Contributors of Inflation - September 2024
In this edition, PlumTree Financial is shining the spotlight on an economic concept that has been getting more attention in recent years, inflation. Whether you are a factory worker in the middle of America, a lead economist, or a DC politician, price change is something you understand. Inflation is measured in several ways: core, headline, producer, consumer, etc. In this newsletter, we will focus on ‘headline inflation'. We will also steer clear of political commentary and avoid trying to address who is to blame for the spike in inflation. Instead, we will address the question: what are the contributors of headline inflation? We will also provide a summary chart from J.P. Morgan that presents the components of inflation and their contribution to overall inflation over the past few years.
In the chart below, one can see that inflation started to gain momentum in early 2021. The momentum was driven early by energy prices, dining, recreation, and core goods. Core goods is a broad category that includes several items including vehicles, furnishings, health care, entertainment products, etc.
Soon thereafter, shelter prices began to spike. Shelter is rental prices, an approximation of what the rent value of a home would be if rented, and other lodging (e.g., hotels). It does not directly include the value of residential real estate.
Inflation peaked in June of 2022 at around 9%. Energy prices began to stabilize after the June 2022 peak. As one can see on the graph, oil has been below the axis, and therefore, slowed inflation in 2023 and into 2024. Core goods are also levelized. However, shelter, dining, recreation, and other services have continued to increase. And remember, the chart measures the rate of change and not price levels (acceleration versus velocity). Only energy prices, which tend to be more volatile than other price categories, and core goods have declined since the June 2022 peak. More recently energy prices began to increase once again.
What else is interesting about this chart? In short, auto insurance. The financial services industry and media rarely discuss auto insurance prices, and this is a relatively small component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). However, one can see that over the last year auto insurance has made a meaningful contribution to CPI. Why? In the J.P. Morgan “What's Going on with Auto Insurance Costs” article, they discuss the drivers and those include the following: [1]
- The increased costs of vehicles in general, and therefore higher replacement costs.
- Higher claims (In fact, vehicle "fatalities increased by 10% from 2019 to 2022").[1]
- Regulatory issues.
Like most other insurance, states regulate auto insurance, and price increases require approval state by state. Many states delayed approval of requested increases and the backlog ties back to COVID. One might ask, what are the consequences of higher auto prices? There are several, but one to note is the increase in uninsured motorists. In the same J.P. Morgan article, they cite a 27% increase in uninsured motorists (from 2019 to 2023) of 11% to 14%, respectively. [1]
Why does this matter and how does this impact your wealth planning and investment management?
Great question! Call us and we will be happy to discuss…
[1] Manely, Jack, and Gauba, Sahil. “What's Going on with Auto Insurance Costs”, J.P. Morgan, 17May2024, https://am.jpmorgan.com/us/en/asset-management/liq/insights/market-insights/market-updates/on-the-minds-of-investors/whats-going-on-with-auto-insurance-costs/
J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Index definitions
All indexes are unmanaged and an individual cannot invest directly in an index. Index returns do not include fees or expenses.Equities:The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue-chip U.S. stocks.The MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The MSCI EAFE Index(Europe, Australasia, Far East)is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada.The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets.The MSCI Europe Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure developed market equity performance in Europe.The MSCI Pacific Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the Pacific region.The Russell 1000 Index® measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000. The Russell 1000 Growth Index® measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000 Value Index® measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.The Russell 2000 Index® measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index.The Russell 2000 Growth Index® measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 2000 Value Index® measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell 3000 Index® measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization. The Russell Midcap Index® measures the performance of the 800 smallest companies in the Russell 1000 Index.The Russell Midcap Growth Index ® measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000 Growth index. The Russell Midcap Value Index ® measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000 Value index.The S&P 500 Index is widely regarded as the best single gauge of the U.S. equities market. The index includes a representative sample of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The S&P 500 Index focuses on the large-cap segment of the market; however, since it includes a significant portion of the total value of the market, it also represents the market.
Fixed income: The Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index includes all publicly issued zero-coupon US Treasury Bills that have a remaining maturity of less than 3 months and more than 1 month, are rated investment grade, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. In addition, the securities must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed rate and non convertible.
The Bloomberg Global High Yield Index is a multi-currency flagship measure of the global high yield debt market. The index represents the union of the US High Yield, the Pan-European High Yield, and Emerging Markets (EM) Hard Currency High Yield Indices. The high yield and emerging markets sub-components are mutually exclusive. Until January 1, 2011, the index also included CMBS high yield securities. The Bloomberg Municipal Index: consists of a broad selection of investment-grade general obligation and revenue bonds of maturities ranging from one year to 30 years. It is an unmanaged index representative of the tax-exempt bond market. The Bloomberg US Dollar Floating Rate Note (FRN) Index provides a measure of the U.S. dollar denominated floating rate note market. The Bloomberg US Corporate Investment Grade Index is an unmanaged index consisting of publicly issued US Corporate and specified foreign debentures and secured notes that are rated investment grade (Baa3/BBB or higher) by at least two ratings agencies, have at least one year to final maturity and have at least $250 million par amount outstanding. To qualify, bonds must be SEC-registered. The Bloomberg US High Yield Index covers the universe of fixed rate, non-investment grade debt. Eurobonds and debt issues from countries designated as emerging markets (sovereign rating of Baa1/BBB+/BBB+ and below using the middle of Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch) are excluded, but Canadian and global bonds (SEC registered) of issuers in non-EMG countries are included. The Bloomberg US Mortgage Backed Securities Index is an unmanaged index that measures the performance of investment grade fixed-rate mortgage backed pass-through securities of GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC. The Bloomberg US TIPS Index consists of Inflation-Protection securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. The J.P. Morgan Emerging Market Bond Global Index(EMBI)includes U.S. dollar denominated Brady bonds, Eurobonds, traded loans and local market debt instruments issued by sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities. The J.P. Morgan Domestic High Yield Index is designed to mirror the investable universe of the U.S. dollar domestic high yield corporate debt market. The J.P. Morgan Corporate Emerging Markets Bond Index Broad Diversified (CEMBI Broad Diversified)is an expansion of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Emerging Markets Bond Index (CEMBI). The CEMBI is a market capitalization weighted index consisting of U.S. dollar denominated emerging market corporate bonds. The J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global Diversified (EMBI Global Diversified) tracks total returns for U.S. dollar-denominated debt instruments issued by emerging market sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities: Brady bonds, loans, Eurobonds. The index limits the exposure of some of the larger countries. The J.P. Morgan GBI EM Global Diversified tracks the performance of local currency debt issued by emerging market governments, whose debt is accessible by most of the international investor base. The U.S. Treasury Index is a component of the U.S. Government index.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Definitions
Other asset classes: The Alerian MLP Index is a composite of the 50 most prominent energy Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) that provides investors with an unbiased, comprehensive benchmark for the asset class. The Bloomberg Commodity Index and related sub-indices are composed of futures contracts on physical commodities and represents twenty two separate commodities traded on U.S. exchanges, with the exception of aluminum, nickel, and zinc. The Cambridge Associates U.S. Global Buyout and Growth Index® is based on data compiled from 1,768 global (U.S. & ex –U.S.) buyout and growth equity funds, including fully liquidated partnerships, formed between 1986 and 2013.The CS/Tremont Hedge Fund Index is compiled by Credit Suisse Tremont Index, LLC. It is an asset-weighted hedge fund index and includes only funds, as opposed to separate accounts. The Index uses the Credit Suisse/Tremont database, which tracks over 4500 funds, and consists only of funds with a minimum of US$50 million under management, a 12-month track record, and audited financial statements. It is calculated and rebalanced on a monthly basis, and shown net of all performance fees and expenses. It is the exclusive property of Credit Suisse Tremont Index, LLC.The HFRI Monthly Indices (HFRI) are equally weighted performance indexes, utilized by numerous hedge fund managers as a benchmark for their own hedge funds. The HFRI are broken down into 4 main strategies, each with multiple sub strategies. All single-manager HFRI Index constituents are included in the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite, which accounts for over 2200 funds listed on the internal HFR Database.The NAREIT EQUITY REIT Index is designed to provide the most comprehensive assessment of overall industry performance, and includes all tax-qualified real estate investment trusts (REITs) that are listed on the NYSE, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ National Market List.The NFI-ODCE, short for NCREIF Fund Index -Open End Diversified Core Equity, is an index of investment returns reporting on both a historical and current basis the results of 33 open-end commingled funds pursuing a core investment strategy, some of which have performance histories dating back to the 1970s. The NFI-ODCE Index is capitalization-weighted and is reported gross of fees. Measurement is time-weighted.Definitions:Investing in alternative assets involves higher risks than traditional investments and is suitable only for sophisticated investors. Alternative investments involve greater risks than traditional investments and should not be deemed a complete investment program. They are not tax efficient and an investor should consult with his/her tax advisor prior to investing. Alternative investments have higher fees than traditional investments and they may also be highly leveraged and engage in speculative investment techniques, which can magnify the potential for investment loss or gain. The value of the investment may fall as well as rise and investors may get back less than they invested.Bonds are subject to interest rate risks. Bond prices generally fall when interest rates rise.Investments in commodities may have greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the instruments involve leverage. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Use of leveraged commodity-linked derivatives creates an opportunity for increased return but, at the same time, creates the possibility for greater loss.Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the original investment. The use of derivatives may not be successful, resulting in investment losses, and the cost of such strategies may reduce investment returns. Distressed Restructuring Strategies employ an investment process focused on corporate fixed income instruments, primarily on corporate credit instruments of companies trading at significant discounts to their value at issuance or obliged (par value) at maturity as a result of either formal bankruptcy proceeding or financial market perception of near term proceedings.
Investments in emerging markets can be more volatile. The normal risks of investing in foreign countries are heightened when investing in emerging markets. In addition, the small size of securities markets and the low trading volume may lead to a lack of liquidity, which leads to increased volatility. Also, emerging markets may not provide adequate legal protection for private or foreign investment or private property.The price of equity securities may rise, or fall because of changes in the broad market or changes in a company’s financial condition, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, sectors or industries, or the securities market as a whole, such as changes in economic or political conditions. Equity securities are subject to “stock market risk” meaning that stock prices in general may decline over short or extended periods of time.Equity market neutral strategies employ sophisticated quantitative techniques of analyzing price data to ascertain information about future price movement and relationships between securities, select securities for purchase and sale. Equity Market Neutral Strategies typically maintain characteristic net equity market exposure no greater than 10% long or short.Global macro strategies trade a broad range of strategies in which the investment process is predicated on movements in underlying economic variables and the impact these have on equity, fixed income, hard currency and commodity markets.International investing involves a greater degree of risk and increased volatility. Changes in currency exchange rates and differences in accounting and taxation policies outside the U.S. can raise or lower returns. Some overseas markets may not be as politically and economically stable as the United States and other nations.There is no guarantee that the use of long and short positions will succeed in limiting an investor's exposure to domestic stock market movements, capitalization, sector swings or other risk factors. Using long and short selling strategies may have higher portfolio turnover rates. Short selling involves certain risks, including additional costs associated with covering short positions and a possibility of unlimited loss on certain short sale positions.Merger arbitrage strategies which employ an investment process primarily focused on opportunities in equity and equity related instruments of companies which are currently engaged in a corporate transaction.Mid-capitalization investing typically carries more risk than investing in well-established "blue-chip" companies. Historically, mid-cap companies' stock has experienced a greater degree of market volatility than the average stock.Price to forward earnings is a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) using forecasted earnings. Price to book value compares a stock's market value to its book value. Price to cash flow is a measure of the market's expectations of a firm's future financial health. Price to dividends is the ratio of the price of a share on a stock exchange to the dividends per share paid in the previous year, used as a measure of a company's potential as an investment.Real estate investments may be subject to a higher degree of market risk because of concentration in a specific industry, sector or geographical sector. Real estate investments may be subject to risks including, but not limited to, declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and economic conditions, changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trust and defaults by borrower.Relative Value Strategies maintain positions in which the investment thesis is predicated on realization of a valuation discrepancy in the relationship between multiple securities. Small-capitalization investing typically carries more risk than investing in well-established "blue-chip" companies since smaller companies generally have a higher risk of failure. Historically, smaller companies' stock has experienced a greater degree of market volatility than the average stock.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Risks & disclosures
The Market Insights program provides comprehensive data and commentary on global markets without reference to products. Designed as a tool to help clients understand the markets and support investment decision-making, the program explores the implications of current economic data and changing market conditions.
For the purposes of MiFID II, the JPM Market Insights and Portfolio Insights programs are marketing communications and are not in scope for any MiFID II / MiFIR requirements specifically related to investment research. Furthermore, the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Market Insights and Portfolio Insights programs, as non-independent research, have not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research, nor are they subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.
This document is a general communication being provided for informational purposes only. It is educational in nature and not designed to be taken as advice or a recommendation for any specific investment product, strategy, plan feature or other purpose in any jurisdiction, nor is it a commitment from J.P. Morgan Asset Management or any of its subsidiaries to participate in any of the transactions mentioned herein. Any examples used are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. This material does not contain sufficient information to support an investment decision and it should not be relied upon by you in evaluating the merits of investing in any securities or products. In addition, users should make an independent assessment of the legal, regulatory, tax, credit, and accounting implications and determine, together with their own financial professional, if any investment mentioned herein is believed to be appropriate to their personal goals. Investors should ensure that they obtain all available relevant information before making any investment. Any forecasts, figures, opinions or investment techniques and strategies set out are for information purposes only, based on certain assumptions and current market conditions and are subject to change without prior notice. All information presented herein is considered to be accurate at the time of production, but no warranty of accuracy is given and no liability in respect of any error or omission is accepted. It should be noted that investment involves risks, the value of investments and the income from them may fluctuate in accordance with market conditions and taxation agreements and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Both past performance and yields are not reliable indicators of current and future results.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the brand for the asset management business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates worldwide.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, we may record telephone calls and monitor electronic communications to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and internal policies. Personal data will be collected, stored and processed by J.P. Morgan Asset Management in accordance with our privacy policies at https://am.jpmorgan.com/global/privacy.
This communication is issued by the following entities:
In the United States, by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. or J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc., both regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission; in Latin America, for intended recipients’ use only, by local J.P. Morgan entities, as the case may be. In Canada, for institutional clients’ use only, by JPMorgan Asset Management (Canada) Inc., which is a registered Portfolio Manager and Exempt Market Dealer in all Canadian provinces and territories except the Yukon and is also registered as an Investment Fund Manager in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. In the United Kingdom, by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; in other European jurisdictions, by JPMorgan Asset Management (Europe) S.à r.l. In Asia Pacific (“APAC”), by the following issuing entities and in the respective jurisdictions in which they are primarily regulated: JPMorgan Asset Management (Asia Pacific) Limited, or JPMorgan Funds (Asia) Limited, or JPMorgan Asset Management Real Assets (Asia) Limited, each of which is regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong; JPMorgan Asset Management (Singapore) Limited (Co. Reg. No. 197601586K), this advertisement or publication has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore; JPMorgan Asset Management (Taiwan) Limited; JPMorgan Asset Management (Japan) Limited, which is a member of the Investment Trusts Association, Japan, the Japan Investment Advisers Association, Type II Financial Instruments Firms Association and the Japan Securities Dealers Association and is regulated by the Financial Services Agency (registration number “Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Financial Instruments Firm) No. 330”); in Australia, to wholesale clients only as defined in section 761A and 761G of the Corporations Act 2001 (Commonwealth), by JPMorgan Asset Management (Australia) Limited (ABN 55143832080) (AFSL 376919). For all other markets in APAC, to intended recipients only.
For U.S. only: If you are a person with a disability and need additional support in viewing the material, please call us at 1-800-343-1113 for assistance.
Copyright 2024 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved
Google assistant is a trademark of Google Inc.
Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Prepared by: David P. Kelly, Jordan K. Jackson, John C. Manley, Meera Pandit, Gabriela D. Santos, Stephanie Aliaga, Sahil Gauba, Mary Park Durham, Brandon Hall and Katie Korngiebel.
Unless otherwise stated, all Data are as of June 30, 2024 or most recently available.
Guide to the Markets – U.S.
JP-LITTLEBOOK | 0903c02a81f5d490