You know me, I’m skeptical of everything and everyone.
You have to earn my trust.
And if there’s one indicator in this market that has earned my trust and attention over the years, it’s the relationship between Consumer Staples and the rest of the market. More specifically, Staples relative to Consumer Discretionary stocks.
You see, when portfolio managers believe stocks are going higher, they are going to overweight Consumer Discretionary stocks. These are things like Retailers, Automobiles and Housing stocks. Areas where “Consumers” spend their “Discretionary” Income.
Consumer Staples, on the other hand, are things “Consumers” are going to spend money on regardless of economic conditions, therefore being “Staples”. Think Toothpaste, Laundry Detergent, Beer, Soda and Cigarettes.
I have two ways to look at these: [Read more…]
