Equity Markets Delink From Economic Data And Get Distracted With Washington Policy.

April 4, 2018

Equity Markets Delink From Economic Data And Get Distracted With Washington Policy. Equity markets in America suffered their worst quarter in over two years as 2018 began on a soft note. The softness in equities in Q1 followed an outstanding year for equities in 2017 and was not surprising for many investors but was unwelcome for traders.  The S&P 500 fell .76% in the first quarter of 2018.  Mitchell Anthony Capital Management (MACM)’s clients enjoyed much better performance in Q1 with almost all strategies posting positive returns.  MACM’s diversified equity portfolio advanced 4.8% , DYNAMIC GROWTH advanced 3.5% HIGHLY FOCUSED EQUITIES advanced 5.4%,  ASSET ALLOCATION INCOME advanced 3%, and GROWTH advanced 4% in the quarter.  MACM’s clients enjoyed 372 - 620 basis points of positive alpha in Q1 of 2018. This outperformance was attributed to the superior group of equity holdings in the portfolios managed by M ACM.   Positive alpha was gained from holdings in healthcare, Internet retailing, technology, and financials. Conversely MACM had only modest holdings in areas like telecom, energy, utilities, and consumer staples (which led the equity market lower).Read more

What a Year!

January 18, 2018

2017 began with optimism from investors, consumers and businesses.  The market’s great year began with a great first quarter followed steadily by similar gains in Q2 - Q4.    Washington policy took a turn for the better despite unrest amongst the liberal socialists in our country.   Trump’s first year was difficult for him and the nation as the country failed to unite; however, progress was made as Trump proved himself worthy of the job and did get one of his initiatives done! The tax cut was a great victory for business and had some modest benefits for most Americans as well.  The obstruction to Trump's plans was unfortunate.  It continues but shows signs of waning as liberal democrats are losing face, and possibly their will to continue, as meritless attacks failed to distract the White House agenda, but did wear on the American public’s tolerance for dishonesty from their leaders and the media. Read more

Markets & Economy Stay on Track

November 17, 2017

The American Economy continues to show signs of improvement and the growth picture has improved.  As a result the equity markets have moved significantly in the first half of the fourth quarter.  Economic results showing the health of the consumer, industrial sector, and globe have trended higher throughout Q4. This along with strong corporate earnings announcements since the end of Q3, have provided fuel for higher equity market prices.  While many thought the leadership in the market was due for a change toward value, this has not occurred, and better earnings continue to drive the growth markets higher.Read more

Growth Picture Improves

October 1, 2017

Despite a flattening in consumer confidence in the US, growth in the American economy improved in the third quarter of 2017. GDP for the second quarter was revised upward from 2.2% to 3.1%. Corporate earnings accelerated in the third quarter for the S&P 500 to over 17%. Consumer confidence which hit a 17 year high in March 2017, has since eased back modestly. The change in trend for consumer confidence is difficult to quantify but it is likely due to politics in Washington and the country’s inability to come together since the election.Read more

Growth Remains a Mixed Picture

July 1, 2017

The growth in the equity markets has been far greater than the growth in our economy since President Trump was elected. The S&P 500 logged another quarter of growth with the index advancing 3.1% in the quarter and advancing 9.3% year to date. MACM's dynamic growth portfolio also logged another good quarter of growth advancing 4.4% in the quarter and 13.5% year-to-date. This is not unusual as markets seem to perform the best during periods of slow growth with low inflation and friendly monetary policy. While this is true, we must note that the equity market rally paused in 2014 and 2015 when corporate America fell into an earnings recession and slow growth was replaced by no growth.Read more