Largest weekly outflow from Diversified Commodity ETPs for six months (US$80 mn). The Diversified Commodity ETPs had the largest weekly outflow since November 2016. Rising inventory levels among individual commodities such as oil, iron ore and sugar have been a drag on prices this year. There was an additional trigger last week when Moody’s downgraded China’s sovereign credit ratings one notch due to concerns over gross debt levels and slowing growth. Among major asset classes, commodities have been among the worst performers this year. Energy, soft commodities and agriculture were the worst performing sub-sectors in May, with livestock and precious metals the best. Commodity Futures Trading Commission positioning data had highlighted commodities reaching a peak bullishness sentiment end-February 2017. This bullish sentiment has since unwound considerably, remaining just above it’s long-term average balance between bull and bears.
Outflows in Gold ETP (US$ 52mn) and Silver ETP (US$26mn). After their strong outperformance this year, we saw profit-taking in both Silver and Gold ETPs . Gold prices are up 11% and Silver prices 8% year-to-date. Another catalyst for profit-taking is the upcoming June 14th Federal Reserve meeting, where the market is still placing a near certainty to a hike.
Industrial metals react to China Debt downgrade. There were US$30mn outflows from the Industrial Metals basket last week. Industrial metals were down on average -2% following China’s sovereign downgrade by Moody’s. In addition to the downgrade, consensus is expecting the upcoming May industrial production and fixed asset investment data in China to show a slowdown in growth.
Equity inflows driven by Technology (US$20mn) and Europe ETPs (US$19mn). Technology related ETPs (Cybersecurityand Robo) had their 12th straight week of inflows, marking US$91mn of inflows year-to-date, . Investor interest in Tech continues to be strong as tech indices break new post-dot-com bubble highs. Last week also saw inflows in both long and short European ETPs as investors reacted to news that there could be an earlier than expected Italian election. European economic momentum continues to look the strongest globally on survey data such as the PMIs.
Opportunistic inflows into Crude Oil (US$15 mn).Oil prices fell after the May 25th OPEC meeting as the market was expecting more aggressive production cuts. There were some opportunistic inflows on the back of the price drops.
For more information contact
ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com
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This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.
This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.
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Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.
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Profit taking in Precious Metals continued with gold outflows totalling US$113m last week. Following the first round of the French Presidential elections, the worst case in terms of market concerns, a Melenchon/Le Pen second round, was averted. Consequently risk assets rallied and defensive assets sold off, with gold bearing the brunt of this with US$125 of outflows last week. Despite this more bearish position in gold over the week we have seen minor outflows in short gold positions. Silver bucked this trend with inflows of US$8.5m, it remains attractively value relative to gold but in the short-term is vulnerable to a sell-off to as futures positioning highlights all-time-highs in positive sentiment.
Crude ETP inflows as recent oil price weakness seen as a buying opportunity. Recent weakness in the oil prices has been seen as a buying opportunity with inflows of US$62m into long position and outflows of US$3m in short positions. Investor flows into crude remain very volatile as investors remain tactical; we typically see outflows when Brent crude reaches US$55/bbl and inflows when it falls close to US$50/bbl. Year-to-date figures highlight that investors remain broadly constructive on further price gains with inflows totalling US$175m. We continue to see oil range bound: expectations that OPEC could announce another production cut at their 25th May meeting could provide support, however, falling marginal costs in the US tight oil industry and rising oil exports continue to undermine OPEC efforts.
Following the presidential election in France there has been surprisingly bearish activity in the EUR. EUR long positions saw outflows of US$13m while EUR short positions inflows of US$9m, suggesting investors have become more bearish, although this maybe due to the more dovish than expected rhetoric from the ECB in Thursday’s meeting where an announcement of QE tapering was expected following the positive outcome from the French presidential elections. Much of the more negative views on the EUR were against the USD and the Swiss Franc.
We continue to see inflows into agricultural commodities, which we believe is due to bargain hunting given recent price weakness. We saw a 9th straight week of inflows into CocoaETP: US$66mn inflows YTD. Coffeealso saw strong inflows las week totalling US$8.6m (10% of AUM) and US$26m YTD.
For more information contact
ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com
Important Information
General
This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the ”FCA”).
This communication is only targeted at qualified or professional investors.
The products discussed in this communication are issued by ETFS Commodity Securities Limited (”CSL”), ETFS Hedged Commodity Securities Limited (”HCSL”), ETFS Hedged Metal Securities Limited (”HMSL”), Swiss Commodity Securities Limited (”SCSL”), ETFS Foreign Exchange Limited (”FXL”), ETFS Metal Securities Limited (”MSL”), ETFS Oil Securities Limited (”OSL”), ETFS Equity Securities Limited (”ESL”), Gold Bullion Securities Limited (”GBS” and, together with CSL, HCSL, HMSL, SCSL, FXL, MSL, OSL and ESL, the ”Issuers”) and GO UCITS ETF Solutions Plc (the ”Company ”). Each Issuer (apart from SCSL) is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The Company is an open-ended investment company with variable capital having segregated liability between its sub-funds (each a ”Fund”) and is organised under the laws of Ireland. The Company is regulated, and has been authorised as a UCITS by the Central Bank of Ireland (the ”Financial Regulator”) pursuant to the European Communities (Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) Regulations, 2003 (as amended).
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This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.
Any historical performance included in this communication may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this communication solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance. Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.
The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor shall any securities be offered or sold to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchaser or sale would be unlawful under the securities law of such jurisdiction. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.
ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.
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Securities issued by the Issuers and the Company may be structured products involving a significant degree of risk and may not be suitable for all types of investor. This communication is aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant Issuer or the Company which includes, inter alia, information on certain risks associated with an investment. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may be priced in US Dollars, Euros, or Sterling, and the value of the investment in other currencies will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities of the Issuers or the shares of the Company which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor.
Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in the securities offered by the Issuers and the Company.
The relevant prospectus for each Issuer and the Company may be obtained from www.etfsecurities.com. Please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.
Issuers
General: The FCA has delivered to the regulators listed below certificates of approval attesting that the prospectuses of the Issuers indicated have been drawn up in accordance with Directive 2003/71/EC.
For Dutch, French, German and Italian Investors: The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) have been passported from the United Kingdom into France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands and have been filed with the l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) in France, Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) in Germany, CONSOB and the Bank of Italy in Italy and the Authority Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiële Markten) in the Netherlands. Copies of prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) and related regulatory documentation, including annual reports, can be obtained in France from HSBC France, 103, Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, in Germany from HSBC Trinkhaus & Burkhardt, AG, Konsortialgeschäft, Königsalle 21/23, 40212 Dusseldorf and in the Netherlands from Fortis Bank (Nederland) N.V., Rokin 55, 1012 KK Amsterdam. The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) may be distributed to investors in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
This communication is not a financial analysis pursuant to Section 34b of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz – WpHG) and consequently does not meet all legal requirements to warrant the objectivity of a financial analysis and is also not subject to the ban on trading prior to the publication of a financial analysis.
This communication is not addressed to or intended directly or indirectly, to (a) any persons who do not qualify as qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) within the meaning of section 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act as amended from time to time; and/or (b) in circumstances where other exemptions or dispensations from the prohibition the Dutch Financial Supervision Act or the Exemption Regulation of the Act on Financial Supervision apply.
None of the Issuers is required to have a license pursuant to the Dutch Financial Supervision Act as it is exempt from any licensing requirements and is not regulated by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and consequently no prudential and conduct of business supervision will be exercised.
For Austrian, Danish, Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish Investors: The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of CSL, HCSL, HMSL, MSL, ESL and FXL have been passported from the United Kingdom into Austria, Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and have been filed with Österreichische Finanzmarktaufsicht (Austrian Financial Market Authority) in Austria, Finanstilsynet (Financial Supervisory Authority) in Denmark, Finanssivalvonta (Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority) in Finland, Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (Portuguese Securities Market Commission) in Portugal, Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (Securities Market Commission) in Spain and the Finansinspektionen (Financial Supervisory Authority) in Sweden. The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for these entities may be distributed to investors in Austria, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Denmark and Sweden.
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This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 and is not an offer or an invitation to acquire securities in SCSL. This document does not constitute a Swiss listing prospectus under the SIX Listing Rules and the SIX Additional Rules for the listing of Exchange Traded Products. This document must be read in conjunction with the Swiss Listing Prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between this document and the Swiss Listing Prospectus, the Swiss Listing Prospectus shall prevail. Detailed information on the terms and conditions of the Swiss Franc Currency-Hedged Commodity Securities can be found in the Swiss Listing Prospectus under Part 6 – Trust Instrument and Swiss Franc Currency-Hedged Commodity Securities.
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Profit taking in precious metals but contrarian inflows into cocoa and oil
ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Profit taking in precious metals but contrarian inflows into cocoa and oil
Profit taking on precious metals after last week’s strong rally.
Opportunistic inflows into crude oil ETPs as oil prices corrected last week.
8th straight week into cocoa ETPs as spot prices hit a 4-year low USD shorts are building.
Profit taking in precious metals. With gold almost reaching our target price for the year (US$1,300/oz by mid-year), we saw outflows of US$-30 mn from gold ETPs. The escalation of tensions in Syria, North Korea as well as uncertainty of the outcome of the French elections have driven inflows in previous weeks. Year-to-date, we have seen more than US$600mn into our gold ETPs, with almost US$80mn in the last month. Gold prices could continue to see support as the market probability for further Federal Reserve (Fed) action in June has fallen below 50% and inflation expectations / bond yields continue to fall.
USD shorts are building. Following recent disappointment in both US soft data (such as manufacturing PMIs) and hard data (CPI inflation), as well as the lack of any forecast upgrades from the latest Fed meeting, we have seen inflows into short USD ETPs of US$16mn over the last one month.
Crude ETPs receive inflows as oil prices fell on disappointing US inventory data. U.S. oil prices fell nearly -4% last Wednesday to US$50.28 per barrel as US inventories declined less than expected. On the back of this we saw US$14mn inflows into crude oil ETPs. We continue to see oil range bound: expectations that OPEC could announce another production cut at their 25th May meeting could provide support, however, the continued backlog of crude in the US is likely to exert downward pressure.
Continued selling of European equities and buying of EUR. Similar to last week’s flows, we saw buying of long EUR ETPs (US$ 5mn) despite the French elections over the weekend. In the equity space, we also saw buying of FTSE100 ETPs (US$ 5 inflows) as UK equities corrected last week following the announcement of a snap General election in June.
8th straight week of inflows into cocoa ETPs: US$60mn inflows YTD Cocoa hit a fresh 4-year low in both London and New York last week. The rise in the UK currency on the general election announcement last week contributed to the selling as cocoa traded in London is priced in sterling. Worries about supplies in the Ivory Coast, the leading producer, also weighed on prices. Cocoa’s 42 percent slump over the last 12 months makes it one of the worst performing commodities this year, however, investor sentiment may be getting less bearish as speculative net short positions on CFTC exchange have fallen.
For more information contact
ETF Securities Research team ETF Securities (UK) Limited T +44 (0) 207 448 4336 E info@etfsecurities.com
Important Information
General
This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the ”FCA”).
This communication is only targeted at qualified or professional investors.
The products discussed in this communication are issued by ETFS Commodity Securities Limited (”CSL”), ETFS Hedged Commodity Securities Limited (”HCSL”), ETFS Hedged Metal Securities Limited (”HMSL”), Swiss Commodity Securities Limited (”SCSL”), ETFS Foreign Exchange Limited (”FXL”), ETFS Metal Securities Limited (”MSL”), ETFS Oil Securities Limited (”OSL”), ETFS Equity Securities Limited (”ESL”), Gold Bullion Securities Limited (”GBS” and, together with CSL, HCSL, HMSL, SCSL, FXL, MSL, OSL and ESL, the ”Issuers”) and GO UCITS ETF Solutions Plc (the ”Company ”). Each Issuer (apart from SCSL) is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The Company is an open-ended investment company with variable capital having segregated liability between its sub-funds (each a ”Fund”) and is organised under the laws of Ireland. The Company is regulated, and has been authorised as a UCITS by the Central Bank of Ireland (the ”Financial Regulator”) pursuant to the European Communities (Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) Regulations, 2003 (as amended).
Italy: When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.
Switzerland: In Switzerland, this communication is only intended for Regulated Qualified Investors.
US: This communication is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof, where none of the Issuers, the Company or any securities issued by them are authorised or registered for distribution and where no prospectus for any of the Issuers or the Company has been filed with any securities commission or regulatory authority. Neither this communication nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States. Neither the Issuers, the Company nor any securities issued by them have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act of 1940 or qualified under any applicable state securities statutes.
This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.
Any historical performance included in this communication may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this communication solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance. Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.
The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor shall any securities be offered or sold to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchaser or sale would be unlawful under the securities law of such jurisdiction. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.
ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.
Risk Warnings
Securities issued by the Issuers and the Company may be structured products involving a significant degree of risk and may not be suitable for all types of investor. This communication is aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant Issuer or the Company which includes, inter alia, information on certain risks associated with an investment. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may be priced in US Dollars, Euros, or Sterling, and the value of the investment in other currencies will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities of the Issuers or the shares of the Company which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor.
Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in the securities offered by the Issuers and the Company.
The relevant prospectus for each Issuer and the Company may be obtained from www.etfsecurities.com. Please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.
Issuers
General: The FCA has delivered to the regulators listed below certificates of approval attesting that the prospectuses of the Issuers indicated have been drawn up in accordance with Directive 2003/71/EC.
For Dutch, French, German and Italian Investors: The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) have been passported from the United Kingdom into France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands and have been filed with the l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) in France, Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) in Germany, CONSOB and the Bank of Italy in Italy and the Authority Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiële Markten) in the Netherlands. Copies of prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) and related regulatory documentation, including annual reports, can be obtained in France from HSBC France, 103, Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, in Germany from HSBC Trinkhaus & Burkhardt, AG, Konsortialgeschäft, Königsalle 21/23, 40212 Dusseldorf and in the Netherlands from Fortis Bank (Nederland) N.V., Rokin 55, 1012 KK Amsterdam. The prospectuses (and any supplements thereto) for each of the Issuers (apart from SCSL) may be distributed to investors in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
This communication is not a financial analysis pursuant to Section 34b of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz – WpHG) and consequently does not meet all legal requirements to warrant the objectivity of a financial analysis and is also not subject to the ban on trading prior to the publication of a financial analysis.
This communication is not addressed to or intended directly or indirectly, to (a) any persons who do not qualify as qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) within the meaning of section 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act as amended from time to time; and/or (b) in circumstances where other exemptions or dispensations from the prohibition the Dutch Financial Supervision Act or the Exemption Regulation of the Act on Financial Supervision apply.
None of the Issuers is required to have a license pursuant to the Dutch Financial Supervision Act as it is exempt from any licensing requirements and is not regulated by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and consequently no prudential and conduct of business supervision will be exercised.
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Gold and Precious Metals Weakness to Rally: Gold Follows Rate Hike Pattern
Rate Increase and Political Uncertainty in U.S. are Primary Drivers in March
Expectations around the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) March 15 rate announcement were the principal drivers of the gold market in March. U.S. economic statistics have been somewhat positive recently, leading the market to expect the Fed to become more hawkish and to perhaps even guide for four rate increases in 2017 (one more than the Fed had announced in December). As a result, gold was weak ahead of the Fed’s rate decision, falling roughly $50 over two weeks to the $1,200 per ounce level. On March 15 when the Fed implemented its first 2017 rate hike as expected, it maintained its projection of only two more rate increases this year. Economic guidance also remained unchanged and Chair Janet Yellen said the Fed is willing to tolerate temporary inflation in order to overshoot its two percent target. The $1,200 per ounce gold price level held on the dovish Fed announcements and gold rallied to end the month with a small gain closing March at $1,249.35 per ounce.
Political activity in the U.S. was also supportive of gold. As we had expected, the market euphoria surrounding the November U.S. presidential election continues to dissipate. The Trump administration has suffered two strikes: the courts are blocking the implementation of new travel restrictions, and the House has blocked healthcare reform. In our opinion, these early defeats make it increasingly unlikely that the administration will be able to deliver on the expected pro-growth reforms that drove the market to new highs following the election. We believe one more strike could create a confidence crisis, which makes meaningful tax reform the next issue that will be vital for Trump’s presidency to gain some positive momentum.
The price trend for gold stocks mimicked gold bullion in March, for the most part. Both the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index1(GDMNTR) and the MVIS™ Junior Gold Miners Index2 (MVGDXJTR) fell ahead of the March 15 Fed announcement and gained afterwards, but, unlike the metal, both gold stock indices ended the month with small losses overall.
Gold’s Before and After Rate Hike Pattern
The March 0.25% Fed rate increase was the third in this tightening cycle that began in December 2015. In all three instances, increasing pessimism in the gold market caused gold to fall to long-term or technical lows. This pessimism was caused by anticipation of rising real rates, a strong U.S. dollar, and faith in the Fed’s outlook for a strengthening economy. However, the economy has not been as robust as hoped and recently, rising inflation has caused real rates to fall. The Fed rate increase in December 2015 was a major turning point, marking the end of the historic 2011 – 2015 bear market for gold. A shift in sentiment also lead to gold rallies following the December 2016 and March 2017 rate hikes. Markets were irrationally causing the U.S. dollar to become overbought and gold to be oversold before each rate increase. Three times makes a pattern and if we have learned anything in our history of investing, it’s that trading patterns end once they are recognized. We will look for market sentiment, Fed behavior, or some other driver to help change the pattern when the Fed hikes rates again. The market expects the next possible rate hike at the June Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.
The Current (More Rational) Market Bubble Could Pop on Growing Debt
The current economic expansion and bull market in stocks are among the longest on record. Such cycles do not last forever and we have commented in the past on the risks an economic downturn would bring to the financial system. While valuations for stocks and real estate are lofty, the level of mania that we had felt ahead of the tech bust (2001) or housing bubble (2008) has not materialized. Although the popularity of exchange traded funds (ETFs) and other passive investment vehicles could be seen as a form of mania, it is difficult to see anything happening in those vehicles that foreshadows a market crash. Perhaps, if there is to be a downturn, this time it will likely be more orderly than others in the recent past.
While economic downturns are not necessarily drivers for gold, since the subprime crisis of 2008-2009 the financial system has been in such a precarious state that even a mild recession could be financially devastating, thus ultimately benefitting gold and gold stocks. The difference in this cycle is, firstly, that sovereign debt globally is higher than it has ever been during peacetime and it continues to grow. The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) annual report shows the debt/GDP ratio3 has doubled since 2008 to 77% today and is forecasted to reach 150% in 2047. The CBO also forecasts debt service rising from 7% today to 21% in 2047. The budget deficit was not mentioned in President Trump’s February 28 speech to Congress. We believe no politician wants to seriously tackle the debt bubble for fear of getting voted out of office for raising taxes or cutting entitlements.
Recently we have seen that it appears politically impossible to implement the necessary reforms required to avoid insolvency or a systemic failure of the public healthcare insurance system. Social Security is yet another entitlement that appears to be heading toward insolvency. Gridlock reigns, which makes a debt crisis or another calamity a prerequisite to motivate those in Washington to act constructively. Such a crisis becomes much more likely in a recessionary economy.
The Fed’s three rate increases in this cycle amount to 75 basis points (0.25% on December 16, 2015; 0.25% on December 14, 2016; and 0.25% on March 15, 2017). U.S. rates remain far below historic norms and rates in other advanced economies are even lower. Quantitative easing did not work as well as planned. The Fed is holding trillions of dollars in U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities on its balance sheet and may have to resort to more radical policies to stimulate the economy in the next recession, which brings added financial risks.
Indications of a Late-Cycle Economy Are Increasing
Here are a number of signs of a late-cycle economy and market. Many of these were highlighted in recent Gluskin Sheff4 newsletters:
• At eight years, the S&P 500® Index5 is in its second longest bull market since 1928.
• With a 16.9% annualized gain, this is the third strongest S&P bull market since 1928.
• Despite stock market gains, GDP growth has expanded just 1.8% annually, versus 3.4% during the longest bull market, occurring from 1987 to 2000.
• 10 of the last 13 Fed hiking cycles ended with a recession.
• Price to Earnings multiples are in the top quintiles historically and the most expensive since the dot-com bubble (1995-2001).
• Margin debt is at all-time highs.
• Auto sales and loan delinquencies suggest automotive activity has peaked.
• A record 279 corporate insiders have sold stock so far this year.
• Initial jobless claims are at their cycle lows, typical historically in the waning months/years of expansions.
• Each of the seventeen Republican presidents since Ulysses S. Grant has experienced a recession within roughly two years of taking office.
Sentiment and Consumption: A Recession Precursor?
A recent Morgan Stanley report interestingly examines historical consumer confidence, as measured by the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index,6 and personal consumption expenditures7 (PCE). The sentiment of consumers and businesses (soft data) has been trending higher, while data that tracks actual economic results (hard data) has stagnated. This chart is particularly compelling. Notice the divergence between the soft and hard data preceding the last three recessions. A similar divergence is happening now, as consumer confidence appears to have reached its highest level since the tech bust.
Divergence Between Sentiment and Consumption Precedes Recessions
(click to enlarge) Source: Bloomberg; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Data as of February 28. 2017.
While we hope that President Trump is able to bring tax, regulatory, and other reforms that energize the U.S. economy, political headwinds and late cycle evidence suggest it is prudent for investors to begin to hedge against the financial pain that the next recession might bring.
With more than 30 years of gold industry experience, Foster began his gold career as a boots on the ground geologist, evaluating mining exploration and development projects. Foster is Portfolio Manager and Strategist for the Gold and Precious Metals strategy..
Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time.
1NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold.
2MVIS™ Global Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) is a rules-based, modified market capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index comprised of a global universe of publicly traded small- and medium-capitalization companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from gold and/or silver mining, hold real property that has the potential to produce at least 50% of the company’s revenue from gold or silver mining when developed, or primarily invest in gold or silver.
3In economics, the debt-to-GDP ratio is the ratio between a country’s government debt (a cumulative amount) and its gross domestic product (GDP) (measured in years). A low debt-to-GDP ratio indicates an economy that produces and sells goods and services sufficient to pay back debts without incurring further debt.
4Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc., a Canadian independent wealth management firm, manages investment portfolios for high net worth investors, including entrepreneurs, professionals, family trusts, private charitable foundations, and estates.
5The S&P 500® Index (SPX) consists of 500 widely held common stocks, covering four broad sectors (industrials, utilities, financial, and transportation).
6The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® is an indicator designed to measure consumer confidence, which is defined as the degree of optimism on the state of the economy that consumers are expressing through their activities of savings and spending.
7Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is the primary measure of consumer spending on goods and services in the U.S. economy. It accounts for about two-thirds of domestic final spending, and thus it is the primary engine that drives future economic growth.
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Commodity Monthly Monitor – Dovish tightening to support precious metals
Your reference guide to commodity markets. Includes the latest outlook for each commodity sector and major developments for individual commodities.
Summary
Agricultural prices took a dip while waiting for this month’s planting report as a new catalyst.
The reflation trade for industrial metals takes a breather.
Downside risks for oil as US producers offset OPEC cuts.
Precious metals set to recover as net speculative positions rebound and investors look for signs of further Fed dovishness.
The surprise confluence of Federal Reserve (Fed) members’ views into a more hawkish rhetoric in the last month was particularly detrimental for commodity prices. This negative sentiment reversed when rhetoric from the Fed monetary policy announcement highlighted a dovish stance, implying a tolerance and preference for higher inflation relative to the costs of tightening too early. It highlights how sensitive commodities, particularly precious metals, are to US monetary policy and how much it is likely to govern the path for commodity prices in the coming year. We continue to believe, despite continued rate hikes this year that the Fed’s rhetoric will remain dovish due to heightened fiscal uncertainty.
Following a 5 year hiatus in commodities, the prices of broad commodities have recovered over the last year having risen 20% from their lows in early 2016. It now looks like sentiment, as measured by CFTC futures positioning, has moved from peak bearishness in 2016 to peak bullishness in 2017. The bullish positioning implies that we could see a short-term setback in commodities as futures positioning mean reverts. We believe the fundamentals remain attractive for the longer-term given that prices are generally below the marginal cost of production, global growth continues to improve and we are seeing the early signs of supply side destruction.
After the sharp decline in wheat planting for the forthcoming crop year, the market is eagerly awaiting the Prospective Planting report – that will be released at the end of this month – to see how much farmers may trim back on planting of other crops. However, in the past month most agricultural prices declined as production from the current crop year continues to exceed expectations.
The reflation trade for industrial metals takes a breather. Many of the best performing industrial metals last month reversed their gains this month as investors digested the impact of a month heavy with macro drivers: rate hikes by both the US Federal Reserve and China’s PBoC, downgrade in China’s economic growth target for this year, and disappointment with the lack of details surrounding President’s Trump infrastructure plans.
Downside risks for oil as US producers offset OPEC cuts. Oil prices have slumped as global production remains buoyant despite the announced output cuts from OPEC and some OPEC allies, like Russia. Further downside is likely in coming months as US oil production and inventories continue to increase and the motivation of OPEC producers to limit output wanes.
Precious metals set to recover as net speculative positions rebound and investors look for signs of further Fed dovishness. All precious metals fell by 4.6% on average over the past month as the probability of a US Federal Reserve rate hike became a near-certainty. While populism faced its first defeat with the Dutch election, the Fed’s dovish tone is likely to provide support for the yellow metal a little longer.
