As The Tri Polar World Turns - No FOMO Here

OVERVIEW

Coronavirus fears serve to cool an overheating global equity market. Fears dissipate quickly as abundant global liquidity, solid global economic data and better than expected US and EU earnings inoculate risk assets.

More importantly, January saw the reversal of nascent Q4 moves to non US equity, Value and Cyclical sectors; it was among the worst months in the past decade for US Value vs Growth. Late comers to the rally, ESG adherents and massive bond flows serve to inflate the bubble at the long end of the UST curve which helped expand a Big Tech equity bubble.

We remain in the Reflation 2020 camp and have taken advantage of the virus related selloff to add to broad Commodities. We expect the virus impact on growth to be temporary and are starting to envision a stronger than expected global growth rebound driven by a massive inventory rebuild. US - China trade fears and now coronavirus fears have led to bare bones inventory positions; restocking could lead to a backup in long rates and a reversal in growth stocks.

ECONOMICS

A Reuters poll of economists suggests Q1 China GDP of 4.5% and full year at 5.5%. With 80% of countries reporting Composite PMIs over 50 we expect the global economy to withstand the coronavirus. Inflation remains quiescent while solid job growth supports the DM economies.

POLITICS

6 weeks into 2020 and markets have already dealt with US - Iran tussle, Brexit, Trump impeachment, Xi virus risk and the US presidential election cycle. Xi is under pressure to solve dual challenge: end virus fears and restart the economy. US election noise to persist through November.

POLICY

China’s PBOC takes the mantle of global liquidity provider as it injects between $150-300B to offset virus impact on the Chinese economy. The Fed and ECB want to let inflation run hot. Trade front: US - UK, EU - US could be a source of wild card risk.

MARKETS

Q4 earnings mark the bottom of the EPS downturn; US running +2% y/y while European EPS x Energy running +7%. Cross asset outlook driven by virus outcome, long bond bubble and global growth rotation trade. The stronger the growth recovery (and we are starting to think it will be stronger than expected given inventory shortages) the greater the rotation to non US equity, long duration sell off, Value factor and Cyclical sector outperformance. We stay the course.

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Bloomberg TV: Flows vs. Fears

U.S. equities closed at record highs on Wednesday as optimism grew that the global economy can recover from the impact of the coronavirus. On "Bloomberg ETF IQ Americas", Bloomberg's Scarlet Fu, Eric Balchunas and Vildana Hajric talk with Jay Pelosky, chief investment officer and co-founder of TPW Investment Management, about the recent bullish signs in flows, and the impact of the U.S. election race and the virus outbreak.

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Real Vision Interview With Jay: The Consequences of Clearing Macro Overhangs

Below is a 45 min interview with CIO Jay Pelosky as he sits down with Real Vision’s Ed Harrison for a deep dive into:

  • TPWIM’s 2020 road map: How Lower for Longer Global Growth = Higher For Longer Global Stock Prices

  • The (Geo Political) clouds part: the transition from Fall Risk Asset Rally to Reflation 2020

  • Be Advised: not ALL assets will rise in 2020

  • Central Banks to let inflation run hot: Cross Asset Implications

  • Science & Technology: the evolution of the Tri Polar World Framework

  • Why a 5% up year for SPY is bullish for non US equity

  • And much, much more…

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Bloomberg TV: Some ETFs for 2020 (Jamie)

Jamie had his first Bloomberg appearance on BTV ETF IQ. He discusses how he sees TPWIM’s Fall Rally POV extending into 2020. He gives a few ETFs that are likely to benefit from this view. Our focus remains on non-US DM equity, Value, and Cyclicals.

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Bloomberg TV Asia: Reflation 2020

Nice clip from BTV Asian Open show where Jay lays out TPWIM’s Reflation 2020. He focuses on the Big Four signposts that guide our thesis: better geopolitical tone with trade talks & Brexit, better policy mix with global easing cycle and rising use of fiscal stimulus, global growth bottom as Global Manuf PMIs bottom setting up regimes shifts across assets: from bonds to stocks, regions, from US to non US DM, styles, from Growth to Value and sectors from Defensives to Cyclicals.

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As The Tri Polar World Turns - The Clouds Are Parting

OVERVIEW

The skies are clearing over the geopolitical and economic landscape. Clarity on Brexit and US-China trade could remove lots of angst while the industrial cycle bottoms & turns up.

The Lower for Longer Global Growth Path can lead to Higher for Longer Global Stock Prices & a continued Search for Yield. Our Big Four signposts remain constructive.

Notwithstanding strong risk asset performance, positioning remains light. Use pullbacks to allocate as REFLATION 2020 manifests itself.

ECONOMICS

Major Central Banks (Fed, ECB) plan to let inflation run above target to offset the lengthy period of below target performance. U shaped global economic upswing is supportive.

The Global Manufacturing PMI appears to have bottomed & is turning up. We view the weak US ISM as a “catch down” to the rest of the world which is entering an upswing. Think reflation not recession.

POLITICS

By month end we should have more clarity than at any point in the past several years on Brexit and US-China trade. US politics remain a wild card but given the lack of policy impact, little market reaction is expected until Spring. Global shift from wealth concentration to wealth distribution is worth a think.

POLICY

Fiscal stimulus is taking over from monetary policy be it the trillion-dollar US deficits, Japan’s biggest fiscal package since 2016, Europe’s Green New Deal or the Tory election manifesto.

Bottom line: Fiscal & monetary policymakers are focused on shoring up global growth, providing liquidity to financial markets and ensuring easy financial conditions. Inflation is to be allowed to run hot. Our Global Risk Nexus (GRN) work continues to suggest Policy progress.

MARKETS

What a difference a year makes as Q4 2019 shapes up to be the opposite of a year ago. Positioning remains light, Wall St remains cautious (av 2020 SPY target lowest in 15 years!) and geographic, style and sector tilts are all in early innings. We remain OW non US DM equity, Value and Cyclicals, much of which remains 15-20% BELOW 2018 highs.

Reflation 2020 also supports the Search for Yield (long duration at risk to inflation scare). Inflation being allowed to run hot suggests TIPS.

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As The Tri Polar World Turns - The Year Ahead: Reflation 2020

Excited to present TPWIM’s Year Ahead Outlook: Reflation 2020

We remain on a Lower for Longer Global Growth Path which we believe can lead to Higher for Longer Global Stock Prices

Geopolitical uncertainty and recession fears have led investors to crowd into US equities and Growth/Defensive sectors & styles, marking perhaps the tail end of a decade long run of US/Growth Outperformance

Continued low growth & inflation suggest the Search for Yield can continue for another year

TPWIM’s Big Four Signposts guided us to our Fall Risk Asset Rally outlook and portfolio positioning

Let’s review the Big Four:

1.     Global Easing Cycle to continue.

2.     Global Growth Bottoming in process as Manuf PMIs inflect upward and service sector remains robust.

3.     US - China Trade Tiff to stabilize in a phase one/mini deal.

4.     Global Earnings Bottom as suggested by both revisions & outlook.

We expect the Fall Rally to morph into Reflation 2020 underpinned by global easing, fiscal stimulus & an industrial cycle rebound leading to positive surprises across: global growth, earnings growth & stock prices. Investors should buy the dips.

We favor Equity over Debt, Non US over US, Value over Growth, Cyclicals over Defensives, Credit over Sovereign, short duration over long, non $ over USD.

Where could we be wrong? US - China deal could fall apart; a hard Brexit could derail Europe’s nascent pickup; Manufacturing PMIs could reverse and decline, threatening the service sector and raising recession risk; Central Banks could shift back to tightening mode.

We look to 1995, 1998 & 2016-18 cycles for guidance on how things may play out.

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Bloomberg TV: From Fall Risk Asset Rally to Reflation 2020

Jay returns to BTV’s The Open to discuss how he sees TPWIM’s Fall Rally POV extending into 2020. He notes how the Trade Tiff is becoming less of a market issue as uncertainty ebbs while suggesting that should tariffs be rolled back the earnings effect could be significant. Jay makes the case that the bottoming in global growth is more important than the Trade talks and suggests a new corollary to our Lower for Longer Global Growth theme, namely that such an environment leads to Higher for Longer Global Stock Prices. Our focus remains on non-US DM equity, Value, and Cyclicals.

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Bloomberg TV Asia: Big Four signposts for YE Risk Rally

Nice tight clip from last night BTV Asian Open show where Jay lays out TPWIM’s Fall Risk Asset Rally playbook. He focuses on the Big Four signposts that guide our thesis: better geopolitical tone with trade talks & Brexit, better policy mix with global easing cycle and rising use of fiscal stimulus, Teflon like risk markets that have discounted plenty of bad news & an impending global growth bottom as Global Manuf PMIs bottom setting up regimes shifts across assets: from bonds to stocks, regions, from US to non US DM, styles, from Growth to Value and sectors from Defensives to Cyclicals.


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As The Tri Polar World Turns - October 2019

OVERVIEW

The pace of action seems to be picking up as we enter Q4. Financial markets chopped a lot of wood in September as they did in August. Given the seasonally weak period and the stable nature of asset prices, one has to respect the Teflon like nature of current asset markets.

A Lower for Longer Global Growth Path remains our central theme. Our Big Four signposts remain constructive.

We expect to see positive catalysts during the quarter, perhaps on trade, perhaps on the global economic front and expect those catalysts to have positive implications for asset prices. We have added to the Cyclical nature of our portfolio solutions.

ECONOMICS

Developed economies are enjoying record low unemployment which has led to record highs in global consumer confidence, suggesting continued robust household spending over the next several quarters. No recession call here. 

The Global Manufacturing PMI appears to have bottomed & is turning up. We view the weak US ISM as a “catch down” to the rest of the world which is bottoming. 

POLITICS

A confluence of events suggests progress may be forthcoming on both US - China trade and Brexit. All the main actors: Pres Trump & Xi, PM Johnson, and the EU, can use a win. Risk assets would be big winners as well.

POLICY

Low inflation provides the cover for a continued global easing cycle while fiscal policy swings into action. Our Global Risk Nexus (GRN) work suggests progress on both the Economic & Policy front.

MARKETS

 

A long list of market positives offset concerns that Q4 19 will repeat last year’s horrid Q4. Central Banks’ easing rather than tightening, a better tone around trade and sharply lower rates all run counter to last year’s set up. 

The shift in global PMI regimes suggests reasonable asset upside, particularly among the non US & Value and Cyclical segments of global equity markets while also supporting credit over Govts & favoring commodities.

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As The Tri Polar World Turns - September 2019

Overview: Markets chopped a lot of wood in August: EM’s Argentina collapse, tit for tat tariff hikes, RMB cracking 7, US yield curve inversion to name a few. Growth/Momentum factors ruled the roost for hedge funds and trend followers alike.

This sets up perfectly for a Fall risk asset rally with offsides positioning, horrible sentiment, improving seasonality coupled with full throated global easing, an uptick in Global PMIs, better technicals and cheap stocks relative to overbought and expensive bonds.

The catalyst could be a US - China trade deal in 2019, a prospect that seemed outlandish two weeks ago but very real today as both sides make nice. Another could be a Brexit deal, perhaps the only thing considered more unlikely than a trade deal. Focus on non US equity exposure, Cyclical sector & Value factor selection.

Economics: China’s L shaped recovery  demonstrates resolve in the US trade conflict, suggests China will neither sink nor save the global economy and shines a spotlight on Europe in general and Germany in particular as free riders on global demand.

Politics: Are we about to finally see Trump the deal maker? The weaker the US economy, the worse the polling numbers & the greater the need for a deal. Europe’s new leadership is a breadth of fresh air & how about that Italian own goal?

Policy: Roughly 80% of the world’s Central Banks are in easing mode; fiscal policy is the topic du jour in Europe and being implemented in Asia. 

 

Markets: Fall Risk Asset Rally ahead - the factor crash in the first two weeks in September could rival the quant crash of 2008-9. Note its all one trade: long Growth/Momo, long duration UST, long USD - reversals are likely across assets and around the globe.

Stay frosty my friends.

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As The Tri Polar World Turns - August 2019

In this month’s As The Tri Polar World Turns, CIO Jay Pelosky analyzes the recent financial market volatility and asks whether one should hold to the Lower for Longer Global Growth path. He notes the tussle between Fixed Income’s school yard bullies and highlights how amidst all the trade drama earnings in both the US and Europe have come in better than expected. Bottom line: we don't see the duration rally as signaling recession and continue to expect a global growth bottom and higher equity prices in the months ahead.

  • Economics:  Nascent Growth Pickup at Risk to Trade Tiff

  • Politics:        Not a Great P/L for the President

  • Policy:          Are Global CBs Truly Ineffective?

  • Markets:       Hey, Remember Earnings?

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