Pegasus
Long/Short Equity Investor
US large-cap stocks are not oversold, and inflation is likely to drag them lower after crushing momentum names, as in 2022. They just posted one of the most dramatic blow-off tops since Covid while the Fed is hawkish, Brent is at $100 and the 10-year yield is 4.70%. With the S&P 500 just 3% off its highs, a Fed put is not near and is unlikely at $100 Brent. Assuming the broad market is safe because high-duration momentum already sold off is a huge mistake. x.com x.com x.comÂ
US large-cap stocks rallied strongly despite a wild number of warning signs, suggesting the market's plumbing is not there. The dollar-yen sits at 163, the curve is steepening with the long end at 5.13% and the 2-year at 4.35%, the dollar index is at 101.12, and Brent and WTI are at $91 and $85. The rally fits this month's equity selloff and expectations that Trump will often cave to save markets. x.comÂ
US large-cap equities are vulnerable because earnings have not caught up with total market capitalization. The market is farther from its 200-week moving average than at any point in 18 years, and cracks are starting to show; staying bullish ignores these risks. Rate hikes remain possible, oil is still high, and yields may climb again, so now is the time for caution. x.com x.comÂ
US equities look vulnerable to a significant correction before another sustainable rally: 3.4% inflation, roughly $100 Brent, a 5.2% 10-year yield and just 29K new September jobs contrast with fresh index highs, while the Magnificent 7 make up 34.9% of the S&P 500. Strong AI earnings expectations and liquidity could keep shares elevated longer than expected. x.comÂ
Hyperscaler credit stress and weak financials-versus-staples leadership warn of downside risk in the S&P 500 consolidation. Spreads have broken July wides, though an upside breakout is probable if financials stabilize. So far, tech weakness has lowered yields as Fed hikes are priced out, letting defensives rally and the S&P chop. If the Fed signals Nasdaq weakness won't stop tightening without better data, the tech-yield link could break in an uncomfortable, 2018-like direction. x.com x.com … Show more
High debt and rate hikes make a big US equity correction likely. Warsh said nothing useful despite hot CPI and PPI after two weeks of hawkish rhetoric, while the rest of the Fed fence-sits. A debt crisis is incoming, and some funds will blow up soon. Big caps are the last leg; the bigger correction could be something like 20%. It is not a good time to buy dips. x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.comÂ
US stocks remain vulnerable because leveraged long positions could amplify an unwind of the mania. The SPY-versus-long-Treasury trade has given back only a few weeks of its gains. x.comÂ
US large-cap equities do not look like a bubble at current forward valuations. The S&P 500 forward P/E is below both its five- and ten-year averages, while tech and momentum have suffered their worst five-month decline by far. x.comÂ
The 10-year yield above 5% limits how far the US equity rally can stretch, even as stocks shrugged off the Fed hold. Two policymakers wanted a hike, the 10-year rose to about 5.04%, and bonds sold while all four major indices closed higher. Rates need to cool for the rally to extend. x.comÂ
US large-cap equities look stretched as the S&P 500's 4.7% earnings yield sits below the 5.2% Treasury yield, the first extended stretch since 1999-2000. 2026 EPS estimates imply 32% growth and a 21.2x P/E. The 10-year yield hit 5.28%, its highest since 2007, which pressures long-duration, high-P/E stocks most. Since recent inflation is mostly an oil supply shock, yields could fall once the war with Iran ends and Brent eases. x.com x.comÂ
US stocks can keep rising even as yields climb, because corporate earnings growth far outpaces inflation. In 1994, bond yields rose 263 basis points while earnings grew 18%; the S&P 500 went flat, then 1995 brought one of the greatest bull runs ever. Today rates are up 100 basis points against 32% earnings growth, and real GDP growth could reach 7%. Earnings and inflation drive stocks and bonds, not the other way around. x.comÂ
US stocks face a tougher stretch ahead, warranting patience. A hawkish Warsh caused a bear flattening of the yield curve, and the 30-year yield recently hit its highest since 2007. A Fed hike on September 16 looks likely because the October meeting falls just before the midterms. September has the worst seasonality, midterm years are worse than normal, and bipartisan pushback on data-center expansion pressures AI infrastructure. A Venezuelan oil deal may lower oil prices near term. x.com x.com … Show more
