Market mechanics
Buyers are facing a ‘new normal’ with car prices. What that means for shoppers
The stock market has appeared to follow a crude pattern in recent months. ● It looks something like this: See the Fed predict more interest rate cuts than expected. ● See the market soar. ● The dynamic held to form last month when the Federal Reserve stuck to its forecast of three rate cuts this year despite a worrisome inflation pickup in January and February. The S&P 500 index jumped 1.1% in the two days after the Fed’s announcement and closed at 5,234, just off the previous day’s record high.
But there’s a bit more nuance to what looks like a knee-jerk response to the financial rocket fuel of low interest rates, analysts say. The outlook for the U.S. economy and corporate earnings has brightened considerably in the past few months. Investors like that narrative even more than they like low interest rates.
“I think the market is focused more on earnings and the economy than the Fed,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer of Independent Advisor Alliance.
And that means the market’s rally since autumn could have legs, a development that would further lift Americans’ 401(k) balances and other investments this year even after an already big run-up.
“I think it’s got more room to run,” Zaccarelli said.
Why was stock market going up?
There’s little doubt the Fed’s median estimate in March of three rate cuts in 2024 propelled stocks higher. After the inflation flare-up early this year, many economists figured officials would scale back their forecast to two cuts to ensure consumer price increases are subdued before lowering rates sharply. Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested the price spike could be a blip and officials will monitor the data closely in the coming months.
But Fed officials also predicted in March the economy will grow 2.1% this year, down from a robust 3.1% in 2023 but well above their 1.4% forecast in December. Consumer spending and job growth have been surprisingly resilient despite high borrowing costs and prices, largely as a result of healthy pay increases. The Fed’s more bullish view also drove up stock values, Zaccarelli said.
What is the corporate earnings forecast for 2024?
Meanwhile, earnings of S&P 500 companies are projected to grow 10.9% in 2024, according to FactSet. That’s up from low single-digit increases last year, a leap that can partly be traced to the resolution of pandemic-related supply chain snarls and faster growth in productivity, or output per worker, said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist of Carson Group, an investment firm.
On the surface, it may look as if the stock market is all about the Fed and interest rates. Wall Street likes lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses because they spur faster growth, which should boost corporate profits. Lower rates also coax investors to move money from bonds that now have lower returns to higher-yielding stocks.
Last fall, as inflation eased substantially, stocks took off, largely in anticipation of faster Fed rate cuts. The rally picked up steam when the Fed upped its 2024 forecast from two to three cuts in mid-December. The S&P 500 index is up 26.6% since inflation began slowing and has gained 10.3% this year.
But even in February and March, as a key inflation measure, the consumer
price index, showed an acceleration in price increases in the first two months of the year, the S&P 500 largely shrugged off the concerns and continued its march higher.
“I think the market is focused more on earnings and the economy than the Fed. I think it’s got more room to run.”
Chris Zaccarelli
Chief investment officer of Independent Advisor Alliance
Is the economy going to have a soft landing?
Sure, the Fed’s rate forecasts are having an impact. But Detrick called it “the cherry on top” of an improved economic and earnings picture. There’s a growing belief among forecasters that the Fed will achieve a “soft landing” in which it stamps out high inflation without triggering a recession.
Put another way, if the Fed winds up chopping rates six times instead of three, as some economists expect, that will mean the economy is teetering or in recession “and the stock market is going to go down,” Zaccarelli said.
Overall, though, the prospect of both a solid economy and steady rate cuts is unusual and makes for a favorable environment for investors.
Why does the Fed cut rates?
The Fed typically trims rates to stimulate a flagging economy or dig it out of a recession. But lower rates probably wouldn’t do much for stocks if the economy and corporate earnings were foundering, Detrick and Zaccarelli said.
Now, though, the Fed plans to shave rates not to jolt the economy but to bring rates closer to their long-run average because inflation is getting close to normal. Otherwise, inflation-adjusted rates would restrain the economy more than needed.
Since 1984, when the Fed slashed interest rates to nudge them back to normal after a flurry of rate increases, the S&P 500 index has climbed an average of 13.2% in the following 12 months, according to Detrick’s analysis.
By contrast, when the central bank has reduced rates to head off – or rescue the economy from – a downturn, the benchmark stock index has fallen an average of 11.6% in the following 12 months.
Is it a bad idea to invest in stocks right now?
Despite the positive backdrop, there are still notable risks for investors. “The biggest risk is the Fed keeps rates too high for too long” and the economy slips into recession, Zaccarelli said.
Also, stock prices are historically high at 20.9 times expected earnings over the next 12 months, according to FactSet. That compares with a fiveyear average earnings multiple of 19 and a 10-year average of 17.7. In other words, stocks are pricey and could be poised for a correction.
Detrick, though, notes that prices were 35 to 40 times earnings in the late 1990s, adding, “Valuations are high, but they’re not astronomically high.”
After setting an all-time record in January 2022, the S&P index sold off on skyrocketing inflation and Fed rate hikes and didn’t return to, and then top, that peak until this past January, he said, suggesting equities are still making up for lost time.
Spring and summer may be good times to buy a car as manufacturers overcome pandemic-related supply interruptions, but remember, good is relative. Yes, prices have come down from their pandemic peaks, but if you haven’t walked into a dealership since early 2020, the prices you see will be “eye-popping,” said Pat Ryan, chief executive of CoPilot, an AI-assisted car-shopping app.
New car prices are up 29% since March 2020 and used car prices up 34%, both outpacing overall inflation of 23%, he said.
If you can accept that higher car prices are simply “the new normal,” Ryan maintains that the next several months will be prime buying season, with new cars providing the best value if you can afford it.
“Used (cars) can only go down so far because during the pandemic, we produced 10 million less cars than we normally would,” Ryan said. On the other hand, automakers are churning out more cars as supply chains normalize.
Why can new cars be a better value?
If you can afford to pay more for a new car, they could offer better value because manufacturers are producing more cars than people want so they’re offering more incentives, Ryan said.
As an example, he said, you would expect to pay $0.63 on the dollar of the original sticker price for a used car. Now that’s probably about $0.80.
“So, the price is very high versus historically, so why not get a new one with more features,” he said. “You’re only getting a 20% discount from what that used car (cost when it) was new, which is not a great deal.”
Additionally, used cars now are older and have more miles than they used to. Those less than $20,000 on average have more than 22,000 more miles than before the pandemic, while cars less than $30,000 averaged more than 11,000 more miles, Cars.com said.
A new car might drop down to $0.97 on the dollar, but you might also pay a lower interest rate, he said.
“You can usually get a longer-term payment on a new car, so from a budgeting standpoint, you could have the same payment on a new versus used vehicle,” said Rebecca Lindland, senior director of industry data at car shopping site Cars.com. “But we encourage people to shop by MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) so you can figure out what you’re paying for the car (rather) than strictly go by payment.”
She encourages shoppers to use tools on comparison sites such as Cars.com.
High prices are the ‘new normal’
Car prices have eased, but no one should expect them ever to return anywhere close to pre-pandemic levels, car experts say.
“These prices are in a new normal,” Lindland said. “Part of it is (what) we expect from a new car these days. We expect a new car to have the latest technology, to have certain features, and all of those features cost money.”
New car prices fell below $49,000 in February for the first time in more than a year and below the August 2023 high of $50,253, thanks to more dealer discounts and automaker incentives, according to Cars.com. But that’s still 29% higher than the average pre-pandemic price of about $38,000 in February 2020.
Used car prices averaged $31,556 in March, down from a peak of $32,889 in April 2022 but still 33% more than March 2020’s $23,691.
How is used car inventory?
As of Feb. 2, dealers nationwide had 80 days of newvehicle supply, the highest since June 2020, according to Cox Automotive. Used cars had 44 days of supply, which was nearly flat from a year ago, Cox said.
Even better for shoppers is that lower-priced vehicles in both categories have risen. About 30% of used cars are priced less than $20,000, up from about 12% during the pandemic but still below 52% before COVID-19 struck, Ryan said. New vehicles less than $30,000 now hover around 12% of all cars, up from 8% during the pandemic but lower than the 38% available before COVID-19, he said. Even if inventories are higher, competition may be stiff. For example, more than half of consumers plan to pay less than $30,000 for a new car, a Cars.com survey showed.
What about EVs?
“New EVs are still more expensive than the average car, but there’s a lot more supply of used EVs, so consumers now have opportunity to look at an EV,” Lindland said. “They have a chance to test drive, touch it, feel it, play with it, whereas before, you’d raise your hand and put in a reservation with nowhere to testdrive them.”
The government tax credit for EV purchases, though, is unlikely to move the affordability needle much in favor of EVs.
The tighter restrictions this year make the pool of eligible models smaller, and the income requirement to qualify is very low, she said.
To qualify, a buyer’s income can’t exceed $150,000.