Category: Chart of the Week

Europe on Defense

The first 100 days of a presidential administration are typically scrutinized closely as the public develops a sense of the new government’s agenda and top priorities. The second Trump administration is certainly no exception, and the recent flurry of executive orders and tariff proposals has caused significant uncertainty for policymakers and financial markets alike. Trump’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine War has had an especially notable impact. In March, the Trump administration suspended aid to Ukraine after a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That decision elicited a strong response from European leaders, who now have a newfound sense of urgency when it comes to rebuilding the continent’s defense capabilities. In recent weeks, the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, announced its “ReArm Europe Plan,” complete with a white paper entitled “European Defense Readiness 2030.” These documents emphasize the need for Europe to bolster defense spending and outline an investment plan to do so.

Global markets took note of this dynamic well before the unveiling of the ReArm Europe Plan, with European defense stocks surging as the continent’s relationship with the Trump administration has deteriorated. To that point, the STOXX Europe Total Market Aerospace & Defense index returned roughly 28.9% in the first quarter, with noteworthy contributors including Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer, the French military aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation, and Leonardo DRS, an Italian aerospace and defense specialist. This is in striking contrast to the market leaders of 2024, including U.S.-based tech giants such as NVIDIA and Microsoft. The Magnificent Seven basket of stocks have returned roughly -16.0% so far in 2025.

While investors are understandably enthusiastic about the prospects of defense spending jumpstarting the European economy, making these defense goals a reality will not be an easy task, especially for European countries such as France that are heavily indebted with a highly taxed citizenry. One thing is for certain: The market’s response to recent defense initiatives in Europe illustrates the importance of maintaining a diversified investment portfolio, as it is difficult to predict the catalysts that will drive performance reversals like the one detailed above.

Checking in on Bitcoin’s Fair Value

In May of 2024, we published a Chart of the Week titled “Is Bitcoin Fairly Valued?” At the time, bitcoin and the broader digital asset space demonstrated mixed performance amid heightened market volatility, shifting liquidity conditions, and geoeconomic uncertainty. Recognizing the challenges in determining bitcoin’s fair value, we applied standard valuation principles to estimate bitcoin’s fundamental value at that time. While bitcoin and the broader digital asset space have once again exhibited mixed performance amid a shifting macroeconomic backdrop, much has changed over the last year and recent developments suggest that a reassessment of bitcoin’s fair value could be timely.

To better understand why this reassessment could be relevant for institutional investors, here is a brief and non-exhaustive recap of the key developments in the U.S. crypto space this year:

  • On January 23, the Trump administration issued Executive Order (EO) 14178, Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology, signaling a new approach to digital assets and revoking the frameworks and directives established by the Biden administration.
      • Within 180 days, the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, currently chaired by David Sacks, will evaluate and recommend proposals for a federal framework to govern the issuance and operation of digital assets.
  • On February 5, FDIC Acting Chair Travis Hill and Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman released statements signaling the ongoing reassessment of their organizations’ postures toward the crypto industry — sentiments echoed in recent weeks by officials from the Treasury, DOJ, and SEC.
  • On March 6, President Trump signed the EO to establish a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile; both to be administered and maintained by the Department of the Treasury.
      • Both are to be initially funded with assets seized or forfeited in criminal and civil cases.
      • Without further executive or legislative action, additional Stockpile assets can only be acquired through forfeiture proceedings and civil money penalties imposed by a government agency.
    • The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce may develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin.
  • As of March 24, 20 states have active legislation advancing the establishment of digital asset reserve funds or diversification of existing public funds with prominent digital assets — with some proposals specifying potential allocations up to 10% of fund assets.

Unsurprisingly, crypto markets responded enthusiastically to the news. By the end of January, the MVDA 10 Index and the MSCI Global Digital Asset Index were both up roughly 10% as bitcoin traded north of $100,000. Then, February arrived, bringing a notable shift in broad market sentiment and volatility, causing digital asset prices to fall alongside public equities. By the end of February, bitcoin was down roughly 18% while some broad crypto indices were down as much as 28%. So where does bitcoin currently stand?

Applying the discounted cash flow (DCF) method used in our prior analysis, bitcoin’s fair relative value range¹ is illustrated above in light teal, with its upper and lower bounds highlighted, respectively, in orange and green. While bitcoin appears to have closed February at undervalued levels, as of March 24, bitcoin appears to be slightly below and advancing toward its fair value range. That said, it is important to clarify that this point-in-time DCF method is just one of several potential valuation approaches, and other estimates may vary. Valuations for both floating fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies are dynamic, constantly adjusting to inflation, nominal yields, and broader macroeconomic conditions. Going forward, future inflation trends and market dynamics will provide further opportunities to validate this fundamental approach.

1The discounted terminal values of bitcoin are based on a discounted cash flow model that incorporates U.S. Treasury yields, inflation rates, and imputed risk premiums. 

The Changing Current

The impressive strength of U.S. equities in recent years has drawn significant investment from both domestic and international investors, but a closer look reveals a shift in how investors are attaining exposure to the asset class. The chart above illustrates the cumulative net asset flows for various U.S. equity investment vehicles since 2009 and indicates that a growing number of investors are embracing passive strategies. To that point, more than $2.5 trillion has flowed from active to passive management in the last 15 years, with most of the dollars having been directed toward ETFs.

There are many factors that have contributed to this trend. First, mobile brokerage platforms and improvements in technology have made investing more convenient and cheaper for retail investors, with thousands of low-cost products now available that track major stock indices like the S&P 500. Second, many institutional investors have reallocated portions of their U.S. equity portfolios to passive strategies to save on fees, while seeking higher returns via active management in other asset classes like private equity. Additionally, many active U.S. equity strategies have struggled to keep pace with the broad market. Specifically, just 15% of active U.S. large-cap managers have outperformed the S&P 500 over the last decade due a small handful of companies (i.e., the “Magnificent Seven”) having been responsible for an outsized portion of U.S. equity market returns in recent years. This trend also aligns with what is often referred to as the “paradox of skill,” which states that as the absolute level of skill in a space increases, the relative skill among the players in that space often decreases. While this framework has been applied to everything from the NBA to chess, it may also be partly responsible for the decrease in the return premiums earned via active management in the U.S. equity market. If true, this trend poses interesting questions related to whether similar alpha compression will occur in fast-growing spaces like private markets.

Uncertainty Fuels Meltdown in U.S. Equities

Entering 2025, investors were overwhelmingly bullish on the outlook for U.S. equities. Positive sentiment was fueled by the perceived benefits of the incoming administration, specifically the likelihood for pro-business policies and looser regulation. These expectations drove the Russell 2000 and NASDAQ to fresh all-time highs post-election, although some of this exuberance was dampened following a more hawkish tone from the Federal Reserve in mid-December. Since his inauguration, Trump has been outspoken on tariffs and government spending, but the gravity of these measures, compounded by inconsistent implementation, has led to market uncertainty. As a result, the VIX, a measure of market volatility, reached a post-election high on March 10.

Concurrent with the spike in volatility, segments of the U.S. equity market have fallen into correction territory, defined as a decline greater than 10% from recent highs. Small-cap equities, as measured by the Russell 2000, have declined almost 17% from their high in November 2024. Small-cap equities are more economically sensitive, but underperformance has been compounded by depressed earnings. Large-cap equities, as measured by the S&P 500, achieved a new all-time high in February, but have flirted with correction territory in March, down over 9%. A shift in investor sentiment continues to weigh on U.S. equities as Trump acknowledged the potential for further volatility without ruling out the possibility of a recession. Additionally, the market darlings of the past two years, the Magnificent 7, have not been immune to market volatility, as rich valuations may make these companies more susceptible in a market pullback. This cohort of companies has declined 20% since an all-time high in December 2024, as companies like Tesla have erased all of their post-election gains.

Expectations for the U.S. equity market have fallen short thus far in 2025. As the new administration navigates the path forward, the impacts of policy decisions on the economy remain uncertain, so volatility may persist. Although volatility can be painful and is likely to continue, a disciplined and diversified approach that focuses on long-term performance is still the best recipe for portfolio success.

School’s Out?

While the United States has historically prioritized public spending on education more than other developed countries, there has been a recent convergence in U.S. education expenditure as a percentage of GDP with that of other countries in the OECD, a group of mostly developed and democratic nations. Specifically, in 2000, the U.S. spent 6.1% of total GDP on education, which was notably higher than the OECD average of 4.9% at that time. That said, the U.S. figure dropped to 4.7% in 2016, which was slightly below the 4.8% OECD average that year. Based on this trend, it should come as no surprise that U.S. students are beginning to fall behind their global peers in key academic areas. To that point, U.S. K-12 students ranked 12th and 28th in science and math, respectively, out of 37 OECD member countries in 2022 according to Pew Research. The U.S. average score for math fell by a whopping 13 percentage points between 2018 and 2022 alone.

While the challenges faced by U.S. students due to the COVID-19 pandemic were significant, the fact that U.S. now spends roughly the same as other developed nations (as a percentage of GDP) has certainly contributed to these lackluster scores. Going forward, a renewed focus on education-related spending and outcomes should serve the U.S. well, as a robust public education system helps drive economic growth, stability, and innovation.

Optimism is Pessimism?

In a 2016 redux, Donald Trump’s victory in the November election kicked off another wave of economic optimism across CEOs and small business owners alike. To that point, the Bloomberg CEO Confidence Index, which measures U.S. CEO confidence in the economy one year from now on a scale from 0 to 10 (10 being most confident), and the National Federation of Independent Businesses Small Business Optimism Index, a composite of ten seasonally-adjusted components based on the outlook of roughly 620 NFIB members, are two of the primary ways to gauge the economic outlook of U.S. businesses. Trump’s pro-growth policy goals of corporate tax cuts and deregulation have spurred an uptick in both indices, although higher business confidence may further delay meaningful rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

With equity market momentum and increased CEO confidence, there is expected to be little disruption in hiring and spending by larger companies within the U.S., which should translate to continued economic strength. That said, the increase in small business confidence may be a more prescient indicator of future growth. Small businesses, which employ upwards of 50 million domestic workers and bring in roughly $16 trillion in annual revenue, are the engine that drive the U.S. economy, meaning as small business optimism increase, spending, investment, and hiring could increase significantly as well. Combine these dynamics with a recent 100 basis point reduction in benchmark interest rates, and economic growth may be poised to remain robust. While this would be largely positive for the U.S., it may be viewed as a reason for pessimism by the Federal Reserve. Specifically, as the Fed continues to battle sticky inflation (the latest CPI print came in hot at 3.0%), a higher growth environment would make it harder to continue to cut interest rates without causing inflation to reaccelerate. Recent data indicate just one to two rate cuts from the Fed for the rest of 2025, and if the U.S. economy sees higher levels of growth and inflation in the near term, future cuts may have to remain on ice.

No Longer Stuck in the Middle?

By now, readers likely know that large-cap equities propelled the U.S. equity market higher in 2023 and 2024, as the S&P 500 Index advanced over 20% in each of those years. Although positive performance continued for U.S. stocks to begin 2025, the often-overlooked mid-cap space ultimately led the way, with the Russell Midcap Index gaining 4.3% in January. This figure was higher than both the 3.2% and 2.6% returns notched by the Russell 1000 Index and Russell 2000 Index, respectively, during the month. Commonly underrepresented in investor portfolios, mid-cap indices provide exposure to more established business models than small-cap benchmarks but also offer potential exposure to companies growing at a faster rate than those within the large-cap universe.

As it relates to recent performance drivers, mid-cap equities were buoyed by the January CPI print, which led to a broadening out of markets. The space also benefited on a relative basis as mega-cap technology stalwarts sold off due to rhetoric surrounding trade restrictions and AI competition from China. While market concentration issues related to these mega-cap companies are a belabored topic, the theme of concentration is not isolated to the large-cap space. To that point, just two companies in the Russell Midcap Growth Index (Palantir and AppLovin) accounted for nearly 30% of the return of that benchmark last year. As of the end of last month, these two companies comprise more than 8% of the index and, with market capitalizations above $100 billion, are now outside of the typical range used to delineate the mid-cap space. Since these and similar dynamics have plagued indices across the equity spectrum, Russell will implement a second rebalance in November based on market capitalization beginning next year. This rebalance will help ensure the Russell indices provide an accurate representation of their respective asset classes and have the potential to combat historic levels of concentration. As index construction evolves, it is prudent for investors to construct diversified equity portfolios to balance the risks and rewards of each asset class.

Egg Prices Ruffle Consumer Feathers

While investors scrutinize rhetoric from the Trump administration for its potential to ignite another bout of inflation for U.S. consumers, one challenge is already ruffling feathers at the grocery store. Egg prices have surged amid a resurgence in avian flu cases as farmers have been forced to cull millions of egg-laying hens to protect healthy flocks. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average cost for Grade A large eggs reached $4.15 per dozen in December, which represents a more than 13% increase from November and a 65% year-over-year rise. In some states, costs have far exceeded the national average, with wholesale prices surpassing $7.24 and $8.35 per dozen in New York and California, respectively.

The latest outbreak has proven particularly severe, with more than 14.7 million egg-producing chickens infected in January alone (more than the total for all of 2023 following the initial outbreak of the flu). With the virus present in all 50 states, the CDC estimates that at least 150 million birds, including both commercial poultry and wild birds, have been affected since 2022. With no definitive end to the flu outbreak in sight, egg producers are lobbying the federal government to fund vaccine research as a potential long-term solution. As Easter approaches, rising demand for eggs could further exacerbate issues and potentially drive prices to record highs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts an additional 20% increase in egg prices through the end of this year due to shortages, with some grocery stores already struggling to maintain supplies and others instituting limits on purchases.

While the current price of eggs has been driven higher by the flu outbreak, trade restrictions could have a far greater impact on inflation for U.S. consumers. Consequently, investors must weigh the domestic supply shocks for eggs and other goods alongside ongoing trade uncertainties and accept that inflation and elevated interest rates may persist through 2025.

Assessing the Trade War “Battlefield”

The tariff plans announced by President Trump in recent days represent a significant escalation in trade policy and a shift away from targeted import taxes and toward broad-based economic measures. Specifically, the Trump administration imposed a blanket 10% levy on China and initially imposed a 25% duty on imports from Mexico and Canada, but has since paused those measures amid negotiations with the governments of those two nations as of this writing. The economic implications of these new policies are profound, potentially triggering inflationary pressures and reshaping global trade dynamics. This week’s chart highlights how U.S. export-dependent economies like Mexico and Canada are particularly vulnerable to Trump’s initiatives.

Trump’s tariffs have already prompted retaliatory responses from certain countries, raising concerns about the potential for an escalating trade conflict. Many economists note that these reciprocal measures could lead to a contraction in U.S. real GDP, an increase in consumer prices, and a disruption of established international trade networks. As the global community watches this ongoing situation closely, the ramifications of these unprecedented trade measures are yet to be fully understood.

Alternatives to Drive Growth in the Next Real Estate Cycle

As the real estate market evolves, alternative sectors are expected to drive significant growth in the coming years. Senior housing, cold storage, industrial assets, and data centers are expected to be particularly popular among investors, with each benefiting from unique factors like demographic changes and technological progress. Senior housing stands out as the sector with the highest projected NOI growth (9.7%) due to an aging U.S. population and the growing demand for retirement communities. Additionally, senior housing properties currently present value-add opportunities, as the average occupancy rate of 85% remains below historical norms due to regulatory challenges and restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. As these regulatory pressures ease, there is significant potential for occupancy recovery and rent growth. Properties offering a mix of independent living, assisted living, and memory care units are especially attractive, as they cater to the diverse needs of an aging population and ensure steady revenues. These newer facilities, designed to meet the needs of both residents and their families, often achieve higher occupancy rates and command premium rents compared to older properties, enhancing their investment appeal. Regions with favorable climates, such as the Sunbelt and Mountain areas, are particularly attractive for these investments.

The single-family rental and affordable housing sectors are also gaining traction, as rising homeownership costs and a lack of affordable housing have increased demand for these types of properties. Affordable housing, particularly properties supported by government voucher programs, provides resilient income streams and often generates higher rental yields compared to traditional multifamily assets, making these segments essential in addressing housing shortages in high-growth regions. Data centers and digital infrastructure are becoming critical drivers of NOI growth as well, supported by the rising adoption of cloud services, e-commerce, and advanced computing. Meanwhile, smaller-scale industrial assets and cold storage are thriving due to increased demand for temperature-controlled supply chains and multi-tenant facilities that cater to small businesses. Together, these sectors offer durable demand, scalability, and opportunities to benefit from modern supply chain trends.

While the outlook for these alternative real estate sectors is strong, investment in these spaces does not come without risks. Regulatory challenges, energy consumption concerns for data centers, and liquidity issues in niche sectors like cold storage and affordable housing require careful consideration. That said, the structural trends detailed above should serve as tailwinds for alternative real estate in the years ahead.