,

August 2018

In August, we maintained our outlook to reflect the impact of the escalating global trade wars.  We are currently factoring in a six-month period of Stagnation followed by six months of Inflation. While the baseline forecast for the global economy continues for 2018 and 2019, the potential for disappointment remains. Tariffs generate what economists call a “deadweight loss,” with the impact on prices and consumption that results usually larger than the tariff revenue that is generated.

In June, the U.S. government announced its intention to apply tariffs on an additional $200 billion of imports from China and threatened tariffs on imports of autos and parts in the future. This news follows earlier imposed tariffs on a variety of imports including solar panels, washing machines, steel and aluminum. Retaliation was swift, as the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and China imposed tariffs on imports from the United States. China is struggling to balance several challenges to its economic health with high levels of indebtedness. Euro area GDP growth fell short of expectations with a 0.3% increase in Q2, down slightly from the Q1 0.4% gain1. That leaves Euro area growth over the first half of the year at roughly half of 2017’s pace. A slowdown in France, the currency bloc’s second largest economy, was partly to blame. Euro area inflation rose above 2% for the first time since 2012, though core inflation remains well below the European Central Bank’s target. From the Central Bank’s policy path for the coming months, we expect net asset purchases trimmed to zero by the end of 2018 and rate hikes off the table at least through next summer.

In the U.S., Q2’s advance GDP report came in at 4.1% annualized, one of the highest quarterly growth rates in the last decade1. The economy was performing very well, with domestic demand up almost 4%, led by a rebound in consumer spending and another solid increase in business investment. However, tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports is expected to raise prices and lower real disposable incomes for consumers, jeopardizing the livelihoods of American workers. U.S. tariffs threaten consumer spending going forward since nearly 11 million jobs are supported by exports and millions of additional jobs directly depend on imports.

Protectionism could also hurt corporate profits. The “rest-of-the-world” component has been driving U.S. profit growth the past few years, increasing its share of overall U.S. corporate profits to 20.3% in Q1 this year, a four-year high2. Continuing protectionism from Washington can potentially harm corporate America’s profitability, offsetting some of the benefits from tax cuts. The U.S. President initiated an investigation into imports of motor vehicles and parts from Canada on national security grounds – the same justification used for steel and aluminum tariffs. If the ultimate outcome of the investigation is the imposition of tariffs of a similar magnitude, the impact to Canada would be significant, potentially reducing growth in 2019 growth by 0.5%.3 Business investment would be the most significantly impacted, reducing Canada’s long-run economic capacity.

Global financial markets reacted negatively to apparently souring trade relationships. The MSCI All-Country World index was down significantly after U.S. tariff announcements. In July, U.S. equities gained across all cap sizes. The S&P 500 gained 3.7%, while the S&P MidCap 400 gained 1.8% and the S&P SmallCap 600 gained 3.2%. Canada and Europe were also positive, with the S&P/TSX Composite up 1.1% and the S&P Europe 350 up 3.2%, with nearly all countries contributing positive returns. June’s focus on trade tensions and political risk largely gave way to positive earnings figures, economic data, and central bank guidance in Europe.

Asian equities also enjoyed a positive month, though China and Korea contributed negatively to the region as lingering trade tensions continued to have an impact on markets. U.S. fixed income performance was mixed with high yield corporate bonds the strongest sector.

In August, we shifted a portion of our fixed income exposure to U.S. equities in both the Growth and Aggressive Growth models, resulting in equity exposure shifting from 50% to 60% and from 53% to 65%, respectively. The shift was out of the existing U.S. municipal bond position and into U.S. mid-caps.

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

1 RBC Economics. Financial Markets Monthly. August 10, 2018.

2National Bank of Canada. Monthly Economic Monitor. Economics and Strategy. July/August 2018.

3 TD Economics. Potential U.S. Auto Tariffs: Canadian Scenario Analysis. June 18, 2018.

 

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Fixed Income. July 31, 2018. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.  

/by
,

July 2018

In July, we updated our outlook to reflect the impact of the escalating global trade wars. We are now factoring in a six-month period of Stagnation followed by six months of Inflation. While the baseline forecast for the global economy continues for 2018 and 2019, the potential for disappointments has increased.

The WTO issued a monitoring report in July on G20 trade measures covering the period from mid-October 2017 to mid-May 2018. The report shows that a total of 39 new trade-restrictive measures were applied by G20 economies during that period¹. These measures include tariff increases, stricter customs procedures, imposition of taxes and export duties.

The IMF’s World Economic Outlook forecast from April 2018 for global growth is in line with projections to reach 3.9% in 2018 and 2019². Risks to the outlook are increasing amid rising oil prices, higher yields in the United States, escalating trade tensions, and market pressures on the currencies of some economies with weaker fundamentals. Growth projections have been revised down for the euro area, Japan, and the United Kingdom, reflecting negative surprises to activity in early 2018 and among emerging markets, projections have been revised down for Argentina, Brazil, and India. In the Euro economy, growth is projected to slow gradually from 2.4% in 2017 to 2.2% in 2018 and 1.9% in 2019. Forecasts for Germany, France and Italy have been revised down for 2018. Japan’s growth forecast was reduced to 1.0% for 2018 following a tightening in the first quarter due to weak private consumption and investment. The slowing of China’s economy amid an escalating trade war was evident as the country continued to restrict credit growth, putting the brakes on the world’s second-largest economy. China generates about a third of global growth.

With firmer readings on inflation and strong job creation, the US Federal Reserve continued the course of gradual policy normalization, raising the target range for the Federal Funds rate by 25 basis points in June, while signaling two additional rate hikes in 2018 and three in 2019. The percentage of small businesses reporting price increases remains near a 10-year high in June, at 14%. While U.S. government debt was downgraded by the S&P to AA+ in 2013, the other two main rating agencies are expected to follow suit as the federal deficit is expected to grow in the aftermath of federal tax cuts.

June was an unstable month with U.S. equities ending the second quarter with gains across all cap sizes. Over the quarter, the S&P 500 gained 3.4% and the S&P MidCap 400 was up 4.3%. Small caps widely outperformed, cushioned from trade tensions, as the S&P SmallCap 600 gained 8.8%. In June, the S&P 500 gained 0.6%, the S&P MidCap 400 gained 0.4% and the S&P SmallCap 600 gained 1.1%. Canadian equities also gained in Q2 with the S&P/TSX Composite up 6.8% and 1.7% in June. The Canadian economy has benefited from the rise in oil prices that began in February. The Bank of Canada hiked its overnight rate target 25 basis points to 1.50% in July. The S&P Europe 350 fell by 0.6% in June as trade tensions and European political risk soured sentiment although gains earlier in the quarter meant the S&P Europe 350 finished the quarter with a gain of 4.4%.

In fixed income, the S&P 500 Bond Index lost 0.4% in June. The S&P U.S. Aggregate Bond Index was flat in June with MBS, covered bonds, taxable municipals and investment-grade corporates reporting losses for the month.

As we continue to watch the impact that the U.S. led trade war is having on the U.S. economy and the ripple effect to trading partners, we maintained the asset allocation and the same exposures that we introduced in June. This asset mix has worked well in our shifted outlook to Stagnation followed by inflation over the next twelve months.

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

¹ WTO OMC. Report on G20 Trade Measures (Mid-October 2017 to Mid-May 2018). July 4, 2018.

² IMF. World Economic Outlook Update, July 2018: Less Even Expansion, Rising Trade Tensions.

 

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Europe, Fixed Income. June 29, 2018. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.

/by
,

June 2018

In June we carried the outlook forward from May with Growth in the first half of the twelve-month time horizon heading toward Inflation in the back half.

World trade weakened slightly in Q1 2018 to 4.4% compared to 4.7% in 2017¹. The global economy was handed a curve ball in May as the U.S. unilaterally and simultaneously confirmed tariffs on China, Europe, Canada and Mexico including $50 billion on Chinese imports and new duties on foreign steel and aluminum across all countries who import to the United States. IMF Director Christine Lagarde announced that a trade war would lead to “losers on both sides”. This comes as the IMF also announced their forecast of U.S. growth declining in 2022 as the initial boost of tax cuts is offset by the drag of the greater debt burden associated with lower tax revenues².

U.S. tariffs have prompted Europe, Mexico, Canada and China to introduce or announce plans retaliatory for counter-measures. Due to China’s pivotal role in the global supply chain, a fall in Chinese exports related to the U.S. trade conflict could inflict collateral damage on other economies and thus enhance macroeconomic risk.

The eurozone had been identified as the stand-out performer going into 2018 as eurozone data was consistently above expectations at the start of the year but it has surprised to the downside in recent months. The European Central Bank and Bank of Japan are both still engaged in quantitative easing (QE), although Europe is expected to wind down its QE program by the end of the year.

U.S. GDP growth is expected to rebound in Q2 2018 following growth of 2.3% in Q1. The fiscal stimulus (tax cuts and increased spending) extends the duration of the U.S. cycle. The Federal Reserve is still on course to raise interest rates four times this year. With the budget deficit expected to rise in coming years, passing $1 trillion in 2020, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the government has been issuing debt heavily³. The total for 2018 has been $443.7 billion, a nearly nine-fold increase from the same period a year ago, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

We are watching the recent trend of foreign governments that have pulled back their purchases of longer-term U.S. debt as trade tensions have escalated. Foreigners held $6.17 trillion of the total $14.84 trillion of Treasury debt outstanding through April. China, the largest owner of U.S. debt, reduced its level in April by $5.8 billion to $1.18 trillion, while Japan, the second largest, cut its holdings by $12.3 billion to $1.03 trillion. Ireland, the U.K. and Switzerland also pulled back. When counting all securities (including T-bills), the April decline came to $47.6 billion, a 0.8% reduction from March⁴.

The month of May provided strong returns for US equities, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.4%, and S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600 gaining 4.1% and 6.5%, respectively. Canadian equities did well, with the S&P/TSX Composite up 3.1%.

The S&P Europe 350 ended the month down 1.2% after a strong start due to a more co-operative tone between the U.S. and China, and indications that Italy would finally have a government. A re-emergence of trade tensions and an increase in Italian and Spanish political risk later in the month weighed on the European equity benchmark. Emerging and frontier markets posted losses, with the S&P Emerging BMI and S&P Frontier BMI down 3.5% and 7.5%, respectively. Performance influences include the dollar’s strong performance. Performance in U.S. fixed income was mostly positive with S&P Municipal Bond High Yield Index leading the pack with a gain of 1.7%.

As we are cautious of the direction that a trade war is taking the U.S. economy and the ripple effect to trading partners, we made a major shift in asset allocation away from Canada, Europe and the Pacific Region and into short-term U.S. bonds across all models. We allocated equal amounts to Municipal Bonds, the 3-7 year U.S. Treasuries and U.S. Small Caps in the Tactical Conservative and Tactical Moderate Growth Models. We allocated proportionally more of the 3-7 year U.S. Treasuries in Tactical Growth and Tactical Aggressive Growth Models.

We continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

¹ World Trade Organization. 2018 Press Release: Strong trade growth in 2018 rests on policy choices. April 12, 2018.

² IMF. World Economic Outlook Update, January 2018: Brighter Prospects, Optimistic Markets, Challenges Ahead.

³ Congressional Budget Office. The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2018 to 2028. April 2018.

⁴ CNBC. Russia cuts Treasury holdings in half as foreigners start losing appetite for US debt. June 18, 2018.

 

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Europe, Fixed Income. May 31, 2018. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.

/by
,

May 2018

In May, we continued our Growth Outlook for the next six months followed by Inflation for the following six months. The global economy is running at its fastest pace since the very early days of the current economic recovery. The IMF upgraded its outlook for 2018 and 2019, calling for the world economy to achieve closer to 4% growth during those periods, nearly matching the pace set in the prior decade¹. The details of the IMF report reveal that every major economy is expected to remain in expansion mode, a synchronicity not seen since the 1990s. This broad strength is a key factor driving global yields and commodity prices higher.

In the euro area, 2018 got off to a disappointing start as real GDP growth slowed to 0.4% in the first quarter, the weakest performance since the third quarter of 2016. Both headline and core inflation were soft in April, slipping back to 1.2% and 0.7%, respectively².

In Japan, the expansion became shakier, while growth in China took a stronger start this year, after solid data reported on industrial value-added, fixed asset investment, and steel and electricity output. World output has powered through trade uncertainty, initial Fed tightening, rising fuel costs, and a return of some market volatility.

U.S. economic data released in April reflect a slowdown in the rate of growth during the first quarter. Unemployment has reached a multi-decade low and is likely to push still lower in the coming months. Combined with U.S. fiscal stimulus, support for household consumption is anticipated. The IMF estimates that the structural budget deficit among advanced economies will widen 0.3 percentage points as a share of GDP this year, and another 0.6 ppts in 2019 – a rough measure of the net fiscal stimulus to growth, with almost all coming from the U.S. tax and spending steps¹. Headlines around U.S. trade policy and general political dysfunction are a persistent feature but have so far not been significantly disruptive to the economy.

The Canadian economy continues to perform well despite some volatility early this year. Rising commodity prices and the solid outlook for Canada’s major trading partners provide support. The March 2018 job numbers came in at a loss of 1,100, well below consensus expecting a 20,000 gain³. With inflation close to the Bank of Canada’s target, the case for rate hikes is high and the BOC is expected to keep pace with the Fed. Aside from the housing market, the primary economic risk remains the turbulence related to ongoing NAFTA negotiations.

For the month of April, U.S. large-cap equities returned to positive territory, with the S&P 500 up 0.4%. S&P Small Cap 600 gained 1.0%. Energy was the top performing sector, up 9%, aided by rising oil prices. Canadian equities gained, with the S&P/TSX Composite up 1.8%. Europe had a strong start to the earnings season, while easing geopolitical tensions competed with concerns of a trade war. Despite tensions, S&P Europe 350 gained 4.8%, pushing the European equity benchmark into a positive YTD for 2018. The S&P Emerging BMI posted a loss of 0.8%, due to headwinds including rising rates and the dollar’s strong performance. Bond yields have been creeping up so far in 2018, leading to a significant shift in the relative attractiveness of equities versus bonds. With bonds yielding less than equities for most of the post-2008 cycle, equities have enjoyed a yield advantage for nearly a decade. Now, rising yields are levelling the playing field. The S&P 500 Bond Index was down 0.8% in April, as both investment-grade and high-yield issues were negative for the month.

We carried the outlook from April through to May with Stagnation in the first half of the 12-month time horizon heading toward Inflation in the back half. We maintained the fixed income exposure in all models while shifting some equity exposure from the Pacific Region and Europe back to the United States. We added U.S. Small Caps in the same weights that Asia was reduced across all models. We added U.S. Midcaps in the same weights that Europe was reduced across all models.

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

¹ IMF. World Economic Outlook. Cyclical Upswing, Structural Change. April 2018.

² Alliance Bernstein. Global Macro Outlook. May 2018.

³ Scotiabank. Strategic Edge Weekly. May 14, 2018.

 

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Europe, Fixed Income. April 30, 2018. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.  

/by
,

April 2018

In April we continued our Growth Outlook for the next six months followed by Inflation for the following six months.

Global momentum remains strong as the IMF forecasts 3.9% growth this year and next, the fastest since 2011 thanks to increasing investment and trade. The strength of global demand is leading to a significant increase in most commodity prices relative to last year. This is benefitting commodity exporting nations, such as those in the Pacific Alliance, where growth is expected to be much stronger than in 2017. While monitoring this we are also watching the intensifying standoff between the United States and China that threatens to flare up into the biggest trade confrontation since WWII. In addition, record levels of global debt could become a destabilizer and at the very least will lead to higher levels of interest rates around the globe.

China’s economic outlook is favourable. While we expect growth to decelerate gradually in 2018–19, China is aiming for 6.5% expansion this year. The Euro area has been running a primary fiscal surplus since 2014, which moved close to 1% of GDP in 2017. Over the past five quarters, nominal GDP growth averaged 4% annualized, compared with an average of 2.7% in the prior three years. Germany continues to lead with growth of almost 3% y/y by the end of 2017. A question on the monetary policy front is whether the ECB will make further asset purchases once the current round of QE comes to an end in September, or whether the program will be phased out more gradually.

The U.S. was already on a path toward rising fiscal deficits before the introduction of limited tax reforms. Unfunded social security obligations and health care expenditures were the main driver. Adding an extra U.S.$1.5 trillion to cumulative deficits over the next decade further erodes the deficit outlook. The current earnings season is expected to show significant support for equities as companies deliver on shareholder return from the tax windfall. Based on the recent FOMC minutes a rate hike at the June policy meeting is expected.

The Bank of Canada faces similar conditions to the Fed. Economic growth is solid, unemployment is low, and core inflation averaged 2% on an annual basis for a second straight month in March.

For Q1 2018, the S&P 500 ended down 1.2%, the first negative quarter in 9 quarters. The S&P TSX Composite fell 5% over the quarter and rates rose across the board. Gold held steady, rising 1.7%.

The month of March was challenging for U.S. large-cap equities, with the S&P 500 down 3%. Smaller caps performed better, as the S&P MidCap 400 and the S&P SmallCap 600 registered gains of 1% and 2%, respectively. International markets declined, as the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. BMI and the S&P Emerging BMI posted March losses of 2% and 3%, respectively.  Canadian equities were slightly negative in March, with the S&P/TSX Composite down 0.16%. The S&P 500 Bond Index gained 0.15% in March, as high-quality and long-duration bonds outperformed for the month. The S&P U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Index was down 0.45% for March as investor sentiment favored safer, higher-quality bonds.

Our outlook did not change from March and as a result we maintained our asset allocations across all models. U.S. Equity exposure ranges from 12% in Conservative, to 25% in Moderate Growth, Growth and Aggressive Growth while International equity allocations are 41%, 38%, 50% and 53% respectively. This highlights our view that Europe and the Asia Pacific regions are expected to perform well because of issues highlighted in the update.

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Europe, Fixed Income. March 31, 2018. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.

/by
,

March 2018

In March, we continued our Growth Outlook for the next six months followed by Inflation for the following six months. Fundamentals (job growth, corporate profits, corporate and consumer confidence) remain very strong globally for now even as manufacturing downshifts. The commitment by President Trump to impose tariffs on China would be the main driver of U.S. inflation by way of higher prices on all goods subjected to these tariffs coming into the U.S. from China. Any retaliation by China would negatively impact exports from the U.S to China and collateral damage to other economies would most likely have a negative impact on growth globally.  Independent from the tariffs, we expect China will continue to lose momentum through 2018.  The news that North Korea, South Korea and the U.S. may meet to discuss reducing tensions on the peninsula has contributed to lower volatility in March. In Europe, retail sales and Industrial production data have disappointed in January and the subdued pace of core inflation and wage growth has kept the ECB moving very slowly toward the end of easing. Global growth is still expected to come in at 3% for 2018.

The U.S. economy is now in the late stages of the business cycle. Employment growth has been decelerating for several years and productivity growth is sluggish. Any boost from Trump’s fiscal stimulus would be short lived and the cumulative effects of monetary policy tightening would take a toll. The U.S. Federal Reserve raised the prime lending rate by 0.25% on March 20. The new Fed Chair, Powell’s, first conference largely echoed the messages of his predecessor, Janet Yellen.

During March, a seventh round of NAFTA talks concluded in Mexico City. Negotiations are advancing slowly with only 6 out of 30 chapters completed. Tensions continue to flare regarding Trump’s plan for steel tariffs. Progress was not made on more controversial issues such as dispute resolutions, national content, and the sunset clause. The decision to exclude NAFTA countries from steel and aluminum tariffs was encouraging, even if its conditionality on NAFTA being completed was ill-received by Mexico and Canada. If limited progress continues, it is unlikely NAFTA negotiations will be completed until 2019, especially with elections approaching in both Mexico and the United States.

Global equities had a rough ride in February. The S&P 500 ended the month down 3.7% while the S&P MidCap 400 and the S&P SmallCap 600 lost 4.4% and 3.9%. Canadian equities were negative with the S&P/TSX Composite down 3.0%. International markets performed poorly as the S&P Europe 350 lost 3.9%, and the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. BMI and the S&P Emerging BMI posted losses of 4.6% and 4.1%, respectively.

Interest rates rose across the board, negatively impacting February performance in U.S. fixed income. The S&P 500 Bond Index lost 1.5% in February, as the pull back in corporate bonds extended throughout the credit spectrum.  For the first time in four years, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury hit 2.90%. Commodities were also down in February, with the S&P GSCI and the DJCI down 3.3% and 1.9%, respectively.

Due to the updated outlook that adds Inflation in the back half of our twelve-month forward time horizon, we shifted within the U.S. equity market cap exposures in all models. We reduced exposure to the S&P 500 across all models and shifted that exposure to different equity segments. In Tactical Conservative, we shifted to the S&P MidCap. In Tactical Moderate Growth, we shifted to the S&P MidCap and the S&P SmallCap. In Tactical Growth and Tactical Aggressive Growth, we shifted to S&P SmallCap. Over the twelve-month time horizon used in our model creation, we expect global growth around 3% and inflation in the G7 economies close to 2%.

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Europe, Fixed Income. February 28, 2018. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros. 

/by
,

February 2018

In February, we continued our Growth outlook for the next three months. The data coming in from 2017 confirms that the synchronized world economic recovery also contributed to global EPS growth across most markets in 2017.

China continues to grow but a slowdown is underway, resulting from policy tightening as the authorities became more concerned about financial stability risks. Local governments have imposed restrictions on property sales and on lending to property developers, which led to a sharp slowdown in property construction in recent years.

Euro area GDP rose 0.6% in Q4/27, the fifth consecutive quarter of above-potential growth. Early indicators point to continuing momentum at the start of 2018¹. January’s composite purchasing managers’ index rose for a third straight month, hitting its highest in more than a decade thanks to further improvement in the services sector.

The U.S. economy is now in the late stages of the business cycle, employment growth has been decelerating for several years with sluggish productivity growth. Any boost from fiscal stimulus is not expected to be sustained as dividends and share buybacks don’t lead to long-term capital investments that are required to support sustainable long-term growth. In the recent months, there have been close to $200 billion of buyback announcements, over double from a year ago².  Also, the cumulative effects of monetary policy tightening will likely take a toll with the Fed raising its policy rate three times over the past year and begun the process of balance sheet reduction while more Emerging Market central banks have loosened policy rather than tightened over this period. Following consecutive gains of over 3% in Q2 and Q3, headline U.S. GDP growth slowed slightly to 2.6% in Q4 of 2017. With the U.S. economy already facing capacity limits and tax cuts set to push demand even higher, inflation risks are tilted to the upside.  Market-based inflation expectations rose to three-year highs and energy prices have picked up, putting upward pressure on nominal yields. The rollover of government debt maturing in 2018 and promise of increased Treasury supply to finance tax cuts have contributed to the rise in bond yields.

In Canada, solid economic data and a positive tone expressed by Governor Poloz raised market expectations that the Bank of Canada may hike rates at the start of 2018. On January 17, the Bank of Canada raised the overnight rate by 25 basis points to a post-crisis high of 1.25%. The bank kept a balanced tone and their forecasts unchanged despite including a modest downturn of business investment and exports related to NAFTA uncertainty.

U.S. equities had a strong start in 2018. In January, the S&P 500 gained 6%, marking the best opening month since Jan 1997. The S&P MidCap 400 and the S&P SmallCap 600 each gained 3%. Equity volatility rose with the VIX passing the 14 level on January 30th for the first time since August 2017. Internationally in January, the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. BMI and the S&P Emerging BMI gained 5% and 9%, respectively. U.S. fixed income was negative across the board in January, driven by the rise in Treasury yields. Commodities also started the year positive with the S&P GSCI and the DJCI both up 3%.

At mid-month in February we chose to maintain portfolio weights across all models. This was based on our view that the outlook in January continues to reflect the recent fiscal and monetary policy developments in the United States. This would result in economic growth for the U.S. in the next twelve months while there is growing awareness that these policies will front-end load growth, leading to inflation in 2019. We expect to address inflation in our outlook in the coming months.

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

¹RBC Economics. Financial Markets Monthly. February 9, 2018.

²Gluskin Sheff. Breakfast with Dave. Economic Commentary. David A. Rosenberg. March 2, 2018.

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Fixed Income. January 31, 2018. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.

/by
,

January 2018

In January, we continued our Growth outlook for the next three months. Global growth has become more trend line in 2018, led by global demand and a revival in commodity prices, allowing most policymakers the flexibility to pursue much-needed reforms without stifling growth. A few developed market central banks are facing conflicting signals as economic growth has moved decisively above trend, driving unemployment rates to lows not seen since the early 1980s, while core inflation has remained stuck at levels still well below target. As we advance through the year we will likely see a sustained move up in wage and price inflation that would prompt faster and more broadly-based policy normalization. Rate hikes in the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia are expected while the European Central Bank is expected to leave rates unchanged but begin to taper asset purchases as the Eurozone’s big three economies continue to diverge: Germany’s unemployment at 5.7% continues to fall to levels not seen since before unification, while unemployment in France has risen to 9.2% and Italy is struggling with the highest of the three at 11.2%¹. Japan still struggles with demographics that constrain GDP growth even though Japanese equities were one of the best performing asset classes in 2017. New governance incentives have motivated companies to focus on returns, dividends and repurchasing shares. China’s performance, which has been better than expected, indicates an orderly deceleration of growth and a slowing of credit expansion, suggesting a deceleration to 6.4% growth for 2018 from 6.8% last year¹. The Bank of Canada seems cautious, emphasizing uncertainty surrounding the ongoing NAFTA negotiations, so the risks are likely tilted toward fewer hikes.

The U.S. economy continues to show strength, despite a soft patch in early 2017, as tax cuts of about $1.0 trillion (or about 0.5% of GDP) over the next decade could help lower the unemployment rate further to 4.0%¹. In 2018, growth of 2.7% is expected¹. Consumer spending and business fixed investment continue to be major drivers of growth and would benefit from lower personal and corporate tax rates. Corporate earnings growth continues to drive equity market multiples. Cold weather in North America played a role in boosting oil prices recently, with the 40% jump in Brent crude since June 2017 owing to more fundamental demand and supply dynamics.

2017 was an outstanding year for U.S. equities. Large caps stood out, with the S&P 500 Index up 22%, marking 14 consecutive months of gains. The S&P MidCap 400 and the S&P SmallCap 600 gained 16% and 13%, respectively. The S&P/TSX Composite was up 9%. The S&P Europe 350 ended the year at 11% while the S&P United Kingdom gained 12%. The index benefitted when market participants deemed a so-called “hard Brexit” less likely, however this was offset by the positive impact on Pound Sterling. The S&P China 500 had the highest total return in 2017, gaining 35%. The government’s attempts to control rising debt may restrict short-term growth. The S&P 500 Bond Index gained 0.9% in December and 6% for 2017. Continued curve flattening drove long-duration bonds. The 10+ year sub index returned 12% for the year. The S&P U.S. Aggregate Index lagged investment-grade corporate bonds, returning 0.4% for the month and 3.3% for 2017.

In January, we shifted exposure from the U.S. mid term treasury bond to European and Pacific equities across all models. This is in line with our extended Growth outlook, recognizing strength in Europe and Asia while avoiding growth challenges in other economies and markets. Tactical Growth and Tactical Aggressive Growth models saw exposure to the midterm treasury bond eliminated, reducing fixed income exposure from 38% and 33% to 23% and 20% respectively.

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

¹ State Street Global Advisors. 2018 Global Market Outlook. Step Forward, Look Both Ways.

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Fixed Income, Europe. December 29, 2017. Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index. European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.

/by
,

December 2017

In December, we continued our Growth outlook for the next three months, reverting to Stagnation for the following nine months as we see the initial impact of U.S. tax reform on consumer and business behavior contributing to short-term U.S. growth. Global growth is expected to return to its trend rate of 3.7% in 2018 as GDP improvements spread around the world¹. The IMF expects only 6 of the 192 economies it covers to fail to grow in 2018¹. The end of the energy and commodities recession is a favorable trend. Capex is bottoming out and commodity exporters are doing better on stronger terms of trade.

This year should build on improvements we saw last year in developing and advanced economies. Brazil and Russia emerged from deep recessions, fiscal stimulus supported Japan and domestic demand buoyed the Eurozone. French President Emmanuel Macron announced structural reforms to the EU last year, aimed at addressing the tension between a single monetary policy and varying fiscal conditions among EU member states. Without reform, strong members like Germany would continue to boom, while weaker members like Italy would struggle. Negotiation outcomes regarding NAFTA will impact the U.S., Canada and Mexico and global trade. Both NAFTA and the WTO established new rules and standards for global trade upon which trade and financial globalization are now based. The demise of the deal and a view to bilateral agreements between the U.S. and it’s trading partners suggests that greater trade conflicts will become the norm, not only within NAFTA but also with China and others.

In China, domestic macro signals and international dynamics suggest moderate deceleration of GDP growth of 6.4% in 2018 from 6.8% in 2017¹. The threat of U.S. trade protectionism is a real concern, but the immediacy of the North Korea crisis may drive a more collaborative and less confrontational U.S.-China bilateral relationship in coming months.

As we enter 2018, U.S. GDP growth is experiencing a strong upswing, borrowing costs remain low, the dollar has been trending lower and despite the low unemployment rate, inflation and wage growth have not picked up. Tax reform will add to this but only in the short-term. The stimulus, worth $1.5trn over the next decade, equivalent to about 0.8% of GDP per year, is expected to contribute a moderate boost to GDP growth, which is projected at 2.5% for 2018². Meanwhile the stimulus would add to the budget deficit that was already projected to widen over the next decade, due to a rebound in interest costs and the impact of the aging population on mandatory spending. With the weaker dollar pushing imported goods prices higher and domestic economic conditions strengthening, an increase in core inflation in 2018 and a Fed hike in interest rates by a cumulative 100 basis points in 2018 is expected.

In November, U.S. equities were up again with the S&P 500 gaining 3.1%, its 13th consecutive month of gains. The S&P MidCap 400 and the S&P SmallCap 600 both registered gains of 3.6%. Canadian equities were positive, with the S&P/TSX Composite up 0.5%. The S&P U.S. Aggregate Bond Index outperformed investment-grade corporates but was in negative territory, down 0.03%. The S&P Taxable Municipal Bond Select Index was the top-performing component, returning 0.5% in November. Longer duration bonds continued to outperform short and intermediate duration.

In December, we shifted exposure within the fixed income allocation, removing all model exposure to 20+ Year Treasury Bonds. We believe that the flattening of the yield curve that benefitted the long end has played out.  This exposure was added to the 3-7 Year Treasury in the Tactical Conservative Model and to the Municipal Bond for all other models.

 

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

¹ State Street Global Advisors. 2018 Global Market Outlook.

² Capital Economics. US Economic Outlook Q4 2017.

Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Fixed Income. November 30, 2017.  Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index.  European regional index returns are expressed in Euros.

/by
,

November 2017

In November, we continued our Growth outlook for the next three months, reverting back to Stagnation for the following nine months. Synchronous global growth is expected to remain in place for 2017. Contributions to this growth include inflation standing below most central banks’ 2% objective, G3 capital goods orders climbing at the fastest pace since 2014, and 68% of OECD nations have unemployment rates under the organization’s assessment of “global NAIRU” (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment) ¹. Either aggressive central bank actions, a worldwide trade war, escalating tensions in Northeast Asia or a combination of all three are risks to this synchronized global growth.

The recent upswing in euro area growth indicates that factors are well positioned to continue to drive growth although labor market slack will need to be absorbed. The Japanese economy is growing at the fastest pace in several years, while Prime Minister Abe’s election victory guarantees the continuation of expansive monetary and fiscal policy for the future. China’s economy continues to defy expectations for a sharp slowdown and has been in stabilization mode, and is on its way to meet the government’s growth target this year of 6.5% or above.

The U.S. economy proved resilient to hurricane distortions in August and September and rose at a 3.0% annualized rate during the third quarter². Improving economic activity outside the United States is a tailwind for U.S. economic growth and profits of American firms with significant foreign business while overseas demand and a softer greenback have helped the U.S. manufacturing sector. The consumer continues to thrive in the environment of strong job creation while higher stock values and business investment are also contributing positively.

The Federal Reserve is expected to pursue its plan to raise interest rates once again in December although the flattening of the yield curve over the past couple of months has sent a message that the market does not agree with the Fed regarding the strength of the current economic cycle. The flattening yield curve has historically been a signal that a recession is on the way but the decline in the 10-year Treasury yield since the start of this year is due to a drop back in the term premium component, with the implied risk-free short rate expectations component continuing to trend higher. This reflects foreign interest that results from less attractive options abroad due to the continuing expansion of other major central banks’ balance sheets, low and stable inflation and a rebound in global savings.

After a strong first half to 2017, the Canadian economy moderated towards more sustainable levels in Q3. The Bank of Canada has reduced expectations for further rate hikes in the near-term as the economy adapts to previous rate hikes and new mortgage rules, while downside risks pertaining to NAFTA negotiations and elevated consumer debt levels also warrant some caution.

Global equity markets were broadly higher in October. U.S. equities rose again with the S&P 500 up 2.3%, the S&P MidCap 400 up 2.2% and the S&P SmallCap 600 saw smaller gains of 1.0%. Canadian equities have been performing well, with the S&P/TSX Composite Index rising 2.7% for the month. Equity gains extended to overseas markets, with the S&P Europe 350 rising 2.0%, MSCI Japan Index up 5.6% and MSCI Australia Index up 3.8%.

North American fixed income markets diverged in October as the S&P 500 Bond Index gained 0.37% for the month and stood at 5.23% for the year ending October. In currency markets, the U.S. Dollar strengthened for the month as speculation mounted regarding the Federal Reserve chairmanship and specifics on plans for tax reform. However, since the start of 2017 to the end of October, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) is down 7.5%.

In November, we added exposure to the broader Pacific Region including Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore, by replacing direct exposure to Australia. We also added exposure to Asia ex Japan. Under fixed income, we reduced exposure to Long Treasury and Muni bonds in the Conservative and Moderate Growth models and reduced Muni Bonds in the Growth model.

 

We will continue to monitor the data for growth signals from employment, consumer spending, business sentiment, Fed policy, the yield curve, inflation, and global economics. Our focus is on protecting portfolios from downside risk, and we believe that our investment process is working to achieve that goal.

 

Deborah Frame, President and CIO

 

¹ BCA Research. U.S. Investment Strategy. November 13, 2017.

² Capital Economics. U.S. Economics. U.S. Rapid Response. October 27, 2017.

 Index return data from Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices Index Dashboard: U.S., Canada, Fixed Income. October 31, 2017.  Index performance is based on total returns and expressed in the local currency of the index.  European regional index returns are expressed in Euros. 

/by