Credit: Shutterstock photoThe markets are forward indicators. Investors and traders put their money where their mouth is by anticipating earnings and relative performance of various sectors. Approaching investing using economic fundamentals is an important tool - as long as you leave off your rose colored glasses when looking at data.
When you look at economic data which is spun trying to convince you investing in a sector is green lighted - you are dumber than before you read the analysis. Economic data must be reviewed critically and not cherry picked for the parts you like. 
The lesson is that the future is not always brighter. Human nature continues to assume the future will be better. All of the business and manufacturing surveys often show the future better than today.
Yet, history has shown the investing future is not always brighter - markets have gone through long cycles where the future turned out to be quite dim. Econintersect's long range investing outlook is not bright. Long range is an indefinite period which ends when the current group of economic fundamentals change.
Demographics - the boomers are transforming from the driving force on the economy to the brakes.
Earnings - When the Great Recession hit, business was caught out of position, with difficulty in making adjustments for the New Normal. We have seen great earnings recovery - much better than the economy. But we are at the end of the high rate of earnings growth, and future growth will depend on real economic expansion.
Spending cuts (or tax increases) - Cutting back on government spending and increasing taxes do the same thing - slow (brake) the economy.
No Economic Driver - We are in a period of virtual growth that creates no jobs. What could actually create growth:
- Doubling the population growth to soak up home inventories and other economic slack - and create demand for new goods and services.
- An event overseas - big war, big earthquake where destruction caused a realignment towards USA production
- Technology advance which was not labor saving. Inventing a machine to replace 10 workers will not cause growth.
This was NOT a good week for the markets - or for economic indicators for that matter. My thought for the week was written in my review of ISM Non-Manufacturing:
Economic News this Week:
The Econintersect economic forecast for August 2011 indicated the soft patch will continue - and there will be little growth. All elements of the Econintersect Economic Index as falling, with key indicators at contraction's door.
This week the Weekly Leading Index (WLI) from ECRI rose from 2.0% to 2.1%. This level implies the business conditions six months from now will be approximately the same compared to today. This index has been eroding and in a three month overall downtrend. However, this index was been holding for the previous three weeks, and now (the fourth week) has move upward.
Initial unemployment claims remains elevated and rose 1,000 to 401,000. The real gauge – the 4 week moving average – fell 6,750 to 407,750. Because of the noise (week-to-week movements), the 4 week average remains the reliable gauge. Historically, claims exceeding 400,000 per week usually occurs when employment gains less than the workforce growth, resulting in an increasing unemployment rate.
The data released this week confirms the economic soft spot is continuing. The decline in rail traffic is troubling and is covered by Econintersect News (news here).
Bankruptcies this Week: Law Enforcement Associates, Integra Bank, City of Central Falls (Rhode Island), 155 East Tropicana
Click here for table below with interactive hyperlinks.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
