How To Profit From Volatile Markets
Friday, October 1, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How Would You Spend Your Trillion?
Confronting the federal deficit starts with grasping just how colossal that number actually is. So, what would $1 trillion get you?
The figure is almost incomprehensible: $1,000,000,000,000. One trillion dollars. That's a dozen zeros.
The Congressional Budget Office reports that during the first nine months of fiscal 2010 -- which ends September 30 -- the federal government spent $1 trillion more than it took in. That's another $1 trillion added to a total national debt that stood at just over $13 trillion as of the Fourth of July. (On the bright side, the trillion-dollar nine-month deficit was about $80 billion less red ink than flowed during the same period last year.)
Not so long ago, the idea of a "trillion" anything was so farfetched that it evoked a comic response similar to what the use of the word "gazillion" does today. The 1960s comment attributed to then Senate minority leader (and ever-vigilant deficit hawk) Everett Dirksen -- "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money" -- seems downright quaint today. (In 1965, the national debt was a paltry $317 billion.)
But, seriously, how much is $1 trillion? To help you wrap your head around that mind-boggling number, and to try to put deficit spending into perspective, consider what $1 trillion will buy, expressed in terms we can all understand:
$1 Trillion Would Buy ...
40,816,326 New Cars
The 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI wins Kiplinger's Best in Class honors for cars in the $20,000-to-$25,000 price range. At a sticker price of $24,500 each, $1 trillion would let you drive away with a fleet of Jettas equivalent to 30% of all the cars already on U.S. highways. (The total U.S. car fleet is more than 135 million, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, excluding trucks and SUVs.)
5,574,136 Typical American Homes
According to the National Association of Realtors, the national median price for existing single-family homes in May was $179,400. There are about 80 million detached, single-family homes in the U.S., according to the NAR and the Census Bureau.
140 Billion Hours of Labor
That's calculated at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Still hard to get your mind around? How about this: One trillion dollars is enough to hire all 2.8 million residents of the state of Kansas -- men, women and children -- in full-time, minimum-wage jobs for the next 23 years.
A Year's Salary for 14.7 Million Teachers
According to the National Education Association, the average teacher salary in the state of California is about $68,000. The total number of teachers working in the U.S. was estimated at 6.2 million ten years ago, according to the 2000 U.S. Census (the last official estimate). So $1 trillion would pay Golden State salaries to more than twice that number of teachers.
The Annual Salaries of All 535 Members of Congress for the Next 10,742 Years
The current salary for rank-and-file members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate is $174,000. We're not even counting the extras paid to congressional leaders.
The Star Power of LeBron James for the Next 50,000 Years
A lot of numbers are being thrown around about just how much the basketball superstar will be paid for playing for the Miami Heat. But let's say it's just $20 million a year. At that rate, $1 trillion would cover the tab for King James for the next 50 millennia. Heck, King Tut was born less than four millennia ago.
1.33 Trillion Chocolate Bars
Got a hankering for something sweet? A sweet $1 trillion will buy you that many 1.55-ounce Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars at 75 cents apiece. That's 64 million tons of chocolate, equivalent to the weight of more than 150,000 Boeing 747-400s.
1,333 Celebrity Divorce Settlements
It's been widely reported that Tiger Woods may pay $750 million to settle the divorce with his wife, Elin Nordegren. Some commentators say that's a wild exaggeration, and that a mere $100 million will facilitate the split. But let's assume the worst (for Tiger). If it costs $750,000,000 to end his marriage, a trillion dollars would cover plenty more tabloid breakups.
A Guaranteed $6.3 Billion Payout for a 65-Year-Old Man Each Year for the Rest of His Life
or
A Guaranteed $5.8 Billion for a 65-Year-Old Woman Each Year for the Rest of Her Life.
With the demise of the company pension plan -- and its wonderful promise of regular checks in retirement -- immediate-payout annuities are garnering more and more attention. These investments let you trade a lump sum for a guaranteed stream of income for the rest of your life. Even at today's record-low interest rates (the lower the interest rate, the more expensive it is to buy future income), $1 trillion earns its way -- and then some. Because women live longer than men, on average, $1 trillion would buy a 65-year-old woman a little less. But having $5.8 billion a year to fall back on is nothing to sneeze at.
A One-Year CD Yielding $15.5 Billion in Interest
Everyone knows that interest rates on bank accounts, money-market funds and certificates of deposit are ludicrously low. But even at just 1.55% -- the best rate we could find recently -- $1 trillion socked away in a one-year CD would still yield a handsome return.
Annual Base Pay for 59.5 Million U.S. Army Privates
Basic pay for an active-duty U.S. Army private with less than two years of experience is $16,794 a year. So $1 trillion goes a mighty long way, even by military spending standards. To put that in perspective, 59.5 million privates is more than 100 times the total number of active-duty soldiers in the Army today.
Replace Annual Incomes for 19.2 Million American Families
Median household income in the U.S. (half the families earn more, half earn less) was $52,029 in 2008, according to the Bureau of the Census. At that level, $1 trillion would be enough to cover the incomes of a sizable percentage of total U.S. family households. There are no recent official estimates, but the 2000 U.S. Census figured there were about 71.8 million family households.
Pay the Estate Taxes for 2,222 Billionaires
Let's assume that, as we expect, Congress reinstates the federal estate tax retroactively to January 1, 2010, with a $3.5 million exemption and a rate of 45%. And assume that the late George Steinbrenner's taxable estate is $1 billion. The tax bill would be almost $450 million. That $1 trillion would be enough to cover the estate taxes of a lot more billionaires who might die before Congress acts.
by Kevin McCormally, Provided by Kiplinger.com
The figure is almost incomprehensible: $1,000,000,000,000. One trillion dollars. That's a dozen zeros.
The Congressional Budget Office reports that during the first nine months of fiscal 2010 -- which ends September 30 -- the federal government spent $1 trillion more than it took in. That's another $1 trillion added to a total national debt that stood at just over $13 trillion as of the Fourth of July. (On the bright side, the trillion-dollar nine-month deficit was about $80 billion less red ink than flowed during the same period last year.)
Not so long ago, the idea of a "trillion" anything was so farfetched that it evoked a comic response similar to what the use of the word "gazillion" does today. The 1960s comment attributed to then Senate minority leader (and ever-vigilant deficit hawk) Everett Dirksen -- "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money" -- seems downright quaint today. (In 1965, the national debt was a paltry $317 billion.)
But, seriously, how much is $1 trillion? To help you wrap your head around that mind-boggling number, and to try to put deficit spending into perspective, consider what $1 trillion will buy, expressed in terms we can all understand:
$1 Trillion Would Buy ...
40,816,326 New Cars
The 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI wins Kiplinger's Best in Class honors for cars in the $20,000-to-$25,000 price range. At a sticker price of $24,500 each, $1 trillion would let you drive away with a fleet of Jettas equivalent to 30% of all the cars already on U.S. highways. (The total U.S. car fleet is more than 135 million, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, excluding trucks and SUVs.)
5,574,136 Typical American Homes
According to the National Association of Realtors, the national median price for existing single-family homes in May was $179,400. There are about 80 million detached, single-family homes in the U.S., according to the NAR and the Census Bureau.
140 Billion Hours of Labor
That's calculated at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Still hard to get your mind around? How about this: One trillion dollars is enough to hire all 2.8 million residents of the state of Kansas -- men, women and children -- in full-time, minimum-wage jobs for the next 23 years.
A Year's Salary for 14.7 Million Teachers
According to the National Education Association, the average teacher salary in the state of California is about $68,000. The total number of teachers working in the U.S. was estimated at 6.2 million ten years ago, according to the 2000 U.S. Census (the last official estimate). So $1 trillion would pay Golden State salaries to more than twice that number of teachers.
The Annual Salaries of All 535 Members of Congress for the Next 10,742 Years
The current salary for rank-and-file members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate is $174,000. We're not even counting the extras paid to congressional leaders.
The Star Power of LeBron James for the Next 50,000 Years
A lot of numbers are being thrown around about just how much the basketball superstar will be paid for playing for the Miami Heat. But let's say it's just $20 million a year. At that rate, $1 trillion would cover the tab for King James for the next 50 millennia. Heck, King Tut was born less than four millennia ago.
1.33 Trillion Chocolate Bars
Got a hankering for something sweet? A sweet $1 trillion will buy you that many 1.55-ounce Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars at 75 cents apiece. That's 64 million tons of chocolate, equivalent to the weight of more than 150,000 Boeing 747-400s.
1,333 Celebrity Divorce Settlements
It's been widely reported that Tiger Woods may pay $750 million to settle the divorce with his wife, Elin Nordegren. Some commentators say that's a wild exaggeration, and that a mere $100 million will facilitate the split. But let's assume the worst (for Tiger). If it costs $750,000,000 to end his marriage, a trillion dollars would cover plenty more tabloid breakups.
A Guaranteed $6.3 Billion Payout for a 65-Year-Old Man Each Year for the Rest of His Life
or
A Guaranteed $5.8 Billion for a 65-Year-Old Woman Each Year for the Rest of Her Life.
With the demise of the company pension plan -- and its wonderful promise of regular checks in retirement -- immediate-payout annuities are garnering more and more attention. These investments let you trade a lump sum for a guaranteed stream of income for the rest of your life. Even at today's record-low interest rates (the lower the interest rate, the more expensive it is to buy future income), $1 trillion earns its way -- and then some. Because women live longer than men, on average, $1 trillion would buy a 65-year-old woman a little less. But having $5.8 billion a year to fall back on is nothing to sneeze at.
A One-Year CD Yielding $15.5 Billion in Interest
Everyone knows that interest rates on bank accounts, money-market funds and certificates of deposit are ludicrously low. But even at just 1.55% -- the best rate we could find recently -- $1 trillion socked away in a one-year CD would still yield a handsome return.
Annual Base Pay for 59.5 Million U.S. Army Privates
Basic pay for an active-duty U.S. Army private with less than two years of experience is $16,794 a year. So $1 trillion goes a mighty long way, even by military spending standards. To put that in perspective, 59.5 million privates is more than 100 times the total number of active-duty soldiers in the Army today.
Replace Annual Incomes for 19.2 Million American Families
Median household income in the U.S. (half the families earn more, half earn less) was $52,029 in 2008, according to the Bureau of the Census. At that level, $1 trillion would be enough to cover the incomes of a sizable percentage of total U.S. family households. There are no recent official estimates, but the 2000 U.S. Census figured there were about 71.8 million family households.
Pay the Estate Taxes for 2,222 Billionaires
Let's assume that, as we expect, Congress reinstates the federal estate tax retroactively to January 1, 2010, with a $3.5 million exemption and a rate of 45%. And assume that the late George Steinbrenner's taxable estate is $1 billion. The tax bill would be almost $450 million. That $1 trillion would be enough to cover the estate taxes of a lot more billionaires who might die before Congress acts.
by Kevin McCormally, Provided by Kiplinger.com
Monday, August 2, 2010
Waiting for the Turn
Sitting on the fence, waiting for the turn in macro economic indicators will disappoint and leave opportunity on the table. Rising correlations show investors are ignoring relative values among industries and assets, rather reacting to day-to-day signals on the economy. It is more likely that deflation and low growth will be the environment into the second half of the year, underscoring the need to diversify assets from a traditional long equity and bond portfolio.
Opportunities exist in right sized industries and companies and across asset classes. For companies that downsized, the benefits of incremental sales falling to the bottom line EPS have been borne out in Q2:10 earnings results. Indeed, the S&P 500 has rebounded 7.8% since July 2 despite weak economic data as corporate earnings have been stronger than analysts estimated on marginally higher revenues. With 53.4% of the S&P 500 reported, operating margins are 9.7% and could set a record. The record margin was 9.6% set in Q3,’06.
With over two thirds of companies reported Q2, EPS beat forecast by 10.2% while sales grew only 1.4% over estimates. While bears will point to no growth, 73.4% of companies have nonetheless beaten their sales estimate. In analyzing the data, non-Financials increased sales 5.2% over Q1,'10 (looking for momentum in the recovery). The Technology sector lead by companies like Intel and Apple standout as leading in positive revenue and EPS upside. Only companies in Health Care, Consumer Discretionary, and Financials have lowered forecasts. Financials revenues were down 7.3% from Q1,'10 estimates.
The result for rationalized companies can be positive longer-term, as they achieve greater efficiencies and production capacities fall better in line with actual demand. Thus we continue to see resiliency for the right sized companies.
With S&P 500 companies at record cash rich levels with close to $1 trillion, equity selection will be key for quality companies that will grow dividends and repurchase stock. The 5-year T-bill yields 1.75% versus average yield on the S&P 500 of 2.14% is favorable with a call option on growth as witnessed in Q2. Dividend payers have outperformed YTD and expect the hunt for yield to drive further performance in H2:10.
| Dividend Performance: | S&P 500 Payers | S&P 500 Non-payers |
| June - average change | -5.91% | -7.30% |
| YTD | -2.90% | -4.41% |
| 12 Month | 25.58% | 26.98% |
| Issues | 368 | 132 |
Aside from equities, investment opportunities also lie in credits where the companies have already gone through a restructuring/business rationalization process and therefore seem better prepared for the growth, albeit slow, prospects which lie ahead.
Both investment grade and High Yield corporate debt seem particularly attractive given the wide spreads to T-Bills, the fact that credit markets are opening for new issuance and default rates are predicted to decline to 2% to 4% in 2010/2011.
While we cannot predict economic or market moves month-to-month or even year-to-year, we do seek to identify the key long-term forces that will be driving economies and markets worldwide. We expect that volatility will remain high with growth, inflation remaining low and the FED on hold for sometime.
As a result, equity valuations may not move back to pre-crisis levels and may stay below historic norms. Thus our investors must seek a diversity of investments – our 8-Cylinder Portfolios – that assures to the greatest extent possible exposure to whatever areas of the market “are working” at any time, and handle the volatility via both long and short exposures and are not dependent on market gains for gains in their portfolios.
Looking ahead, we believe that uncertainty may be appropriate, but the fear trade to be overdone. The outlook is rarely clear, exacerbated by governmental programs and redefinition of the economic landscape. But, we remain confident in the CoreStates 8-Cylinder approach to navigate that volatility with opportunities that will meet the long-term financial goals of our clients.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
CNBC "Fighting Back the Bears"
Bill Spiropoulos, CEO of CoreStates Capital Advisors, appeared on CNBC's Worldwide Exchange on Wednesday, July 21st.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)