With everyone concerned about the recent action in global stock markets, they should be worried because all 5 major central banks are going to turn off liquidity, which has fueled stocks and other reckless speculation.

Central Banks To Turn Off Liquidity
May 18 (King World News) – Here is what Peter Boockvar wrote today as the world awaits the next round of monetary madness:  Some have disagreed with me but I’ve remained steadfast that the post election stock market rally was mostly due to hopes for tax reform and regulatory relief (the Trump put I’ve heard from some) and the positive impact that would have on earnings. I’ve also repeated, likely to your annoyance, that the elephant in the market room in 2017 is that this will be the first year that all 5 major central banks will in some fashion turn off some of the liquidity lights at this party. Thus, the lack of tax and regulatory reform or a watered down version and the tightening of monetary policy would be the two main risks to stocks…

With yesterday being the worst market day since Friday September 9th, 2016 when the S&P 500 fell 2.5%, let’s go back to the reason on that particular day. It was due to tough talk from Eric Rosengren on not letting the economy overheat and thus hinting at a rate hike which didn’t end up happening until December. Non voting member Robert Kaplan that day said pretty much the same and Lael Brainard announced an unexpected speech was going to be given the following Monday and everyone freaked on the thought that it would telegraph an upcoming rate hike. It of course didn’t and we rallied 1.5% that Monday.

The Main Driver Of Stocks
The point is, politics and monetary policy have been and will continue to be the main driver of stocks. At least over the past 7 years, mediocre economic activity, anemic revenue growth and low quality earnings didn’t matter, it was all about multiple expansion because of you know what. Trump’s victory added juice of course and we have to ask, now what? You tell me we’ve rallied because of better earnings in Q1? Did you see what stocks did since 2012 when earnings barely grew and in fact fell for 6 straight quarters? We’ve already pulled forward in stock market return the earnings rebound we are now seeing. That’s what happens when valuations get extreme and please don’t just value the market on one year’s forward earnings as your only indicator.

This all said, at least for now the S&P 500 is still in a range of 2325 and 2405 that it’s been in for the past 3 months until proven otherwise but I will add this: While valuations don’t matter until they do, I’ve argued that this year they will begin to matter and they have given us ZERO room for error of any important kind……More Here