Daily roundup of research and analysis from The Globe and Mail’s market strategist Scott Barlow
The equity strategy team led by Hugo Ste-Marie at Scotia Capital published 10 Themes for 2021 – Unleashing Excess Cash Tuesday morning.
The top themes are,
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“1. Piles of stacked cash could soon turn into hot money. 2. Synchronized downturn, synchronized upturn 3. The road to US$200 EPS 4. Income scarcity: The hunt for yield intensifies 5. Bond yields: The great normalization 6. Go Global 7. Small could be big in 2021 8. Hard assets shining, CAD roaring 9. Sector rotation favors cyclicals 10. No Value left behind [and]11. Bonus – Capital markets spring back to life”
Here’s an excerpt from the section on yield scarcity,
“Interest rates on cash deposits and government bond yields should remain quite anemic next year. As traditional sources of income can’t fulfill their role anymore, the hunt for yield will likely intensify and investors will have to look for alternatives. Equities appear an obvious choice. After a challenging year, dividend growth should resume in 2021 on the back of improving profitability trends. Moreover, dividend yields have rarely been this attractive versus government bonds in over half a century”’
Morgan Stanley has updated its “Fresh Money Buy List” of top U.S. stocks picks, removing S&P Global Inc. because of “regulatory and/or policy restrictions”.
The remaining list consists of Ally Financial, Citizens Financial Group Inc., Walt Disney Co., Humana Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Linde PLC, Mastercard Inc., PVH Corp., and T-Mobile U.S. Inc.
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“@SBarlow_ROB MS drops S&P Global from its Fresh Money Buy List of U.S. picks” – (table, including performance) Twitter
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Also from Morgan Stanley, the technology and telecom research team led by Katy Huberty published a report outlining the bright outlook for 5G-related stocks and provided a list of stock ideas (my emphasis),
“We are buyers of stocks exposed to stronger than expected consumer 5G demand. Consumer smartphone purchase intentions are the strongest in recent history according to our AlphaWise survey of nearly 3,500 consumers in the US and China. The main driver is demand for 5G, which is now the primary reason consumers are upgrading in the US and China – a comparatively bigger catalyst than any other recent technology upgrade and a more bullish signal relative to investors’ more cautious stance. We highlight key takeaways across our global technology and telco services teams and recommend owning a group of stocks that we view best positioned for 5G infrastructure investment and smartphone demand upside.”
The top 10 5G-related stock ideas are Apple Inc., T-Mobile US Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Delta Electronics Inc., Samsung Electronics Co Ltd., Sunny Optical Technology Company Ltd., China Mobile Ltd., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd., Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and Ericsson.
“@SBarlow_ROB MS: Top 10 5G-related stock picks” – (table) Twitter
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New column from me: “What investors can learn from the top performing U.S. value stocks” – Inside the Market
Diversion: The Ringer’s panel rewatches and discusses the 1980s movie Wall Street – The Ringer (podcast)
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TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
