As the market prepared for the Fed’s decision regarding interest rates, small-cap stocks seem to have hit a bottom, Lee said. “You've seen turbulence at times when the Fed does make its first rate move. But, if this is like the '50s, in a low-inflation and low-growth environment, it would be seen as a re-flation signal. And back then it was actually a bullish outcome for stocks," he remembered.
The Rate Hike And China
After nine years of no changes, economists and analysts are still debating about a possible rate hike this week. Regarding this issue, Lee assured he would be surprised to see a hike this week. "Investors, especially between now and year-end, want visibility. If the Fed does sort of put things on hold, I think they'd prefer to hear the Fed say, 'We won't really have the door open until next year.'"
"There are bullish things developing though," he continued, mentioning signs of stabilization for the U.S. Dollar and oil prices. "Sentiment, which hasn't really mattered in the last month, is so bad that, I think, we're better-positioned for good news than bad," he expounded.
Is The Bottom In? If Not, When?
Finally, when asked if the bottom is in yet, Lee assured, “I will say some things are telling us – some things you look for to say a bottom is in are usually small-caps outperforming. They almost always turn up one day to two weeks before the actual bottom is in (…) Small-caps bottomed versus the S&P on the 24th of August,” he concluded.
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