Growth in “Potential GDP” Shows Limited Potential
by ilene - August 22nd, 2009 1:35 pm
Introduction to John Hussman’s weekly market comment, courtesy of Tom Burger:
"Very interesting Hussman post this week. He is trying to corroborate his valuation model’s projection of relatively low ten year returns by using the U.S. Department of Commerce estimate of decade-ahead GDP. This estimate, according to Hussman, depends not on current economic conditions but on economic fundamentals — such as demographics, capital stock measures, and so forth.
"He also points out some rather hard to ignore valuation variances with past recession end points — current stock yields and price to revenue ratios."
- Tom Burger at Applying the Lessons of Free Market Economics
Growth in "Potential GDP" Shows Limited Potential
Courtesy of John P. Hussman, Ph.D.
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Historically, two factors have made important contributions to stock market returns in the years following U.S. recessions. One of these that we review frequently is valuation. Very simply, depressed valuations have historically been predictably followed by above-average total returns over the following 7-10 year period (though not necessarily over very short periods of time), while elevated valuations have been predictably followed by below-average total returns.
Thus, when we look at the dividend yield of the S&P 500 at the end of U.S. recessions since 1940, we find that the average yield has been about 4.25% (the yield at the market’s low was invariably even higher). Presently, the dividend yield on the S&P 500 is about half that, at 2.14%, placing the S&P 500 price/dividend ratio at about double the level that is normally seen at the end of U.S. recessions (even presuming the recession is in fact ending, of which I remain doubtful). At the March low, the yield on the S&P 500 didn’t even crack 3.65%. Similarly, the price-to-revenue ratio on the S&P 500 at the end of recessions has been about 40% lower than it is today, and has been lower still at the actual bear market trough. The same is true of valuations in relation to normalized earnings, even though the market looked reasonably cheap in March based on the ratio of the S&P 500 to 2007 peak earnings (which were driven by profit margins about 50% above the historical norm).
Stocks are currently overvalued, which – if the recession is indeed over – makes…
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Philip R. Davis is a founder Phil's Stock World, a stock and options trading site that teaches the art of options trading to newcomers and devises advanced strategies for expert traders...
Ilene is editor and affiliate program
coordinator for PSW.