By
Doug Short
:
By Chris Turner
Back in July, a thought occurred to look at a projected S&P
price based on average earnings and compare that number with the
actual S&P 500 Index price. The exercise produced some
interesting observations (available
here
). Simply by tracking the forecasted earnings, we can "picture"
where the S&P 500 would trade out to December 2013 based on
historical data.
As a reminder, most of us wrestle with numerous indicators to
determine when to enter into a specific market segment like bonds
or equities. While no indicator possesses the Midas touch, some
indicators forecast relatively well. All of us desire something
that "tells" us when to be in or out of a market rather than
guessing. Since the S&P 500 Index remains the benchmark among
indexes and S&P publishes publicly available index earnings
(via Senior Earnings Analyst Howard Silverblatt), we use this index
for comparison purposes.
The following data derived from Standard & Poor's earnings
estimate Excel spreadsheet shows the correlation over several time
periods between the actual S&P 500 quarterly close and what the
"projected price" would have been using a proprietary formula.
(click to enlarge)
For example, in the table above, the 3 year average operating
earnings possessed a .83 correlation with the actual price of
S&P 500 (1 would equal 100% correlated, -1 would equal 100%
opposite correlation). By simply averaging the last 3 years (12
quarterly earnings reports), the change in the S&P 500 index
over time (1989 to present) nearly matched the change in operating
earnings over the same time period (.83 correlation). The second
column calculates what the S&P should have been based on the 3
year average (S&P 500 Projected Price) and correlated with the
actual S&P at .82 (still - very highly correlated). However,
moving into the 1 year average earnings and 1 year S&P
equivalent produced a supercharged 97.4 percent correlation.
And the next question that always occurs is "What the heck do I
do with the information?" And finally we get a chart:
(click to enlarge)
While the indicator resembles a moving average - the S&P
projected price tracks the S&P 500 quarterly price relatively
well. The calculation involves using an average Price to Earnings
ratio for the same time period and multiplying that by the average
earnings (for the mathematically oriented - insert the word "mean"
into the "average" spots). To extend the projection out to December
2013, we use the average earnings growth of 1% per quarter
(calculated by using 1989 to present quarter over quarter change in
growth). However, one must be leery using "earnings forecast"
because these are normally downwardly revised and exogenous events
(like 2008) may dramatically change earnings.
Additionally, by calculating when to be "in the market" (buy the
S&P 500 Index) and when to exit (be in cash), we see that an
initial investment of $10,000 would be worth just over $53,800
(excluding S&P 500 dividends) vs. simply investing in the
S&P 500 and getting $41,262. This relatively simply strategy
will not make one rich, but may help in identifying when to buy and
when to sell.
Forecasted S&P Index prices generally mean nothing and
choosing to predict the future remains futile (and yet we still do
it -- the definition of "insane" perhaps?). But, employing this
simple concept on a quarterly basis after earnings are "in the
books" may assist in decisions on whether to be "in the market" or
"out."
Note: Follow these steps to access the Standard & Poor's
earnings spreadsheet:
- Click the S&P 500 link in the second column of the
Standard & Poor's home page
.
- Click the plus symbol to the left of the "Download Index
Data" title.
- Click the Index Earnings link to download the Excel file.
Once you've downloaded the spreadsheet, see the price and
earnings columns in the "ESTIMATES&PEs" tab.
See also
Helen Of Troy Is Trading At Bargain Basement
Levels
on seekingalpha.com