Weekly Market Commentary- 9/15/2014

Don’t Fight the Fed ECB? (Part 1 of 2)9.15.14 market

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced bold stimulus measures,
including further cuts to key interest rates and an asset-backed securities
(ABS) purchase plan, on September 4, 2014. The moves are an
acknowledgment of the recent deterioration in the Eurozone economy and
increased deflation risk. This decision follows the historic move to negative
deposit rates initiated back in June of 2014. These measures are geared
toward spurring economic growth through easier access to cheaper credit
for businesses and households and toward driving prices higher to avoid
deflation. These moves may also continue to pressure the euro currency and
help boost European exports.

Is this move by the ECB a buy signal for European equities? To help
answer that question, we look back at how U.S. stocks reacted to our own
monetary stimulus through quantitative easing (QE). Although Europe
has not engaged in outright QE (where the ECB buys government bonds
directly), it may in the future. With essentially zero interest rates (or lower),
and the addition of bond purchases, these ECB moves are similar to the
Federal Reserve’s (Fed) moves.

Buying stocks after the various QE programs were announced by the
Federal Reserve was generally a profitable decision for investors, although

Read full report here Weekly Market Commentary 09152014