Financial markets are betting on economic recovery

Why markets do collapse they not? The latest statistics on economic growth in the first quarter were appalling throughout the world. They show a contraction exceptional overall wealth produced and its main components, exports, consumption and investment. These figures are unprecedented since the Second World War they should frighten.
And yet ... Contrary to what one might expect to face such a disaster, markets do not collapse. Just they have started a movement of consolidation following a tremendous recovery of nearly 30% since the end of March, matching the low point reached by the indices. Why? This can be explained by what one might call the magic of the second derivative.
The recent publication of leading indicators of the economy and for elements as important as the price of real estate transactions, retail sales and slowing down the production of bank loans has changed the analysis investors about the likely evolution of the macroeconomic environment and financial.
The slowdown in the deterioration of fundamentals can be explained and measured in the magic of the second derivative finance. We can here make the following reminders:
In mathematics, a function is differentiable if and only if the function x-> F (x) - F (a) has a limit point has
F '(x) = lim f (x) - f (a) / xa and F' (x) = DF / Dx x-> a
The second derivative is denoted F''(F second x) D F ² / dx ²
The second derivative indicates the change in slope. If it is positive in a given interval, the slope increases, the curve is directed upward, the function is called concave. If she is negative on an interval, the slope decreases, the curve is downwards, the function is called convex. If it is zero, the curve is locally straight. If the second derivative vanishes and changes sign, there is an inflection point and the curvature of the curve is inverted.
As first derivative indicates the slope of the function the second derivative indicates the slope of the first derivative. When the second derivative is positive, the first derivative is increasing. A curve whose second derivative is always positive or zero, is convex. This kind of curve has a single minimum.

We can apply this reasoning to the development anticipated by the stock exchange operators in the global economy since the end of first quarter 2009. From the moment we consider that today's world knows no depression lasting (type depression Nippon 90s), one is clearly in the scenario of a recession, certainly violent and unprecedented in recent economic history, but should be completed in a relatively short time.
This change of sentiment regarding the form and nature of the current financial crisis alter significantly the range of possibilities regarding the likely profile of the market on the horizon 6-8 months.
One question comes to mind: Why the stock exchange operators are-they become less pessimistic? In addition to improving leading indicators already mentioned, it can be several factors to explain this change in behavior.
The recovery plans initiated by the States everywhere have been massive and have already helped restore some confidence to investors and other economic agents generally. The addition of a public spending massive private spending (consumption and investment) has begun to slow the collapse of production.
In addition, the support plan for banks (reaffirmation of guarantee deposits, guarantee bank refinancing, recapitalizing lending institutions through emissions through equity and quasi-equity by the government allowed the release of the money markets). The role of central banks has also been essential to provide liquidity and lowered interest rates which are now in Europe and the United States close to zero.
All these elements have allowed the return of some confidence although it is not yet returned to the pre crisis (before June 2007). Credit spreads between maturities and issuers were particularly relaxed and the yield curve of interest was normalized by repentifiant thereby promoting the recovery of margins for banks. It remains to solve the problem of illiquid assets and / or depreciate by forming ad hoc structures cantonment guaranteed by the public.
One can also argue that contrary to previous financial crises (eg crisis countries of Southeast Asia in 97 - 98), emerging countries have some of them could face crisis with more flexibility because they had been built up large foreign exchange reserves (eg China).
We can moreover assume that emerging countries despite having suffered from capital flight since last October could quickly find a significant rate of economic growth by basing their development not only exports but also in promoting their domestic consumption (the savings rate in his country was particularly high given the weakness of social protection systems).
For all these reasons, investor sentiment is moving toward a stop or a gradual reduction of degradation of economic statistics in the coming quarters, thereby stabilizing the fundamental end of 2009 or during 2010.
This assumption is obviously still a big gamble given the current uncertainty (unemployment, weakness in the growth of household incomes and lack of visibility about the future).
Nevertheless, it offers investors the opportunity to rewrite the scenario of renewed growth and profits validating and upgrading of the market and rising prices.
Tags: finance, financial crisis, the economy, the stock exchange