And in my experience over many number of years, these five items are almost always present at the end of a US bull market and the start of a US
equity bear market.
The blended portfolio seeks to deliver superior risk - adjusted returns compared to a long - only, non-leveraged equity portfolio, particularly during extended
equity bear market scenarios.
There are three
equity bear market periods that stand out though because bonds delivered larger gains, including the 2007, 2000, and the 1980 bear market.
The other, less discussed but potentially equally as important, is what investors should expect from bonds through the next
equity bear market.
Author: Nathan J. Rowader Date: February 20, 2018 Category: Asset Allocation, Financial Planning Tags: bonds, correction, correlation, drawdown, economic growth,
equity bear market, sentiment, volatility
Outside of the 1980 bond performance (when yields dropped from nearly 14 percent to 9.5 percent), the two most recent
equity bear market performances by bonds really stand out.
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And during the 1973 - 1974
equity bear market — where stock indexes dropped by half — bonds returned just 5 percent, compared with gains of 36 percent during the 2000 - 2002 bear market, which experienced a simliarly - sized decline.
The other
equity bear market performances for bonds have been much more muted.
However, for bonds to provide a similar level of return as they did during the last
equity bear market described above, yields would have to fall to approximately minus 2 %.
Emphatically, the next recession, the next
equity bear market, and the accompanying collapse in low - quality covenant - lite debt will not be the result of the Fed tightening rates, but will instead be part of economic and financial dynamics that are already baked in the cake.
The graph above shows that investors will likely be entering the next
equity bear market at the lowest level of yields in more than 50 years.
It plots the returns of bonds, stocks and a balanced portfolio (60 percent stocks, 40 percent bonds) during
each equity bear market since 1960.
If much of the investment into bond mutual funds that has occurred the last couple of years is for purposes of dampening the volatility of a portfolio — and with the 10 - Year Treasury yield at 1.8 percent it's difficult to argue for a different motivation - then it's important to think through the thesis that bonds will defend a balanced portfolio in
an equity bear market in the same way they have, especially to the extent they have in the last two bear markets.
The other, less discussed but potentially equally as important, is what investors should expect from bonds through the next
equity bear market.
Inflation expectations may also play an important role in the next
equity bear market.
Outside of the 1980 bond performance (when yields dropped from nearly 14 percent to 9.5 percent), the two most recent
equity bear market performances by bonds really stand out.
The other
equity bear market performances for bonds have been much more muted.
The historical record indicates that the gold - mining sector performs very well during the first 18 - 24 months of a general
equity bear market as long as the average gold - mining stock is not «overbought» and over-valued at the beginning of the bear market.
I think the secular
equity bear market we are currently in could continue for several more years, thus, lower volatility dividend stocks may offer some protection while still providing equity exposure.
The following chart comparison of the HUI and the NYSE Composite Index (NYA) shows that the gold - mining sector commenced a strong upward trend about 2.5 months after the start of the general
equity bear market.
Only the longest measurement intervals include a major
equity bear market.
It has been a decade since the last
equity bear market showed its claws.
Volatilities of V — G returns appear to rise during U.S
equity bear markets.
Book - ended by two
equity bear markets, the past decade (2000 — 2010) saw heightened financial stresses and large losses in investment portfolios.
During relatively mild
equity bear markets, like the one from 1980 through 1982, bonds rallied strongly.
Putting aside the performance of bonds during the bear market beginning in 1980 (both because the starting yields on Treasuries were so high but also because the bear market was relatively mild as the decline began from relatively low levels of valuation), what's interesting about the above chart is how dependably bonds protected a portfolio during
equity bear markets.
Now contrast these returns with performance during
equity bear markets.
So when do bonds rally strongly during
equity bear markets, and when do they post more modest gains?
The best framework for bonds protecting portfolio capital during
equity bear markets is: average to above - average starting bond yields, with an average to above - average rate of inflation — which is set to decline in a recession - induced bear market.
The average annualized weekly return of bonds outside of
equity bear markets has been 5.51 %.
But it is still surprisingly consistent considering
these equity bear markets were of different durations, different depths, and all began with bond yields at different levels.
Bonds do their best work for a balanced portfolio during
equity bear markets.
The average annualized weekly return of bonds inside of
equity bear markets has been 7.89 %.
The average annualized weekly return of stocks inside of
equity bear markets since 1940 has been -24 %.
The average annualized weekly return of stocks outside of
equity bear markets since 1940 has been 21 %.
Worse, without a collapse in an already low rate of inflation, bonds may not provide the same offset to declining equity values like they have in recent
equity bear markets.
Kevin Duffy of Bearing Asset Management, a company that has been most successful in
equity bear markets, believes we are facing another major bear market.
These conditions delay / depress economic growth and produce
equity bear markets.
The liquid - alt pitch is that individuals can access the same types of investments as university endowments and other big institutions, to diversify equity - heavy portfolios, typically with a 10 % to 20 % allocation to liquid alts... The advantage of the [AQR Managed Futures] strategy -LSB-...] is that it is uncorrelated with other asset classes, and «has the most consistently strong performance in
equity bear markets.»
However, what is perhaps more concerning is how target date funds performed during the big
equity bear markets.
Recessions typically start 1/4 — 1/3 of the way into
an equities bear market.
The economy deteriorates in
an equities bear market.
It's very easy to know when
the equities bear market has started.
The average annualized weekly return of stocks inside of
equity bear markets since 1940 has been -24 %.
The average annualized weekly return of stocks outside of
equity bear markets since 1940 has been 21 %.
You can see that bond returns were modest during
these equity bear markets, even though the depths of those bear markets varied.
Worse, without a collapse in an already low rate of inflation, bonds may not provide the same offset to declining equity values like they have in recent
equity bear markets.
The change in the rate of inflation is one of the determining factors in how well bonds protect balanced portfolios during
equity bear markets.
Putting aside the performance of bonds during the bear market beginning in 1980 (both because the starting yields on Treasuries were so high but also because the bear market was relatively mild as the decline began from relatively low levels of valuation), what's interesting about the above chart is how dependably bonds protected a portfolio during
equity bear markets.