If there's not drama and negativity in my life, all my songs will be really wack and boring or something.
-- Eminem
Below is an assessment of the performance of some of the most important sectors and asset classes relative to each other, with an interpretation of what underlying market dynamics may be signaling about the future direction of risk-taking by investors. The below charts are all price ratios which show the underlying trend of the numerator relative to the denominator. A rising price ratio means the numerator is outperforming (up more/down less) the denominator.
For a full version of the Lead-Lag Report, click here.
LEADERS: BEAR TRADE STRENGTHENS
Consumer Staples (XLP) – Aggressive Defensiveness
Comments: Consumer staples have bounced strongly off of a support level and have led in a vertical way since. Leadership seems likely to continue, though a period of weakness could occur for a few days given the strength of the move to begin with.
(More from Minyanville: Where Apple Is Now, and What Levels Are Worth Watching?)
Health Care (XLV) – Breakout Coming?
Comments: Health care has V-ed in what appears to be some defensiveness kicking in within markets as the Dow (^DJI) nears all-time highs. A break above the relative resistance of 0.287 appears to be taking hold. If confirmed with other areas of the market, it would suggest weakness in overall risk markets is likely to continue.
Long Bonds (TENZ) – Yield Curve...Flattening?
Comments: The yield curve appears to be on the verge of narrowing once again, signaling the return of a deflation pulse and risk-off period. Leadership in longer-duration bonds, despite talk of an end to bond buying by the Fed, is important to get a sense of sentiment within fixed income.
LAGGARDS: BETA UNDER FIRE
Financials (XLF) – Over?
Comments: Financials may now be at the start of a turn in leadership given recent volatility in asset markets. With bond yields falling once again and the yield curve beginning to narrow as eurozone fears return, it does seem plausible that underperformance takes hold in the near-term.
(More from Minyanville: Take a Look Inside the New Goldman Sachs Catamaran.)
Small-Caps (SLY) – Broken
Comments: Small-caps have strongly outperformed since late-November in a near-vertical way on the backs of increased domestic growth expectations and bets that the fiscal cliff would get resolved. Recent relative momentum indicates a complete breakdown in leadership has taken hold. This may be due to sequestration concerns impacting the domestic economy, which small-caps are highly sensitive to.
Energy (XLE) – Failure to Launch