Are stockmarkets heading for a fall?

America’s S&P 500 stockmarket index has gained 30% over the past year. Valuations may be high, but that doesn't necessarily mean investors should sell. High valuations can always go higher. 

Are stockmarkets too quiet? asks John Authers on Bloomberg. America’s S&P 500 index has gained 30% over the past year. Its climb has been serene. Since the 2020 US presidential election, the index has not once fallen so much as 5%. 

The economist Hyman Minsky noted that “stability creates instability”: periods of calm “lead to overconfidence and excessive speculation” that sow the seeds of a future crash. The debt markets certainly look complacent – yields on US junk debt are at their lowest ever level, reflecting record prices. 

Corporate debt boom

It is a similar story in Europe, says Yoruk Bahceli on Reuters. Earlier this month yields on euro-area junk bonds fell below inflation for the first time. Investors usually expect healthy compensation for the risks of holding junk debt, but the 2.3% yield on the ICE BofA euro high-yield index is now below the eurozone’s 3% inflation rate. 

“Borrowers have never had it so good,” says Katie Martin in the Financial Times. Companies are rushing to borrow cash on the cheap; this month has seen bond markets enjoying record breaking days for issuance. The launch of Spain’s inaugural €5bn green bond was oversubscribed 12 times. 

The rush to raise money now suggests that executives don’t think these benign conditions will last. Spying rising wage bills and soaring shipping costs, corporate “chief financial officers know better than anyone how inflation pressures are building up in the system”. 

The S&P 500 has enjoyed 54 record closes this year, says Caitlin McCabe in The Wall Street Journal. Analysts fear that valuations have gone too far and that rising inflation will hit margins and thus profits. 

“What good news is left?” ask Bank of America strategists. “A lot of optimism is already priced in.” The S&P 500 has had a shaky start to the month, falling 1.4% since 1 September. A “bumpy autumn” may lie ahead. 

Market corrections don’t just happen, says Al Root in Barron’s. Effective vaccines, a growing economy and loose fiscal and monetary policy are all giving markets a boost. US stock valuations may be vertiginously high, but “valuation alone won’t kill the market”. High valuations can always go higher. 

Pessimists point to the Delta variant and the Federal Reserve’s taper of bond purchases as reasons for caution, says Eric Rosenbaum for CNBC.

The US is also heading for a political quarrel over the debt ceiling. Congress needs to authorise more federal borrowing or parts of the government could be shut down as soon as next month. But these concerns don’t necessarily mean investors should sell. As famed fund manager Peter Lynch once said: “Far more money has been lost by investors trying to anticipate corrections than lost in the corrections themselves.” 

Recommended

What happened to Credit Suisse?
Economy

What happened to Credit Suisse?

UBS acquired Credit Suisse at £2.65bn on Sunday afternoon – significantly below its closing value on Friday, which was around £7bn. We take a look at …
20 Mar 2023
Can I avoid IHT by stuffing all my money into a pension?
Personal finance

Can I avoid IHT by stuffing all my money into a pension?

The ditching of the lifetime allowance could enable millions of pension savers to avoid inheritance tax. We explain how.
20 Mar 2023
Profit from the rise of shareholder activism in Japan’s small companies
Share tips

Profit from the rise of shareholder activism in Japan’s small companies

A professional investor tells us where he’d put his money. Daniel Lee, head ofJapan Research, AVI Japan Opportunity Trust, highlights three promising …
20 Mar 2023
When will interest rates go up?
UK Economy

When will interest rates go up?

The Bank of England has many things to consider ahead of its decision later this week.
20 Mar 2023

Most Popular

Government plans could see NS&I boost interest rates
Savings

Government plans could see NS&I boost interest rates

The government-backed bank has a new funding target, which could prompt it to boost the rates on its Premium Bonds, ISAs and bonds.
16 Mar 2023
Share tips of the week – 17 March
Investments

Share tips of the week – 17 March

MoneyWeek’s comprehensive guide to the best of this week’s share tips from the rest of the UK's financial pages
10 Mar 2023
How to make your child a tax-free millionaire by age 37
Investments

How to make your child a tax-free millionaire by age 37

Exclusive research for MoneyWeek reveals how funding an ISA and a pension for your child until age 18 could build up a seven-figure sum by the time th…
14 Mar 2023