This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.

Fed Warns Equity Valuations "Appear Stretched", P/E Ratios Are "Somewhat Elevated"

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Confirming last year's warning, The Fed's Monetary Policy Report has sent a broad message to the markets in what may be Yellen's Irrational Exuberance 2.0 moment:

"Overall equity valuations by some conventional measures are somewhat higher than their historical average levels, and valuation metrics in some sectors continue to appear stretched relative to historical norms...

 

With regard to asset valuations, price-to-earnings and price-to-sales ratios are somewhat elevated, suggesting some valuation pressures...

 

...valuation pressures are notable in some asset markets,

 

At lower-rated and unrated nonfinancial businesses, however, leverage has continued to increase with the rapid growth in high-yield bond issuance and leveraged loans in recent years... new deals continue to show signs of weak underwriting terms and heightened leverage that are close to levels preceding the financial crisis.

Of course, as we saw previously, markets have no interest in 'following the Fed' when they say "sell."

*  *  *

 

Full Monetary Policy Report:

20150224_mprfullreport

 

- advertisements -

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:21 | 5822428 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

The only thing stretched more at this point is the truth.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:24 | 5822446 Zero_Head (not verified)
Zero_Head's picture

Bush's fault....again

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:25 | 5822456 SofaPapa
SofaPapa's picture

Pure CYA on the part of the Fed.  This way, they can say: "See?  We warned you..."  Drivel, pure drivel.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:33 | 5822500 nuubee
nuubee's picture

"You are safe, your currency is centrally planned, we have control over your stored value, you're fine.... until we lose control and then don't say we didn't warn you."

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:35 | 5822504 ZippyBananaPants
ZippyBananaPants's picture

i wonder if Janet has ever been 'stretched'?

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:41 | 5822527 Osmium
Osmium's picture

Ya, thanks a lot for that image.  Ooofff.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:45 | 5822542 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

Funny, she didn't mention anything about price-to-equity ratios this time.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:56 | 5822597 Oh regional Indian
Oh regional Indian's picture

Look at that masonic building. All DC architecture. The mother lodge.

Add the jesuits (Georgetown), Langley...the geomantic grid in DC is mind boggling.

FED up!

Anyways, for anyone who thinks nomother teresa was a saint, read on....just like Gandhi.....

https://aadivaahan.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/20th-century-of-lies-and-dec...

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 14:04 | 5822988 MisterMousePotato
MisterMousePotato's picture

Where's that guy who wrote that thing about Season 5 of the Grexit yesterday?

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:49 | 5822547 nope-1004
nope-1004's picture

valuation metrics in some sectors continue to appear stretched relative to historical norms

 

lmao.  Don't stop there mr. yellen.

How about m2 supply, money velocity, bonds, yields, average incomes, work force participation, debt to income ratio, foodstamp usage, on an on.

Lets talk historical norms.

 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:53 | 5822583 PartysOver
PartysOver's picture

It is 11:00 AM NY time.  Do you know where your Dip was?  No need for that picture to be on a milk carton.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:42 | 5822531 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

"Watch the screen, watch the run, watch the pass. I TOLD YOU!" - John Madden

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:29 | 5822483 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

Phil Gramm's fault.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:25 | 5822451 PartysOver
PartysOver's picture

Lots of stretching left to do before damn thing breaks.  Besides the Banksters have not turned on each other yet.  But they will just like they did with Lehman and Bear Sterns.  Then you will know it is serious.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:28 | 5822477 RaceToTheBottom
RaceToTheBottom's picture

Actually they have drawn the lines between the TBTF and the lower fodder banks.  That is important distinction.

They will let other banks fail and then the TBTF banks will get them for free.  Happened with WAMU and with Cyprus and  is happening now with Greece.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:30 | 5822486 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

I was wondering where all those Bank of Lynching America Countrywide branches were coming from.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:36 | 5822509 PartysOver
PartysOver's picture

This, too, is true.  And it will take some time before that happens. 

I will continue to Buy the daily dips as stocks indices climb the wall of worry.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:33 | 5822649 Chupacabra-322
Chupacabra-322's picture

Happened with Wachovia when it was absorbed by Wells Fargo.  However,, it's still laundering money for the Criiminal Pure Evil Psychopaths at the CIA so business as usual.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:21 | 5822429 HonkyShogun
HonkyShogun's picture

Abolish the Fed.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:28 | 5822476 Zero_Head (not verified)
Zero_Head's picture

There is as much chance of that as there is in getting Diversity in the socialist Hebrew media.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:43 | 5822430 ukspreads
ukspreads's picture

BUY 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:21 | 5822432 EscapeKey
EscapeKey's picture

"...and the Fed is in no way to blame"

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:22 | 5822434 Squid Viscous
Squid Viscous's picture

less stretched than Yellen's box as a curious brooklyn teenager

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:42 | 5822530 Which is worse ...
Which is worse - bankers or terrorists's picture

http://www.businessinsider.in/Janet-Yellens-High-School-Friends-Remember...

A photo of Yellen in high school. Not exactly the kind of gal I normally pumped. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:39 | 5822677 ParkAveFlasher
ParkAveFlasher's picture

"Yellen edited the school newspaper"...a propagandist even then.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:40 | 5822680 overmedicatedun...
overmedicatedundersexed's picture

which is, that pic of yellen looks like flounder with a wig on..animal house was just alright.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:23 | 5822441 T-NUTZ
T-NUTZ's picture

"Somewhat..."

 

http://tos.mx/QOH829

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:29 | 5822480 Jack of All Trades
Jack of All Trades's picture

Yes, key choice of words.

 

ridiculously, insanely, absurdly, falsely would have been more accurate . . .

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:24 | 5822449 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

what a crock

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:24 | 5822450 Bryan
Bryan's picture

Wait....are we still listening to what the CBs and Fed 'says' versus what they 'do'?  Silly people.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:25 | 5822454 Hohum
Hohum's picture

Of course there is no interest in selling.  There's nothing else out there that's profitable.  There is the possible exception of US Treasuries.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:25 | 5822455 Frank N. Beans
Frank N. Beans's picture

The health of the stock market is now one of the mandates of the Fed, got it. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:27 | 5822462 Jack of All Trades
Jack of All Trades's picture

This time is different.  Stocks have reached a permanently high plateau.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:27 | 5822469 venturen
venturen's picture

Nothing a negative interest rate won't cure

 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:29 | 5822482 yogibear
yogibear's picture

Not as streched as out as our behind will be when the Federal Reserve and the banksters get done with the 99%.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:32 | 5822496 nakki
nakki's picture

So if we're at the top end of valuations, in a mark to fantasy world, the only thing to do is BUY,BUY,BUY!!!!!

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:33 | 5822501 richiebaby
richiebaby's picture

Thank Gawd for the Fed and their infinite wisdom

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:36 | 5822508 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

"At this point, what difference does it make?"

there is no spoon, period...

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:37 | 5822511 Which is worse ...
Which is worse - bankers or terrorists's picture

I will bet ZH my 401k that this was said to get retail equity investors scared so that institutional equity investors can buy in a slightly lower prices. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:41 | 5822526 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

I thought that's what dark pools were for.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:46 | 5822545 Which is worse ...
Which is worse - bankers or terrorists's picture

Let's face it, going long equities is basically short selling the 99% which have no political power to stop CBs from printing. While morally objectionable, it is a pretty safe bet. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:47 | 5822556 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

- Sep 2008

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:58 | 5822596 Which is worse ...
Which is worse - bankers or terrorists's picture

Understand your point but it was a different economic and political system in 2008 and before.

Pre-2008, the system has slightly more characteristics of capitalism. Post-2008 it has more characteristics of that Haitian guy who got ****ked up the butt with a broomstick by the NYPD. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:41 | 5822529 jamochavez
jamochavez's picture

so good for you--you can buy with both hands the quarter percent pull back

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:42 | 5822533 Philo Beddoe
Philo Beddoe's picture

99 percent of retail is not aware of what the fuck is propping up stock prices. If it is going up it is good,  Retail gets scared at the bottom not the top. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:54 | 5822588 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

And if stawks ever do dip down just a bit, that's only 'regrouping before charging higher again'.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:58 | 5822604 Philo Beddoe
Philo Beddoe's picture

Yep. It will be fail safe strategy until the day comes when the market goes offline. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:32 | 5822645 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

What slightly lower prices....DOW up a solid hundo. No fear eva again!

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:40 | 5822522 B2u
B2u's picture

No issues.  Riskless market.  PPT fully in place.  BTFD.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:46 | 5822549 StupidEarthlings
StupidEarthlings's picture

"Overall equity valuations by some conventional measures are somewhat higher than their historical average levels, and valuation metrics in some sectors continue to appear stretched relative to historical norms..."

 

Wow..as much as theyre always rainbows n unicorns bout this stuff..i cant believe that these words would be spoken.

Reading between the lines..that says the market is pretty much f'd, and hold on to your hats.

Lets just see how much moar stretching this baby can take.

 

 

 

 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:47 | 5822555 orangegeek
orangegeek's picture

doesn't matter if the numbers are horse shit.

 

yellen just orders the banks to bid this pig higher.

 

velocity is dead, but that doesn't matter either.

 

the goal is to kill the shorts and concentrate the wealth - the latter being the definition of a depression

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:51 | 5822568 I Write Code
I Write Code's picture

>"Overall equity valuations by some conventional measures
>
are somewhat higher than their
>historical average levels

Well guess what Janet baby, overall interest rates by all conventional measures are bent and twisted, factor that in and the equity valuations make what sense there is in this crazy world.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:39 | 5822674 Mike in GA
Mike in GA's picture

This admonition oughta be good for at least another 1 or 2000 points on the Naz.

The last time a Fed Chmn mentioned overvaluation fears was Greenspan's "irrational exuberance" speech.  And we all know that just lit the fuse for a 3600 point rally over the next three years.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:51 | 5822575 Quinvarius
Quinvarius's picture

How many warnings do we get before they hit the flusher?  Bankers are frothing at the mouth to complete the rope a dope.  Even Martin Armstrong finally stopped waiting for a correction and said go long, just like he did in oil 6 months ago.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:52 | 5822579 Which is worse ...
Which is worse - bankers or terrorists's picture

Let's face it, when the Central Bankers have their equivalent of the Nuremberg Trials, they are going to say "but they ordered me to put the 99% in the gas chambers.."

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:59 | 5822611 khakuda
khakuda's picture

What is she talking about?  Valuation pressures are evident in all asset markets.  That's what happens when you push interest rates below where they should be - asset prices go above where they should be.  That was kind of the plan, to create the next set of bubbles.  Keep pretending that wasn't the goal Janet.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:22 | 5822615 gcjohns1971
gcjohns1971's picture

Does this constitute a warning?

Or is it gloating?

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:27 | 5822629 Racer
Racer's picture

The term 'somewhat elevated' is akin to 'well contained'

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:28 | 5822634 sudzee
Tue, 02/24/2015 - 13:02 | 5822749 will ling
will ling's picture

MUSHROOM CLOUDS are a-beckin'.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:35 | 5822656 vyeung
vyeung's picture

Fed speak "Appear stretch" = "CRAZY" / "NUTS" / "INSANE"

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:36 | 5822664 XRAYD
XRAYD's picture

Well then, we are not at the "exuberance" stage yet! No worry.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:40 | 5822681 GreaterFool1965
GreaterFool1965's picture

LOL - this is exactly what the FED wanted!  'easy' credit = high valuations of credit.  If credit valuations in the corporate capital structure are high, it's a no-brainer that the equity structure of the capital structure will follow along.  This will only change when the cost of credit is raised - by the FED.  There is no scenario where credit valuations are high, but equity valuatins are not. 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:42 | 5822693 Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch's picture

I doubt the American markets will ever collapse again.

We are in a currency war.

The Pentagon runs our markets today.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:44 | 5822704 rsnoble
rsnoble's picture

"appeared stretched"=going much higher.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:45 | 5822706 yogibear
yogibear's picture

They didn't say overvalued so all is well.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:46 | 5822708 ElixirMixer
ElixirMixer's picture

All my models use a discount rate of 0%. This market still has plenty of legs.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:59 | 5822742 Meremortal
Meremortal's picture

The FED sets short-term rates by following what's happening on the rest of the curve. The idea that the FED controls rates is a false construct. It does its best to maintain the illusion that it controls rates. 

The FED will move when the bond market tells it to move.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 14:00 | 5822965 permarig
permarig's picture

So does stretched mean bubble or not?

Because when the S&P was at 1950, just some 8% lower, but with plenty of shorts to burn and VIX to sell, they didn't see it being above historical norms.

Yellen got asked in the Jun 18 FOMC press conference whether they see the stock market being in a bubble. She did't think that was the case. The S&P closed at a new all time high that day.

S&P 500 close on Jun 18, 2014: 1956
S&P 500 close on Feb 23, 2015: 2109

Now, the S&P is some 8% higher 250 days later and they see stocks as being above historical average levels.
But if it would drop like 7.25% back to where it was? Would that be a totally unsuspicious level again and it could go up again?

It's starting make sense only if these stock market comments are to provide the smokescreen for the casino owners for the market moves, really. They need to generate moves. Even the FX market doesn't move much lately.

And let's not forget this interesting action pointing to the 2130 level. Coincidentally, we're almost there:

Berserk, Broken Rampathon Algo "Buys" The S&P At 2,130
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-18/berserk-rampathon-algo-just-bou...

Jun 18 FOMC press conference

Question at 47:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfAg3BJCC1c

PETER BARNES
Peter Barnes with Fox Business, ma’am.  Can I—just to follow up a little bit on what Pedro asked about.  Specifically, what about equity markets?  I mean, right now, today, the S&P 500 is on track to close at a—another record high.
You have said that you have not seen any evidence of bubbles in equity markets, and that they have been trading within historic norms. Is that still the case today?

CHAIR YELLEN
So I don’t have a sense—the Committee doesn’t try to gauge what is the right level of equity prices. But we do certainly monitor a number of different metrics that give us a feeling for where valuations are relative to things like earnings or dividends, and look at where these metrics stand in comparison with previous history to get a sense of whether or not we’re moving to valuation levels that are outside of historical norms, and I still don’t see that. I still don’t see that for equity prices broadly.

 

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 14:30 | 5823103 shovelhead
shovelhead's picture

So I guess these 'animal spirits' are still just puppies and kitties?

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 17:29 | 5824001 swass
swass's picture

No shite, Sherlock.

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 22:50 | 5825232 Hope Copy
Hope Copy's picture

That's a 'sign'..  Time to put up the interest rate!

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!