Weekly Market Commentary - June 21, 2022
Submitted by Total Clarity Wealth Management, Inc. on June 22nd, 2022BEAR MARKET Q&A
Ryan Detrick, CMT, Chief Market Strategist, LPL Financial
Jeffrey Buchbinder, CFA, Equity Strategist, LPL Financial
The bear market that started on June 13 has left the S&P 500 Index 23.5% below its January 3 high. After the initial positive reaction to the Federal Reserve’s first 0.75% rate hike since 1994 and tough talk on inflation, heightened fears of recession and that the Fed might “break something” sent stocks down for the 10th week out of 11 for only the second time in history (The first was in 1970). To help investors manage through this difficult period, we answer some of the top questions we’re getting about bear markets and list some things to watch to assess progress toward an eventual durable low.
HOW LONG DO BEAR MARKETS TYPICALLY LAST?
The current bear market, which began at the January 2022 highs for the S&P 500 Index, is actually already old by recent standards. At about five-and-a-half months old, it is already older than six other bear markets going back nearly 40 years, with only the 2000-2002 tech bubble and 2008-2009 financial crisis bears lasting longer. This means the bear market may be closer to a bottom than many expect. The average bear market since 1950 has taken about 11 months to mark its low, but six out of the last eight bear markets ended within six months [Figure 1].
How this bear market will end will likely hinge on the pace at which inflation comes down, which will dictate the timing and magnitude of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) rate hiking campaign. How fast the Fed moves will determine how much the economy slows and whether something breaks (like a large financial institution going under, though that’s not our expectation). If a full-blown crisis and recession such as in 2000-2002 and 2008-09 can be avoided, this bear market may bottom soon.
HOW MUCH FURTHER MIGHT STOCKS FALL?
The average bear market since 1950 has seen the S&P 500 lose an average of about 29% (including the near bear markets that saw declines of 19-20%), as shown in Figure 1. That suggests that if this bear market ends up around the average, that stocks may drop another 5% or so. Based on current economic conditions, one could make the case that this bear market could be shallower than typical bears because consumer balance sheets and the job market are still in good shape, and interest rates are still low by historical standards. At the same time, however, the inflation problem won’t be solved quickly, suggesting we could see a slow bleed and end up down near the average of 30%.