A Reading of Chapter 16 of My Latest Book, Whispers from a Quiet Investor

 

A Reading of Chapter 16 of My Latest Book, Whispers from a Quiet Investor

 

What Happens in the Stock Market if the Government Shuts Down?

I don't think a U.S. government shutdown is likely to happen this time around. It's too close to election time. Therefore, many of these politicians are merely posturing to demonstrate to their constituents how tough they can be for party causes. Besides, the economy is too deeply entrenched in a sinkhole to take on another stressor. You may disagree with me. That's okay. Opinions are like noses. Everyone has one.

However, in the event of a shutdown, the following events and reactions may occur. 

What Happens on the Market When the Government Shuts Down?

A government shutdown can have a range of effects on the stock market, although the precise Impact can vary depending on the duration and circumstances of the shutdown. Here are some key points to consider:

Market Volatility

Government shutdowns can introduce uncertainty and volatility into the stock market. Investors may become apprehensive about the potential economic and financial consequences of a prolonged shutdown.

Reduced Economic Activity

Many government agencies and services may be temporarily closed or reduced in scope during a government shutdown. This can lead to reduced economic activity, particularly in sectors closely tied to government contracts and spending.

Consumer Confidence

A government shutdown can erode consumer and business confidence. When people are uncertain about the stability of government operations, they may postpone major financial decisions, such as investments or purchases, which can affect overall economic health.

Earnings Impact

Companies that rely heavily on government contracts or support may see a decline in revenue and earnings during a shutdown. For example, defense contractors, healthcare providers, and companies with government clients may be affected.

Interest Rates

A prolonged government shutdown can impact monetary policy decisions. In some cases, the Federal Reserve may delay or adjust its plans regarding interest rates, which can have a broader effect on the financial markets.

Investor Sentiment

 Investor sentiment can significantly affect market movements during a government shutdown. Negative sentiment can lead to selling pressure, while positive developments or signs of progress in ending the shutdown can boost confidence.

Market Reactions Vary

It's important to note that market reactions to government shutdowns can vary widely. Short-term shutdowns with minimal economic Impact may have limited effects on the stock market. In contrast, protracted shutdowns or those occurring during uncertain economic conditions can lead to more pronounced market swings.

Resolution Impact

The resolution of a government shutdown, whether through a budget agreement or a short-term funding bill, can also influence market sentiment. A timely solution that restores government operations and avoids long-term disruptions can reassure investors and potentially lead to a market rebound.

Global Impact

In an interconnected global economy, government shutdowns in significant economies, such as the United States, can have ripple effects on international markets, particularly if they coincide with other geopolitical or economic uncertainties.

How Do the Different Types of Investors React to a Government Shutdown

Investors' reactions to a government shutdown can vary widely based on their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizons. Different types of investors tend to respond differently to these events:

1. Long-Term Investors

Buy-and-Hold Investors: Long-term investors who adopt a "buy and hold" strategy typically focus on the fundamentals of the companies they invest in. They are less likely to make significant portfolio changes in response to short-term events, such as government shutdowns. Instead, they may view market downturns as opportunities to buy lower-priced stocks.

2. Short-Term Traders

Day Traders: Day traders often thrive on market volatility. They may actively trade during a government shutdown to capitalize on short-term price fluctuations, seeking quick profits from intraday price movements.

Swing Traders: Swing traders may adjust their positions based on technical analysis and short-term trends. They may take advantage of price swings caused by market uncertainty during a shutdown.

3. Income-Oriented Investors

Dividend Investors: Income-oriented investors who rely on dividend income may be less concerned with short-term market fluctuations. They may continue to hold dividend-paying stocks, focusing on the steady income stream rather than capital appreciation.

4. Risk-Averse Investors

Conservative Investors: Risk-averse investors, such as retirees or those nearing retirement, often adopt a more conservative investment strategy. They may prioritize capital preservation and income stability, reducing exposure to equities during heightened uncertainty.

5. Institutional Investors

Institutional Investors: Large institutional investors, such as pension funds and mutual funds, often have a long-term investment horizon. They may closely monitor market conditions during a government shutdown, but typically do not make knee-jerk reactions. Instead, they may adjust their asset allocation gradually in response to broader economic and financial trends.

6. Hedge Funds and Speculators

Hedge Funds: Hedge funds and speculators may take more aggressive positions during market volatility. They may use strategies such as short selling to profit from falling prices during a government shutdown.

7. Retail Investors

Individual Retail Investors: Individual retail investors exhibit a wide range of reactions. Some may become anxious and sell off stocks during a shutdown, while others may see it as an opportunity to buy undervalued assets. Emotional reactions can play a vital role in their decision-making.

 

8. Global Investors

Global Investors: International investors, particularly those exposed to U.S. markets, closely monitor developments during a government shutdown. Global markets can be influenced by the uncertainty stemming from a shutdown in a significant economy, such as the United States.

Final Note

In the event of a government shutdown, it is essential to stay informed about the progress of the shutdown and its potential economic consequences. Diversifying investments, having a long-term investment strategy, and consulting with financial advisors are prudent steps to take during periods of market uncertainty. Additionally, monitoring economic indicators and corporate earnings reports can offer valuable insights into the broader economic environment, enabling investors to make informed decisions.

Whispers from a Quiet Investor: The Answer to Successful Investing through Cunning Intelligence. Kindle $9.99, Amazon paperback $10.99.

Why is Bank of America So Optimistic Among Concerns of a Bearish Winter?

 

Photo by Gorartser

By John Burson

Despite the looming possibility of another Fed rate high and a consumer slowdown, Bank of America's head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy, Savita Subramanian, is beaming with optimism in the company of moaning bears.

This optimism is why Bank of America raised its year-end S&P 500 target from 4,300 to 4,600, reflecting a 3% upside from current S&P 500 levels. In an article in Yahoo Finance, reporter Josh Schafer quoted Subramanian as saying, "Recession averted, but a fresh wave of bear narrative around equities have emerged. The net message of our five target indicators is bullish, yielding a new 2023 year-end target of 4,600."

It's apparent that Subramanian and the rest of the BofA team no longer detect a recession in the U.S. economy. In fact, they believe the markets are already in a "recovery phase." According to their conclusions, the profit declines in the second quarter were rock bottom.

Subramanian predicts that the equal-weighted S&P 500 (which disregards the size of the companies) will outperform the standard S&P 500 index. He and his team also concluded that the possibilities of deglobalization forces would impact mega-cap tech stocks more forcefully than midcap stocks.

Is there any historical data that backs up this conclusion? To answer this question, B of A used data dating back to 1999. The historical data shows that the average S&P 500 year-end target at the end of August usually projects 5% gains for the rest of the calendar year. 

However, in the years when strategists see an end-of-August decline in the benchmark index, the S&P 500 performance exceeds the benchmark. Moreover, the S&P 500 rises every time the consensus forecast for the index drops during the last four months of the year. This means stocks have a good chance of running higher if the consensus forecast for the S&P 500 drops 2% through the end of this year.

BofA's Emphasis on the Impacts to the Equal Weighted S&P 500 and a Standard S&P 500

Do you know the difference between an equal-weight S&P 500 and a Standard S&P 500? Stock strategists often use these to dissect economic changes' impact on stocks. Here is a more detailed breakdown.

An equal-weighted S&P 500 and a standard (market-cap weighted) S&P 500 are two different ways of constructing and representing the performance of the S&P 500 index, a commonly followed benchmark for the U.S. stock market. The critical difference is how the individual stocks within the index are weighted.

Standard S&P 500 (Market-Cap Weighted)

In the standard S&P 500, the component stocks are weighted based to their market capitalization, which is the total market value (TMV) of a company's outstanding shares of stock. Essentially, larger companies with higher market capitalizations have a more significant influence on the index's performance.

This means that companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, which have some of the largest market capitalizations in the S&P 500, will significantly impact the index's movements more significantly than smaller companies.

Equal-Weighted S&P 500

   - In an equal-weighted S&P 500, all the component stocks are assigned the same weight, regardless of their market capitalization. This means that each stock in the index has an equal percentage representation.

   - For example, if the index consists of 500 stocks, each stock would initially have a weighting of 1/500th or 0.2% of the total index value. This approach gives smaller companies an equal say in the index's performance compared to larger companies.

Equal Weight vs Standard S&P 500

Diversification

An equal-weighted S&P 500 tends to be more diversified because it doesn't overly favor the larger companies. Market-cap-weighted indexes can be top-heavy, with a few large companies dominating the index's performance.

Performance

The performance of the two indices can differ significantly over time. Equal-weighted indexes can outperform market-cap-weighted indexes when smaller companies are doing well, but they can also underperform when larger companies dominate the market.

Rebalancing

Equal-weighted indices require periodic rebalancing to maintain the equal-weighted structure. This means selling some of the outperforming stocks and buying more underperforming ones to return them to equal weights. Market-cap-weighted indexes don't require this kind of rebalancing.

Risk

Equal-weighted indexes may have different risk profiles than market-cap-weighted indexes because they are not biased toward larger, more established companies.

Final Notes

Investors and fund managers choose these approaches based on their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and market outlook. An equal-weighted index can be a way to gain exposure to smaller companies and potentially benefit from their growth. In contrast, a market-cap-weighted index provides a more accurate representation of the overall market's performance. What do you think about Band of America's optimistic outlook, particularly given the current state of commercial real estate debt? More on that next time.

 

 Whispers from a Quiet Investor: The Answer to Successful Investing through Cunning Intelligence. Kindle $9.99, Amazon paperback $10.99.

Is Anheuser-Busch Inbev Stock Still a Good Investment in 2023?

 

When football quarterbacks attempt a pass, they never throw it at their receivers. They throw the ball where their receivers will eventually be. This technique resembles how investors approach a prominent stock taking a steep nose dive. Instead of focusing on the direction the stock is going, they contemplate where it will end up.

In the case of Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD), many investors are trying to determine where this stock will end up. An impassioned social media campaign has effectively dethroned the beer maker's star product, Bud Light, as the nation's number-one-selling beer. The primary reason for this turnabout is many Bud Light customers stopped buying the beer after Bud Light's executives paired with a transgender social media influencer named Dylan Mulvaney to launch a shipwreck of a marketing campaign. 

As a result of the backlash from the controversy, the stock price of Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, declined about 20% over two months. It dropped from a high of $66.39 on March 31 to $53.21 on May 31. In mid-June, this stock price hovered around $56. However, Bud Light sales continue to decline. So, the big question is where the BUD stock price will eventually end up.

To get an indication, let's examine all the aspects involved. 

The Dylan Mulvaney Controversy

A fierce ideological battle between liberals and conservatives is extremely intense in the U.S. today. Unfortunately, the Bud Light marketing team positioned its product in the center of a fire pit of controversy. The friction points were Bud Light's partnership with Dylan Mulvaney and unflattering remarks made by Bud Light marketing VP  Alissa Heinerscheid about Bud Light's target market. 

Mulvaney has over 10.8 million followers on different social media platforms. Although many believe Mulvaney's gender identification was the catalyst, the underlying issue was many in Bud Light's target market of 20-something  males and females rejected the beer company's efforts to promote an ultra-liberal agenda to its customers. In other words, this was an ill-fated attempt by Bud Light executives to boost their rating in the Corporate Equality Index, even though the company currently has a perfect score. 

After Mulvaney posted a video on April 1, BUD stock dropped 1.8%. The mainstream media and social media influencers had the spark they needed to sensationalize the backlash. However, Anheuser-Busch's impressive year-to-date share price made this price drop seem meager. And most analysts believe the backlash creates a buying opportunity instead of a reversal of fortune. 

Why Anheuser-Busch Inbev Will Be Fine

The news of Modelo Especial dethroning Bud Light as the number 1 selling U.S.dominated most talk shows and social media platforms for weeks. But guess which beer maker is Modelo's parent company? It's the same company that owns the nation's third-best-selling beer, Miller Lite? Anheuser-Busch InBev not only owns these two top beer brands, but it also produces 500 beers, including Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois.

Belgian-Brazilian brewer InBev acquired American brewer Anheuser-Busch to form Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2008. Before the acquisition, InBev was the third-largest brewing company globally, Anheuser-Busch had the top spot, and SABMiller was number two globally. So when Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired SABMiller, it completed a merger of the previous top three beer brewers worldwide. 

Unless beer drinkers boycott all three top-selling beers in the U.S., Anheuser-Busch is in no danger of collapsing. Yahoo Finance quoted Citigroup analyst Simon Hales as saying," The recent backlash in some parts of the U.S. to Bud Light’s new advertising campaign with Dylan Mulvaney is overdone,” and “recent share price weakness provides an attractive buying opportunity.”

What's Really Driving Anheuser-Busch?

When Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired SABMiller in 2016, it assumed over $120 billion in debt. This sent spooked investors and a selling spree ensued, resulting in a drop of 56% percent in its stock price. Then, Covid 19 closed on-premises bars and restaurants in 2020, hamstringing the beer maker's earning power. 

Despite these challenges, Anheuser-Busch Inbev reduced the SABMiller debt by $40 billion over the last six years. This drawdown of debt was an impressive accomplishment. But many investors were not amused because the company cut its dividend to generate $8 billion in free cash flow each year. 

However, this current investor attitude toward Anheuser-Busch can appeal to many long investors due to the company's continuing deleveraging strategy. So, it's highly likely that the beer maker will reach a comfortable debt level to the point of redirecting its enormous free cash flow to increased dividends and buybacks. 

What Makes BUD Stock Appealing?

Many people still drink beer through recessions and even depressions. In fact, they may even consume more. Since it pays a forward dividend of 1.25%, most investors consider BUD stock a defensive investment. It's the type of dividend-paying stock that attracts investors whenever hard economic times seem imminent. 

In addition, investors have other compelling reasons to invest in BUD Stock, including;

• The company's 12-month P/E ratio of 22.38x is slightly better than the sector's P/E ratio 2.84x.
• Anheuser-Busch's trailing price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 1.76x is better than the 2.62x sector median. 
• Currently, the company's stock price is in the 56 range. But  CNN Business reports 8 analysts offer 12-month price forecasts with a median target of 68.50, a high estimate of 76.00, and a low of 60.  

However, you should temper these positives with some realities of the present. For example, BUD's trailing-12-month earnings per share (EPS) fails to justify its current trading price.  

Making an Anheuser-Busch Investing Decision 

Despite the distractions caused by the Dylan Mulvaney boycott, many stock analysts agree that Anheuser-Busch can leverage its substantial market share in the beer brewing sector to reward value and income investors in the foreseeable future. 

Your decision to invest in Anheuser-Busch is a personal and financially unique one. However, when considering your investment approach, consider a buy-and-hold position for this stock. 

Whispers from a Quiet Investor: The Answer to Successful Investing through Cunning Intelligence. Kindle $9.99, Amazon paperback $10.99.