US corporate profits are now down four quarters in a row from the record 2Q22, even as the sell-side has S&P 500 non-GAAP earnings growing 11.7 percent this year and 11.5 percent next. The gap between GAAP and non-GAAP in … Continued
Major equity indices had a good week last week. Stocks are currently in the midst of many crosscurrents, not to mention inflation, aggressive monetary policy and several extended metrics. Even though they have broken out of, or are near, important … Continued
Thanks to last year’s tax cuts, corporate taxes have seen a big drop, with a wide gap between what corporations make and what they pay in taxes. While this gives them more money to spend on dividends and buybacks, this … Continued
U.S. stocks have done phenomenally well since the February lows. In less than six months through the intra-day high yesterday, the S&P 500 large cap index has rallied north of 20 percent, the Nasdaq 100 index 22.5 percent, and the … Continued
It is not easy getting a handle on valuation dynamics. During good times, multiples rise to exorbitant levels, and the opposite happens when times are bad. The usual cycle of things. Come to think of it. At any time, value … Continued
Last year, with the bull market in its seventh year, a June 19th post sought to find out where several valuation metrics stood. The conclusion was that they were in uncharted territory. With three more quarters of data since, a … Continued
U.S. corporate earnings have been in serious deceleration. This is no news. They have been decelerating for a while now. Operating earnings of S&P 500 companies peaked at $29.60 in 3Q14, and have declined for five straight quarters annually. Chart … Continued
The price to sales ratio is an important valuation tool that many investors swear by. The market cap to GDP ratio – essentially a ratio of price to sales – supposedly is a favorite indicator of Warren Buffet. On this … Continued
The other day, Goldman Sachs took a sharp knife to its earnings estimates for S&P 500 companies. It cut 2015 estimates from previous $122 to $114. In 2014, these companies earned $113 in operating earnings. If Goldman is right, we … Continued
We are in uncharted territory! On so many levels. As you will see in the charts below, many valuation metrics are stretched. The nation’s debt load just rose to a new high. At 1Q15, the total credit market debt outstanding … Continued