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DashOfInsight<>The Evolution of the “Hussman Chart”

04/28/16

Hardly a week goes by without an article like this one by the influential Henry Blodget — One smart stock market analyst thinks this is where we’re headed…(gulp). Mr. Blodget writes as follows:

But anyone who’s feeling comfortable after a strong week in the markets should at least understand that: 1. The macro environment most conducive to crashes is still in place (overvaluation + increasing risk aversion) and 2. The way the market is behaving now is exactly the way it behaved before the biggest crashes in history.

So, neither Hussman, nor I, nor you should be surprised if the market keeps on dropping and doesn’t bottom until it’s down 50% or more from the peak.

As Hussman noted last week in his usual depressing note, a 50% crash would not even be the worst-case scenario. It would just be a normal correction from valuations we reached in 2015.

Featured in the valuation articles is a chart purporting to show very low expected annualized returns for a multiple-year period. The implication for stock investors is clear: Little upside combined with huge risk. It has had a big impact both with individual investors and also my investment advisor colleagues.

Background

Last week, among several other illustrations of popular investment misconceptions, I included a version of what I will call the “Hussman Chart.” I suggested that if you did not understand the chart, you shouldn’t be using it for your investment decisions. My main point was that people blindly accept conclusions from intelligent sources who use sophisticated methods. Of the are dozens of possible illustrations, I included the Hussman Chart. I know that many people sold their stocks some time ago when their investment advisors warned them, producing one of the charts I discuss below.

My worst fears were confirmed! Out of the thousands reading the post, only two or three explained anything about the chart – how it was constructed, what it implied, how to think about it. Quite a few people repeated the author’s conclusion. Wow! They understood and accepted the conclusion without any evaluation of the reasoning. Others did not want to be challenged. They wanted me to explain what I thought was wrong with the chart.

Readers promptly ignored everything else in the article. Some even concluded (amazingly) that I was stating that I personally did not understand the chart. Jesse Felder, a fellow investment advisor and blogger stated this viewpoint explicitly. His conclusion (without any explanation of the chart):

Furthermore, this negative correlation between valuations and forward returns is statistically very high (greater than -90%) and backed by 65 years worth of data. The Buffett Yardstick, as Hussman demonstrates, has been nearly as good as his own version at forecasting forward returns and is backed by roughly 90 years worth of data. Both charts, and the data and reasoning behind them, clearly demonstrate and validate the concept that, “the price you pay determines your rate of return.”

Summary

Apparently I need to elaborate on the original theme. I will do so by providing examples of “the chart” over the years. The variables, adjustments and time periods change, but the conclusions are generally the same. Each chart has a documented method and stands on its own. Together one gets a different picture. While the method is continually “improved” and the time period changed, there is never a date with destiny. We do not know whether the early versions worked or not. There is no distinction between the time period used to create the method and the “out of sample” period that follows.

Here is a summary of the charts below.

The rest of this report will show the evolution of the approach and raise some specific concerns and points that you might wish to consider.

[I have never met Dr. Hussman, but I have a generally favorable impression of him. He taught for a bit at one of my schools. (Someday I might learn if he considers himself a “Michigan man.”) He is respected as a philanthropist. His approach is intended to be in the best interest of his investors. Updating his methods and conclusions is a natural part of investment management. He reports his thinking frequently and takes on issues directly. Were this not the case, a review like this one would not be possible. He has built a very successful business and earned a strong reputation. His articles are always among the most popular, especially among investment advisors].

Analysis – the Evolution of “The Chart”

Continue for Full @ http://dashofinsight.com/evolution-hussman-chart/