‘The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.’ – Brian Greene

* A pivot in monetary policy, a further rise in the risk free rate of return, policy and profit uncertainty and a softening in soft and hard high frequency economic data are some of the reasons that point to a lower and destabilized stock market

Following The Great Recession of 2007-09 and a near collapse of the world financial system, the US and other developed as well as emerging economies embarked upon a near decade long expansion and global bull market. In large measure the recoveries were abetted by a worldwide coordinated monetary easing which took interest rates to generational lows and provided an unprecedented amount of excess liquidity.

Though US economic growth from 2009 to present remained substandard compared to previous recoveries, that excess liquidity provided a tailwind to higher stock prices. Corporate capital was increasingly allocated to buybacks rather than the more traditional capital spending outlays reflecting modest real growth in the domestic economy. Going back, since 1999 there were over 7500 listed securities on the NYSE and Nasdaq – today there are under 4000 listed securities (reflecting mergers, delistings offset by the proliferation of ETFs). And of the remaining listed companies nearly 20% of the outstanding shares have been repurchased.

Stocks clearly have benefited from this positive demand v. supply proposition.

If that was not enough, passive investing (ETFs) grew in popularity as did quantitative strategies — all at the expense of active investing. More than ever, investors worshipped at the altar of price momentum at a time in which the excess liquidity promoted optimism. Even central bankers (in Switzerland and Japan and elsewhere) joined in on the party – buying up equities with all that excess liquidity their central banks delivered as fear and doubt left Wall Street.

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