(Detroit)

There have been a lot of recession indicators lately—the yield curve, slowing growth, the end of the tax cut boost. However, one that really catches the eye this week is GM’s massive job cuts. The company is shedding over 14,000 jobs across many states, including in Michigan, Maryland, and elsewhere. The cuts amount to 15% of its work force. The move comes in response to slowing sales and changing tastes. All of the plants being closed make parts for passenger cars, not the SUVs that have become much more popular with buyers.

FINSUM: This could either be the canary in the coalmine, or it could be a response to the very specific automation pressures that are hitting the car market.

(New York)

Something interesting has been happening for value stock investors lately—value stocks have been outperforming. Value investing as a discipline has been suffering for at least a decade as growth stocks won out. The malaise has been so poor that many have given up on the philosophy altogether. So with the recent turnaround, should that be reconsidered? Barron’s says the answer is a firm “no”. The recent outperformance of value may just be an aberration related to movements in particular sectors. The reality is that most value indexes have little exposure to the sectors that are suffering, like tech and consumer discretionary. Therefore, their outperformance is more a coincidence than a turn in the market.

FINSUM: We’d have to agree with this view. It does not seem like there has been some fundamental change in investors’ thinking, more that anxiety has just struck the most growth-oriented sectors.

(New York)

The stock market has had an undeniably rough quarter. We are currently in the midst of the second big rout in the last two months and indices and markets are essentially flat for the year. However, things are actually much worse than flat if you dig slightly deeper. Get this—forward looking P/E ratios are down a whopping 17% this year. In fact, the fall recently has been one of the worst in decades on a valuation basis. In 2008, valuations only slid 18%, just one percentage point more than this year. It is the third biggest drop in valuations since 1991.

FINSUM: This is a very ominous sign in our opinion, as shares have plunged even as stellar earnings have come out. Classic case of buy the rumor (2017), sell the news (2018).

(New York)

Stock markets have been taking a beating lately. Between worries over trade and rising rates, as well as the fading effects of tax cuts and the prospects of weaker earnings, stocks have been getting hammered. Now there could be another material blow coming: corporate deleveraging. For years, companies have gorged on debt to fund buybacks and dividends. However, as rates a rising, they are now under pressure to deleverage, and there will be increasing plans for paying down debt. All of that means companies will be spending less in equity markets and on growth.

FINSUM: This is bad news. Stock buybacks have been one of the main drivers of returns the last few years, and the evaporation of that stimulus will add pressure.

(Houston)

When oil falls it tends to boost the US economy. For all the growth of our shale industry, the US is still a net importer of oil. When prices fall, Americans tend to spend more on other items that boost the economy, so oil prices sinking is usually good news. However, this time around, the fall will be bad, at least according to the Wall Street Journal. The problem is that the oil industry has grown large enough that capital expenditures in the sector make a major impact on growth. Accordingly, the capex cut that will come from falling prices will be prove a net detriment to GDP figures.

FINSUM: When oil fell in 2014-2016, US economic output also slowed, so this is a very real affect. What is worse is that it will likely show up in 2019, which is already looking to be a much weaker year.