An old bull market ‘red flag’ is back
The recent turbulent nature of world markets has inevitably led to speculation as to whether this could be the ‘beginning of the end’ of the good run share and bond investors have largely enjoyed in the decade or so since the global financial crisis.
Many commentators have, however, argued this bull market has further to go as we have yet really to see the ‘irrational exuberance’ leg where investors are willing to pay crazy prices for assets.
On our Value Perspective blog, we strive to stay clear of any debate about market strengths and weaknesses.
Being value investors we instead look to valuation to be our guide as to whether we should be buying and selling individual business.
The red flags
We do, however, keep a folder of what we might politely call ‘red-flag market indicators’ – essentially news stories and other developments that make us very uneasy indeed – and it has seen quite a growth spurt in the last few years.
Take, for example, how at the start of 2017 the yield offered by European high-yield bonds dropped below that of the dividend yield of the broader share market.
Think about that for a moment – investors were effectively saying they were happier buying into the bonds of the riskiest companies in Europe than mainstream equities.
Taken in isolation, that might well fit that tag of ‘irrational exuberance’ and yet, the more we add such examples to our folder, the more investors as a group become increasingly relaxed about them – and the next piece of incremental craziness does not seem so bad.
As you might imagine, investors’ reaction to bitcoin and all things blockchain-related have made multiple appearances in our folder over the last couple of years.
Indeed, as we have indicated in posts such as ‘The Bitcoin Perspective’, the parallels that can be drawn between bitcoin and the dotcom boom at the turn of this century are enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.
The latest red flag
A similar – if less aggressive or commented upon – ‘red-flag’ development has been the reappearance of an old bull-market favourite known as the special purpose acquisition company or ‘SPAC’ for short.
Put simply, this is a private equity portfolio where the managers are given a lot of money by investors – and an equal amount of licence about what they do with it.
As this Financial Times piece ’Charts that matter article’ noted at the end of last year: “Following years of subdued activity after the financial crisis, these lucky-dip deals are back in a big way as markets register new highs. This year [2017] will see investors hand over more than $10bn [£7.1bn] to newly minted companies that only have a vague idea of what they will do with the money, according to SPAC Analytics, a research company.”
That is up some 180 per cent on the 2016 figure and not far short of the record $12bn haul of 2007.
What is more, if you were minded to add to that chart the performance of equity markets over the same period, you would see an interesting – and not particularly reassuring – relationship between the two.
We are not in the habit of making predictions, here on The Value Perspective – and yet it would not be a total surprise if we were to revisit our folder at various points over the coming months as we maintain our ‘Red Flag Watch’ on whether investors are proving ever more willing to pay crazy prices for assets.
- Nick Kirrage shares ideas on The Value Perspective blog. To receive a weekly round-up of the best, click here and enter your email. Value investing is the art of buying stocks which trade at a significant discount to their intrinsic value: value investing explained.
Important Information: The views and opinions contained herein are those of Nick Kirrage, fund manager, equity value, and may not necessarily represent views expressed or reflected in otherSchroders communications, strategies or funds. The sectors and securities shown above are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered a recommendation to buy or sell. This communication is marketing material.
This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as promotional material in any respect. The material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. The material is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations. Reliance should not be placed on the views and information in this document when taking individual investment and/or strategic decisions. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and may not be repeated. The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amounts originally invested. All investments involve risks including the risk of possible loss of principal. Information herein is believed to be reliable but Schroders does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Reliance should not be placed on the views and information in this document when taking individual investment and/or strategic decisions. The opinions in this document include some forecasted views. We believe we are basing our expectations and beliefs on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of what we currently know. However, there is no guarantee than any forecasts or opinions will be realised. These views and opinions may change. Issued by Schroder Investment Management Limited, 31 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QA. Registration No. 1893220 England. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
CityAM's opinion pages are a place for thought-provoking views and debate. These views are not necessarily shared by CityAM