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May 2024 Market & Economic Outlook Report


May Monthly Market & Economic Outlook

New York -May 15, 2023 ~ The team at Infrastructure Capital Advisors has completed our new report providing key insights on current market conditions and economic outlook for this month and the coming months. See this month's full report below but be sure to register to join our Monthly Market & Economic Outlook Webinar scheduled for Thursday, May 15th at 1:30 pm ET where Jay Hatfield, CEO/CIO, provides even more recent updates and insights to this report and the changing market and economy.


Jay Hatfield - InfraCap CEO and Fund Manager

Economic Market Outlook Jay Hatfield InfraCap Infrastructure ETF

Summary of May Commentary and Economic Outlook Report:


  1. Recent declines in oil prices are bullish for inflation prints in May and June as energy prices bleed into core at approximately a 5% rate. Decline won’t be reflected in the April report this week.

  • We expect two rate cuts starting in July or Sept. based on decelerating inflation and a softening labor market during the second quarter.

  1. We Project a $2 Trillion Dollar Liquidity Injection from Global Central Banks, which is likely to drive stock and bond prices significantly higher during the summer.

  2. Stock picks are the AI Fab Four plus derivative AI beneficiaries (see below).

  3. If the Fed does not cut rates this year the US could enter a recession in 2025 as the housing market declines in the face of 7.5% mortgage rates and auto sales are negatively impacted by high borrowing rates.

 

Stock Market Outlook:



  1. We reiterate our S&P target of 5,750 Based on AI Boom and Increased Conviction on Global Summer Rate Cuts.

  • NVDA’s earnings report validated that the AI boom is sustainable and we have raised our price target to $1,000 based on 40x our 2024 (1/25 YE) estimate of $25/share.

  1. During technology booms, it is optimal for companies with promising technology to become overvalued to attract capital and reduce the time to market.

  2. The AI boom has recently been validated by non-tech CEO’s such as Jamie Dimon and Steve Cohen who indicated widespread adoption throughout their firms.

  3. We expect the stock market to be supported by a positive earnings season during April and to rally significantly during the summer as rate cuts are implemented globally.  Prior to actual rate cuts, the market is likely to be range-bound between $4,800-5,200. 

 

Bond Outlook:



  1. At the April policy meeting, President Lagard all but announced that the ECB will be cutting rates in June, and affirmed that the ECB will move independent of the Fed. In addition, several members of the governing council were in favor of an immediate cut.

  • We project that there will be a $2 Trillion Injection of Liquidity into the Global Money Supply during 2024:

  • Most investors do not appreciate that central banks cannot mandate rate cuts and must inject liquidity into the banking system, which normally causes powerful rallies in both stocks and bonds. When the global monetary base (see infracapfunds.com) is expanding it is almost always bullish for stock and bond markets.

  • The European economy continues to be stalled with certain countries such as the UK and Germany experiencing a recession. President Lagarde stated that the Euro Zone economy remained weak in the first quarter.

  • Switzerland and Sweden have already reduced rates.

  • We forecast that Euro Zone headline inflation will be approaching the ECB’s 2% target by May and that Core PCE will decline to 2.6% by the end of June.

  • These declines should set the stage for summer rate cuts with the ECB acting first due to weak economic growth.

  1. We forecast that the Fed will not cut rates until July or September and will cut twice this year.

  • We forecast that Core PCE Y/Y inflation will slowly roll down from the current 2.8% level to 2.6% by June, setting the stage for a potential July cut, if the labor market also continues to soften.

  • Inflation does not magically re-ignite or become ‘sticky’. Inflation is caused by excessive monetary stimulus and supply shocks.  Current inflation is 1.5% if one utilizes market prices readily attainable from internet rental services.

  • The recent uptick in inflation was caused by mis-measurement of shelter, an increase in energy prices and ongoing supply shock in the vehicle repair and insurance sector.

  • A July Fed rate cut will be aided by a likely surge in the dollar if the ECB cuts in June but the Fed does not. A strong dollar is very deflationary as commodities are priced in dollars.

  1. The US Economy Will Continue to Be Resilient in 2024:

  • 11 out of the last 12 recessions were precipitated by a collapse in the hyper-cyclical housing sector. We have been forecasting for the last two years that the US economy would not go into a recession due to the shortage of housing in the US.  We are projecting solid growth in GDP of 2.5% in 2024 with some headwinds from tight Fed policy causing the economy to grow below the trend growth rate of 3%.

  • A decline in personal consumption has never caused a US recession. Consumer spending is 95% driven by employment and wages.  Consumer spending only declines when the decline in investment spending on housing and other durables leads to mass layoffs, which causes consumers to reduce spending.

  • The average post WWII recession had over a 10% decline in investment but personal consumption was on average flat.

  • The Chips act and other infrastructure spending from the government is very counter cyclical as it supports investment.

  • The chips act is an urgent national security priority as over 90% of advanced chips are produced in Japan.

 

Commodity Market Outlook:

  1. Recent Oil Price Weakness Driven By Warm Winter:

  • We maintain our $75-95 range estimate for oil in 2024 as continued production constraint from OPEC+ and steady demand growth support the price.

  •  Middle east war providing only modest support to the oil market.

  •  We attribute the recent weakness to seasonal/weather factors partially offset by uncertainty created by Houthis attack on Red Sea shipping lanes.

  • December of 2023 was the warmest in 150 years.

  1. China’s Economy is Way More Resilient Than Perceived which Benefits Commodities:

  •  China is the only major global economy that is loosening monetary policy. China increased its monetary base over $140 billion in September representing a 2.9% increase vs. a $300 billion drop in the Global Monetary Base.

  •  China is projected to grow by 5% this year.

  •  China saves 45% of GDP vs. less than 20% in the US, which results in much higher long-term growth as the critical driver of economic growth is savings and investment.

  • The property crisis is a concern, but if it starts to generate contagion, the central government is likely to intervene.

  • The China recovery story is bullish for global commodities and growth.

  1. The utopian vision of an all-electric economy has now completely imploded as average consumers have limited interest in all electric autos, and renewables development falters due to nimby opposition to offshore wind and massive cost over runs. Europe’s failed energy transition is likely to exacerbate a recession and lead to regime change in many countries.

  •  The failed attempt to push an all-electric vision has hurt the environment as there was less focus on hybrid electric cars and using natural gas to supplant coal.

 

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Jay Hatfield, CEO & CIO for Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC

Follow Jay Hatfield's Twitter account for instant updates and insights as he sees important changes and information occurring in the US market and economy. twitter.com/jdhatfield_icap.


 

ABOUT US


Infrastructure Capital Advisors, LLC (ICA) is an SEC-registered investment advisor that manages exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a series of hedge funds. The firm was formed in 2012 and is based in New York City. ICA seeks current income opportunities as a primary objective in most, but not all, of ICA's investing activities.


DISCLOSURE


Not for distribution to the public. Opinions represented above are subject to change and should not be considered investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The links to the fund fact sheets will provide standardized performance and risk disclosures.


FUND RISKS Investors should consider each Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please visit the Fund's webpage. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.


ICAP Exchange Traded Funds (ETF): Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. An investment in the Fund may be subject to risks which include, among others, investing in equities securities, dividend-paying securities, utilities, small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies, real estate investment trusts, master limited partnerships, foreign investments and emerging, debt securities, depositary receipts, market events, operational, high portfolio turnover, trading issues, active management, fund shares trading, premium/discount risk and liquidity of fund shares, which may make these investments volatile in price. Foreign investments are subject to risks, which include changes in economic and political conditions, foreign currency fluctuations, changes in foreign regulations, and changes in currency exchange rates which may negatively impact the Fund's returns. Small and Medium-capitalization companies, foreign investments, and high-yielding equity and debt securities may be subject to elevated risks. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with no operating history. Please see the prospectus for a discussion of risks. Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC


PFFA Exchange Traded Funds (ETF): The value of an ETF may be more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities the ETF is designed to track. The costs of owning the ETF may exceed the cost of investing directly in the underlying securities. Preferred Stock: Preferred stocks may decline in price, fail to pay dividends, or be illiquid. Non-Diversified: The Fund is non-diversified and may be more susceptible to factors negatively impacting its holdings to the extent that each security represents a larger portion of the Fund’s assets. Short Sales: The Fund may engage in short sales, and may experience a loss if the price of a borrowed security increases before the date on which the Fund replaces the security. Leverage: When a Fund leverages its portfolio, the value of its shares may be more volatile and all other risks may be compounded. Derivatives: Investments in derivatives such as futures, options, forwards, and swaps may increase volatility or cause a loss greater than the principal investment. No Guarantee: There is no guarantee that the portfolio will meet its objective. Prospectus: For additional information on risks, please see the Fund’s prospectus.


PFFR Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF): The value of an ETF may be more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities it is designed to track. The costs of owning the ETF may exceed the cost of investing directly in the underlying securities. Preferred Stocks: Preferred stocks may decline in price, fail to pay dividends, or be illiquid. Real Estate Investments: The Fund may be negatively affected by factors specific to the real estate market, including interest rates, leverage, property, and management. Industry/Sector Concentration: A Fund that focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector will be more sensitive to conditions that affect that industry or sector than a non-concentrated Fund. Passive Strategy/Index Risk: A passive investment strategy seeking to track the performance of the underlying index may result in the Fund holding securities regardless of market conditions or their current or projected performance. This could cause the Fund’s returns to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy. Correlation to Index: The performance of the Fund and its index may vary somewhat due to factors such as Fund flows, transaction costs, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from its index. Market Volatility: Securities in the Fund may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies and general economic conditions. Price changes may be short or long-term. Prospectus: For additional information on risks, please see the Fund’s prospectus.


AMZA Exchange Traded Funds (ETF): The value of an ETF may be more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities the ETF is designed to track. The costs of owning the ETF may exceed the cost of investing directly in the underlying securities. MLP Interest Rates: As yield-based investments, MLPs carry interest rate risk and may underperform in rising interest rate environments. Additionally, when investors have heightened fears about the economy, the risk spread between MLPs and competing investment options can widen, which may have an adverse effect on the stock price of MLPs. Rising interest rates may increase the potential cost of MLPs financing projects or cost of operations, and may affect the demand for MLP investments, either of which may result in lower performance by or distributions from the Fund’s MLP investments. Industry/Sector Concentration: A fund that focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector will be more sensitive to conditions that affect that industry or sector than a non-concentrated fund. Short Sales: The Fund may engage in short sales, and may experience a loss if the price of a borrowed security increases before the date on which the Fund replaces the security. Leverage: When a Fund leverages its portfolio, the value of its shares may be more volatile and all other risks may be compounded. Derivatives: Investments in derivatives such as futures, options, forwards, and swaps may increase volatility or cause a loss greater than the principal investment. MLPs: Investments in Master Limited Partnerships may be adversely impacted by tax law changes, regulations, or factors affecting underlying assets. No Guarantee: There is no guarantee that the portfolio will meet its objective. Performance Data: Performance data quoted backtested results. Backtested Performance was derived from the retroactive application of a model developed with the benefit of hindsight. Backtested performance is no guarantee of future results and current performance may be higher or lower than the performance shown. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Please visit https://www.virtus.com/products/virtus-infracap-us-preferred-stock-etf#shareclass.742/period.quarterly for performance data current to the most recent month-end and the Fund’s standard performance information. You should consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. For PFFA, PFFR, and AMZA funds, contact VP Distributors LLC at 1-888-383-4184 or visit www.virtusetfs.com to obtain a prospectus that contains this and other information about the Fund. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.


Virtus ETF Advisers, LLC serves as the investment advisor, and Infrastructure Capital Advisors, LLC serves as the sub-adviser to PFFA, PFFR, and AMZA. These three funds are distributed by VP Distributors, LLC, member FINRA, and a subsidiary of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.


Past performance is not indicative of future results.

The links to the fund fact sheets will provide standardized performance and risk disclosures.

© 2023 Infrastructure Capital Advisors, LLC




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