Market forecasts: Buying times for equities

Corporate earnings forecasts might still need to fall but the near 20% collapse in global equity markets since their 2007 peaks suggests that the worst might already be almost fully priced in.

According to JPMorgan, the fall in both developed and emerging equity markets of close to 20% since last October already closely matches the average fall of 21% in the previous 10 recessions. To some extent the fall has been so great that equities are already looking cheap. Historically, the bank points out, P/E ratios have tended to peak at a 10% premium to recent trading ranges at the onset of slowing growth. Before the current market fall, however, equity P/E ratios actually peaked at a 20% discount to recent trading ranges.

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