Unless you are aware of some ST market-mispricing anomaly, I do NOT like this ETF

The Stock Exchange is all about trading. Each week we do the following:

• Discuss an important issue for traders;
• Highlight several technical trading methods – including current ideas;
• Feature advice from top traders and writers; and,
• Provide a few (minority) reactions from fundamental analysts.

17 Dividend Aristocrats for Further Research

We also have some fun. We welcome comments, links, and ideas to help us improve this resource for traders. If you have some earnings season ideas, please join in!

Review

Our last Stock Exchange took a deep dive into the earnings season. If you missed it, a glance at your news will show that the key points remain relevant.

This Week — Consumer Discretionary Spending Heats Up

Our experts are picking up on this week’s theme in a big way. From luxurious cruises to hip new threads, our technical indicators suggest there’s something driving levels on consumer discretionary spending. Derek Benedet of seeitmarket.com had an interesting take. Let’s review some traditional causes behind increased spending:

While these points are accurate, Benedet goes on to note that the patterns of spending are very different. Traditional retailers may find difficulty attracting discretionary spending in a way that Tesla or Urban Outfitters may not. Let’s ask the experts:

Expert Picks from the Models

We’re joined again by one of our favorite guest experts on the stock exchange: Blue Harbinger (also known as Mark Hines). Blue Harbinger specializes in independent investment research, and we’re glad to have his thoughts this week. Let’s get down to it.

This week’s picks happen to center around luxury goods and discretionary spending.

Oscar

Oscar: This week, I bought into my custom Leisure, Lodge, and Cruise sector. PEJ is a close approximation. Stocks in the sector have been hanging around the same level since December, but there’s been enough volatility that I can see an upside. Check the 200-day moving average on the chart below.

Despite the up and down movement, the 200-day moving average has continued the steady rise past the compensation for November’s pop. Beyond the trend, a popup near the $43 mark in the next two to four weeks would provide a solid exit point for me.

Blue Harbinger: Unless you are aware of some short-term exploitable market-mispricing anomaly, I do NOT like this ETF. The PowerShares Dynamic Leisure & Entertainment ETF (PEJ) charges a fairly high fee, it has a high turnover ratio, its price can trade at unpredictable premiums and discounts to its net asset value.

O: A grim assessment, but I’ve got my own stocks in the same sector. Is that inherently wrong?

BH: Well this is based on a goofy, undiversified and concentrated index that seems to have been developed as a marketing ploy to get retail investors to invest in something that lines the pockets of the PowerShares people.

For starters, it only holds 30 stocks, and they’re concentrated in the Consumer Discretionary sector (79%) with the remaining holdings (21%) in Industrials. According to the PowerShares website, the index is described as follows.

The Intellidex Index is designed to provide capital appreciation by thoroughly evaluating companies based on a variety of investment merit criteria, including: price momentum, earnings momentum, quality, management action, and value. The Underlying Intellidex Index is comprised of common stocks of 30 US leisure and entertainment companies. These are companies that are principally engaged in the design, production or distribution of goods or services in the leisure and entertainment industries.

In my assessment, this index is likely based on some rickety quantitative screen, that is heavy on sounding good to the marketing people, and light on empirical evidence.

O: Understood. I can’t spill too many secrets – all I can say is I’m confident that I’ve managed to strike a better balance on my own.

Athena

Athena: I’ve got a hot one today: Tesla (TSLA). As many people know, I like to buy stocks when they’re in the midst of an upswing. Usually they’re lesser-known names, although I’m happy to make an exception in this case. Let’s check the chart:

This stock is prone to significant upswings, and is currently recovering from a correction earlier this month. Considering the rapid pace at which this went up to $375, I have no qualms at all about buying in at $328.

Blue Harbinger: Athena, I love Tesla’s vehicles. They’re high quality, attractive-looking, very efficient, and they’re environmentally friendly. I also like what Elon Musk is doing with batteries and solar power. However, as an investment opportunity, Tesla is not attractive. Aside from no net income, Tesla trades at a price to sales valuation multiple that is far above other automakers, as shown in the following chart.

Tesla’s high price to sales multiple is a reflection of the market’s very high expectations for the company. However, any slip-up (for example production delays) could send Tesla’s price much lower. Also, competition in the electric vehicle space continues to grow as Tesla’s peers continue to work on new electric vehicles as well as new batteries too.

A: What do I care about price to sales multiples? The market loves the cars as much as you do. Is it so inconceivable that a bit of good news might lead to exuberance?

BH: I don’t know if the market is heading in that direction. It’s worth noting that Tesla’s short-interest is very high, as shown in the following chart.

For a company with a relatively small amount of sales, negative net income, and growing competition, its $55 billion market capitalization is simply too rich and too risky.

A: That all sounds very compelling, but I just don’t invest on that basis. I’m sticking with this one for another two weeks, and looking for another 10% pop.

Holmes

Holmes: I’m getting into Coscto (COST) this week. What a deal! This stock has been trading below $155 this month, but it’s spent the vast majority of the past year well above that same mark. See for yourself:

That 50 day moving average – despite its strong resemblance to a roller coaster – tells me this stock is undervalued. The stretch from January to June alone should be enough to convince anyone of the same.

Blue Harbinger: Costco isn’t a horrible investment, but its best days of growth are in the past, and the company will be challenged to keep customers as excited as they have historically been. Costco’s physical locations as well as its shopping club concept are not new, and they will face challenges going forward. For example, the recently announced interest by Amazon to purchase of Whole Foods drove Costco’s price lower last month, and it may actually mark the beginning of an industry shift where shoppers (and investors) are no longer as excited about Costco as they once were.

H: Well, that would explain the recent drop. Anything else I should know about?

BH: Yes. Costco’s already significant market penetration will make it challenging for new Costco locations to open because the most attractive demographic locations have already been targeted, and new locations could lead to some attrition at existing locations.

For some perspective, according to data from StockRover, the per annum EPS growth rate estimate for Costco over the next 5-year is 5.6%. Not an extremely high rate, but one that will likely be challenging to achieve. Further still, even after the recent price decline, Costco’s price-to-earnings ratio isn’t all that attractive relative to its historical valuation, as shown in the following chart.

I’m not suggesting Costco is at risk of an imminent collapse, but it’s certainly not the great growth opportunity it once was.

H: That makes a lot of sense for long term investors. Regular readers know my timeframe is much shorter. Hey, maybe the market will decide this Amazon deal wasn’t the death knell for all other retailers after all.

Felix

Felix: Urban Outfitters (URBN) looks extremely uncool right now, and to me that’s the coolest thing about it. The month and a half long lull is signalling a bottom to me. As a longer-term investor, that’s a very important factor. Have a look at this chart of the past 12 months:

I’ll admit this does not read as a success story, though I still think it provides a useful entry point. I could easily see some recovery back up to the $22 mark, especially with my extended timeframe.

Blue Harbinger: Urban Outfitters is a well-run business with very limited growth opportunities and no competitive advantage. The company’s premium brands (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, BHLDN, Terrain and Vetri) will face challenges in staying relevant, and this is a stock I’m are not interested in owning.

At first glance, the stock might appear attractive because of all the share buybacks, zero long-term debt, and very low price-to-earnings ratio.

However, the average five-year EPS growth estimate according to StockRover is negative 1.6%, and management expects the number of stores and square footage to grow very little.

F: You’ve been pretty rough on all our picks this week. Maybe we should start calling you the Harbinger of Doom.

BH: Alright, alright. Here’s something positive. The company does expect to grow through its direct-to-consumer channel and wholesale (Free People) business, but these currently make up a small portion of sales, and their viability depends, to a large extent, on the brand’s ability to stay relevant.

I don’t believe the brands will become irrelevant overnight, and because the business is well-run, I don’t expect Urban Outfitters to completely disappear anytime soon. However, I do believe margins will continue to be pressured, the brand value will erode over time, and despite the recent price declines and low valuation multiples, this is not a stock I am interested in owning.

F: Okay, that’s fair. I can’t say much other than I like current prices as an entry point, and that I would be looking for a long-term holding. If the mullet can make a comeback, then surely we could see new growth out of Urban Outfitters…

Conclusion

Favorable conditions for discretionary spending are bringing consumers around to household names that have been en vogue as of late. In fact, this may be the first week where our models have gravitated to these kinds of trendy companies.

Thankfully, we have Blue Harbinger here to talk us down from the hype. Each of these selections might give the human investor pause. It’s the model’s job to follow its technical indicators carefully, and to remain consistentStock Exchange Character Guide

 

Background on the Stock Exchange

Each week Felix and Oscar host a poker game for some of their friends. Since they are all traders they love to discuss their best current ideas before the game starts. They like to call this their “Stock Exchange.” (Check it out for more background). Their methods are excellent, as you know if you have been following the series. Since the time frames and risk profiles differ, so do the stock ideas. You get to be a fly on the wall from my report. I am usually the only human present, and the only one using any fundamental analysis.

The result? Several expert ideas each week from traders, and a brief comment on the fundamentals from the human investor. The models are named to make it easy to remember their trading personalities.

Getting Updates

We have a (free) service for subscribers of our Felix/Oscar update list. You can suggest three favorite stocks and sectors. Sign up with email to “etf at newarc dot com”. We keep a running list of all securities our readers recommend. The “favorite fifteen” are top ranking positions according to each respective model. Within that list, green is a “buy,” yellow a “hold,” and red a “sell.” Suggestions and comments are welcome. Please remember that these are responses to reader requests, not necessarily stocks and sectors that we own. Sign up now to vote your favorite stock or sector onto the list!

Article by Jeff Miller, Dash Of Insight

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