I mentioned to a national audience on CNBC Closing Bell that I believe we are in a “stealth correction” (which later appeared on CNBC web site as the segment’s “topic”)
I contend that this market is “stealthy,” because the major averages are near year highs, yet underneath the headlines, we continue to see more stocks down than up (advance/decline line), more stocks making new year to date lows rather than new highs and small cap stocks are down sharply.
I also believe that Europe is a headwind for our market. It seems that almost every report out of the region, continues to show a slowdown. I also suspect that their policy makers are getting further and further behind the curve. The policy actions so far have not showed the sense of urgency that is associated with such slow downs.
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW
Markets lost ground last week, though a Friday rally on positive economic data helped trim losses. For the week, the S&P 500 lost 1.37%, the Dow dropped 0.96%, and the Nasdaq fell 1.48%.1
Last week, a lot of market focus was on the Fed. Following the Federal Open Market Committee on September 16th-17th, multiple Fed officials gave speeches outlining their opinions about how the Fed should handle raising interest rates and returning to normal monetary operations. Unsurprisingly, there are some definite differences of opinion amongst the Fed’s top experts.
The hawks: Monetary hawks generally prefer high interest rates because they fear the effects of high inflation more than they worry about weak economic growth. Prominent members of this camp, like Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, believe that the Fed should start raising rates as early as Spring 2015.2
The doves: Doves tend to favor lower interest rates in order to boost economic growth; they believe that the negative effects of inflation are negligible in comparison with the benefit of increased economic activity. Prominent doves include Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, who favor keeping rates low until they can be certain the economy has enough momentum behind it. Folks in this camp seem to favor keeping rates low for much longer, possibly until 2016.3
Keep in mind that such disagreements are healthy, because there is a lot of room for interpretation of economic data and debate about the effects of economic policy. However, these splits mean that Fed chairwoman Janet Yellen must craft a careful compromise at the October FOMC meeting or risk making financial markets nervous.
Why do these Fed decisions matter? The Fed has held interest rates at rock bottom levels in order to encourage lending and stoke economic activity. Now that the economy is improving, the Fed is starting to think about inflation – which they like to keep below 2% (headline inflation). By slowly raising rates, the Fed plans to avoid the specter of high or unexpected inflation, which can negatively affect the economy by chipping away at buying power. If the Fed raises rates too soon, the economic recovery could falter. If rates are left low too long, inflation could spike.
For bond investors, rising interest rates will affect the market prices of the bonds in their portfolios. As interest rates rise, bond prices fall as new bonds paying higher rates come on to the market. As financial professionals, we spend a lot of time managing these issues for our clients so that they are prepared for rising rates.
Bottom Line: We know higher interest rates are coming, we just don’t know when. The good news is that the economy is doing reasonably well and the signs point to continued growth this year.
The minor decline last week wasn’t unexpected. Markets have been trading at record highs and concerns about slowing growth in China and other threats to the global economy caused investors to hit pause ahead of the end of the quarter. Will the decline continue or will investors buy the dip? Hard to say. Looking ahead at the last week of the quarter, a lot of attention will be on the release of the September jobs report, which will hopefully underscore the labor markets improvements. However, a positive jobs report could be the evidence the Fed needs to move away from monetary stimulus, which could cause some market volatility. We’ll know more once we start to see a trickle of Q3 earnings reports and quarterly economic data.
“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”
Dr. Wayne Dyer
1 http://goo.gl/VFPJGW
2 http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/09/25/fed-has-window-to-alter-guidance-at-next-meeting/
3 http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/09/25/fed-has-window-to-alter-guidance-at-next-meeting/
INVESTING RISK DISCLOSURE
Keep in mind that investing involves risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time and you may gain or lose money. Before investing, consider the funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Mahoney Asset Management for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.
IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION
This web site has been prepared solely for informational purposes. It is not an offer to buy or sell any security; nor is it a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security.This site and the opinions and information therein are based on sources which we believe to be dependable, but we can not guarantee the accuracy of such information.
Representatives of a broker-dealer or investment adviser may only conduct business in a state if the representatives and the broker-dealer or investment adviser they represent: (a) satisfy the qualification requirements of, and are approved to do business by, the state; or (b) are excluded or exempted from the state’s licenser requirements.
An investor may obtain information concerning a broker-dealer, an investment advisor, or a representative of a broker-dealer or an investment advisor, including their licenser status and disciplinary history, by contacting the investor’s state securities law administrator.
SECURITIES: ARE NOT FDIC-INSURED/ARE NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE
This information is intended for use only by residents of CA, CT, DC, FL,, MA, MD, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, and VA. Securities-related services may not be provided to individuals residing in any state not listed above.
The financial calculator results shown represent analysis and estimates based on the assumptions you have provided, but they do not reflect all relevant elements of your personal situation. The actual effects of your financial decisions may vary significantly from these estimates–so these estimates should not be regarded as predictions, advice, or recommendations. Mahoney Asset Managment does not provide legal or tax advice. Be sure to consult with your own tax and legal advisors before taking any action that would have tax consequences.
Securities offered through
Newbridge Securities Corporation,
member FINRA / SIPC
Investment Advisory Services offered through
Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc.,
an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.
Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction
1200 North Federal Highway, Suite 400
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Toll-Free: 877-447-9625
Phone: 954-334-3450
Fax: 954-489-2390
