Monday, March 18, 2013

Beware: High-Yield Bonds Warning of a Steep Market Decline

High-yield bonds, less formally known as junk bonds, are an interesting investment. They became popular in the 1980s when they were widely used for corporate takeovers. Investors turned to them when Wall Street firms touted research showing that high-yield bonds outperformed traditional bonds, on average.

"On average" is an interesting phrase because it can be used to hide investment realities. When the research was done, in the 1950s, high-yield bonds were mostly "fallen angels" or companies that had issued bonds when they were healthy and then fallen on hard times. Those high-yield investors were buying bonds in turnarounds.

In the 1980s, high-yield bonds financed unproven businesses and were issued for speculation. This was a classic example of confusing statistics with facts since the new bonds were much different than the ones studied.

Now, high-yield bonds are issued by highly leveraged companies like Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) and troubled Ally Financial (OTC: ALFI), which was recently the only large firm to fail the Federal Reserve's stress test. The asset class includes both turnarounds and startups and defies an easy description.

Given the variety of high-yield bonds available, it might not be surprising to see that they trend with the stock market sometimes and act more like bonds at other times. The chart below shows iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond (NYSE: HYG) with SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) on the left and with iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond (NYSE: TLT) on the right.

High Yield Bond Fund HYG Chart vs SPX, TLT
HYG (the black line in both charts) showed a strong correlation with SPY until early 2011. Since then, stocks have moved higher as HYG moved sideways. While not acting like stocks, HYG is also not acting like a bond investment right now.

It is also important to note that in the bear market that bottomed in 2009, TLT rose while HYG declined. Since 2011, HYG has been forming a large base while both stocks and bonds have seen significant uptrends.

Rather than relying on outdated thinking to understand high-yield bonds, the mistake made in the 1980s, we should consider why investors turned to the investment in recent years. For the most part, instead of thinking of them as stocks or bonds, investors probably view high-yield bonds as a source of income with HYG yielding more than 6.5%.

Most investors realize there is a degree of risk associated with this income and that could explain the topping pattern seen in the chart. Even though HYG is near a 52-week high, relative strength (RS) has completely broken down and indicates HYG is a sell.

High Yield Bond Fund HYG Chart
Momentum of Comparative Strength (MoCS), the indicator shown just below the prices on the chart, has turned negative. MoCS converts RS to a Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD) style indicator with clear buy and sell signals. RS is near 0, the lowest possible value, and has been declining for the past three months.

The 26-week rate of change (ROC) has also been trending lower for months and is in bear market territory as it pushes against its lower Bollinger Band. Testing on other high-yield investments shows that selling short when ROC crosses the lower Band would be profitable. Because HYG has only been trading since 2007, there is only one previous signal, which was a winner, for that ETF.
The weight of the evidence points to a probable decline in HYG. That could be a sign that investors are reducing their risk and a sell-off in stocks, also a risky asset, would be likely to follow.

Options prices confirm a bearish outlook for HYG, which is currently trading at about $94. Calls expiring in January 2014 with a strike price of $95 are trading for about $0.50. Puts with that expiration date and strike price are trading near $7.65. This shows traders believe that nine months from now, HYG is more likely to be below $87.35 than it is to be above $95. RS analysis agrees with them, and stock market investors need to be cautious if HYG is now thought of as a risk asset by investors.

Traders should considering selling HYG and other high-yield bond investments. Puts are too expensive to make a downside bet on HYG and shorting the ETF would be costly because of the dividend payments.

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Alert : BANK RUN IN CYPRUS - Will Spread to Europe?



Cypriots Rush Banks To Get Cash Out Facing Immediate EU Bailout Tax!

People in Cyprus have reacted with shock to news of a one-off levy of up to 10% on savings as part of a 10bn-euro (£8.7bn; $13bn) bailout agreed in Brussels. Savers queued at cash machines amid resentment at the charge, while co-operative credit societies shut to prevent a run on deposits. At one Kyperounta Co-operative bank branch, a frustrated man parked his bulldozer outside, apparently threatening to break in.


Regarding the topic of last minute chaos and confusion in Cyprus, and Europe, it will come as no surprise that the previously scheduled Monday bank holiday (aka Green Monday) has been extended into Tuesday. So prepare to not be surprised.. The Cypriot cabinet has declared Tuesday a bank holiday, for fear of capital flight, and this may even be stretched to Wednesday, as depositors are certain to withdraw huge sums from the Cypriot banks after the haircut imposed.. Nicosia postponed from Sunday to Monday the tabling in Parliament of the bill including the measures for the Cypriot bailout -- including a bank account haircut and a tax hike on interest and corporate earnings -- but the European Central Bank insists on a rapid voting because there are already signs a domino effect will follow across European lenders and markets from Monday.. There is genuine fear of market unrest on Monday morning when stocks may crumble in the eurozone and bank accounts in other southern European bank may suffer.. Skai radio reported on Sunday that the Bank of Greece has sent between 4 and 5 billion euros to Cyprus in order to help Cypriot banks respond to cash requirements by their clients.. So, if the official name of the March 18 holiday was "Green Monday", will the March 19th ad hoc holiday be called "Red Tuesday"...

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Chart of the Day - Ironwood Pharmceuticals (IRWD)

  Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD) is the Chart of the Day.  The Trend Spotter signaled a buy on 1/3 and since then the stock is up 49.07%.  In just the last month the stock advance in 14 trading sessions and gained 27.38%

The Company is a pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and intends to commercialize innovative human medicines. The compound, Linaclotide, is being evaluated in a confirmatory Phase 3 program for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic constipation.



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Here's Why Now Is the Time to Buy Gold: Bianco



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Inside California's Trillion-Dollar Oil Boom



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US Weekly Economic Calendar

time (et) report period Actual CONSENSUS
forecast
previous
MONDAY, march 18
10 am Home builders' index March   47 46
TUESDAY, MARCH 19
8:30 am Housing starts Feb.   915,000 890,000
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20
2 pm FOMC announcement        
2:30 pm Bernanke press conference        
THURSDAY, MARCH 21
8:30 am  Weekly jobless claims  3-16
340,000 332,000
9 am Markit flash PMI March   -- 54.3
9 am FHFA home price index Jan.   -- 5.8% (y-o-y)
10 am Existing home sales Feb.   5.03 mln 4.92 mln
10 am Leading indicators Feb.   0.3% 0.2%
10 am Philly Fed March   0.0 -12.5
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
  None scheduled  
   

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