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U.S. stocks are off to one of their best starts in years. Most indices are up 10% year to date, prompting many investors to ask: “Are we in another bubble?” The answer is no, at least when it comes to equities. Here are three reasons why:
So writes Russ Koesterich (http://isharesblog.com/) in edited excerpts from his original article* posted on Seeking Alpha under the title Is the US Stock Rally a Bubble?.
This article is presented compliments of www.munKNEE.com (Your Key to Making Money!) and may have been edited ([ ]), abridged (…) and/or reformatted (some sub-titles and bold/italics emphases) for the sake of clarity and brevity to ensure a fast and easy read. Please note that this paragraph must be included in any article re-posting to avoid copyright infringement.
Koesterich goes on to say in further edited excerpts:
“Are we in another bubble?” The answer is no, at least when it comes to equities. Here are three reasons why:
- Most metrics suggest U.S. stock valuations are at or below their long-term average. U.S. large-cap companies are trading at 2.25x book value and 15x trailing earnings, both valuations below the historical average.
- Not only are valuations below average, they are well below peaks reached in 2000 and 2007. By way of comparison, U.S. equity markets were trading for 3x book value in 2007 and 5x in 2000.
- On a relative basis, even after the recent rally, U.S. stocks still look cheap. The earnings yield on the S&P 500 is at a 30-year high relative to the yield available on an investment grade bond index. While this is more a function of bonds being expensive rather than of stocks being particularly cheap, the relative play still favors stocks.
However, while U.S. stock valuations are far from bubble territory, U.S. earnings and book value are both being flattered by a multi-year period of exceptional corporate profitability. In other words, U.S. corporations are experiencing an earnings bubble of sorts.
- Corporate profits are currently nearly 10% of U.S. gross domestic product, above a 60-year average of 8.2%, as U.S. companies have benefited from the economy’s slow-growth recovery.
- The economy has been growing just fast enough to support companies’ topline growth, but just slow enough to keep a lid on firms’ wage and interest costs.
- The upshot for U.S. stocks: they look more expensive when you consider that earnings aren’t likely to levitate at today’s levels indefinitely.
One valuation metric that reflects this is the Shiller price-to-earnings ratio, which uses a 10-year average of earnings rather than a one-year average. According to this measure, U.S. stocks are trading at 22x real 10-year trailing earnings, vs. a long-term average of around 16.5x. This suggests that while U.S. stocks may still outperform bonds, further gains are likely to be more muted and returns over the long term are unlikely to be in double-digit territory.
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The good news is that valuations look much more reasonable outside of the United States.
- Currently, U.S. stocks trade at a 45% premium, based on a price-to-book calculation, to other developed markets. Emerging markets are cheaper still.
As such, for long-term investors, the best opportunities may lie outside the United States and in less extended parts of the U.S. market such as in mega caps, and in the energy and technology sectors. These asset classes are accessible through the iShares S&P 100 Index Fund (OEF), the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Energy Sector Index Fund (IYE), and the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Technology Sector Index Fund (IYW).
Editor’s Note: The author’s views and conclusions are unaltered and no personal comments have been included to maintain the integrity of the original article. Furthermore, the views, conclusions and any recommendations offered in this article are not to be construed as an endorsement of such by the editor.
Source: Bloomberg. *http://isharesblog.com/blog/2013/03/22/is-the-us-stock-rally-a-bubble/ (©2010-2012 BlackRock. All rights reserved. iShares® and BlackRock® are registered trademarks of BlackRock.)
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