CLIENT TALKING POINTS
USD
Dollar Up, Rates Down this morning – as opposed to the reflation trade (many head-fakes in the last 18 months), that’s the #Deflation risk on move. We will be watching that closely this week with the USD signaling immediate-term oversold on Friday.
OIL
WTI Oil is down -2% this morning (it has a -0.8 inverse 15-day correlation to USD) after a +2.4% week with an immediate-term risk range of $34.65-41.53 and OVX (Oil Volatility) holding @Hedgeye TREND support with a risk range of 42-56.
EQUITIES
Won’t be the way Old Wall media will characterize last week, but it wasn’t a good week where the #BeliefSystem on central-market-planning continues to break down. On the week: Italy -2.0%, Japan -1.3%, France -0.7% vs. Russia (purely reflation spec vs. USD Down) +4.7% and the Russell 2000 +1.3% to -3.0% year-to-date.
*Tune into The Macro Show with Hedgeye CEO Keith McCullough live in the studio at 9:00AM ET - CLICK HERE.
TOP LONG IDEAS
XLU
Utilities (XLU) hasn’t bounced as much as leveraged , high-beta resource names, but the outperformance is greatly divergent vs. both the market, and our preferred sector short in financials (XLU +12.3% YTD, S&P -0.3% YTD, XLF -4.6% YTD).
GIS
General Mills (GIS) remains one of analyst Howard Penney's top Long ideas in the Consumer Staples space. As we have continued to say, it boasts style factors ideal during turbulent times; high market cap, low beta and liquidity. Case in point, GIS is up 7% year-to-date, versus essentially flat for the S&P 500 in 2016. We'll have an update next week after GIS reports earnings.
TLT
Long-Term Treasuries (TLT) finished +1.9% on the week. Aside from Mr. Market, the Fed downwardly revised expectations (the common lag) on Wednesday:
- The median 2016 GDP forecast revised to +2.2% vs. +2.4% in December
- The median 2016 PCE Inflation forecast revised to +1.2% vs. +1.6% in December
- Median Federal Funds end-2016 rate forecast revised to 0.9% vs. +1.4% in December
From a GROWTH, INFLATION, POLICY perspective, it’s lower for longer on growth and inflation and a more dovish Fed.
Asset Allocation
CASH | 62% | US EQUITIES | 0% | |
INTL EQUITIES | 0% | COMMODITIES | 6% | |
FIXED INCOME | 27% | INTL CURRENCIES | 5% |
THREE FOR THE ROAD
TWEET OF THE DAY
*VIDEO
How Slowing US Growth Impacts Sectors https://app.hedgeye.com/insights/49828-young-guns-how-slowing-u-s-growth-impacts-sectors… @HedgeyeHIT dty @KeithMcCullough
@Hedgeye
QUOTE OF THE DAY
The whole world is simply nothing more than a flow chart for capital.
Paul Tudor Jones
STAT OF THE DAY
According to a federal prosecutor a San Diego man who inherited a 1974 aluminum penny valued at $2 million has surrendered it to the U.S. Mint to settle a lawsuit over ownership of the rare coin.