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Macroeconomic AnalysisWhy the US Markets Fell after Fed Chair Powell’s Speech
The US stock markets turned negative before the market closed yesterday after fully assessing Fed chair Jerome Powell’s speech.
FinancialsJPMorgan Chase: Financial Sector Could Lead S&P 500 to New Highs
The financial sector could benefit the most from the Fed’s gradual rate hike process.
MiscellaneousHow Markets Will Be Driven by Central Banks’ Actions in December
December is extremely critical for investors in stock markets around the world. Central banks of the two largest economies in the world are expected to make key monetary policy decisions.
Fund ManagersIs the Sector Breakdown Indicating a Potential Market Fall?
Sectors of the S&P 500 Index (SPY) play an important role. When economic activity improves and the market is strong, major sectors perform well.
Real InsightsMajor Tailwinds for the Financial Sector
With so many positive tailwinds for the financial sector, how can investors use ETFs to target this growth?
Macroeconomic AnalysisPuerto Rico’s GDP Is Falling amid Low Expectations for 2017
For years, Puerto Rico has been using tax incentives to attract corporations to do business in its region. Over the last four decades, the agricultural economy has shifted toward the manufacturing and services sectors.
Macroeconomic AnalysisConsumer Sentiment Index Surges to 2.9% Following Trump’s Win
In contrast, however, weak data were reported for U.S. employment, the preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index[2. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is a consumer confidence index published monthly by the University of Michigan. The index is normalized to have a value of 100 in December 1964. Each month at least 500 […]
Company & Industry OverviewsWhich Sectors to Watch after a Presidential Election
In this final part of the series, we’ll try to identify the best-performing sectors after a presidential election. The S&P 500 has generated an annualized return of 7.0% in the last 27 years.
Macroeconomic AnalysisAnalyzing Dodd–Frank’s Constraints in the US Financial Market
While Donald Trump wants to get rid of the Dodd–Frank Act, especially the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Hillary Clinton wants to retain it.
Macroeconomic AnalysisIncreased Government Spending Can Have a Domino Effect
Many economists agree that the United States needs to shift from a reliance on monetary policy to more fiscal stimulus, but it is not clear that the political stars are aligning to do so…
HealthcareAugust’s Labor Force Participation Rate Came In at 62.8%
Both the labor force participation rate, which came in at 62.8%, and the employment-population ratio, which came in at 59.7%, were unchanged in August.
Company & Industry OverviewsWhich Sectors to Avoid if Inflation Rises
Telecom services and utilities, the traditional dividend stars, have provided a fillip to US equities in 2016.
Macroeconomic AnalysisCould the Rise in Retail Sales and CPI Impact Portfolios?
The United States Census Bureau published the US retail sales report for June on July 15. Retail sales rose 0.6% in June on a month-over-month basis.
Earnings ReportWhy JPMorgan Chase’s Trading Revenues Beat Expectations
JPMorgan Chases’s trading and investment banking business recorded healthy growth in the second quarter.
Macroeconomic AnalysisUS Dollar Rises on Speculation of Stimulus Measures in Japan and UK
The US dollar index, which measures the strength of the US dollar against the major currencies, was on a bull run on July 11.
FinancialsBill Gross: Unfortunately, We Aren’t Playing Monopoly
In Monopoly, the $200 of credit creation never changes. In the real economy, credit creation isn’t guaranteed to occur at the same pace each year.
Macroeconomic AnalysisStrong ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI Overshadows Services PMI
The non-manufacturing PMI is published by the ISM. It rose to the highest level since November 2015. The non-manufacturing PMI for May rose to 56.5.
FinancialsGICS Sector: Rate-Sensitive ETFs Remain in Focus
Rate-sensitive XLF saw the largest outflows among GICS sector ETFs on a weekly basis. But it was also the biggest fund flow loser in the first half of 2016.
Macroeconomic AnalysisWhy Did US Factory Orders Fall by 1.0% in May?
New factory orders in the US fell by 1.0% in May—compared to the forecast of a fall of 0.8%. The factory orders for April were revised down to a rise of 1.8%.
Company & Industry OverviewsWells Fargo: Capital Return Outpaces Its Peers
Wells Fargo (WFC) added 350 million shares to its share repurchase authorization in January 2016.
Company & Industry OverviewsWhat Is Wells Fargo’s Sensitivity to Interest Rates?
Net interest income makes up 53% of Wells Fargo’s total income. In 1Q16, Wells Fargo had a loan portfolio worth $947 billion.
Company & Industry OverviewsWells Fargo: What Sets It Apart from Its Peers?
Wells Fargo (WFC) is the largest mortgage lender in the US, operating primarily as a retail and commercial bank. It is been the most profitable bank in its peer group, posting a return of 10% on shareholder’s equity and ~1.3% on assets in 2015.
Macroeconomic AnalysisWhy Was There a Sharp Fall in US Durable Goods Orders?
With Brexit out of the way, the focus will shift to domestic data releases. This week will see the release of US final GDP and US consumer confidence.
MiscellaneousGICS Sector ETFs: Investors Run for the Exits!
During last week’s volatile trading session, investors pulled money out of all but two US GICS Sector ETFs. All of the sectors closed in negative territory.
Macroeconomic AnalysisBank of America’s Credit Default Risks Could Be Rising
Bank of America (BAC) has a credit card loan portfolio worth $96.4 billion as of March 31, 2016. It accounts for 22% of its total consumer loans.
Company & Industry OverviewsDeere’s Long-Term Debt Equals Its Market Cap: Should You Worry?
The carrying value of Deere & Company’s (DE) long-term debt fell from $24.3 billion in 2014 to $23.8 billion in 2015.
Macroeconomic AnalysisChina’s Real Estate Bubble: George Soros Shows Why It Will Burst
According to George Soros, the Chinese property and construction bubble can grow and feed itself like in the United States in 2005–06.
FinancialsCorporate Credit: Canary or Phoenix for US Economic Growth?
It’s difficult to determine whether corporate credit is the phoenix or the canary in the coal mine for growth in an economy.
Earnings ReportWill Citigroup Raise Its Dividends in 2016?
Citigroup is currently one of the stocks paying the lowest dividends in the banking space (KBE). In 2015, the company paid dividends of $0.16 per share.
Earnings ReportWhy Is Expense Control Key to JPMorgan’s Earnings?
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is committed to cost-cutting and optimizing its capital levels. Banks have repeatedly been criticized for their inability to control overhead expenses.
Macroeconomic AnalysisUS Markets Flat as Unemployment Claims Rise
The US dollar index was trading on a lower note on March 31, 2016, at 2:30 PM EST as unemployment added further uncertainty to the US rate hike.
MiscellaneousWhat Do Moving Averages Indicate for KBE?
The SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) has a market capitalization of $2.3 billion as of March 24, 2016. Its trading volume is $4.1 billion shares.
Company & Industry OverviewsHow Will Bank of America’s Buyback Plan Impact Shareholders?
On March 18, 2016, Bank of America (BAC) reported that its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of shares worth $800 million.
MiscellaneousWhat Is the Rationale for the Honest Dollar Acquisition?
Goldman Sachs says the Honest Dollar acquisition is part of its continuing effort to boost its asset management business.
MiscellaneousHow Honest Dollar Will Boost Tech Capacity for Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs (GS) is adding more technology to its investment banking arm with its acquisition of Honest Dollar, an Austin-based digital retirement savings tool.
Macroeconomic AnalysisADP Employment Report Release Strikes a Strong Note
The ADP employment report often acts as a precursor to the Non-Farm Payrolls release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is scheduled for March 4, 2016.
Macroeconomic AnalysisHow Have KBE’s Fund Flows Been in 2016?
Year-to-date, investors have withdrawn $140 million from KBE. Of this amount, $34 million was withdrawn last week.
Company & Industry OverviewsKBE Is Trading below Its Historical Moving Averages In 2016
KBE invests in a portfolio of publicly traded money centers and leading regional banks. About 80% of its holdings are concentrated in regional banks.
Macroeconomic AnalysisBanking SPDRs Got a Boost while Utility ETFs Traded Lower
The 4Q15 GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.0% against a forecast of 0.4%. The banking sector took positive cues from the GDP report with major gains in banking stocks.
Company & Industry OverviewsA Look at the Role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established to protect consumers’ interests by implementing federal consumer financial laws.
Macroeconomic AnalysisThe KBE ETF Witnessed Inflows of $49 Million in 2015
Exchange-traded fund investors have withdrawn $89.5 million from the SPDR S&P Bank ETF during December. In 2015, KBE witnessed inflows of $49 million.
MiscellaneousKBE Crossed below 100-Day Moving Average on December 29
The SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) seeks to track the returns on the S&P Banks Select Industry Index. It has a market capitalization of $2.6 billion as of January 5.
Macroeconomic AnalysisKBE’s Inflows Reached $17 Million the Week Ended December 11
Among the 133 13F filers holding the stock, 43 funds reduced their exposure to KBE, while 21 funds sold all their holdings.
MiscellaneousHow Do Banks Pass the Fed’s Stress Test?
Since the 2008 financial crisis, the stress test has evolved as an important analytical tool for evaluating capital adequacy under adverse conditions.
Macroeconomic AnalysisA Flat Yield Curve Is a Squeeze on Corporate Profitability
Less lending leads to lesser investment and business expansion activities. This infringes on corporate profitability and overall economic profit growth.
Macroeconomic AnalysisHow Zero-Bound Money Restricts Credit Growth
Credit growth has started to slow in the Us. From the 12% annualized growth rate of commercial and industrial credit in 2014, the rate is currently around 10.8%.
MiscellaneousWhat Is the Dodd-Frank Act?
The Dodd-Frank Act is a financial reform legislation passed in an attempt to prevent events similar to the 2009 financial crisis from occurring again.
Macroeconomic AnalysisUnderstanding the Fed’s Financial Regulations Post-2008 Crisis
Since the financial crisis, the Fed has enforced regulations for the capital strength and liquidity of 16 systematically important financial institutions.
Macroeconomic AnalysisThe Banking Sector in Mid-November: Awaiting a Probable Rate Hike
The Fed’s focus in December will likely be on the pacing of subsequent rate hikes rather than on the timing of the first rate hike.
Macroeconomic AnalysisKBE Witnessed Outflows of $10 Million in Week Ended November 6
Among the 135 13F filers holding KBE, 36 funds reduced their exposure to the fund, while eight funds sold all their holdings.
Company & Industry OverviewsKBE Crossed over Its 20-Day Moving Average on November 6
On November 6, 2015, KBE closed at $36.59, above its 100-day moving average of $33.34, its 50-day moving average of $34.08, and its 20-day moving average of $34.87.
MiscellaneousLow Interest Rates Eat into Money Market Funds’ Yields
Money market funds suffer in periods of low interest rates because their yields drop, causing fund managers to lower fees and close access to new investors.
Macroeconomic AnalysisUS Banks’ Asset Quality Is Improving, Dodd-Frank Act Is Working
3Q15 earnings offered strong signs that the Dodd-Frank Act is working. Banks are focusing on building their balance sheets and enhancing asset quality.
Earnings ReportUS Banks’ Capital Market Revenues Fell in 3Q15
Global market uncertainty took a toll on US banks’ capital market revenues during 3Q15.
Company & Industry OverviewsBanks Relying Heavily on Interest-Related Income Suffered
In the third quarter, banks that relied heavily on interest-based income suffered, reporting record-low net interest margins.
Macroeconomic AnalysisBanks Cut Costs and Improved Efficiency to Remain Profitable
In order to boost profitability in a low–interest rate environment, banks are reducing expenses by restructuring their businesses.
Earnings ReportHow Does First Horizon National Compare to Its Peers?
First Horizon outperformed its peers based on the forward PE ratio and PBV ratio. The ETFs outperformed First Horizon based on the price movement.
Earnings ReportFirst Horizon Reported Mixed Results in 3Q15
First Horizon National has a market cap of $3.23 billion. After the earnings report in 3Q15, it fell by 1.2% to close at $13.80 per share as of October 16, 2015.
Earnings ReportPacWest Bancorp’s Performance Compared to Its Peers
The peers are way ahead of PacWest Bancorp based on the EPS and PBV ratio. The ETFs outperformed it based on the price movement, PE ratio, and PBV ratio.
Earnings ReportMB Financial Reported Mixed Results in 3Q15
MB Financial has a market cap of $2.4 billion. After the earnings report in 3Q15, MB Financial rose by 0.1% to close at $31.30 per share as of October 15.
Earnings ReportHow Does MGIC Investment Compare to Its Peers?
The peers outperformed MGIC Investment based on the forward PE ratio. However, MGIC is way ahead of its peers based on the PBV ratio.
Earnings ReportMGIC’s Revenue and Income Rose in 3Q15
MGIC Investment (MTG) has a market cap of $3.4 billion. After the earnings report in 3Q15, it rose by 4% to close at $10 per share as of October 15, 2015.
Earnings ReportHow Does Western Alliance Bancorp Compare to Its Peers?
The peers outperformed Western Alliance based on the EPS. However, it’s way ahead of its peers based on the forward PE ratio and PBV ratio.
Earnings ReportWebster Reported Mixed Results in 3Q15
Webster Financial has a market cap of $3.3 billion. After the earnings report in 3Q15, Webster fell by 1.1% to close at $35.35 per share as of October 15, 2015.
Company & Industry OverviewsUS Equities: Global Equity Concerns, Weakening Manufacturing
In the week ending August 21, US equities saw total outflows of $2.1 billion, compared to outflows of $1.0 billion in the previous week.
Earnings ReportRegions Financial Records Average Loan and Deposit Growth in 1Q15
In the quarter, Region Financial’s deposit balances increased 4.4% from the same quarter last year, while checking accounts grew 5.7%.
Company & Industry OverviewsMust-know: Investing in KeyCorp through ETFs
KeyCorp (KEY) is represented in key ETFs focused on the banking sector. The SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) has KeyCorp comprising ~1.7% of its portfolio.
Company & Industry OverviewsKeyCorp’s Asset Quality Is Improving
Higher nonperforming loans (or NPLs) indicate poor asset quality. KeyCorp’s nonperforming loans to end-of-period loans ratio is 0.73.
Company & Industry OverviewsIs SunTrust Bank’s Stock Undervalued?
SunTrust Bank’s return on equity is 8%, which is 18% lower than the industry average.
Company & Industry OverviewsMust-Know: Investing in BB&T through ETFs
BB&T is more widely represented in ETFs focused on the banking sector. The SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) has BB&T comprising ~1.6% of its portfolio.
Company & Industry OverviewsBB&T to Expand Its Footprint in Ohio and the Mid-Atlantic Region
BB&T’s Susquehanna acquisition will significantly expand BB&T’s Mid-Atlantic footprint. The deal is valued at ~$2.5 billion. It will close in the second half of 2015.
Company & Industry OverviewsBB&T Is Expanding Its Footprint in Texas
BB&T entered Texas in 2009 with the acquisition of Colonial BancGroup. BB&T is looking to expand its branch network in Texas.
Company & Industry OverviewsBB&T’s Residential Mortgage Banking Segment Faces Headwinds
BB&T’s (BBT) Residential Mortgage Banking segment retains and services mortgage loans originated by the Community Banking segment.
Company & Industry OverviewsBB&T’s Community Banking Is Impacted by Low Interest Rates
BB&T’s Community Banking segment offers a variety of loan and deposit products and other financial services. The segment’s net interest income decreased in 2014.
Company & Industry OverviewsAnalyzing BB&T Corporation’s 6 Operating Segments
BB&T Corporation’s (BBT) operations are divided into six business segments. Community Banking contributes 46% to the total revenue.
Fund ManagersBaupost Group Lowered Its Stake in Ocwen Financial
The Baupost Group lowered its position in Ocwen Financial (OCN) during 4Q14. The position accounted for 1.77% of the total portfolio in 4Q14.
Company & Industry OverviewsIs Regions Financial stock undervalued?
Regions Financial’s stock price hasn’t recovered since it fell during the crisis. It has the lowest price-to-book ratio of ~0.8 in its peer group.
Company & Industry OverviewsWhy does Regions Financial have a stable net interest margin?
For a bank, the net interest margin is the difference between the interest income generated and the interest paid out as a percentage of interest-earning assets.
ConsumerSPY rallies in the afternoon and closes higher at 2,021
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) mirrors the price movement of the S&P 500, so it also gained ~0.93% and closed at 202.01 levels
Financials Key takeaways from the 13-week Treasury bills auction
The U.S. Treasury held the weekly auction for three-month, or 13-week, Treasury bills (or T-bills) on September 15. $24 billion worth of T-bills were on offer. The issue size was lower than the $26 billion auctioned the previous week. The high discount rate was lower at 0.015% in the September 15 auction—compared to 0.02% in the auction held the previous week.
Financials Must-know: Credit risk retention in securitization transactions
In its most basic form, securitization pools similar forms of debt—like credit cards, car loans, or real estate mortgages (IYR) (VNQ)—into special purpose vehicles (or SPVs). The cash flow from the debt in the SPV is divided into tranches. The tranches have different risk and return characteristics.
Financials Why the yield curve impacts bank profitability
Historically, a flatter yield curve had an adverse impact on the financial institutions’ returns. It lowered their net interest margins. The Fed continues to stress an accommodative monetary policy. The policy and strong overseas demand have kept yields low at the long end of the curve. As a result, the difference between 30-year and five-year Treasury yields fell to 154 basis points on September 5, 2014.
Financials Bank stress tests and enhanced US banking institution standards
Signs of financial stress in Global Systemically Important Banks (or GSIBs)—like Citigroup and JPMorgan (or JPM)—would impact the entire financial system. The signs of stress would impact stocks and bonds (BND). As a result, it’s important that the Fed and other regulators establish a suitable regulatory and supervisory framework.
Financials 2008 financial crisis management—Dodd-Frank Act
As a result of the 2008 financial crisis, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010. The Act includes provisions for enhanced liquidity. It also includes provisions for capital and risk-management requirements for large financial intermediaries.
Financials Analyzing the key trends at recent Treasury bill auctions
Last week, the week ended June 13, the U.S. Treasury held weekly auctions for four-week, 13-week, and 26-week Treasury bills for $30 billion, $25 billion, and $23 billion, respectively.
Financials An investor’s guide to financial intermediation and key risks
Financial intermediation can result in concentration of risks that increase the fragility of the financial system. These risks are referred to as systemic risks.