Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 375

Have stock markets become a giant Ponzi scheme?

The past few months have exacerbated a trend we have been following with concern for some time now – the ever-increasing disconnect between financial markets and the real economy.

The COVID-19 outbreak has triggered a huge expansion of government balance sheets which in turn has enabled market darlings to reach dizzying valuation heights, to the point where financial markets might best be described as Ponzi borrowing.

This type of financial instability is not new, but when combined with the impact of a health crisis, it is particularly troubling.

Financial instability moves

Distinguished economist Hyman Minsky developed the financial instability hypothesis in the 1970s, which argued that capitalism moves between periods of financial stability to instability, with periods of stability leading to overconfidence by borrowers and lenders and encouraging excessive borrowing. This in turn increases volatility and ultimately triggers a crisis.

At the moment, Minsky’s hypothesis seems particularly relevant. The proportion of zombie companies (companies that are able to service, but not pay off, their debt) is growing, while productivity is declining, and economic growth is illusory. And if significant proportions of lending are based exclusively on an expectation of rising asset values, the result is Ponzi finance.

Worryingly, this trend shows no sign of having peaked. Indeed, the significant and long-term implications of COVID-19, and the decisive steps taken by governments and central banks around the world in response, have accelerated the pressure on stability.

At the same time, it has justified extraordinary monetary and fiscal stimulus actions that would usually be seen as overstepping mandates, and the scale of this overstepping will only increase as the system becomes increasingly unstable.

But having cried wolf too often, no-one now takes seriously the prospect of central bank balance sheet reduction or an end to monetary support.

Valuation-based investment

The disconnect between the financial system and the real economy has seen many investors lose faith in the concept of mean reversion and the strategy of valuation-based investment. Instead, the rewards seem to have flowed to those who seek ‘quality’ and ‘growth’, though perceptions of ‘quality’ seem to exhibit a high degree of subjectivity. In some ways, it can be described as chasing high multiples for market darlings and loss-making businesses that are supported by government largesse.

Exacerbating this trend is the recent growth in index investing which has constantly rewarded share price winners and punished losers without regard to fundamentals.

At Schroders, we continue to subscribe to the belief that mean reversion (at some point), and investment in real economy businesses which have not been inflated by easy money, will be rewarded, although there is no doubt that following this investment approach now has been tougher than ever.

Nonetheless, to us it seems inarguable that growth is an input to be used when valuing a business, not just an attribute to be sought at any price. On this basis, valuations of companies predicted to have attractive growth prospects have escalated far beyond realistic levels. As shown below, the top quartile Price/Earning (P/E) companies in the ASX200 have a P/E of 42 versus only 12 for the bottom quartile, a remarkable value dispersion for Australia's top companies. 

Perhaps even more worrying, they have maintained these valuations even as markets start to cool down.

Despite the fact that the global economy is presenting few growth prospects, we are seeing profit forecasts that would be unconvincing in a booming economy, let alone one that is being hit hard by a global pandemic.

Global financial casino

We continue to believe that fundamental value creation happens slowly, and that our role is to protect our investors’ hard-earned capital against the excesses of global financial markets – or perhaps what we could call the global financial casino. We remind investors that history has shown, time and again, that all bubbles burst and that growth cannot continue into perpetuity.

At the same time, we acknowledge that there will be no rapid exit from the global financial casino.

It seems more than likely that the current policies aimed at supporting the supremacy of the financial system over the real economy will continue, with a global financial casino running alongside a real economy that is increasingly fuelled by debt-funded government support.

For investors, the challenge is to identify which investment strategy is best suited to this environment.

On one hand, investors could simply abandon any realistic attempts to value companies and instead simply chase the hot streaks. But this type of herd behaviour is not ‘investment’. The share price alone is creating the appeal, not underlying value creation.

Another option is to rely on considered and realistic views of valuation, grounded in the low-growth and high-risk environment investors face. But to take this approach, investors must accept that fundamental value creation happens slowly and does not result in 200% share price gains in a quarter.

In a year when ‘social distancing’ has entered the lexicon, we continue to believe that staying away from the herd, by chasing growth with nothing to support it, is still the best path to take.

 

Martin Conlon is Head of Australian Equities at Schroders. This article contains general information only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. These matters should be considered before acting on the information provided.

 

6 Comments
mark
September 23, 2020

Is mean reversion a self fulfilling prophecy?

glenn
September 20, 2020

....and corporate fund managers still generate fee income for themselves even if they're performing worse than the market, so should we buy fund managers????

Ian
September 19, 2020

All this is predicated on the stock market being considered a reasonable facility to manage capital, but it has long since stopped being that. The level of a stock market indices today is irrelevant as an indicator of value or the state of the economy. with short selling , machine trading and rampant speculation, the price paid for most shares bears no real relationship with a company's value, but is the merely a snapshot of the last speculative trade on the day. Who knows whether that trade crystalised a gain from an uptick in price due to an unreliable announcement in the news.? We need to stop calling day traders investors, and recognise that the majority of stock market movement is generated by traders who aren't particularly concerned with the actual value of a company, only share price volitility, which they are happy to exacerbate.

Mobcat
September 17, 2020

I can see Armageddon as a the market slowly decends into capitulation and the festering sore of debt burden all countries have entered into due to Covid.
The only answer is speculation for successful trading atm everyone needs mega returns or shut the door it’s game over for trading with small balls.

George
September 16, 2020

But "the market can remain irrational longer than I can remain solvent".

ron
September 16, 2020

well said george- but just one sentence more. " corporate fund management can wait indefinitely for value investment strategies to pay off but i have a finite life span "

 

Leave a Comment:

     

RELATED ARTICLES

US rate rises would challenge multi-asset diversified portfolios

A tale of the inflation genie, the Fed and the RBA

It's not all about interest rates: give me a 1980s petshop galah!

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Australian house prices close in on world record

Sydney is set to become the world’s most expensive city for housing over the next 12 months, a new report shows. Our other major cities aren’t far behind unless there are major changes to improve housing affordability.

The case for the $3 million super tax

The Government's proposed tax has copped a lot of flack though I think it's a reasonable approach to improve the long-term sustainability of superannuation and the retirement income system. Here’s why.

The revolt against Baby Boomer wealth

The $3m super tax could be put down to the Government needing money and the wealthy being easy targets. It’s deeper than that though and this looks at the factors behind the policy and why more taxes on the wealthy are coming.

Meg on SMSFs: Withdrawing assets ahead of the $3m super tax

The super tax has caused an almighty scuffle, but for SMSFs impacted by the proposed tax, a big question remains: what should they do now? Here are ideas for those wanting to withdraw money from their SMSF.

Tariffs are a smokescreen to Trump's real endgame

Behind market volatility and tariff threats lies a deeper strategy. Trump’s real goal isn’t trade reform but managing America's massive debts, preserving bond market confidence, and preparing for potential QE.

The super tax and the defined benefits scandal

Australia's superannuation inequities date back to poor decisions made by Parliament two decades ago. If super for the wealthy needs resetting, so too does the defined benefits schemes for our public servants.

Latest Updates

Are franking credits hurting Australia’s economy?

Business investment and per capita GDP have languished over the past decade and the Labor Government is conducting inquiries to find out why. Franking credits should be part of the debate about our stalling economy.

Superannuation

7 examples of how the new super tax will be calculated

You've no doubt heard about Division 296. These case studies show what people at various levels above the $3 million threshold might need to pay the ATO, with examples ranging from under $500 to more than $35,000.

Have Apple and Google reached the beginning of the end?

It might be hard to imagine a world where Apple and Google aren’t dominant, but disruption often starts with tiny cracks. AI's emergence into the mainstream might have set the stage for a new generation of leaders.

Superannuation

Did retirees lose out when they accepted defined benefit schemes?

Defined benefit pensions were designed to offer security in retirement. But new tax policies and arbitrary limits now erode their value - especially for Australians who contributed their own savings to these plans.

Property

Why Australia's agricultural land boom has stalled

Farmland prices have flatlined, bringing one of the most dramatic rural property cycles in Australian history to an end. The market for agricultural land now seems to be entering a new and more nuanced phase.

Property

The retail property niche offering income and growth

Neighbourhood shopping centres have fought off one perceived threat after another. What's more, they continue to offer secure income from blue-chip firms and other tenants linked mostly to essential spending.

ASX plans to attract more IPOs don’t go far enough

High-profile Australian stock market listings, like Guzman Y Gomez's IPO in 2024, are rare. ASIC aims to streamline the IPO process to boost listings, but faces barriers like share structures and governance.

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.