The views expressed in this document are those of the Portfolio Manager. They do not necessarily represent the views of BMO Global Asset Management. The views and opinions have been arrived at by the Portfolio Manager and should not be considered to be a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any products that may be mentioned.
This material may contain forward-looking statements. “Forward-looking statements,” can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “outlook”, “project”, “estimate”, “intend”, “continue” or “believe” or the negatives thereof, or variations thereon, or other comparable terminology. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements, as actual results could differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties.
This communication is for information purposes. The information contained herein is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax or legal advice to any party. Particular investments and/or trading strategies should be evaluated relative to the individual’s investment objectives and professional advice should be obtained with respect to any circumstance. BMO Mutual Funds are managed by BMO Investments Inc., which is an investment fund manager and a separate legal entity from the Bank of Montreal.
Commissions, trailing commissions (if applicable), management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the fund facts or prospectus of the relevant mutual fund before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination. For a summary of the risks of an investment in BMO Mutual Funds, please see the specific risks set out in the prospectus.
BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name that under which BMO Asset Management Inc. and BMO Investments Inc. operate. BMO Mutual Funds are managed by BMO Investments Inc., which is an investment fund manager and a separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal.
®/™Registered trademarks/trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence.
BMO ETF Portfolios July Commentary: “Game On!”
Steven Shepherd, CFA
Portfolio Activity
“Game On!”
If you grew up in Canada, or are a fan of Mike Myers, you probably are familiar with the exclamation. It is the ubiquitous signal that impending danger has passed, and that prior activities can continue once more, until interrupted by the next approaching threat.
In June, not only did the proverbial car pass global markets without incident, but equities also behaved as if the entire neighbourhood had been closed off for the annual tournament. With a pause from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board (the “Fed”) and continued momentum among technology stocks, equities continued to price recession concerns further into the future. The shift from rate cuts back to additional rate increases were priced into the market, with the Bank of Canada moving again, as did the European Central Bank, with Jerome Powell making it clear that the July Fed meeting remained “live”, a hawkish intonation to the broadly expected hold placed on rate increases at the June 14th meeting.
The continued push higher in yields further inverted yield curves, which first inverted 11 months ago. This traditionally has been the bell to start the countdown to recession, but it is ringing hollow this time. First quarter U.S. GDP was revised to 2.0% versus 1.4%, while the easing personal consumption expenditure (PCE) helped egg on investors. U.S. headline inflation continued to cool, from 5% year-over-year in March to May’s 4% reading. This was partially on base effects, but also from recent drops in oil prices. Core inflation however remained virtually unchanged on a year-over-year basis, moving only 30 basis points lower to May’s 5.3% figure. Canada made better progress on the inflation front, with May’s headline and core CPI readings falling to 3.4% and 4.0%, respectively.
One of the concerns regarding the current rally has been how narrow breadth and participation has been, both at the sector and individual stock level. Artificial Intelligence (AI) related valuations have become extreme by any measure, and when compounded with the dominant weights of key names like Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Alphabet, it certainly places a lot of chips in one corner of the table. However, it also reflects a view that investors are now looking beyond the short-term of the next 12-24 months, and even any potential recession. While the first is definitely a good thing, the second seems to be a little dismissive of the potential negative impacts of even an average recession.
A couple of things itch at the back of one’s mind though. Oil seems to be stuck in a range well below what is expected of a global economy moving back to trend growth. Employment-leading indicators continue to creep up, although issues of fraud in some states provides a large grain of salt to help digest negative data in the short-term. Housing costs have certainly not come anywhere near returning to pre-COVID levels, with Canadian prices already turning back to positive gains despite high mortgage rates. The U.S. market is less interest rate sensitive, but rents continue to climb in major urban centres.
While being a bear during a rally is never fun, jumping on a narrow rally with a less than clear economic and earnings outlook is even less appealing to us.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this document are those of the Portfolio Manager. They do not necessarily represent the views of BMO Global Asset Management. The views and opinions have been arrived at by the Portfolio Manager and should not be considered to be a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any products that may be mentioned.
This material may contain forward-looking statements. “Forward-looking statements,” can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “outlook”, “project”, “estimate”, “intend”, “continue” or “believe” or the negatives thereof, or variations thereon, or other comparable terminology. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements, as actual results could differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties.
This communication is for information purposes. The information contained herein is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax or legal advice to any party. Particular investments and/or trading strategies should be evaluated relative to the individual’s investment objectives and professional advice should be obtained with respect to any circumstance. BMO Mutual Funds are managed by BMO Investments Inc., which is an investment fund manager and a separate legal entity from the Bank of Montreal.
Commissions, trailing commissions (if applicable), management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the fund facts or prospectus of the relevant mutual fund before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination. For a summary of the risks of an investment in BMO Mutual Funds, please see the specific risks set out in the prospectus.
BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name that under which BMO Asset Management Inc. and BMO Investments Inc. operate. BMO Mutual Funds are managed by BMO Investments Inc., which is an investment fund manager and a separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal.
®/™Registered trademarks/trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence.
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