PDF Climbing the Wall of Worry - Richard Bernstein

[Pages:6]Climbing the Wall of Worry

Richard Bernstein

Climbing the Wall of Worry

December 2012

Most investors have heard the phrase "bull markets climb the wall of worry". However, they also have difficulty identifying whether the stock market is indeed in a bull phase that is climbing the wall of worry or whether fear is justified and the bull market is nearing an end.

We have observed that portfolios tend to perform less well when emotion is the guiding force, so we use very objective and well-tested indicators to assess fear in the marketplace. Currently, these indicators suggest that the bull market remains intact, and that the market is indeed climbing the wall of worry once again.

In this report, we highlight some of the indicators that we incorporate into our portfolios. They are uniformly suggesting that investors are too afraid, and that higher US equity allocations are probably warranted.

Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC 520 Madison Avenue 28th Floor New York, NY 10022 212-692-4000



The Wall Street Sentiment Indicator Approximately thirty years ago, we began to study the information content of Wall Street strategists' consensus recommended asset allocations. We found, when adding a little math, that the consensus recommended asset allocation was a very reliable contrary indicator. That is, it paid to be bullish when Wall Street suggested underweighting equities, and vice versa. Chart 1 shows one version of this indicator in which we plot the consensus recommended equity allocation for a balanced fund against the typical normal long-term equity weight of 60-65%. In this chart, a reading of 50% indicates that the average Wall Street strategist was recommending 50% of a balanced fund (i.e., stocks, bonds, and cash) be invested in equities. As a fantastic example of bull markets climbing the wall of worry, Wall Street strategists never recommended overweighting equities at any point during the entire bull market of the 1980s and 1990s. They finally recommended overweighting equities subsequent to the Technology bubble. That overweight proved to be just in time for the so-called "lost decade in equities", during which US stocks produced a negative return over ten years. Today, however, Wall Street strategists are recommending the lowest equity allocation in the near-thirty year history of the data. As was the case before the lost decade, the stock market has performed well during a period of fear.

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Chart 1:

72 68 64 60 56 52 48 44 40

Wall Street Sentiment Indicator

(as of Oct. 31, 2012)

Traditional Benchmark Equity Allocation 60% to 65%

Source: Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC

Jan-85 Jan-86 Jan-87 Jan-88 Jan-89 Jan-90 Jan-91 Jan-92 Jan-93 Jan-94 Jan-95 Jan-96 Jan-97 Jan-98 Jan-99 Jan-00 Jan-01 Jan-02 Jan-03 Jan-04 Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 Jan-09 Jan-10 Jan-11 Jan-12

Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC 520 Madison Avenue 28th Floor New York, NY 10022 212-692-4000



ISI Bond Manager Survey

The wall of worry isn't constrained to the equity market. The treasury market has been climbing for years a similar wall of worry. Chart 2 depicts the results of a weekly survey of bond portfolio managers conducted by ISI Group. The graph shows the percent of the bond portfolio managers who say that their portfolio duration is longer than that of the benchmark.

Positioning a portfolio with longer duration than benchmark means that a portfolio manager believes that interest rates are likely to fall, whereas a shorter duration implies positioning in anticipation of rising rates. The survey results show that bond portfolio managers have never in the history of the survey positioned for falling interest rates. Yet, during the time period of the survey, the ten-year treasury note rate has significantly fallen (see Chart 3). Bond portfolio managers continue to believe that rates will increase.

Many have suggested that there is a "bond bubble". We find it hard to believe that there is a bond bubble when bond managers' portfolios are short duration versus benchmark. If there were indeed a bond bubble, wouldn't these managers' portfolios be extremely long duration? Rather, it appears that there is a significant wall of worry in the bond market, and investors might consider positioning for rates that may continue to decrease.

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS

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Chart 2:

Chart 3:

Source: ISI Group

Source: Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC, Bloomberg

Investment flows We cannot find a period during which mutual fund flows anticipated a bear market. Rather, the data seem to suggest that significant flows to equity mutual funds are a warning signal, whereas significant outflows suggest opportunity. This cycle has so far fit that historical norm. Chart 4 shows the wall of worry among mutual fund investors. Despite that the S&P 500 has produced a total return of about 15% over the past year, mutual fund investors have been consistent sellers of US equities.

Richard Bernstein

Advisors LLC

520 Madison Avenue

28th Floor

New York, NY 10022

212-692-4000

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS

3



Chart 4:

($ mil.) 200,000 150,000 100,000

50,000 0

-50,000 -100,000 -150,000 -200,000

Domestic Equity Rolling 12 month flows

(March 2009 - October 2012)

S&P 500?

Index Level

1600

Domestic Equity Rolling 12-month flows

S&P 500? Index

1400

1200

1000

800

Mar-09 Sep-09 Mar-10 Sep-10 Mar-11 Sep-11 Mar-12 Sep-12

Source: Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC, ICI, Standard & Poor's

Fears of inflation dominate

There appears to be a wall of worry with respect to inflation as well. It is unfortunate that investors have listened to politicians because printing money does NOT cause inflation. Economic textbooks say that printing money and using it to create excess credit causes inflation. The US is certainly printing money, but credit creation could hardly be called active let alone excessive. Thus, we view the risk of meaningful inflation as still quite low.

However, investors continue to perceive inflation risk to be very high. Our models currently suggest that investors are pricing nearly 6% inflation over the next twelve months into the valuation of the stock market. As Chart 5 shows, such expectations have nearly always been too pessimistic. The stock market appears to be climbing the inflation wall of worry as well.

Richard Bernstein

Advisors LLC

520 Madison Avenue

28th Floor

New York, NY 10022

212-692-4000

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS

4



Chart 5:

8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% -2.0% -4.0%

Inflation vs. Inflation Expectations

Dec. 1987 - Oct. 2012

CPI Y/Y % CB Inflation Expectation NTM (12 mos. Lead)

1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013

Over-estimating the risks within the US We continue to have a bullish view of the US equity market because investors seem to be overestimating the risks within the US economy and for US corporate profits. The wall of worry can be a high one, and these indicators lead us to think that the bull market is likely to continue for longer than investors currently expect.

Richard Bernstein

Advisors LLC

520 Madison Avenue

28th Floor

New York, NY 10022

212-692-4000

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS

5



INDEX DESCRIPTIONS:

The following descriptions, while believed to be accurate, are in some cases abbreviated versions of more detailed or comprehensive definitions available from the sponsors or originators of the respective indices. Anyone interested in such further details is free to consult each such sponsor's or originator's website.

The past performance of an index is not a guarantee of future results.

Each index reflects an unmanaged universe of securities without any deduction for advisory fees or other expenses that would reduce actual returns, as well as the reinvestment of all income and dividends. An actual investment in the securities included in the index would require an investor to incur transaction costs, which would lower the performance results. Indices are not actively managed and investors cannot invest directly in the indices.

S&P 500? Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500? Index. The S&P 500? Index is an unmanaged, capitalization-weighted index designed to measure the performance of the broad US economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.

Consumer Price Index (CPI): The CPI is a measure of the average change in prices over time of goods and services purchased by households. The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC 520 Madison Avenue 28th Floor New York, NY 10022 212-692-4000



? Copyright 2012 Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC. All rights reserved.

Nothing contained herein constitutes tax, legal, insurance or investment advice, or the recommendation of or an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or invest in, any investment product, vehicle, service or instrument. Such an offer or solicitation may only be made by delivery to a prospective investor of formal offering materials, including subscription or account documents or forms, which include detailed discussions of the terms of the respective product, vehicle, service or instrument, including the principal risk factors that might impact such a purchase or investment, and which should be reviewed carefully by any such investor before making the decision to invest. Specifically, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, before acquiring the shares of any mutual fund, it is your responsibility to read the fund's prospectus. Links to appearances and articles by Richard Bernstein, whether in the press, on television or otherwise, are provided for informational purposes only and in no way should be considered a recommendation of any particular investment product, vehicle, service or instrument or the rendering of investment advice, which must always be evaluated by a prospective investor in consultation with his or her own financial adviser and in light of his or her own circumstances, including the investor's investment horizon, appetite for risk, and ability to withstand a potential loss of some or all of an investment's value. Investing is an inherently risky activity, and investors must always be prepared to potentially lose some or all of an investment's value. Past performance is, of course, no guarantee of future results.

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS

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