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Invesco Investment Intelligence updates – 14/06/2021

Please see below for one of Invesco’s latest Investment Intelligence Updates, received by us yesterday 14/06/2021:

After April’s US CPI upside surprise, last week’s May reading was eagerly anticipated, albeit with a degree of trepidation. It didn’t disappoint. Headline CPI came in at 0.6%mom and 5%yoy, its highest level since 2008 (inflation peaked at 5.6%yoy then), while Core CPI rose even more at 0.7%mom, leaving it at 3.8%yoy, its highest since 1993. Both were 30bp above consensus expectations on a year-on-year basis. Strength was largely led by what are seen as “transitory” components, such as used cars (7.3%), car and truck rental (12.1%) and airfares (7%), even if there are other elements of consumer prices, such as shelter costs, that show more sustainable price pressures. Notwithstanding that we are probably close or at peak inflation as the impact of the lockdown starts to fall out of the calculation. How quickly and how far it will drop will be a function of whether rising costs, corporate pricing power and rising wages in a stimulus fuelled economy translate into more persistent inflation. For now, the Federal Reserve and increasing numbers of investors, witness a 10yr UST that is at its lowest level since early March, appear unconcerned about this risk. Time will tell whether this complacency is warranted or not, but it clearly remains a significant tail risk for financial markets.

Global equity markets finished the week at a fresh all-time high, with a rise of 0.6% for MSCI ACWI. It is now up 12.7% YTD. DM (0.6%) led EM (flat), with both the US and Europe ex UK hitting new all-time highs, up 13.8% and 16.7% respectively YTD, with the latter the strongest major market of the week (1.2%). Small Caps (1.3%) outperformed again, hitting new all-time highs, with DM (1.3%) ahead of EM (1.1%). It was a rare week of Tech and tech-related sector outperformance, led by IT (1.6%). HealthCare (2.8%) was the best performing sector. Real Estate also had a good week (2.1%) and is now the third best performing sector YTD, up 18.8%, behind Energy and Financials. Lower bond yields weighed on Financial sector performance, while commodity sectors also lagged. Sector performance underpinned a strong relative performance week for Growth (1.4%) versus Value (-0.3%), while Quality (1%) had a good week too. UK equities were slightly ahead (All Share 0.9%) on the back of a good week for large caps (FTSE 100 0.9%) on strength in HealthCare, Telecoms and Energy.

Government bonds had a strong week with yields pushed lower by the belief that US inflationary pressures are transitory and a dovish stance at the latest ECB meeting. 10yr USTs and Gilts fell 10bp and 8bp respectively, taking them to their lowest levels since early March. They are now down 28bp and 18bp below their YTD highs, but are still higher than their starting level, hence the negative returns YTD from the asset class. Bunds and BTPs fell 6bp and 12bp. The better tone in government bond markets supported a good week for credit markets, where IG outperformed HY globally. IG yields fell 5bp with spreads narrowing by 2bp. The latter at 91bp are within touching distance of their post-GFC low (87bp). In HY a decline of 5bp in yields took them to all-time record lows (4.54%), but spreads at 353bp remain somewhat above their post-GFC lows (311bp).

The US$ edged higher over the week with the US Dollar Index up 0.5%, its third weekly gain, leaving it up 0.7% for the year. The Euro and £ were down -0.4% and -0.3% respectively.

Commodities overall were down slightly on the week with a -0.6% loss for the Bloomberg Commodity Spot Index, which is up just under 22% YTD. Brent, up 0.9%, hit its highest level ($73) in two years. In its latest monthly report, the IEA said that OPEC+ would need to boost output to meet demand that is set to recover to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. Copper was up marginally too, 0.4% on the week, after a late rally on Friday as investors bet that China’s sales of strategic reserves would have a muted impact on demand. Gold edged lower (-0.6%) as it continued to consolidate around the $1900 level.

Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s outgoing Chief Economist, described the UK’s housing market as being “on fire” last week. Recent House Price indices from the Halifax and Nationwide, the two biggest mortgage lenders, showed annual price growth of 9.6%yoy and 10.9%yoy respectively. These were the fastest rates of growth since 2007 and 2014 respectively and a lot faster than the rates of growth (3% and 3.5% CAGR respectively) seen in the decade leading up to the pandemic, described by another senior BoE official as housing’s “Quiet Decade”. And last Thursday’s RICS House Price Net Balance reading, which measures the breadth rather than magnitude of price falls or rises over the previous 3 months, hit +83% – its highest level since the housing boom of the late 1980s. Regionally it hit +100% in the N, NW and SW of England and Wales, while London was the standout laggard at just +46%.

All in all, a very uncharacteristic housing market, which typically fall and only recover slowly in severe economic contractions. This time around a combination of factors have delivered a very different market outturn: easing of lockdown restrictions have released pent-up demand. The government has supported the market through the Stamp Duty holiday (due to finish at the end of September), although it may not be as big a motivator for moving as some think. A recent survey by Rightmove shows that it is not the biggest motivation, with only 4% saying that they would abandon purchase plans if they missed the Stamp Duty deadline. Mortgage availability has improved, particularly for first-time buyers. Borrowing costs are low. Excess savings built up during the pandemic have provided cash for larger deposits. Finally, lifestyle factors (more space, relocating from large metropolitan areas) are at play. This has created an excess of demand over supply (the gap between new buyer enquiries and new instructions in the RICS survey was the widest since 2013) and, as with any commodity, when these imbalances occur prices tend to rise.

So, will the market remain “on fire”? In the RICS survey a national net balance of +45% envisage higher prices in the short-term (3m), while a greater +64% see them higher over 12m, although prices are only seen rising between 2-3%. Halifax and Nationwide also see the potential for further price rises in the coming months as most of the current demand drivers remain in place against a backdrop of a continued shortage of properties for sale. So, the fire may rage for a bit longer. Longer-term the RICS survey sees house prices appreciating by between 4-5% over the next 5 years. A still robust market, but certainly not to the same degree that we’re seeing currently. That would be a positive outturn for the economy. 

Key economic data in the week ahead

The Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan meet this week to set their respective policy rates. Inflation data is a feature in both Japan and the UK this week, with the UK also publishing its latest employment report. In China economic activity for May is also released. Finally, there will be a number of post-G7 meetings in Europe next week, which may stir some interest, particularly those between the US and EU and Biden’s meeting with Putin.

In the US Retail Sales data for May is released on Tuesday. A decline of -0.6%mom is expected after no growth the previous month as the impact of pandemic-relief cheques faded. On Wednesday the Federal Reserve’s FOMC meets. While no change in policy is expected, market focus will be on its update of its economic projections, particularly any changes to the rates dot plot, employment and inflation projections (after two strong prints recently), as well as any clues on the future tapering of QE. Last week’s Initial Jobless Claims fell to a new pandemic low of 376k as the number of job openings has surged. On Thursday a further decline to 360k is expected.

There are a number of important data points this week in the UK. April’s Unemployment figures are published on Tuesday. A small decline to 4.7% from 4.8% is forecast. This compares to a recent high of 5.1% and 3.8% before the pandemic struck. On Wednesday May’s CPI will come out. Headline inflation is estimated to have increased 0.3%mom to 1.8%yoy mainly due to higher fuel prices. This will take inflation back to the levels seen immediately pre-pandemic. Core is also expected higher at 1.5%yoy from 1.3%yoy. So, both measures remain below the Bank of England’s 2% target. Retail Sales for May are released on Friday. After the non-essential shops re-opening bounce last month, a more sedate 1.6%mom is expected this month for sales ex Auto Fuel.

In Japan the Bank of Japan meets on Friday and is expected to keep its policy unchanged. CPI on the same day is forecast to have increased in May, but the Headline rate is still expected to be negative at -0.2%yoy, while Core is seen as flat, having fallen 0.1%yoy in April.

Chinese activity data for May is released on Wednesday. Industrial Production is forecast to have risen 9.2%yoy, slightly lower than 9.8%yoy in April. Retail Sales are also expected lower, but still strong at 14%yoy compared to 17.7%yoy in April. Fixed Asset Investment is seen up 17%yoy from 19.9%yoy last month.

There is no significant data coming from the EZ this week.

Please continue to utilise these blogs and expert insights to keep your own holistic view of the market up to date.

Keep safe and well.

Paul Green DipFA

14/06/2021

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AJ Bell Investment Insight: The questions facing UK gilts

Please see below for AJ Bell’s latest Investment Insight article, received by us yesterday 14/03/2021:

In some ways, markets had little to digest in the immediate wake of the Budget, as so much of the chancellor of the exchequer’s speech had made its way into the newspapers the previous weekend.

Rishi Sunak did come up with a couple of surprises all the same, in the form of the superdeduction for capital investment and his plan for eight freeports, designed to boost the UK’s trade flows in a post-Brexit world. The key issues raised by the Budget, at least from an investment perspective, passed unasked:

  • Why should anyone lend the UK money (and therefore buy its government bonds, or gilts) when it does not have the means to pay them back?
  • Why should anyone lend money to someone who cannot pay them back in return for a yield of just 0.77% a year for the next ten years (assuming they buy the benchmark 10-year gilt)?
  • Why would anyone buy a 10-year gilt with a yield of 0.77% when inflation is already 0.7%, according to the consumer price index, and potentially heading higher, especially if oil prices stay firm, money supply growth remains rampant and the global economy finally begins to recover as and when the pandemic is finally beaten off?

Anyone who buys a bond with a yield of 0.77% is locking in a guaranteed real-term loss if inflation goes above that mark and stays there for the next decade.

In sum, do UK government bonds represent return-free risk? And if so, what are the implications for asset allocation strategies and investors’ portfolios?

GILT YIELDS ON THE CHARGE

The benchmark 10-year gilt yield in the UK has surged of late. It is not easy to divine whether this is due to the fixed-income market worrying about inflation or a gathering acknowledgement that the UK’s aggregate £2 trillion debt is only going one way – up. But the effect on gilt prices is clear, since bond prices go down as yields go up (as is also the case with equities).

This is inevitably filtering through to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) dedicated to the UK fixed income market. The price of two benchmark-tracking ETFs has fallen, albeit to varying degrees. The instrument which follows shorter-dated (zero-to-five year) gilts has fallen just 2% since the August low in yields.

Meanwhile, the ETF which tracks and delivers the performance of a wider basket of UK gilts (once its running costs are taken into account) has fallen 8% since yields bottomed last summer.

That 8% capital loss is at least a paper-only one, unless an investor chooses to sell now, but the yield on offer does not come even close to compensating the holder for that paper loss, which supports the view that bonds now represent return-free risk.

SAVING GRACES

However, the higher bond yields go, the greater the return they offer and that means at some point investors may decide that the rewards are sufficient compensation for the risks, especially as three arguments could still support exposure to UK gilts.

  • The market’s fears of inflation could be misplaced. Bears of bonds have been growling about record-low interest rates and record doses of quantitative easing would lead to inflation for over a decade – and it has not happened yet.

If the West does turn Japanese and tip into deflation, even bonds with small nominal yields would look good in real terms and possibly better than equities, which would do poorly into a deflationary environment, at least if the Japanese experience from 1990 until very recently is a reliable guide.

  • The UK’s financial situation may not be quite as bad as it seems. Yes, the national debt is growing but the Bank of England’s monetary policy is keeping the interest bill to manageable levels.

The Government’s interest bill as a percentage of GDP has hardly ever been lower. That buys everyone time and is also why Sunak is tinkering with taxes, to convince bond vigilantes and lenders alike that the UK can and will repay its debts, as
it has every year since 1672 under King Charles II. A big leap in bond yields (borrowing costs) would be expensive.

  • The Bank of England could move to calm bond markets with more active policy. Whether that calms inflation fears is open to question but financial repression (see a recent edition of this column) could yet come into play, supporting bond prices and reducing yields.

In sum, no-one has a crystal ball. Therefore, bonds could yet have a role to play in a well-balanced portfolio over time, but it is inflation, rather than risk of default, that looks likely to be the greatest threat to any holder of gilts.

Please continue to utilise these blogs and expert insights to keep your own holistic view of the market up to date.

Keep safe and well

Paul Green DipFA

15/03/2021