But consider this. What if the recovery is basically priced in? What if we got our v-shaped stock market recovery which pulled recovery style prices into the present and now prices more or less flat line in the future (see figure 1)? What if, unlike a 2009 style “swoosh” market recovery, we just got that recovery much more quickly? In fact, this is what happened in 1919 during the Spanish Flu. Stock markets collapsed 25% then recovered quickly and were dead money for a few years before the Roaring 20’s really took off.
Could the same thing be happening here? I think so. And if I am right then two things can be true:
1. The stock market and bulls have been exactly right. The recovery is coming and the stock market already sees it.
2. AND the stock bears are right that the stock market looks like a fairly unattractive asset class at present because it’s priced many years of future expected cash flows in already. (Cullen Roche)