A Bumpier 2018 and a Return to Normalcy

Published: January 1, 2019
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Whether you reached your personal goals in 2018, faced challenges, or are looking for a 2019 reboot, let's take a moment to hit on the key themes from the past year.
Before I get started, I want to revisit a comment I included in my annual letter to you as we left 2017 and began 2018:
The momentum generated by a growing U.S. and global economy is likely to carry over into the new year. While a 2018 recession can't definitively be ruled out, leading indicators suggest the odds are low.
That said, unexpected events can create short-term emotional responses in the market that are best avoided by long-term investors.
Last year's lack of volatility was simply remarkable. According data from LPL Research and the St. Louis Federal Reserve, the biggest drop in the S&P 500 amounted to just 2.8%. It was the smallest decline since 1995.
The average intra-year pullback for the S&P 500: 13.6% (LPL Research).
The U.S. economy exhibited strong growth in the second and third quarter, a recession did not ensue, and yes, 2017's lack of volatility was remarkable. We knew it wouldn't last, but predicting an expected exit date is difficult.
January began 2018 on a firm footing, building on highs in the wake of tax reform, low interest rates, low inflation, and strong corporate profit growth. If stocks rise or fall on the fundamentals (and they usually do), the outlook was quite favorable as the year began.
However, while I will always believe no one can consistently time the peaks and valleys of the market, when there's too much good news priced into stocks, any disappointment can create volatility.
A spike in Treasury bond yields tripped up bullish sentiment early in 2018. President Trump's decision to level the playing field of international trade created uncertainty in the first half. Then, investors decided trade wasn't important--until they decided late in the year that it was.
Another bout of selling began in October and the decline accelerated in December.
Several factors contributed to the weakness, including fears that continued rate hikes by the Fed might stifle economic activity in 2019 and quash profit growth.
We're also experiencing heightened uncertainty brought on by the ongoing trade war with China. In addition, key tech stocks that had been market leaders for several years lost their mojo and pulled on the major averages.
There may be times when we may want to include high-flying shares in our more aggressive portfolios, but the big decline in important companies such as Facebook, Apple, Netflix and Google (FANG Stocks) highlights the risk of concentrating in too few names.
As the year came to a close, the peak-to-trough decline in the S&P 500 Index totaled 19.8% (St. Louis Federal Reserve thru 12.24.18). We exceeded the long-term average annual peak-to-trough drawdown by six percentage points. Still, we're just shy of the 20% threshold, which is the commonly accepted definition of a bear market.
If Christmas Eve marks the bottom of the sell-off, it won't be the first time we've had a steep correction that side-stepped a bear market. We witnessed similar declines in 2011 and 1998. In both cases, a profit-crushing recession was avoided.
But let me offer a little bit of perspective. The Q4 decline may have been unsettling. Nevertheless, the total decline in the S&P 500, including reinvested dividends, amounted to just over 4% (S&P Dow Jones Indices) for calendar year 2018.
Overseas stocks fared quite a bit worse, as the global economy shifted into a lower gear earlier in the year, and trade tensions, which are more likely to rattle foreign economies, added to woes.
My thoughts
As I have gone through my 20s and early 30s, I don't blink at a stock market decline. The contribution rate of my 401k has always been on autopilot. Each pay period, I purchase well-diversified mutual funds.
When stocks declined, dollar-cost averaging allowed me to purchase a greater number of shares. Besides, I knew it would be decades before I'd need the funds for retirement.
With a long-term time horizon, even a vicious bear market wasn't an issue.
As we age, we can't take such a sanguine view, and a more conservative mix of investments becomes paramount. Though we are unlikely to match major market indices on the way up, we can still anticipate longer-term appreciation and sleep better when the unpredictable market sell-offs materialize.
The same can be said of accounts that hold college savings, especially if the beneficiary is in college and doesn't have the time to recover from a sharp dip in stocks.
For those in the most conservative portfolios, the drop in the major market averages had little impact on your overall net worth.
Our recommendations are based on many different factors, including risk aversion. It's rarely profitable to make decisions based on current market sentiment, i.e., panic selling or euphoria that sends us chasing the latest trends.
What's in store for 2019
While 2018 began with unbridled optimism, caution quickly entered the picture and most major U.S. indices had their first downturn since 2008.
In 2019, we have the mirror image. There is no shortage of cautious sentiment. But the fragrance that's in the air today doesn't always determine market direction throughout the year. As we've seen, markets can be unpredictable as investors try to anticipate events that may impact the economy and corporate profits.
I've always found it interesting that some analysts hope to discern trends from various calendar-like indicators. We've just entered a new year, and typically the so-called "January barometer" gets some play in that arena. Loosely defined, some say that how January performs sets the tone for the rest of the year.
Of course, if stocks perform well in January, the bulls already have a leg up on the bears. Throw in reinvested dividends and a natural upward bias in stocks, and it helps explain why a positive January usually results in a positive year.
But, that wasn't the case for 2018. And by the same token, 2016's weak start didn't carry over into the rest of the year.
Then, there was this October 4th article in the Wall Street Journal: "Midterms Are a Boon for Stocks-No Matter Who Wins." On average, the months of October, November and December have been the top-performing months during any year that included a midterm election (1962 - 2014). This year, though, there was a failure to launch.
While there's still time left on the calendar, history indicates that Year 2 Q4-Year 3 Q2 is regularly the best three-quarter performance period of the 16-quarter cycle that begins just after a president has been elected or re-elected. That's using data on the performance of the Dow going back to 1896.
Finally, we could hang our hats on one other midterm indicator. That is, the S&P 500 has finished in positive territory in every post-12-month midterm period since 1950.
I say "could" because, while reviewing past election-year patterns to gain useful insights might make for an interesting conversation during New Year's Day Bowl games or a family dinner, I must stress that it does not substitute for a well-thought out plan that takes unexpected detours into account.
Table 1: Key Index Returns
YTD %
3-year* %
Dow Jones Industrial Average
-5.6
10.2
NASDAQ Composite
-3.9
9.8
S&P 500 Index
-6.2
7.0
Russell 2000 Index
-12.2
5.9
MSCI World ex-USA**
-16.4
0.4
MSCI Emerging Markets**
-16.6
6.7
Bloomberg Barclays US
Aggregate Bond TR
0.0
2.1
Source: Wall Street Journal, MSCI.com, Morningstar
YTD returns: Dec 29, 2017-Dec 31, 2018
*Annualized
**in US dollars
Investor's corner
We know that stocks can be unpredictable over a shorter period, and sell-offs are normal. And they aren't pleasant. But we take precautions to help manage volatility and, more importantly, keep you on track toward your long-term financial goals.
I came across a recent piece by LPL Research that highlighted this. They found that the S&P 500 has lost an average of 31% every five years since WWII; included are declines of 19%. Yet, the index has registered an annual advance 75% of the time (Macrotrends) and almost 80% when dividends are reinvested (NYU Stern School of Business Stock/Bond Returns).
Further, the S&P 500 has averaged an annual advance of nearly 10% since the late 1920s (CNBC/Investopedia).
During up markets and down markets, I like to stress the importance of your investment plan and the progress we're making toward your financial goals.
Stocks will hit small bumps in the road, and occasionally hit a major pothole, but the long-term data highlight that stocks have easily outperformed bonds, T-bills, CDs, and inflation.
As Warren Buffett opined a couple of years ago, "It's been a terrible mistake to bet against America, and now is no time to start. (Investment U, Motley Fool).
I trust you've found this review to be educational and helpful.
Let me emphasize again that it is my job to assist you! If you have any questions or would like to discuss any matters, please feel free to give me or any of my team members a call.
As 2019 gets underway, I wish you and your loved ones a happy and prosperous new year!
Regards,
Christopher Cannon, MSAPM, CFP®, RICP®, AIF®
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The economic forecasts set forth in this materials may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
No investment strategy assures a profit or protects against a loss.
There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.
Investing in stock includes numerous specific risks including: the fluctuation of dividend, loss of principal and potential illiquidity of the investment in a failing market.
The S&P 500 Index is a capitalization weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is comprised of 30 stocks that are major factors in their industries and widely held by individuals and institutional investors.
The NASDAQ Composite Index measures all NASDAQ domestic and non-U.S. based common stocks listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The market value, the last sale price multiplied by total shares outstanding, is calculated throughout the trading day, and is related to the total value of the Index.
The Russell 2000 Index is an unmanaged index generally representative of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 index, which represents approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of the 3000 Index.
The MSCI World ex USA Index captures large and mid-cap representation across 22 of 23 developed countries' markets - excluding the United States.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of the emerging market countries of the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an index of the U.S. investment-grade fixed-rate bond market, including both government and corporate bonds.
Dollar cost averaging involves continuous investment in securities regardless of fluctuation in price levels of such securities. An investor should consider their ability to continue purchasing through fluctuating price levels. Such a plan does not assure a profit and does not protect against loss in declining markets.

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2022-12-08T18:23:00+00:00
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