Gold as a percentage of total assets

SRSrocco reports current status of the market. Only 3.2% of total assets is invested in gold.

 

 

 

U.S. Debt

It is interesting to monitor how the public and private debt curves are trending.

Since the crisis of 2008, total credit market debt as a % of GDP has been going down for the first time since history. Private debt was in a debt deleveraging mode (blue graph), while the Federal Reserve's public debt was in a debt expansion mode (red graph).

If we look at the nominal value of debt, we can see that since 2014, total, private and public debt are all growing again, resuming exponential expansion.

Total credit market debt Vs. Dow Jones

Total credit market debt growth is correlated with the Dow Jones. As everything in the economy requires loans, credit expansion drives the economy today.

Whenever this credit growth stops (blue line drops), the Dow Jones (red line) will go down with it. We have seen this in the 1987, 2000, 2008 crashes.

Monitor the blue line as it may be an important indicator.

U.S. Debt Flattening Out

I don't know if you've noticed, but this is the first time in more than a decade where total public debt has actually dropped...

I'm wondering what is happening. (of course, it's the debt ceiling of $16.7 trillion)

What do the latest GDP numbers tell us?

The GDP numbers came out this week and there was 2.4% growth yoy:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-usa-economy-idUSBRE94T0HI20130530

So what does this mean to your equity positioning?

The following chart is used to give a valuation on the stock market and gives you the tool to position yourself. It is based on the total stock index (DWCF) divided by the GNP.

The latest data says that GNP was 16.236 trillion in the first quarter of 2013.

Table 1: GDP and GNP

If we look at the Total Stock Market Index (DWCF), we have 17015.

Now divide 17015 by 16236 and we get: 1.05.

105% is modestly overvalued according to the Stock Valuation Table.

Stock Valuation Table

So I wouldn't buy equities at this stage.

Total Credit Market Debt

Since 2008 we have started a new era. We entered the period of deleveraging. For more than half a decade we had an exponential growth system in credit, but we have ended this period. I will show you by analyzing "Total Credit Market Debt".

Total Credit Market Debt today, is at an astonishingly $55.3 trillion dollars.

Chart 1: Total Credit Market Debt Owed

And it is 350% of GDP.

Chart 2: Total Credit Market Debt as a Percentage of GDP

The total credit market debt = federal/state/local government debt + federal debt to trust funds + business debt + household debt + domestic financial sector debt.

This total credit market debt can be divided by federal debt and private debt.

1) Federal debt: $16.7 trillion.

Chart 3: Federal Debt: Total Public Debt

Federal debt is at 100% of GDP.

Chart 4: Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as a % of GDP

2) Private debt: $40 trillion.

Chart 5: Private Debt

Private debt is at 245% of GDP.

Chart 6: Private Debt as a percentage of GDP

As you can see, since 2008, the private sector has been deleveraging (Chart 6) and the Federal Reserve has been preventing this to happen (Chart 4).

But overall, the Federal Reserve hasn't printed enough money to keep debt going up exponentially (Chart 1).

So what happens when debt doesn't grow exponentially? You will get an economic collapse as Chris Martenson explains here.

To read the analysis: go here.

Correlation: Total Stock Market Index Vs. GDP: How to Value Dow Jones

Today I learned about the Warren Buffet valuation of the stock market by looking at the total stock market index and GNP numbers (which is almost equal to GDP numbers + $200 billion).

The total stock market index can be found here and stands at $15.879 trillion on 15 February 2013 (Chart 1). It measures the market cap of the U.S. companies. Don't confuse this chart with the Dow Jones chart.

Chart 1: Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index

Now you compare that to the U.S. GDP number, which can be found here (Chart 2).

Chart 2: U.S. GDP

If you then divide Chart 1 by Chart 2, you get Chart 3. If the chart goes above 100%, then the stock market is overvalued.

Chart 3: Market Value to GNP ratio

Here is the table for valuation:

Chart 4: Valuation Table

For example, in December 2007, the GDP was $14.25 trillion, while the total market cap was $15 trillion. 15/14.25 = 105%. Meaning overvalued.

For example, in December 2008, the GDP was $14.08 trillion, while the total market cap was $8.78 trillion.
8.78/14.08 = 62%. Meaning severely undervalued.

So today, you could say that stocks are becoming overvalued, so you should take some of your money out of the stock market while you still can.

There is a final note I want to make. If this correlation is true between the Total Stock Market Index and GDP, then you have to take in mind that GDP is very important to watch. If the GDP drops, then the stock market will most likely drop. If the GDP rises, then the stock market will most likely rise.

I pointed out many times that U.S. GDP will not go up, due to the zero hour debt problem, which I talked about here. So theoretically, the stock market cannot rise.

The only way to get GDP go up again is when debt is significantly reduced and we're not at that point yet.