03/06/2022
The bull market that began in March of 2020 came dangerously close to an end. From March 23, 2020 through January 3rd, 2022, the S&P 500 Index gained 114%. From that January 3rd closing high through the recent low on May 19th, the S&P 500 fell nearly 20%, narrowly avoiding the level at which bull markets end and bear markets begin.
While we wait uncomfortably to see if the S&P 500 can hold its recent lows, it is somewhat reassuring to know that bear markets that are not accompanied by recessions tend to be milder:
Bottom line, if the U.S. economy is able to avoid recession over the next 12 to 18 months, then this selloff may be over sooner rather than later, and stocks could potentially make a run at previous highs.
That doesn’t take away from the increasingly challenging environment consumers and businesses are facing as sky-high inflation shows few signs of relenting. Recession risk is rising, increasing the chances of a larger decline—the average recessionary bear market decline is 34.8%. The Federal Reserve has taken away the punchbowl, giving markets a hangover. The cure is lower inflation, but it will take time.
Those who believe this environment is like the 1970s, 2000-2002, or 2008-2009, may want to consider more defensive positioning of portfolios. Those are the types of environments where some companies don’t survive. But if the economy stabilizes as the Fed fights to tame inflation which Fed Chair Powell aspires to achieve leading to the so-called “soft landing”, then the best path forward may be to ride this out. Market timing is hard. The sharpest rallies tend to come during bear markets and are very costly to miss for long-term investors.
Investors are anxious right now and understandably so. Legendary investor Warren Buffett tells us that situations like this are an opportunity to be greedy, not fearful. Sir John Templeton, another legendary investor, tells us bull markets are born on pessimism (and grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria). Well, we have a healthy dose of pessimism right now to provide fuel for the next rally.
Buffett’s advice makes sense but is difficult to follow in practice. For those who can fight off the temptation to sell when stocks are down and have an investing time horizon spanning more than a year or two, history suggests you will be positioned to do well. Again, Bear market recoveries prior to record when not accompanied by recession, take on average seven months to recover. From a long-term investing perspective, that’s not long time to wait.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Scott A. Shaw, CFA®, CFP®
CIO | Chief Investment Officer
40 E Montgomery Ave, 4th Floor Ardmore, PA 19003
Office Phone: 215-982-2743
Fax Number: 215-827-5814
Email: sshaw@bashcapital.com
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