2023 Q2 Outlook (SPX) | Seeking Alpha

It has been an eventful begin to 2023 for the economic system and capital markets. Many buyers got here into the yr anticipating that the onset of a light mid-year recession would end the job of bringing inflation again down, offering the U.S. Federal Reserve with the pliability to get again to the decrease rates of interest that the markets have come to know and love for thus a few years now. However after the primary three months of the yr that introduced us first a surprisingly sturdy economic system and cussed inflation pressures adopted by a collection of financial institution failures, the outlook has notably shifted. So the place can we stand right now? And what ought to we fairly anticipate because the climate warms by the spring and into the summer season months.

Resilience. What has arguably been probably the most spectacular attribute of the U.S. inventory market to date this yr has been its resilience. Regardless of being confronted with stubbornly excessive inflation that was dashing the hopes of Fed charge cuts sooner relatively than later adopted by a couple of weeks in March the place we as soon as once more discovered ourselves on the point of monetary meltdown, inventory buyers not solely acted with a collective shoulder shrug however used the event to bid up the market. General, the S&P 500 was larger by over +7% within the first quarter of 2023. The truth that the market has held up so properly within the face of those repeated pressures is notable and constructive.

One other supply for optimism is the truth that the market stays sanguine in regards to the inflation outlook. Sure, inflation has remained frustratingly excessive regardless of the barrage of Fed charge hikes over the previous yr, however the market stays assured that pricing pressures will ultimately abate and return to their earlier ranges. That is demonstrated by the 5-12 months Breakeven Inflation charge, which isn’t solely displaying that inflation issues have come down measurably over the previous yr when the U.S. Federal Reserve first obtained began with climbing rates of interest, however they’ve fallen again towards simply over 2%, which is roughly the identical degree that has been anticipated all through a lot of the put up Nice Monetary Disaster interval.

The continuing energy of shares coupled with fading inflation pressures heading towards an anticipated financial recession has arrange a constructive narrative of a market that’s searching for to look by the financial challenges within the months forward to the opposite aspect the place U.S. Federal Reserve rate of interest cuts and a rebounding economic system await to help larger inventory costs.

Fragility. Regardless of its spectacular resilience, the inventory market stays fragile in quite a lot of methods.

From a elementary perspective, the U.S. inventory market nonetheless has some significant shoals to navigate. Most importantly, whereas shares notched a excessive single digit acquire in Q1, underlying S&P 500 company earnings dropped by almost -8% on a quarter-over-quarter foundation and almost -13% on a year-over-year foundation. With inventory costs (“P”) rising and company earnings (“E”) falling, this has resulted in a market that has develop into notably costlier on a P/E ratio foundation. Not solely is the S&P 500 buying and selling at a historic premium, which isn’t typical heading into a possible recession, however at a lofty 24 instances GAAP earnings its valuation is now 50% above its historic common for all financial environments, not simply recessions. Trying ahead, with company earnings nonetheless on the excessive finish of their vary with revenue margins doubtless nonetheless within the early levels of compressing, stress on the broader inventory market is more likely to stay biased to the draw back.

Shares additionally face potential headwinds from a technical perspective. Though the S&P 500 Index has established a strong mini uptrend from its October 2022 lows and has cleared some key shifting common technical resistance ranges within the course of, some key hurdles nonetheless lie forward. Main amongst these is the ultra-long-term 400-day shifting common, at the moment at 4181 and falling. The final time the S&P 500 approached this key technical resistance degree was on the finish of January, and the rally was subsequently stopped in its tracks and turned again. It’s also value noting that we stay in a sequence of decrease highs on the S&P 500, which stays bearish till we see in any other case.

One other extra particular concern is the notable lack of responsiveness from a specific space of the market that has been below hearth over the previous month. Whereas the broader inventory market largely appeared previous the current banking system turbulence, the monetary sector itself stays below stress. And provided that financials principally signify the center heart of the inventory market and the broader economic system (because the Nice Monetary Disaster definitely taught us), this can be a draw back threat that we should proceed to look at carefully going ahead.

Contemplating the broader monetary sector, whereas it has rebounded following its precipitous decline in early March following the collapse of SVB Monetary, its bounce has been usually listless.

When focusing particularly on the small and mid-sized regional banks that reside on the coronary heart of the current banking worries, they not solely haven’t bounced, however are threatening new lows.

The persistent weak spot on this key section of the market that had us on the fringe of our seats for 2 consecutive weekends in March shouldn’t be neglected. Whereas the danger of a Thirties model depositor financial institution run has been alleviated, this doesn’t imply that each one the troubles plaguing the banking system right now have gone away.

Danger. Whereas it stays to be seen what situation will floor to place the banking system and the regulators that oversee it again on the run, however a key space of concern value monitoring as we make our approach by the second quarter are the pressures constructing within the industrial actual property market.

Small and mid-sized banks make up the lion’s share of economic actual property lending. And quite a lot of these similar small to mid-sized banks which will already be dealing with the continued flight by depositors to larger rate of interest cash market funds are additionally seeing mounting challenges of their industrial actual property mortgage portfolios the place property values have already fallen over the previous yr and should probably decline a lot additional relying on the depth and size of the anticipated financial recession forward. This has the potential to result in a compounding scenario the place declines in industrial actual property values result in a tightening in financial institution lending that additional exacerbates the decline in industrial actual property values and will ultimately culminate within the monetary well being of the lending banks being known as into query by the market. And this is a matter that won’t be as simply resolved by authorities intervention.

It stays to be seen whether or not industrial actual property challenges begin to bubble to the floor, however it’s a key draw back threat to look at for developments as we progress by the second quarter.

Reward. In fact, it is very important do not forget that capital markets nearly at all times have their areas of threat and fragility. And regardless of these persistent challenges, each the economic system and monetary markets have proven the persistence and resilience to work by these short-term and intermediate-term challenges to make their approach larger over the long-term.

The important thing in navigating markets over time is being aware of the draw back dangers and adjusting accordingly whereas on the similar time specializing in the upside return alternatives which are additionally nearly at all times in abundance at any given cut-off date. The present market setting as we make our approach by 2023 is not any exception on this regard.