That's because BHP was in the process of restructuring its operations to focus almost solely on China. After a couple of years of erratic financial performance, that bet is beginning to pay off in a big way. Now, BHP's recent share price surge begs this question: Is BHP still only a pure-play on China, or is it also trading as a hedge against the threat of future inflation? Watch This Video: (Don't Fear) The Inflation Reaper As I have stated previously, I do not view inflation as a threat to the global economy this year or next. There is too much slack in the system in the form of high unemployment and underutilized factory capacity. In January, U.S. industrial capacity utilization was 4% below its average level since 1972. At its recent monthly growth rate of 0.7%, that gap would be closed before the end of this year. Pivot Towards Commodities I am beginning to think that BHP may be the single best bellwether stock for the entire global economy. Not only is it a direct play on the health of China's economy, but it produces three of the commodities most highly correlated to future inflation (iron ore, copper, and oil). For the past few years, mega-cap tech stocks have been viewed as the best way to participate in the growth of the global economy. That may be true, but most of them do not provide much protection from inflation. While BHP has been soaring during the past month, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has fallen more than 10% as has Tesla (NSDQ: TSLA). Both companies make wonderful products but they are consumers of raw materials, not producers. Higher inflation may still be a few years away. But what we may be seeing in the stock market is a pivot towards businesses that would benefit from higher commodity prices. If that is the case, an entirely new set of stocks could lead the market higher in the years to come. Already, BHP is leading the charge but there are many others that may soon follow suit. Editor's Note: Our colleague Jim Pearce just pinpointed a global mining giant that's a well-positioned play on the robust economic growth that lays ahead in 2021. Every portfolio should have exposure to commodities, which thrive during expansions and provide a hedge against inflation. Faster economic growth should also be a boon for small-capitalization stocks. If you're looking for a small-cap miner that's a more aggressive bet on the underlying conditions described in the above article, click here. |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar