Peering into the post pandemic world

Comments of the Day 06 May 2020     Video commentary for May 5th 2020   Eoin Treacy's view A link to today's video commentary is posted in the Subscriber's Area.  Some of the topics discussed include: Is the ECB subject to German law? Euro weak, gold steady, oil firm, corporate profits peaking, stock markets susceptible to profit taking as they test first regions of potentila support. Bonds ease.     Musings From The Oil Patch May 5th 2020 Thanks to subscriber for this edition of Allen Brooks’ every interesting report for PPHB. Here is a section: These large stock buybacks, coupled with increased debt, despite low interest rates, have contributed to a remarkable decline in corporate cash balances.  Cash balances for S&P 500 Index companies have fallen to the lowest level since 1980, while debt has soared.  Based on how volatile these two measures have become, we wonder whether, following the recession we certainly are in, cash on company balance sheets becomes a prized asset.  Likewise, will debt become toxic?  Given very low interest rates, something not likely to change anytime soon, will corporate executives adjust how they manage their balance sheets?   Traditionally, dividends account for about 2% and share buybacks about 3% of the historical annual average stock market return of 5%.  The cessation of share buybacks would cut investor return expectations more than in half, and returns will be further reduced to the extent that dividends are eliminated and/or restricted.  That will be a huge blow to investors who sought out stock market returns to replace those lost from bonds due to low interest rates.  The neighboring chart shows that about 6% of buyback programs, representing 14% of the expected value of buybacks for energy, have been suspended so far this year.  We certainly expect these numbers to rise as the year unfolds, regardless of legal restrictions imposed by government relief payments, due to cash-preservation steps by managements following the oil price collapse.   As Exhibit 17 shows, energy in the S&P 500 Index was the fourth lowest sector, ranked by dollars committed to share buybacks.  Not a surprise, given the oil price crash of 2014, was the sharp decline in dollars spent on share buybacks over the last five years compared to the last 10 years.  The amount of money spent on energy share buybacks for 2015-2019 was only 31% of the 10-year expenditures.  We will not be surprised to see the next 5-year period having even less money spent on stock buybacks, unless there is a miracle recovery in oil prices.   If we consider what investor returns by sector of the S&P 500 were in the fourth quarter of 2019, energy topped the list with nearly a 10.5% yield.  That was nearly 80% greater than the yield of the S&P 500 Index.  That will change in 2020, and likely in 2021, as we expect that is how long it will take for the oil market to balance.  The unanswered question is how the risk profile for investing in energy stocks may change, as well as investing in the stock market overall?   Eoin Treacy's view A link to the full report is posted in the Suibscriber's Area. Royal Dutch Shell cuts its dividend last week which was a significant departure from its long-held policy of reliable payouts. However, the move was anticipated by the significant decline in the share over the last few months and the decision did have had a measure effect on the price. The primary reason investors look at the energy sector now is because of the attractive valuations. Meanwhile, the uncertain outlook for the oil price is the reason valuations have improved.     Peering into the post pandemic world Thanks to a subscriber for this report from the Bank of Singapore which may be of interest. Here is a section: Almost every major crisis and recession has resulted in lasting implications. The 1973 oil crisis ended the Bretton Woods system and brought about the regime of floating currencies and exchange rate volatility. September 11 permanently changed the way we travel and raised the level of security in public settings and airports. Unprecedented monetary easing after the 2008 Great Financial Crisis further propelled the unlikely continuation of the 30-year rally in government bonds and facilitated the resurgence of tech stocks and credit markets. The Global Covid-19 Crisis will also leave its permanent imprints on consumers, markets and economies. Although we are only a few months into the crisis, it is key to look forward to the next economic cycle and ask: what are the structural changes created by the Covid-19 outbreak and who will be the winners and losers? For companies, the focus will shift to building resilience As the virus outbreak results in demand and supply shocks unprecedented in terms of speed, depth and breadth, many companies face tremendous pressure, and this will have a lasting impact on risk perception.  Companies will turn more cautious and focus on building resilience in terms of their business strategies and balance sheets, and shareholders will expect management teams to take steps to ensure that the business is strong enough to take the next big shock.   Eoin Treacy's view A link to the full report is posted in the Subscriber's Area. Consumers are wondering about what the trajectory for their earnings are going to be. Nobody knows what the outlook for their businesses is likely to be in the aftermath of the lockdowns or how long recovery is going to take. There is a temptation to think corporations are going to be as cautious as individuals.     Hedge funds bet on gold as refuge from 'unfettered' currency printing Thanks to a subscriber for this article by Laurence Fletcher and Henry Sanderson for the  Financial Times which may be of interest. Here is a section: Paul Singer’s Elliott Management, Andrew Law’s Caxton Associates and Danny Yong’s Dymon Asia Capital are all bullish on the yellow metal, which has risen about 12 per cent this year. They are wagering that moves to loosen monetary policy and even directly finance government spending, intended to limit the economic damage from the virus, will debase fiat currencies and provide a further boost to gold. “Gold is a hedge against unfettered fiat currency printing,” said Mr Yong, founding partner at Dymon Asia, which is up 36 per cent this year, helped by its bet on the gold price. New York-based Elliott, which manages about $40bn in assets, told its investors last month that gold was “one of the most undervalued” assets available and that its fair value was “multiples of its current price”. In a letter, Elliott cited the “fanatical debasement of money by all of the world’s central banks” as well as low interest rates and disruption to mining caused by coronavirus. Profits from gold positions helped the hedge fund to a gain of about 2 per cent in the first quarter.   Eoin Treacy's view Central banks are acting like the proverbial Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke. The assistance provided to date is a stop gap measure but is open ended. This might not be the most convenient time to think about deficits and how all this is going to be paid for, but gold investors are not hanging around.      Eoin's personal portfolio - Last updated March 27th   Eoin Treacy's view One of the most commonly asked questions by subscribers is how to find details of my open traders. In an effort to make it easier I will simply repost the latest summary daily until there is a change. I'll change the title to the date of publication of new details so you will know when the information was provided.