CLIENT TALKING POINTS
USD
The USD is stabilizing in a narrowing risk range now (leading indicator for less FX volatility) and we think that takes out accelerating upside in both the CRB Index (+7% off the 213 lows) and Oil (WTI risk range = 43.07-53.88) from here, which would reverse plenty of sub-sector counter-TREND moves in the S&P 500 – we’ll see.
UST 10YR
Day 2 of consensus saying what they’ve been saying for a year (“rates up, litftoff, etc.”) and we guess we will have to endure this until the USA #deflation data (CPI and PPI) is reported for JAN (next week). China and Norway printed -4.3% and -12.4% year-over-year PPI’s this morning!
SPX
The S&P 500 (SPX) meandering at -0.6% year-to-date doesn’t exactly inspire fund flows, so it’s probably time to start adding to U.S. Equity exposures that are not affected by the #deflation factors coming back into the market place. We still like U.S. domestic consumption plays like XLY (Consumer) and ITB (Housing) on the long side.
TOP LONG IDEAS
EDV
The Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) is an extended duration ETF (20-30yr). As our declining rates thesis proved out and picked up steam over the course of the year, we see this trend continuing into Q1. Short of a Fed rate hike, there’s no force out there with the oomph to reverse this trend, particularly with global growth decelerating and disinflationary trends pushing capital flows into the one remaining unbreakable piggy bank, which is the U.S. Treasury debt market.
TLT
As growth and inflation expectations continue to slow, stay with low-volatility Long Bonds (TLT). We believe the TLT has plenty of room to run. We strongly believe the dynamics in the currency market are likely contribute to a “reflexive deflationary spiral” whereby continued global macro asset price deflation and reported disinflation both contribute to rising investor demand for long-term Treasuries, at the margins.
HOLX
Hologic (HOLX) is a name our Healthcare Sector Head Tom Tobin has been closing monitoring for awhile. In what Tom calls his 3D TOMO Tracker Update (Institutional Research product) of U.S. facilities currently offering 3D Tomosynthesis, month-to-date December placements signaled a break-out quarter after a sharp acceleration in October and slight correction to a still very high rate in November. We believe we are seeing a sustained acceleration in placements that will likely drive upside to Breast Health throughout FY2015. Tom’s estimates are materially ahead of the Street, but importantly this upward trend in Breast Health should lead not only to earnings upside, but also multiple expansion and a significant move in the stock price.
Asset Allocation
| CASH | 50% | US EQUITIES | 7% | |
| INTL EQUITIES | 5% | COMMODITIES | 0% | |
| FIXED INCOME | 32% | INTL CURRENCIES | 6% |
THREE FOR THE ROAD
TWEET OF THE DAY
Going LIVE in 15 min. Send in your questions for @KeithMcCullough and @HedgeyeDDale via Twitter or the YouTube chat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmHcuyWSiH0
@Hedgeye
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.
-Samuel Johnson
STAT OF THE DAY
The percentage of Russians whose opinion of the U.S. is very or mainly bad rose to a record 81% in January from 44% a year ago, according to the latest poll by the independent Levada Center, which has tracked attitudes since 1990.