Continued Backfilling in Stocks this Week: Market Commentary from Cabana’s CEO – May 31, 2024 

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This week we have seen continued backfilling (selling) by the main stock indices. This is not unexpected after the jump up we saw earlier in the month. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq remain above their respective 50-day moving averages while the Dow has broken down and is now well below it. 

This disparity is due to the outperformance by big tech, which makes up such a huge part of the Nasdaq and S&P 500 market cap weighted indices. Interestingly, yesterday and today we are seeing a reversal of this, and technology is getting the brunt of the selling. It remains to be seen whether this is just a matter of some catchup going on or the beginning of a trend in favor of more defensive sectors.  

I do know that in the past two days we are getting some softer economic data coupled with resilient inflationary pressures. First quarter GDP was revised lower and is well below the growth we saw at the end of last year. We got the Fed preferred inflation gauge this morning (PCE) and it was in line with expectations but still well above the 2% annual target. To me, this means the economy is softening and while inflation is not rising, it isn’t falling much either. In this circumstance, I would expect continued elevated interest rates and slower growth. This logically supports the rotation into defensive sectors like healthcare, utilities, dividend payers and staples. I also like bonds here. So long as rates don’t move higher in response to inflation reigniting, treasuries and bonds should do well as investors look to safe yield in place of growth.  

At Cabana, we remain bullish overall, and I believe we are currently well positioned across our portfolios to benefit from these allocations. 

Key terms:  

  • GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period. It is a measure of an economy’s output, size, and health.  
  • Personal consumption expenditures (PCE), also known as consumer spending, is a measure of the spending on goods and services by people of the United States. 
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January 17, 2024

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Morningstar’s Moderate Target Risk index  follows a moderate equity risk preference and is based on well-established asset allocation methodology from Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company.  

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The Nasdaq Composite Index is a market-weight capitalization index that covers more than 3,000 stocks listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. What is the Nasdaq Composite, and What Companies are in It? | Nasdaq