The U.S. Stock Market Is Overvalued By More Than 50%! Here’s Why (+2K Views)

Lorimer Wilson February 20, 2013 Comments Off on The U.S. Stock Market Is Overvalued By More Than 50%! Here’s Why (+2K Views) 3,651 Views

“Follow the munKNEE” via twitter & Facebook or Register to receive our daily Intelligence Report (Recipients restricted to only 1000 active subscribers)

Key stock indices are becoming significantly overpriced. The value of the U.S. stock market stands at about 133% of GDP. The average for the past 60 years has been around 82%. By this measure, the U.S. stock market is overvalued by more than 50%! Words: 398

So writes Michael Lombardi (www.ProfitConfidential.com) in edited excerpts from his original article* entitled Stock Market Overpriced by 50%?

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

Lombardi goes on to say in further edited excerpts

As the key stock indices approach highs not seen since just before the financial crisis, the underlying fundamentals are screaming “watch out.” The stock market could be edging higher on nothing but false optimism and greed.

The most basic reason for any stock market rally [is] corporate earnings [and] they are declining as the key stock indices inch higher. The bellwether stocks are flashing warning signals.

The corporate earnings growth rate for S&P 500 companies in the first quarter of this year was forecast at 5.1% in September of 2012. In December, the forecast declined to a corporate earnings growth of 2.4%. Now, according to FactSet, the corporate earnings growth rate for the first quarter of 2013 stands at -0.04%. (Source: FactSet, February 15, 2013.)
Companies…are showing better corporate earnings by cutting costs and buying back shares, as opposed to increasing revenues. In the fourth quarter of 2012, employee compensation (wages) only accounted for 54.7% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)—the lowest level since 1955. (Source: Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2013.)

With all this, the question still remains, where are key stock indices headed next? I’m in the camp that believes that:

heavy corporate insider selling, [Read: Insider Trading Suggests That a Market Crash Is Coming]
declining corporate earnings,
severe economic problems in Europe,
too much bullishness and [Read: Ignore Wall Street Cheerleaders: Market Technicals, Fundamentals & Other Info Says Otherwise!]
a slowing economy in the U.S. [Read: What Recovery? Contradictions Between Reality & Political Claims Are Everywhere!]

will limit the upside potential for stocks. In fact, I think a major top is being put in place for the market.

Conclusion

While the mainstream focuses on the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios of companies on the key stock indices, I am more focused on the demand side and the ability of corporate America to earn money in the future. The truth is that the fundamental reasons for this stock market rally are deteriorating daily. Time will certainly tell us more, but remaining cautious seems to be a good option for investors right now.

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.

“Follow Us” on twitter & “Like Us” on Facebook

Related Articles:

1. Follow Bob Farrell’s 10 Rules of Investing – or Suffer the Consequences

Individuals are long-term investors only as long as the markets are rising. Despite endless warnings, repeated suggestions and outright recommendations – getting investors to sell, take profits and manage…[their] portfolio risks is nearly a lost cause as long as the markets are rising. Unfortunately, by the time the fear, desperation or panic stages are reached it is far too late to act and I will only be able to say that I warned you [- unless you take the time to read, and study the contents of this article]. Words: 1945; Charts: 10; Tables: 1

2. Stop! Don’t Forget Market Risk – Remember What Happened in 2000 & 2007/8.

Investors are more bullish now than at any time since 2002 but the current rally has not been fueled by improved prospects of actual growth and wealth creation. Instead, it’s mostly due to:

investors desperate for income denied them elsewhere by central bank policies;
printed stimulus cash seeking a home and
sheer technical momentum

but nowhere do they seem to be considering market risk – the risk that your investment will lose value because it gets dragged down in a falling market. Words: 615

3. Insider Trading Suggests That a Market Crash Is Coming

What you are about to read below is startling. •Every time that the market has fallen in recent years, insiders have been able to get out ahead of time… •[What] is so alarming [this time round is] that corporate insiders are selling nine times as many shares as they are buying right now. •In addition, some extraordinarily large bets have just been made that will only pay off if the financial markets in the U.S. crash by the end of April. •So what does all of this mean? [Could it be that they] have insider knowledge that a market crash is coming? Evaluate the evidence below and decide for yourself. Words: 570

4. Bull Market in Stocks Isn’t About to End Anytime Soon! Here’s Why

As we all know, money printing always leads to inflation. It’s just a matter of figuring out which assets get inflated. This time around gold is not the only beneficiary, stocks are, too, and I’m convinced that the chart below holds the key to the end of the bull market. Words: 475; Charts: 1

5. What Recovery? Contradictions Between Reality & Political Claims Are Everywhere!

There is no recovery, regardless of what the elite and their minions in the media want you to believe. The economy is sick. It was made so by the malpractice of government and will become even weaker as government continues to administer the poison that got us to this point. The political class’s version of remedy is akin to the medical profession’s practice of bloodletting. Neither does any good and both, carried to extreme, are fatal. [Let me explain more fully.] Words: 548

6. Ignore Wall Street Cheerleaders: Market Technicals, Fundamentals & Other Info Says Otherwise!

[In spite of what] the typical Wall Street cheerleaders, I mean strategists, are predicting, we see the equity market ever more closer to its cyclical top, miners about to retest a major bottom and hard assets with a new catalyst. [This article analyzes 9 pieces of information, complete with charts, that show what is actually going on in the marketplace at this point in time and what the short-term future holds.] Words: 930; Charts: 8

7. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Indicator Suggests Another Year of Outperformance for the S&P 500

The Swimsuit Issue Indicator says that U.S. equity markets perform better in years when an American appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual issue as opposed to years when a non-American appears on the cover. [What is the nationality of this year’s cover model? Can we expect returns above the norm or will we see a year of underperformance for the S&P 500 this year? Read on.] Words: 323 ; Table: 1

8. QE Could Drive S&P 500 UP 25% in 2013 & UP Another 28% in 2014 – Here’s Why

Ever since the Dow broke the 14,000 mark and the S&P broke the 1,500 mark, even in the face of a shrinking GDP print, a lot of investors and commentators have been anxious. Some are proclaiming a rocket ride to the moon as bond money now rotates into stocks….[while] others are ringing the warning bell that this may be the beginning of the end, and a correction is likely coming. I find it a bit surprising, however, that no one is talking of the single largest driver for stocks in the past 4 years – massive monetary base expansion by the Fed. (This article does just that and concludes that the S&P 500 could well see a year end number of 1872 (+25%) and, realistically, another 28% increase in 2014 to 2387 which would represent a 60% increase from today’s level.) Words: 600; Charts: 3

9. Investors, Get Fully Invested! S&P 500 On Verge of Entering Euphoria Stage of Cyclical Bull Market

[In spite of all that is seemingly wrong with the U.S. economy] I think we are on the verge of entering the euphoria stage of this cyclical bull market where traders become convinced that QE3 is a magic elexir with no unintended consequesnces. [As such,] I see a strong acceleration and a significant and sustained breakout above the S&P 500 September high of 1475. (Words: 264 + 3 charts)

10. 5 Sound Reasons Investors Would Be Better Off On the Sidelines Than In the Market

New year festivities have continued on the stock market even as the Christmas trees have been put away. The “death of the fiscal cliff,” not horrible job numbers and supportive comments from Mario Draghi on the other side of the pond have led to bold and bullish behaviors over the last three weeks. While no one can predict the exact peak, here are five reasons you’re better off on the sidelines than in the market.

11. These Charts Suggest a Possible +/-60% Decline in the S&P 500 by 2014

J.P. Morgan Asset Management has developed a chart showing the past two cycles in the S&P 500 highlighting peak and trough valuations. At face value it is very alarming as it suggests a potential decline of somewhere in the vicinity of 60% over the next year or two and concurs with previous innovative trend analyses included in this article. Charts: 4

12. 3 Reasons the Stock Market Could Rally & 3 Reasons to Be Cautious Near Term

The U.S. stock market rally that kicked off the New Year continued last week, and after only two weeks, US stocks are up around 3% for the year. European stocks have posted similar gains and equities in Japan have advanced even further. What’s behind this rally – and more importantly, can it continue? In my view, the rally can be attributed to three factors. Words: 615

13. Start Investing In Equities – Your Future Self May Thank You. Here’s Why

As Winston Churchill once said: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” and in that vain I challenge all readers to fight off the negativity, see long-term opportunity in global equity markets and, most importantly, remain invested. Your future self may thank you. Words: 732; Charts: 6

14. Don’t Ignore This Fact: “Greedometer Gauge” Signals S&P 500 Drop to the 500s by July-August, 2013!

The S&P500 is likely to achieve a secular (long term) peak this month, then drop to the 500s by July-August 2013. This article explains why. Words: 180

15. Current Market Overvaluation (from 33% – 51%!) Suggests Cautious Long-term Outlook

Based on the latest S&P 500 monthly data, [my analyses indicate that] the market is overvalued somewhere in the range of 33% to 51%, depending on which of 4 indicators I used. This is an increase over the previous month’s 31% to 48% range. [Let me explain the details.] Words: 475

16. Goldman Sachs’ Leading Indicators Signal Steep Market Crash Ahead

Goldman Sachs reports their Global Economic Indicators (GLI) show the world has re-entered a contraction and…is predicting a market crash worse than that of the early 90′s recession and one slightly less than the sell-off at the turn of the millennium. [Below are graphs to support their contentions.] Words: 250

17. Will a Black Swan Event Cause the S&P 500 to Drop by 40%?

Mark Spitznagel…warned the other day that the S&P 500 could lose 40% of its value in the next couple of years. So what black swan event could cause the S&P 500 to drop down to 760? [Let’s take a closer look.] Words: 856