Managing Partner, VRS (Valuation & Research Specialists)

VRS (Valuation & Research Specialists)

Managing Partner

Valuation & Research Specialists (VRS) is a boutique financial advisor with more than 17 years of experience in Corporate Valuation and Finance, and a diversified client base including some of the largest Companies in Greece.

Since 2002, VRS has completed more than 200 engagements in the areas of business valuation and financial analysis for more than 100 clients in a wide range of industries.

VRS has been honored to work with small and large private and publicly traded companies in Europe and overseas.

Boutique Financial Advisor

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>In Econote No. 110 ( Nov.Dec 2022) we broached the topic of investing in the Defence sectors of various West and Asian economies.</li>
<li>The reasons for this were very simple: First, the war in the Ukraine resulted to a sharp rise in defence spending in western countries and, second, this rise would not cease with the end of the war but presented a pivot to higher defence spending, not only in western countries, but also in areas such as Asia.</li>
<li>Hence the outlook for Defence stocks was, and is very bright, as witnessed by their persistent outperformance of the S&amp;P 500 and still reasonable valuations.</li>
</ul>


In Econote No. 110 ( Nov.Dec 2022) we broached the topic of investing in the Defence sectors of various West and Asian economies.
The reasons for this were very simple: First, the war in the Ukraine resulted to a sharp rise in defence spending in western countries and, second, this rise would not cease with the end of the war but presented a pivot to higher defence spending, not only in western countries, but also in areas such as Asia.
Hence the outlook for Defence stocks was, and is very bright, as witnessed by their persistent outperformance of the S&amp;P 500 and still reasonable valuations.


Ecognosis Advisory Ltd - ECONOTE No. 111 Investing in the Defence Sector

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

iShares Russell 2000 ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Our 2023 outlook remains unchanged; we see the market indexes consolidating within broad horizontal ranges, and we expect the top-end of the range to be 4165-4200 on the S&amp;P 500.</li>
<li>The bottom-end of the range is at the 2022 lows (3490). Another possible support level we are monitoring is at the December 2022 lows (3765).</li>
<li>The Russell 2000 (IWM) is testing important support at $170 (the Dec. 2022 lows and the prior downtrend from 2022), suggesting this is a logical time for an oversold bounce.</li>
</ul>


Our 2023 outlook remains unchanged; we see the market indexes consolidating within broad horizontal ranges, and we expect the top-end of the range to be 4165-4200 on the S&amp;P 500.
The bottom-end of the range is at the 2022 lows (3490). Another possible support level we are monitoring is at the December 2022 lows (3765).
The Russell 2000 (IWM) is testing important support at $170 (the Dec. 2022 lows and the prior downtrend from 2022), suggesting this is a logical time for an oversold bounce.


Russell 2000 (IWM) Testing $170; Downgrading Energy; 10-Yr Treasury Yield Testing 3.4% Support

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist, True Insights

Jeroen Blokland

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist

Build Well-Diversified Multi-Asset Portfolios

True Insights

Our research helps investors build well-diversified multi-asset portfolios and profit from market developments. In addition, our unique and proven Macro – Sentiment – Valuation (MSV) investment framework ensures a consistent flow of new investment opportunities. Together with our market views, these opportunities will be reflected in our live ETF-based Global Multi-Asset Portfolios.

<ul>
<li>Unsurprisingly, the (required) equity risk premium on bank stocks has increased, but especially in the case of US banks, it is not at extreme levels. </li>
<li>The forward P/E ratio of European bank stocks has dropped to distressed/recessionary levels, while the forward P/E of US bank stocks is 'seriously low' at 8.</li>
<li>However, based on the Price-to-Book ratio, bank valuation is average.  Given elevated contagion risks and increased regulatory scrutiny, bank stock valuation alone is insufficient to overweight the sector.</li>
</ul>


Unsurprisingly, the (required) equity risk premium on bank stocks has increased, but especially in the case of US banks, it is not at extreme levels. 
The forward P/E ratio of European bank stocks has dropped to distressed/recessionary levels, while the forward P/E of US bank stocks is 'seriously low' at 8.
However, based on the Price-to-Book ratio, bank valuation is average.  Given elevated contagion risks and increased regulatory scrutiny, bank stock valuation alone is insufficient to overweight the sector.


Banks Vs. Market: A Closer Look at Equity Risk Premia and Other Valuation Measures

Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

<ul><li>WTR Sustainable Index: During the week ended March 17, 2023, the WTR Sustainable Index underperformed the broader market, rising 1.2% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (up 1.4%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 2.6%), and the Nasdaq Composite Index (up 4.4%).</li><li>Advanced Transportation Solutions (69.3% of the index) drove the index performance, rising 3.3%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (22.8% of the index) was down 2.0% and Energy Technology was down 5.8%.</li><li>Valuation: Based on forward 12-month consensus estimates, the current P/E ratio of the WTR Sustainable index is 23.6x versus 17.6x for the S&amp;P 500.</li></ul>

WTR Sustainable Index: During the week ended March 17, 2023, the WTR Sustainable Index underperformed the broader market, rising 1.2% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (up 1.4%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 2.6%), and the Nasdaq Composite Index (up 4.4%).Advanced Transportation Solutions (69.3% of the index) drove the index performance, rising 3.3%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (22.8% of the index) was down 2.0% and Energy Technology was down 5.8%.Valuation: Based on forward 12-month consensus estimates, the current P/E ratio of the WTR Sustainable index is 23.6x versus 17.6x for the S&amp;P 500.

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor: Week Ended March 17, 2023

Chart based progressive global trading strategies, Chart Partners

Thomas Schroeder

Chart based progressive global trading strategies

Chart Partners

Chart Partners objective is to discover medium-term cycle turns and profit opportunities before they unfold, within structural trends while preserving capital with clear degrees of risk. We have real return ideas. 

Markets are dynamic and trading systems must reflect this. It is crucial to determine underlying correlations and lead-lag relationships within global markets and the impact on linked instruments. Our weekly Chartonics product gives you short-term trading strategies that can be applied within the medium and longer term macro trends that are mapped out in our strategy updates. 

Our methodology fuses global market variables and isolates drivers in trends. We specialize in FX, index trade in NY and Asia with a focus on Asian stocks. 

<ul>
<li>SPX low due near March 27 that sets up a recovery sequence into April. Macro remains bearish into the summer months where financial sector risk is to resurface.</li>
<li>Weekly MACD set to roll over from reliable resistance after the 4,000 rejection on the daily chart.</li>
<li>USD holding firm in Asia and EM due to pending risk aversion. Euro rise is corrective in nature.</li>
</ul>


SPX low due near March 27 that sets up a recovery sequence into April. Macro remains bearish into the summer months where financial sector risk is to resurface.
Weekly MACD set to roll over from reliable resistance after the 4,000 rejection on the daily chart.
USD holding firm in Asia and EM due to pending risk aversion. Euro rise is corrective in nature.


United States

The S&P 500® is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities and serves as the foundation for a wide range of investment products. The index includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

S&P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX)

Ecognosis Advisory Ltd - ECONOTE No. 111 Investing in the Defence Sector

In Econote No. 110 ( Nov.Dec 2022) we broached the topic of investing in the Defence sectors of various West and Asian economies.

VRS (Valuation & Research Specialists)

Russell 2000 (IWM) Testing $170; Downgrading Energy; 10-Yr Treasury Yield Testing 3.4% Support

Our 2023 $SPX outlook remains unchanged: rangebound trade between 4165-4200 and 3490, with Dec. 2022 lows (3765) also possible support. Bears in...

Vermilion Research

Banks Vs. Market: A Closer Look at Equity Risk Premia and Other Valuation Measures

Given the high uncertainty related to contagion risks and increased regulatory scrutiny, we think bank stock valuation alone is insufficient to...

Jeroen Blokland

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor: Week Ended March 17, 2023

Valuation: Based on forward 12-month consensus estimates, the current P/E ratio of the WTR Sustainable index is 23.6x versus 17.6x for the S&P 500.

Water Tower Research

SPX Macro Bear into the Summer

SPX low due near March 27 that sets up a recovery sequence into April. Macro remains bearish into the summer months where financial sector risk is...

Thomas Schroeder