Summit Strategies Group 8182 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor St. Louis, Missouri 63105 314.727.7211 Monthly Economic & Capital Market Update July 2015
Yield to Maturity Monthly Change Jul-63 Jul-67 Jul-71 Jul-75 Jul-79 Jul-83 Jul-87 Jul-91 Jul-95 Jul-99 Jul-03 Jul-07 Jul-11 Economic Perspective Economy Economic data releases in July were generally consistent with the slow, steady improvement the US economy has experienced over the past several years. The July employment report suggests continued expansion in the US labor market. Employers added 215,000 jobs during the month, in line with market expectations, and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.3%. Payroll figures for May and June were revised upward by a combined 14,000 jobs. Job growth continues to be strong, as an average of 216,000 jobs have been added per month in 2015; 200,000 new jobs each month has historically been consistent with a healthy labor market. Conversely, wage inflation continues to be lackluster. For the 12 months ending July 2015, wages grew just. While there are signs that wage growth is likely to increase in the short to intermediate horizon, wage growth has been largely stagnant since 2008-09. Inflation measures continue to run below the 2. target of the Federal Reserve. Over the 12 months ending June 2015, the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% while core prices, which exclude food and energy, increased 1.8%. The decline in energy prices over the past year mainly account for the difference between core and headline inflation figures. The Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) index, the Fed s preferred measure of inflation, rose just 0.3% over the 12 months ending June. The Fed has kept its policy interest rate near since 2008 in an attempt to fuel growth and bring inflation back closer to its long term goal. The Institute for Supply Management s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), a gauge of future demand and manufacturing activity in the US, fell to 52.7 versus expectations of 53.5 in July; a number over 50 implies economic expansion. The non-manufacturing PMI rose to 60.3 in July, its highest level since 2005, suggesting continued progress in the US service sector. Real GDP rose 2.3% on an annualized basis during the second quarter of 2015 according to the initial estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The figure for the second quarter suggests the US economy rebounded somewhat following a slow start to 2015. Additionally, figures for the years 2012 2014 were revised by the Department of Commerce. While growth was previously estimated at 2.3% annualized, revisions resulted in growth estimates of 2. per year. The revisions were an attempt to correct the seasonal adjustment process that had recently been called into question by economists. Yield Curve The spread between 2-year and 30-year Treasuries tightened 25 bps to 225 bps in July. Both real yields and inflation expectations fell during the month. 1 1 1 8% 6% 3% 1% 1.8% 1.6% 1. -0.1% Unemployment Rate 2.6% 2. 2. Treasury Yield Curve 5.3% -1% -1% 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Years to Maturity June 30, 2015 July 31, 2014 Monthly Change 3% 1%
Growth Assets Public Equities Following a broad sell-off in June, most global equity markets recovered during July. In developed markets, the US (S&P 500, ) performed largely in line with international developed (MSCI EAFE, ). Emerging markets (MSCI EM, -6.9%) broadly sold off as the US Federal Reserve reiterated plans to increase interest rates and the China A-share market continued to be highly volatile. MLPs declined again in July, as broad energy market weakness persisted. Upstream MLPs (-31% in July) continued their severe decline as crude oil prices tumbled again, settling below $50 per barrel to end the month. The upstream MLP business model remains challenged. General partner MLPs returned - as potential LP earnings weakness began to influence GP pricing. Public Debt High yield bond spreads widened 37 bps to 513 bps, pushing yields to 6.9%, the highest level at month-end in three years. The energy sector was down -4.9% in conjunction with a significant drop in both spot oil prices and oil futures. A stronger dollar, sharp declines in the Chinese equity market, continued weakness in global trade, and commodity weakness combined to lead local currency emerging market debt down -2.6%. Commodity-dependent countries Brazil, Colombia, and Russia were notable laggards. Private Equity Purchase price multiples, as measured by S&P Leveraged Commentary and Data (LCD), remain at record high levels; the easy availability of credit and record levels of dry powder have been the main drivers. Higher purchase price multiples could be more of a new normal rather than the result of a market cycle peak. The asset class continues to become more efficient as investors commit more and more dollars to the space. Private Debt While the first quarter experienced an uptick in covenant relief amendments, there was no corresponding increase in the second quarter. More reliefs are possible in coming quarters as oil prices test the capital structures of several energy-related, sponsor-backed deals. Debt/EBITDA ratios are near all-time highs, but capex and interest coverage remain significantly higher than those seen in 2006 and 2007. Risk Parity Risk Parity strategies detracted in June. Losses in bonds were the largest detractors, though equities and credit also diminished returns. Growth Hedge Funds Both long/short equity and event-driven strategies were negative in June. China exposures weighed heavily on long/short equity, while activist and distressed debt strategies led losses in event-driven strategies. 2 MSCI ACWI IMI S&P 500 Russell 1000 Russell 1000 Value Russell 1000 Growth Russell 2000 Russell 2000 Value Russell 2000 Growth MSCI EAFE MSCI EAFE Small MSCI EM Alerian MLP Barclays High Yield JPM GBI-EM Global Div. Risk Parity* HFRI Equity Hedge* 1 Month 3 Months 1 Year -19.6% -16.7% -13. -13. -14. -6.9% -1. -2.8% -3. -1.6% - -2.6% -6. -3.3% -3. -3. - -1.3% -0.3% -0.9% 1. 1.3% 3. 3. 3. 2. 2. 4.3% 5. 6. 11. 11. 12. 16.1% 20.1% -2-2 -1-1 - 1 1 2 2 * Data was not available at time of publication returns are previous month's. Note: Risk Parity returns are based on an internally comprised benchmark. All returns are USD.
Dec-99 Dec-00 Dec-01 Dec-02 Dec-03 Dec-04 Dec-05 Dec-06 Dec-07 Dec-08 Dec-09 Dec-10 Dec-11 Dec-12 Dec-13 Dec-14 Dec-15 Dec-16 Jul-14 Aug-14 Sep-14 Oct-14 Nov-14 Dec-14 Jan-15 Feb-15 Mar-15 Apr-15 May-15 Jun-15 Operating EPS: Rolling 4-Qtr The Equity Markets FISCAL YEAR-TO-DATE: JULY 1, 2015 THROUGH JULY 31, 2015 Fiscal Year-To-Date Equity Index Performance NASDAQ Composite 2.9% Dow Jones Ind Avg 0. S&P 500 Russell 1000 Russell 1000 Growth 3. Russell 1000 Value Russell 3000 1.7% Russell Midcap Russell 2000-1. Russell 2000 Growth Russell 2000 Value -2.8% MSCI EAFE MSCI EAFE Growth MSCI EAFE Value 2. 1.7% MSCI EM -6.9% -9% -6% -3% 3% 6% 1 1 - -1-1 1 1 - -1-1 1 1 Rolling 3-Month Return Differential Large Cap Outperform Small Cap Outperform Large Value Outperform Large Growth Outperform Domestic Outperform $150 $120 $90 $60 $30 $0 S&P 500 Operating Earnings Rolling 4-Quarter, Actual and Estimated Operating Margin: Trailing 1-Year (R) Operating EPS: Estimates, Bottom-Up (L) Operating EPS: Actual (L) 91.5 113.0 12.9% 132.4 2 2 1 1 Operating Margin: Trailing 1-Year - -1-1 1 1 - -1-1 Dev. Intl. Outperform Emerging Outperform International Outperform 3
Income Assets Public Debt The US Treasury yield curve flattened in July with 10-year and 30-year yields falling 17 and 22 bps, respectively. After a brief sell-off sparked by the nearterm resolution for Greece s debt issues, the struggles in the Chinese equity market/economy and rapid declines in commodity prices led to a flight-toquality bid mid-month that carried yields lower through the rest of the month. The front-end of the curve actually saw upward pressure in July in response to increased expectations for a September liftoff in the Fed Funds rate. Falling rates helped all investment grade sectors produce positive returns for the month, although spreads widened across the board. Investment grade credit spreads returned to levels last seen during June 2013 s taper tantrum but still are below their historic average. At $830B year-to-date, the 21% increase in issuance year-over-year has not helped the sector s performance as companies work to issue debt prior to a shift to tightening monetary policy. Within securitized assets, CMBS and Agency MBS led ABS, benefiting more from falling rates due to their longer duration relative to ABS. International bonds lost a bit of ground over the month, with the Barclays Global Aggregate ex-us Index returning -0.1%. The US dollar strengthened against foreign currencies in July, gaining for the month. Given the low level of yields, this creates a substantial headwind to international fixed income returns from the perspective of a US investor. Over the last 12 months, international bonds have returned -12.3%, mostly due to dollar appreciation. Private Debt Limited rate sensitivity kept leveraged loans from participating in the rate rally in July. The sector did manage to produce a small 0.1% return in July despite widening spreads. Year-to-date, the sector continues to lead other fixed income segments with a 3. return. While issuance volumes are lagging last year s pace due to wider spreads and increased enforcement by regulators of leveraged lending guidelines, they remain robust at $232B. Relative Value Hedge Funds Relative value hedge funds were generally flat in June. Credit strategies were the largest detractors, followed by volatility traders. Equity market neutral and asset-backed securities strategies were slightly positive. Core Real Estate Core real estate continued to perform well in the second quarter with a 3.8% gross return as measured by the NCREIF ODCE Index. Continued economic growth throughout the US has accelerated income returns, which in turn has also advanced appreciation returns. With a limited amount of new supply, economic growth has supported a landlord-friendly environment. 4 Barclays Aggregate Barclays US Universal Barclays US Government Barclays US Gov't/Credit Barclays US Corporate Barclays US MBS Barclays US Credit Barclays Global Aggregate Barclays Global Agg ex US Credit Suisse Leveraged Loans HFRI Equity Market Neutral* NCREIF ODCE 1 Month 3 Months 1 Year -1-6. - - -0.9% -1.7% -2. -3.1% -0.1% 0. 0. 0. 0.1% 0. N/A 1. 1.6% 2.8% 2. 3.3% 2. 2.3% 3. 3. 3.8% 14. -18% -1-6% 6% 1 18% * Data was not available at time of publication returns are previous month's. Note: All returns are USD.
Jul-10 Oct-10 Jan-11 Apr-11 Jul-11 Oct-11 Jan-12 Apr-12 Jul-12 Oct-12 Jan-13 Apr-13 Jul-13 Oct-13 Jan-14 Apr-14 Jul-14 Oct-14 Jan-15 Apr-15 US Dollar Index Jul-14 Aug-14 Sep-14 Oct-14 Nov-14 Dec-14 Jan-15 Feb-15 Mar-15 Apr-15 May-15 Jun-15 Yield Spreads - bps The Fixed Income Markets FISCAL YEAR-TO-DATE: JULY 1, 2015 THROUGH JULY 31, 2015 90 Day US T-Bill BofA ML 1-3 Year Treasury Barclays US Gov't/Credit Barclays Intermed US Gov't/Credit Barclays Aggregate Barclays US Government Barclays US Credit Barclays US MBS BofA ML High Yield Master II Fiscal Year-To-Date Fixed Income Index Performance 0. 0.1% - 800 600 400 200 0 423 2. 197 60 HY Def Rate (Rt) AAA BBB High Yield Fixed Income Spreads & Defaults 1.6% 3% 1% Trailing 12-Month Default Rate CG World Gov't Bond 0. -1. -0. 0. 0. 1. 105 U.S. Dollar vs 6 Major Currencies 100 95 97 Implied Break-even Inflation Rates 2-yr 5-yr 10-yr 30-yr 5y, 5y Current 1. 1.7% 2. Beg of Qtr 1. 1.7% 2. 2. 1-Year Ago 1. 2. 2.3% 2. 2.6% Real Yield -0.1% 0.1% 1. 90 85 80 75 70 65 $/Euro Yen/$ $/GBP CAD/$ SEK/$ CHF/$ Spot 1.098 123.900 1.562 1.309 8.625 0.966 5
Diversification Assets Inflation TIPS posted a 0. return in July as the fall in real yields was partially offset by declining breakeven inflation expectations. As of month end, the breakeven inflation rate for the 10-Year TIPS was 1.7%, down from in June, as the weakening in commodity prices weighed on expectations for future inflation. Deflation Consistent with easing deflationary pressures, assets to protect against deflation continue to struggle. As interest rates have risen, bonds (particularly those with longer-dated maturities) have performed poorly. However, deflation-protecting assets enjoyed a reprieve in July on the back of falling long-end rates, with the Barclays Long Treasury Index generating a 3. return. The yield on the 30-year Treasury finished the month at 2.9%, the middle to high end of its 2015 range. The 30-year yield has fluctuated in a 100 bps range, falling as low as 2.3% and rising as high as 3.3% in 2015. Cash continues to offer virtually no return, with 90-day T-Bills returning just 1 basis point over the past year. Commodities A broad sell-off in commodities occurred during the month, with only lean hogs (+3%) posting a positive in July. All other commodities declined. Energy and metals commodities were influenced by weak Chinese demand. Crude returned -21% as the prospect of Iran sanctions being lifted created the potential of additional Iranian supply coming onto an already oversupplied market. Copper led declining industrial metals commodities, returning -1. Key agriculture commodities including wheat (-18%), corn (-1), and soybeans (-7%) declined on stronger-than-expected supply and favorable growing conditions. Tactical Trading Tactical trading strategies were poor performers in June, following reversals in trend-following strategies. Discretionary macro traders also detracted. Barclays US TIPS Barclays US Treasury Barclays Intermediate Treasury Barclays Long Treasury Bloomberg Commodity CS/T Managed Futures HF* CS/T Global Macro HF* 90 Day US T-Bill -28. -1-11. -1-5.8% -1.6% -1.6% -2. -0.01% -0.01% 0. 0.1% 3.3% 2. 3. 0.01% 4.8% 9. 12.9% 1 Month 3 Months 1 Year -4-3 -2-1 1 2 3 4 * Data was not available at time of publication returns are previous month's. Note: All returns are USD. Disclaimer: Although Summit Strategies Group (Summit) believes the modeling contained in this document to be reliable, the modeling of complex financial transactions has inherent limitations. Summit does not guarantee the results to be obtained by the use of this model. This model is developed by Summit based on information obtained from sources which Summit believes are reliable, but Summit does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of such information. Any information contained in or provided in connection with the model is for information purposes only, for the exclusive use by the client for which it was prepared, and is not intended and should not be construed to be an offer to buy or sell any securities, investment consulting or investment management services. No model can, in and of itself, be used to determine which securities or investments to buy or sell. All forward-looking projections are based on assumptions that Summit believes may be reasonable, but are subject to a wide range of risks, uncertainties and the possibility of loss. Accordingly, there is no assurance that any estimated performance projections of any model will occur in the amounts and during the periods indicated, or at all. Actual results and performance will differ from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking projections. Any decision to use or not use the model and any information accompanying or produced with the model remains solely with the client. 6