During the second quarter, the S&P 500 index recorded an increase in value of 2.9%. Ahead of the start of second quarter earnings season, where do industry analysts believe the price of the index will go from here?
Industry analysts in aggregate predict the S&P 500 will see a 13.0% increase in price over the next 12 months. This percentage is based on the difference between the bottom-up target price and the closing price for the index as of yesterday (July 5). The bottom-up target price is calculated by aggregating the median target price estimates (based on company-level estimates submitted by industry analysts) for all of the companies in the index. On July 5, the bottom-up target price for the S&P 500 was 3093.12, which was 13.0% above the closing price of 2736.61.
Insight/2018/7.2018/07.09.2018_ToW2/S%26P%20500%20Bottom%20Up%20Target%20Price.png?width=911&name=S%26P%20500%20Bottom%20Up%20Target%20Price.png)
Sector-Level Breakdown
At the sector level, the Financials (+18.8%), Materials (17.4%), and Industrials (+17.1%) sectors are expected to see the largest price increases, as these sectors had the largest upside differences between the bottom-up target price and the closing price on July 5. On the other hand, the Utilities (+2.1%) and Real Estate (3.9%) sectors are expected to see the smallest price increases, as these sectors had the smallest upside differences between the bottom-up target price and the closing price on July 5.
Insight/2018/7.2018/07.09.2018_ToW2/Sector%20Level%20Bottom%20Up%20Target%20Price%20vs%20Closing%20Price.png?width=911&name=Sector%20Level%20Bottom%20Up%20Target%20Price%20vs%20Closing%20Price.png)
Company-Level Breakdown
At the company level, the 10 stocks in the S&P 500 with the largest upside and downside differences between their median target price and closing price (on July 5) are listed below.
S&P 500: Difference Between Median Target Price & Closing Price: Top 10 (Source: FactSet)
Company
|
Target
|
Closing
|
Diff ($)
|
Diff (%)
|
Nektar Therapeutics
|
101.00
|
47.54
|
53.46
|
112.5%
|
Xerox Corporation
|
38.00
|
24.19
|
13.81
|
57.1%
|
Lam Research Corporation
|
262.50
|
171.82
|
90.68
|
52.8%
|
Micron Technology, Inc.
|
80.00
|
52.84
|
27.16
|
51.4%
|
Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
|
34.00
|
22.62
|
11.38
|
50.3%
|
Western Digital Corporation
|
115.00
|
77.46
|
37.54
|
48.5%
|
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
|
67.00
|
46.62
|
20.38
|
43.7%
|
Applied Materials, Inc.
|
65.00
|
45.44
|
19.56
|
43.0%
|
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.
|
210.00
|
148.02
|
61.98
|
41.9%
|
American Airlines Group, Inc.
|
53.50
|
37.99
|
15.51
|
40.8%
|
S&P 500: Difference Between Median Target Price & Closing Price: Bottom 10 (Source: FactSet)
Company
|
Target
|
Closing
|
Diff ($)
|
Diff (%)
|
Twitter, Inc.
|
32.00
|
45.06
|
-13.06
|
-29.0%
|
Under Armour, Inc. Class A
|
16.00
|
22.07
|
-6.07
|
-27.5%
|
Under Armour, Inc. Class C
|
16.00
|
20.75
|
-4.75
|
-22.9%
|
Campbell Soup Company
|
34.00
|
41.49
|
-7.49
|
-18.1%
|
TripAdvisor, Inc.
|
48.00
|
56.91
|
-8.91
|
-15.7%
|
National Oilwell Varco, Inc.
|
37.50
|
43.58
|
-6.08
|
-14.0%
|
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
|
13.50
|
15.50
|
-2.00
|
-12.9%
|
VeriSign, Inc.
|
123.00
|
140.99
|
-17.99
|
-12.8%
|
Cintas Corporation
|
167.00
|
189.40
|
-22.40
|
-11.8%
|
Public Storage
|
207.50
|
232.71
|
-25.21
|
-10.8%
|
How accurate have the industry analysts been in predicting the future value of the S&P 500?
Over the past five years, the average difference between the bottom-up target price estimate at the end of the month and the closing price 12 months later has been -0.3%. In other words, industry analysts have underestimated the price of the index 12 months in advance by 0.3% on average during the previous five years (using month-end values). Over the past 10 years, the average difference between the bottom-up target price estimate at the end of the month and the closing price 12 months later has been 10.9%. Over the past 15 years, the average difference between the bottom-up target price estimate at the end of the month and the closing price 12 months later has been 9.7%. In other words, industry analysts have overestimated the price of the index 12 months in advance by 10.9% on average over the past 10 years (using month-end values) and by 9.7% on average over the past 15 years (using month-end values).
Insight/2018/7.2018/07.09.2018_ToW2/Bottom%20Up%20Target%20Price%20vs%20Closing%20Price.png?width=911&name=Bottom%20Up%20Target%20Price%20vs%20Closing%20Price.png)