(DBK) Equity Strategy : Sector allocation: banks to underweight, energy to overw

Sector allocation: banks to underweight, energy to overweight

* Banks – downgrade from benchmark to underweight, as fading Euro area growth momentum is set to weigh on the sector over the coming months. The Euro area composite PMI new orders index, at 55.5, is consistent with 3% Euro area GDP growth, significantly above our economists’ GDP forecast of 1.8%. If PMIs fade back to the levels consistent with our economists’ projections (at around 53), this would imply PMI momentum (i.e. the six-month change in PMIs) turning negative over the coming months. Banks are among the sectors most sensitive to swings in Euro area PMI momentum and tend to underperform when it turns negative. There is no particular valuation support, with the sector’s P/E discount at 20%, roughly in line with the long-term average. We expect PMI momentum to trough later in the year, at which point we will be looking to turn more positive on banks, especially given that our sector analysts see upside for the sector over the next 12 months (as a function of the expected interest rate normalization).
* Energy – upgrade from underweight to overweight: the sector has underperformed the market by 12% year-to-date, making it the worst performing sector so far this year. Following the recent correction, energy is around 5% cheap on our short-term fair-value model based on oil and sterling (the largest upside in four years). It also ranks as the cheapest sector on our European sector valuation scorecard. The relationship between the oil price and the USD points to near-term upside for oil, given the recent USD weakness. Lastly, oil speculative positions have fallen sharply from asix-year peak in February, pointing to a more balanced market sentiment. The key risks for the sector are the continued rebound in US shale oil production and the scope for renewed USD strength weighing on commodity prices (though we note that our FX strategists have recently reduced their projected USD upside for the rest of the year).
* Construction materials – upgrade from underweight to overweight: the sector has underperformed the market by around 9% since early December, making it the third worst performing sector over that period (after energy and food retail). The correction now seems to have gone too far, given that: (a) the sector is already priced for a slowdown in global growth momentum that is significantly harsher than the mild fade that we envisage; (b) it is discounting a sharp rise in US credit spreads, even as the actual spreads have continued to tighten; (c) the sector would benefit from a further fall in the European policy uncertainty index from still-elevated levels; and (d) the sector’s P/E relative is close to the lowest level since 2009.