Morning Commentary
Markets continue to soar in part to the assumption that tax cuts are coming sooner or later. All we have to do is to convince Republicans that supply-side economics work. I present exhibit A:
Reagan’s Economic Template
Does Reaganomics work? This question continues to be asked as if it’s an untested theory. While there are always unique factors that influence the economy, evaluating a system or an approach is difficult and to a certain degree, it’s up to interpretation. How much did Bill Clinton benefit from the technology boom, and how much was George Bush hurt from the technology bust?
Using key metrics, however, it can be argued that Ronald Reagan’s eight years of the presidency were an economic miracle that returned American prosperity.
Economic Growth
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth was amazing, averaging 3.5% per year, over an eight-year span that achieved a mind-blowing 7.3% in 1984.
Employment
The job boom was remarkable as well; 16.5 million jobs were added as the percentage of people working climbed to 63% from 59%. Participation moved toward an all-time high point.
Reagan Job Boom |
December 1980 |
December 1988 |
Civilian Non-Institutional Population |
168,883,000 |
185,402,000 |
Employed |
99,634,000 |
116,104,000 |
Participation Rate |
63.9 |
66.1 |
Source: https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet
Incomes
Wages soared under Ronald Reagan. In current dollars at the time, median income leaped - 54% of the (adjusted for inflation) median income increased by $4,000 or 8.1%.
Reagan Income Boom |
1980 |
1988 |
Current Dollar |
$17,710 |
$27,225 |
Inflation- Adjusted |
$49,131 |
$53,124 |
Source: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-households.html
Regrets? He made a few…
Reagan’s “Greatest Regret” was the 186% increase in U.S. debt under his watch. A big chunk was devoted to building the military and defeating the Soviet Union. However, for the small governmental president, it remained a sore spot.
Bottom Line
I continue to ponder the persistent questioning of Ronald Reagan’s successful revitalization of the American dream. The good news is that he left a blueprint with his legacy:
I sense the stock market knows that portions of Reagan’s formula will become law, and inject this economy for a run that attempts a return to its former glory.
The Market
The rally is consolidating; internals is getting better and hints at a strong leg higher.
Market Breadth |
Advancers |
Decliners |
NYSE |
1,807 |
1,070 |
NASDAQ |
1,763 |
1,158 |
Market Breadth |
New Highs |
New Lows |
NYSE |
112 |
10 |
NASDAQ |
150 |
31 |
Last Friday, the Dow and S&P 500 eked out fresh record closes; the NASDAQ Composite Index was right there. Don’t look now, but the Russell 2000 might be the index that outperforms for the rest of the year.
There is a lot of buying of garbage names because even the worst stocks can be oversold (and from time to time, the best companies/stocks can be overbought).
Hence, look for the Russell 2000 at 1,450 where it forms a double top, which is typically a bearish formation, although it doesn’t mean a big pullback. Moreover, if the index pierces through that point, it will be off to the races.
Comments |
amazing gift u have and happy of course to see my net liq going higher due to ur recommendations im wondering did u give a sell on STRL n UCTT yet just wondering if i missed that call thanks robb rogers on 9/18/2017 9:42:17 AM |
You cannot get a Democrat or progressive to agree that supply side economics work. They'll swear it is just another form of trickle-down economics which they hate. They do not want to grow the pie and allow individuals to directly get a larger portion (slice). They want only to grow the Gov'ts slice and then redistribute, after they take their cut for the bureaucracy, according to their dogma and social agenda. Garro on 9/18/2017 3:04:30 PM |
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