pixel

URGENT ALERT: Please beware of fraudulent WhatsApp groups and other groups across Social Media pretending to be affiliated with Anchor and Anchor staff members. Do not engage with these malicious and fraudulent groups in any way. Please direct all queries to invest@anchorcapital.co.za.

Global Market and Share Commentary – July 2018

In July, markets returned their focus to corporate earnings, which were a welcome distraction from geopolitics. 60% of S&P 500 companies reported 2Q18 earnings during July and earnings for those companies were up about 25% in aggregate – roughly 5% ahead of expectations. While most corporates are still seeing earnings boosted by lower tax rates and a US dollar which is slightly weaker than for the same period last year, tech companies were the ones that showed the best earnings growth relative to 1Q18. Strong earnings were enough to see the S&P 500 Index deliver its best return since January but, amongst the individual companies, strong earnings growth wasn’t necessarily a guarantee of good share price performance. Facebook delivered quarterly earnings growth of 31% YoY (almost 5% better than expectations) but shocked the market by guiding to operating margins that would gradually shrink towards 30% from the current level (44%). The share duly had almost $120bn wiped from its market value as the counter plummeted 18% – comfortably the biggest loss of market value by any company in a single day.

Facebook – one-day loss in market value

Source: FactSet, Anchor Capital

S&P 500 earnings growth (YoY%) by sector

Source: Bloomberg, Anchor Capital

Emerging markets had a decent July, with the MSCI Emerging Market Index breaking a sequence of five consecutive negative months. India and Brazil led the way, with Chinese markets still lacklustre, held back by the threat of trade wars with the US. Meanwhile, Turkish markets suffered as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed his brother-in-law to run the Treasury. Politics also hampered UK markets as Brexit continued to cause divisions in Parliament. During July, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Minister David Davis both resigned their posts and Prime Minister Theresa May narrowly avoided a defeat in Parliament as a result of a rebellion in her own party around her handling of the UK’s Brexit strategy.

Global interest rates were mostly stable during the month, though an increase in US bond issuance into month-end caused US long-bond rates to drift slightly higher. Rates also experienced a bout of volatility leading into the Japanese central bank meeting over concerns that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) may consider reducing its bond buying programme. While the BoJ did announce the addition of some flexibility to its approach to stimulus, the bank calmed markets with a firm message about its intent to pursue loose monetary policy for the foreseeable future.

Oil had its worst month in over two years as the Saudis announced plans to increase production next month and US President Donald Trump suggested that the US was considering releasing some of its strategic oil reserves. Industrial metals also had a tough month as markets weighed the potential impact of trade wars on Chinese demand.

Written by:

Peter Little, Fund Management

 

Facebook: Downgrade to guidance creates short term headwind

Facebook reported 2Q18 results on 25 July after the market closed. On the following day, Facebook shares fell by 19%. In terms of the results, revenue and earnings per share (EPS) grew 42% and 32% YoY, respectively. These figures were slightly below the market’s expectations. However, on the quarterly conference call, CFO David Wehner surprised the market when he announced: “…we expect our revenue growth rates to decline by high-single digit percentages from prior quarters sequentially in both Q3 and Q4.” He attributed the deceleration to three factors: 1) currency headwinds, 2) promoting Stories instead of a Newsfeed in Facebook, and 3) providing users with more privacy options. Wehner also announced that expenses would grow faster than revenues, causing operating margins to fall to the mid-30% range over the next few years (vs 44% in 2Q18).

Based on the above guidance, we have cut our 2019 EPS estimates to a level that is c. 17% below Wall Street consensus forecasts. This is roughly in line with Facebook’s share price fall on the day after the results. Facebook’s lowered guidance creates a headwind for performance over the short term. However, over the intermediate term (beyond one year) we suspect that Management has lowered the expectations bar, making it easier to beat their own guidance. Longer term (three years and more) we think Facebook’s other properties, particularly Instagram and WhatsApp, have enormous monetisation potential.

Written by:

Nick Dennis, Fund Management

OUR LATEST NEWS AND RESEARCH

INVESTING IN YOUR NEEDS

Submit your details and we’ll give you a call back to assist and advise you on your investment.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe to our newsletters to receive regular market commentary, research and updates from the Anchor team. Select between our Individual or Financial Advisor newsletters by selecting the relevant tab below.

WEBINAR | The Navigator – Anchor’s Strategy and Asset Allocation, 2Q24

Anchor CEO and Co-CIO Peter Armitage will host the webinar, provide an introduction to current global and local market conditions and give his thoughts on offshore equities. Together with Head of Fixed Income and Co-CIO Nolan Wapenaar, Pete will also discuss Anchor’s strategy and asset allocation for 2Q24, focusing on global equities and bonds. In addition, Fund Manager Liam Hechter will provide insights into local equities, highlighting some investment ideas; Global Equities Analyst James Bennet will discuss Ferrari and give an update on Tesla, and finally, Analyst Thomas Hendricks will participate in a Q&A with Peter, explaining the 10-year US Treasury to attendees.