be smooth sailing to that destination? Not likely and we can see last night’s resignation of Gary Cohn, President Trump’s top economic adviser, as a sign the waters will be more than choppy over the next few weeks. 

 

The Response from the EU and Its Potential Impact to the Fed and Interest Rates

Upping the ante, this morning the European Union shared its response to Trump’s proposed metals tariffs saying it would take the case to the World Trade Organization and coordinate its actions with other trade partners that are also against the proposed tariffs from the U.S. The EU went on to share a “provisional list” of U.S. products that would see higher tariffs from the EU, if Trump moves ahead with the import tariffs. The full list has yet to be made public, but among its speculated $3.5 billion impact will to items such as peanut butter, cranberries and oranges. Perhaps EU officials have been busy reading Trump’s Art of the Deal? 

What all this looks like… or at least I hope it is… is a good ol’ fashion game of chicken — international trade negotiation style.

Like most games, there tends to be a winner and a loser, and while it’s possible that Trump comes out ahead on this, the risk he runs will impact the American consumer, the domestic economy and at least certain stocks if not the overall market. 

Remember also that the next monetary policy meeting by the Fed is in two weeks. At its January meeting, the Fed was beginning to shake and bake tax reform implications into its outlooks, and I suspect the Fed heads are likely doing the same with a potential trade war. Do I feel bad for new Fed Chief Jerome Powell? Let’s just say that I wouldn’t want his job, but then again given my pension for calling it like I see it they probably wouldn’t want me.