The S&P 500 roared higher this week, closing yesterday at a new all-time high of $2351. I must say this has caught me by surprise. Conventional wisdom believes this strong bullish run has arisen from the prospects of individual tax reform, lower corporate taxes, and a reduction in the regulatory burden on business. Each day brings news reports of political resistance to many of these campaign proposals. I think the market has gotten ahead of itself, but the price is the price. My rationale one way or the other isn’t relevant.
The forward-looking P/E for the S&P 500 is now 17.6, the highest level since June 2004. The five-year average P/E is 15.2 and the ten-year average is 14.4. Higher stock prices have been driving this ratio higher because forward estimates for earnings are not growing as rapidly as prices. This suggests that the market’s exuberance since the election may be a bit overdone. In my opinion, there is substantial evidence for a bullish market outlook; I don’t disagree with that assessment. But the prospects of a pull back or correction appear to be increasingly probable.
The S&P 500 volatility index (VIX) rose on Wednesday this past week, but then declined to close on Friday at 11.5%. Wednesday presented a classic VIX divergence, i.e., when the market index and index volatility are running in the same direction. In this case, VIX ran from 10.8% to 12% on Wednesday, while The S&P 500 traded higher by $13, closing at $2349, a new all-time high (until Friday). VIX divergences are high probability indicators. In this case, with a rising VIX in a rising market, a pull back is highly probable, and in fact, did occur on Thursday. The S&P 500 followed through with a lower open on Friday, but then the bulls reasserted themselves and pushed the index higher.
More and more overbought signals are appearing, but markets can and have continued to rise in overbought conditions before. This is where the market adage originated, “Markets climb a wall of worry.” Trades positioned with a bullish posture make the most sense in this environment, but keep your stops tight. The probability of a pull back or correction is increasing, but that may be well into the future.