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The Warren Buffett Indicator Is Ringing the Alarm to Sell
The Buffett Indicator is sounding the alarm, and it’s more air raid siren than a gentle reminder. Famed investor Warren Buffett’s famous metric is nervously monitoring the stock market situation, and it’s not a pretty sight. Currently, the US market cap is more than double the level of estimated GDP for the quarter. This means the ratio between the two surged to its highest-ever readings. This suggests a strongly overvalued situation.
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The Buffett Indicator
The “Buffett Indicator” is a simple ratio. It measures the total US stock market capitalization divided by the total dollar value of the US Gross Domestic Product. Buffett himself called the metric “the best single measure of where valuations stand at any given moment.”
A high ratio indicates an overvalued market—and as of February 11, 2021, the ratio has reached all-time highs, indicating that the U.S. stock market is currently strongly overvalued. The latest reading of the Buffet Indicator is 189.5%, which is higher than the previous high of 176.6% from the previous quarter. The reading is based on the Q4 GDP second estimate and the February close data.
Meanwhile, the latest worldwide reading recently breached 123%, surpassing its previous record of 121% during the dot-com bubble. This means stocks are overpriced as well outside the US, but none are as overvalued as here.
‘Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy’
After the early 2000s dot-com bubble, the Buffet Indicator’s alarm bells lit up again in 2019. While Warren Buffett’s catchphrase “Be fearful when others are greedy” applies to the current trend, other investors think the opposite. A lot continues to pile money into stocks, and seem to listen to the “the trend is your friend” mantra instead.
Meanwhile, investors are in a buying mood in the US. Awash with cash due to fiscal stimulus along with a record year for savings, many are putting money into the market. The Federal reserve’s decision to hold interest rates near zero also helps. In addition, the Fed also undertook a bond-buying spree. All these factors can possibly lead to stellar growth in the GDP and inject more into corporate earnings.
Possible False Alarm
Given the US market’s remarkable position, some analysts think that the Buffet Indicator might be sending false alarm signals. The situation “highlights the remarkable mania we are witnessing in the US equity market,” noted Michael O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading. “Even if one expected those (Fed) policies to be permanent, which they should not be, it still would not justify paying two times the 25-year average for stocks.”
This detachment of the Buffett indicator from its long-term trend joins an assortment of other valuation metrics. Many metrics already exceeded their previous records during the recent stock market rally during the pandemic. Price-to-earnings, price-to-sales, and price-to-tangible-book value are some of the over-the-top readings on top of dot-com bubble levels. Before, investors saw these are once-in-a-lifetime occurrences. Now, many investors see them regularly.
S&P 500 Valuation Metrics Are Rising
Meanwhile, many analysts believe that rising valuations are not the best tools for timing market tops. Given the pandemic, investors are banking that valuations will continue to rise. For example, the S&P 500 picked up 1.2% as news on increasing vaccination rates and a nearing deal on a stimulus package. Energy led the sectors in rising as it anticipates renewed demand.
“When you compare it to fixed income markets, and with the rates where they are, the earnings yield for stocks is still positive,” said Anu Gaggar, senior global investment analyst for Commonwealth Financial Network. “And now with the Fed keeping rates at these low levels, that just gives comfort to the market,” he added.
Watch the New Money video feature on Warren Buffett: How Most People Should Invest in 2021:
Loading ...Do you agree with the Buffett Indicator that US stocks are currently overvalued and headed for a crash? Or, do you think a different situation applies at present, and a crash isn’t imminent. Let us know what you think. Share your thoughts on the Buffett Indicator and the market in general by commenting below.
6 Comments
With the idiots from the left doing everything and all they can do destroy our Nation and COnstitution ,Driving up unemployment,Bringing in millions that will add to our already over burdened social systems,and pushing us to energy dependancy YOU BET What TRUMP BUILT UP the LOEFT will destroy the USA as quickly as they can for their own gains and their added corruption!
It’s amazing to me that not only CAN people spew purely factless claptrap like the other post here, they also believe it.
Believe it, Reid’s right JW, For starters, open the other eye and take a look at the Border.
You haven’t seen anything yet. Biden has a $3 Trillion bill coming up next for infrastructure. I have the feeling that it’s only going to include a portion for infrastructure like the $5 Trillion (so far) COVID “Help” for the people but this one would push Biden’s into the $1 spender. He’s not even in office half a year and if the infrastructure bill passes, we will be have an $8 Trillion debt on top of the debt we already have. He takes right after Obama but at least Obama did it in 8 years, not 6 months.
Biden is bad, but prez kamala is going to be an order of magnitude Worse. Sleepy Joe is on his way out, and the Ho is already taking over many of his tasks … only thing worse would be crazy Nance.
Robert Reid HIT the nail on the head!! I’m just waiting for the stock market to crash next!! JW OPEN your eyes for Gods sake. Are you serious, you can’t see everything that’s happening to the United States since the left took over?? Everything that President Trump fixed and did for the people, Biden the puppet and his puppet masters are destroying. OMG if anyone out there that can’t see all the damage around us they are just plain in denial. They’ve taken away from our Veterans whom gave there lives for us, they put us in lockdown because of a virus and still forcing masks while allowing all these Illegal’s to come in carrying Covid no distancing because we can’t handle this many people, no masks until today, handing them everything we the people worked for all our lives! While our people lost jobs, houses, business’s, can’t put food on the table or pay bills!! This was not a time to be able to put money back or on stocks. All the while our tax money is paying for everything for people that we should not be responsible for AND now Biden is increasing our Taxes, causing gas to go up, ect. Do you see any other country coming to our aid in this crisis? We have NO place to put this many people then expect us to foster them and most don’t even speak English, putting more burden on the United States that’s already been left weak. Doesn’t everyone see what’s wrong! These leftist have everything they need, they don’t care about the people. This was there plan all along to destroy America, now Biden’s got Russia, China and N.Korea pissed at the USA making fun of US watching a clown that’s not fit to run anything let a lone this country!!! If you think we aren’t treading dangerous waters right now you’d better wake up and get ready for what’s to come! These country’s are just waiting for the right time to strike.. they know we are weak and unstable now. The stock market will crash, how can anything be stable with the spending and debt Biden is causing, there is nothing stable now its worse then most people know..