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KKR Insights 120408
KKR Insights 120408
KKR Insights 120408
April 2012
KKR global MacRo & asset allocatIon teaM henRy h. McVey Head of Global Macro & Asset Allocation +1 (212) 519.1628 henry.mcvey@kkr.com DaVID R. McnellIs +1 (212) 519.1629 david.mcnellis@kkr.com FRances b. lIM +1 (212) 519.1630 frances.lim@kkr.com Rebecca J. RaMsey +1 (212) 519.1631 rebecca.ramsey@kkr.com
MaIn oFFIce Kohlberg Kravis roberts & co. l.P. 9 West 57th street suite 4200 new York, new York 10019 + 1 (212) 750-8300
coMPany locatIons Usa new York, san Francisco, Washington, d.c., Menlo Park, houston eURoPe london, Paris asIa hong Kong, beijing, dubai, tokyo, Mumbai, seoul aUstRalIa sydney 2012 Kohlberg Kravis roberts & co. l.P. all rights reserved.
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back in January 2012, we targeted a substantial overweight allocation of 10% to real assets versus a benchmark weight of 5%and so far, roughly four months into the year, we remain confident in our outlook. In fact, given our current worldview, we would likely use any weakness to allocate even more to the asset class. Why? because, as we will explain in more detail in the following pages, we have greater conviction in three mega macro trends that we believe benefit an increasingly outsized position to real assets in the near-term:
market debt is still compelling. not surprisingly, we continue to be underweight government bonds by a full 15%our largest underweight position by far (Exhibit 1). at the same time, our overweight position in traditional alternatives gives us critical exposure to the upside of surging consumption in asia, distressed securities in europe and select opportunities in the United states. Finally, as we mentioned above and detail below, we are increasingly of the mindset that the real assets category is currently one of the few asset classes that offer both offensive and defensive characteristics in todays increasingly liquidity-driven macro environment.
exhIbIt 1
1 1. Additional Central Bank Liquidity Injections Could Drive Even More Money Toward Real Assets. the balance sheets of developed markets central banks are ballooning to record proportions as a result of aggressive monetary policies intended to minimize the impact of slower growth, rolling financial crises and currency headwinds. In total, central-bank balance sheets of the four largest developed economies (the United states, the eurozone, Japan, and the U.K.) have reached 25% of their collective gdP and 37% of their combined equity market capitalization. Furthermore, given the size of their mounting debts, these governments only remaining tool to control their debt burdens could be to hold interest rates below the nominal rate of gdP growth for an extended period of time. history shows this course of action is often inflationary in nature. 2 2. We Want to Further Hedge Against Robust Commodity Prices. central to our asset allocation outlook for 2012and our broader Phase III framework1 for the current environmentis our view that the corporate sector is a more attractive destination for capital allocations than the government and financial-intermediary sectors. however, ample government intervention (in the form of fiscal stimulus) and renewed geopolitical tensions may now be fueling a price surge of many commoditiesoil in particular. therefore, we feel compelled to maintain outsized exposure to an asset class that can act as a hedge to any inputcost related erosion of corporate profitability.
3. Real Assets Are Increasingly Providing the Yield Component 3 That Changing Demographics Require in Todays Low Rate Environment. Many real assets managers are increasingly aiming for higher yields and return of capital to match demographic shifts in investors preferences caused by aging baby boomers. We whole-heartedly subscribe to this strategy. after all, in an environment of low nominal rates but outsized government liquidity, our research shows that coupons linked to inflation hedging investments may become more valuable. Moreover, given our strong view regarding demographic forces in the market, we think that there is significant potential for an upward revaluation of these types of investments that can provide investors with both a yield and growth component. looking at the bigger picture, we believe our current asset-allocation framework reflects many of the key macro themes we see playing out. We maintain that the arbitrage between the low yields offered on government bonds and the higher yields on such spicier fixed-income products as mezzanine, high-yield and emerging1 see our paper entitled Phase III: The Last Stage of a Bumpy Journey, october 2011, available at KKr.com.
AssET CLAss PuBLIC EquITIEs U.s. eUroPe all asIa latIn aMerIca ToTAL FIxED InCoME global governMent MezzanIne hIgh YIeld hIgh grade eMd REAL AssETs real estate energY/InFrastrUctUre gold/corn/other oTHER ALTERnATIvEs tradItIonal Pe dIstressed & sPecIal sItUatIon other CAsH
50 20 12 12 6 25 5 5 5 5 5 10 3 5 2 15 5 5
5 0
5 2
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exhIbIt 2
Unprecedented Amount of Stimulus: The U.S. Government Has Already Injected 4.5x What it Did in the Great Depression
declIne In real gdP MonetarY coMbIned 8.3% 2.2 3.3 -1.4 3.2 1.7 2.7 4.0 1.5 2.8 2.8 7.2 37.5*
BoJ
PeaK gdP
length (Months)
troUgh gdP
aUg-29 MaY-37 nov-48 JUl-53 aUg-57 aPr-60 dec-69 nov-73 Jan-80 JUl-81 JUl-90 Mar-01 dec-07
Mar-33 JUn-38 oct-49 MaY-54 aPr-58 Feb-61 nov-70 Mar-75 JUl-80 nov-82 Mar-91 nov-01 JUn-09
43 13 11 10 8 10 11 16 6 16 8 8 18
27.0% 3.4 1.7 2.7 3.2 1.0 0.2 3.1 2.2 2.6 1.3 0.2 5.1
3.4% 0.0 -2.2 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.3 0.9 0.4 0.3 1.0 1.3 18.3*
4.9% 2.2 5.5 -1.4 3.2 1.0 2.4 3.1 1.1 3.5 1.8 5.9 19.2*
data as at January 31, 2012. *estimated against 2011 gdP of $15 trillion. source: Federal reserve, congressional budget office, grants Interest rate observer. KKr global Macro and asset allocation.
exhIbIt 3
We feel compelled to maintain outsized exposure to an asset class that can act as a hedge to any input-cost related erosion of corporate profitability.
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
data as at February 29, 2012. source: Federal reserve board, bureau of economic analysis, european central bank, bank of england, bank of Japan, swiss national bank, statistical office of the european communities, UK office for national statistics, cabinet office of Japan, haver.
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the good news is that recent programsparticularly the ecbs ltro lending programhave been effective in dampening volatility2. however, this has come at a price: real-asset prices are climbing as financial assets are incrementally debased. Exhibit 4 illustrates the correlation in recent years between declines in long-term real rates and increases in the price of commodities including gold, crude oil and real estate. We view the decline of real long-term interest rates as a good proxy for central bank liquidity, including promises of continued low policy rates in the future, quantitative easing, currency intervention, and the longer-term financing of potentially risky collateral (e.g., the ltro).
exhIbIt 4
There is significant potential for an upward revaluation of assets that can provide investors with both yield and growth.
Strong Relationship Between Lower Real Interest Rates and Higher Commodity Prices
Gold Px (Left) 2,000 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 Apr-07 Oct-07 Apr-09 Oct-09 Apr-10 Oct-10 Apr-11 Oct-11 Apr-08 Oct-08 US/EZ/UK/JP Real Yield, % (Right, Inverted) -1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 40 20 Apr-07 Oct-07 Apr-09 Oct-09 Apr-10 Oct-10 Apr-11 Apr-08 Oct-08 Oct-11 100 80 60 WTI Crude Px (Left) US/EZ/UK/JP Real Yield, % (Right, Inverted) Dow Jones REIT TR Index (Left) US/EZ/UK/JP Real Yield, % (Right, Inverted)
140 120
1,100 1,000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 Apr-07 Oct-07
Apr-09
Oct-09
Apr-10
Oct-10
Apr-11
Apr-08
data as at February 29, 2012. real yield composite is the gdP-weighted average of rates in the United states (10yr tIPs), United Kingdom (10yr Inflation-linked gilt), germany (barcap germany Inflation linked, 5yr+ Maturities), and Japan (barcap Japan Inflation linked, all Maturities). source: bloomberg, KKr global Macro & asset allocation analysis.
our current base view is that these programs are not temporary; rather, we see central banks committed to keeping interest rates low and liquidity high in the foreseeable future. as such, we think that such aggressive and unprecedented moves by the Fed and its global peers of late may continue to benefit overweight positions in such real assets as real estate, infrastructure, and oil-producing assets. some Inflation Will Eventually Be Required to Bring Debt Levels Down. John Maynard Keynes once said that by a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. While he wrote this in 1919 in response to post-World War I economic policies, we think his comment remains valid today, given that the developed world is again awash in indebtednessmuch of it government-relatedand it appears that a measure of inflation could be needed to lower the debt burden at some point. Implementing an
2 ltro: long-term refinancing operations. central bank action can play an important role in dampening interest rate volatility. ecbs ltro has lowered implied volatility in european rates markets by 20% since its launch in mid-december according to bond Market observations, bnY Mellon as at February 2012.
inflation hedge that protects against Keynes alleged confiscation of wealth would therefore make sense, we believe. as it stands now, total U.s. debt currently stands around 339% of gdP, down just slightly from a peak of 349% in March 2010 (Exhibit 5). Perhaps even more concerning is that economic growth seems ever more dependent on cheap credit. In each decade since the 1950s, the United states has incrementally taken on more debt for every increment of gdP growth (Exhibit 6). europe, too, has a welldocumented debt overhang, but it also confronts the headwind of fiscal austerity.
Oct-08
Oct-11
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exhIbIt 5
United states has a long history of collecting tax revenues that average about 18% of gdP, and its worth mentioning that it has never collected taxes above 20% of gdP for a prolonged period of time.
exhIbIt 7
Challenging Outlook for U.S. Primary Budget Deficit Could Eventually Lead to Inflationary Policies
U.S. Federal Revenues and Primary (Noninterest) Spending
200% 150% 100% 50% 0% 1920 Financials Government GSE Corporates Households 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 24% 23% 22% 21% 20% 19% 18% 17% 16% 15% 14% Revenues % GDP Primary Spending % GDP
gdP = gross domestic Product; gse = government sponsored enterprises. source: bea, Federal reserve, Morgan stanley research and the statistical history of the United states by ben Wattenberg. data through 4Q2011.
exhIbIt 6
e = estimate. revenue estimates assume federal revenues as a % of gdP revert to historical average of 18%. Primary (i.e., noninterest) spending estimates are as per cbo long-term forecasts published June 22, 2011. source: congressional budget office, KKr global Macro & asset allocation analysis.
exhIbIt 8
2.9 1.7 3.1
1.4
1.5
Holding Interest Rates Below GDP Growth Would Aid U.S. Debt Dynamics, But Could Rekindle Inflation
U.S. Nominal GDP Growth, Surplus/(Deficit) Relative to Interest Rate* (3yr Rolling Average) 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% -1% -2% -3% -4% -5% 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 End of Stagflation 1982 -4.6% 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 Headed Higher? 1979 3.7%
1950's
1960's
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
gdP = gross domestic Product. 2000s = 1999 to 2009. source: bea, Federal reserve, bloomberg.
although we believe that government austerity measures and private-sector deleveraging in europe and the United states could actually be disinflationary in the near term, we hold that an inflationary policy may ultimately be needed to help shrink the huge debt burden that has accumulated of late. remember that a government can control its debt burden relative to gdP via only two means: (i) running primary surpluses by having tax receipts greater than payments for non-interest expenses, including entitlements; and/ or (ii) holding nominal interest rates below the rate of nominal gdP growth. Exhibit 7 below illustrates the enormous challenge to achieving primary surpluses in the United states in coming years (and without question, we think europe faces a similar, if not greater, challenge). namely, rising old-age entitlement spending and rapidly escalating health care costs are set to push spending to historically unprecedented levels relative to gdP3. Meanwhile, the
3 see our report entitled Brave New World: The Yearning for Yield Across Asset Classes, december 2011, available at KKr.com.
*We use the U.s. 5-Year treasury Yield as a proxy for government funding cost. the average maturity of U.s. total outstanding marketable debt centers around 60 months. source: bureau of economic analysis, bloomberg, KKr global Macro & asset allocation analysis.
so, if running significant primary surpluses is likely unachievable, then the governments only remaining tool to control its debt burden may be to hold interest rates below the nominal rate of gdP growth for an extended period of time. Exhibit 8 shows that would not be an unprecedented maneuver, as U.s. gdP outstripped interest rates
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1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014e 2017e 2020e 2023e 2026e 2029e 2032e 2035e
consistently from the 1950s through the 1970s, which helped reduce its World War II debts. Unfortunately, that policy also helped set off the stagflationary woes of the 1970s: as Exhibit 8 clarifies, it wasnt until Paul volcker tightened monetary policy aggressively in the 1980s that the United states entered a disinflationary trend that has been the norm for the past 30 years. If inflation does indeed rear its head at some point, are commodityrelated real assets an effective inflation hedge? In our view, they certainly are: our research on the subject shows that commodities can serve as the most effective inflation hedge among various asset classes. according to a study by economists gary gorton and K. geert rouwenhorst, commodities emerge as the winner versus stocks and bonds as an inflation hedge in a variety of environments (Exhibit 9).
exhIbIt 9
exhIbIt 10
Inflation Hedging Power of Real Estate is Strong, Particularly in a Low Rate Environment
Correlation of Real Estate Indexes and Inflation in Various Yield Environments
NCREIF Total Rate of Return on Real Estate FTSE NAREIT Equity REITs Total Return Index
59% 51%
Correlation Of Asset Classes With Inflation* Shows Commodities Are a Strong Hedge
Quarterly Correlation of Assets with Components of Inflation July 1959 December 2004
Stocks 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20% -30% -40% -50% -60% Inflation Change Expected Inflation Unexpected Inflation Stocks and Bond Negatively Correlated with Inflation Bonds Commodity Futures Commodities Positively Correlated with Inflation
-1%
0-4%
data from 1Q1978 to 3Q2011. correlation of Us consumer Price Index quarter-over-quarter change against ncreIF total rate of return on real estate4 and nareIt equity reIts quarterly total returns. source: bureau of labor statistics, national council of real estate Investment Fiduciaries, Federal reserve board, bloomberg.
among real assets, real estate also emerges as a beneficiary of rising inflation. this is particularly true in low-interest environments like the current one, in which any modest rise in financing costs is unlikely to undermine the attractiveness of potential investments (Exhibit 10). Real Assets Are Also an Attractive Hedge Against our Bullish view of the Corporate sector. When we laid out our initial investment framework in october, we promoted the view that an unleveraged corporate sector was the best place to allocate capital, particularly relative to financial institutions and government entities. our view remains unchanged. In aggregate, U.s. corporations currently have low leverage and their operations generate healthy cash flows, yet credit spreads remain well above the historical average while equity valuations remain significantly below it. by comparison, the U.s. government currently exhibits record-high indebtedness and a lackluster equivalent of cash flow from operations (as measured by the current account deficit and fiscal primary balance)yet it continues to borrow money at historically low yields (Exhibit 11). Meanwhile, financial institutions have de-levered, but questions remain about their ability to sustain returns above their cost of capital.
definitions: Inflation: Y/Y% consumer Price Index (cPI); expected inflation: t-bill rate as proxy; Unexpected inflation: Inflation - expected inflation. For additional information regarding the chart and basis for the data shown, please refer to Page 19 table 6 within Facts and Fantasies about commodity Futures. data is quarterly from July 1959 through 2004. source: gorton & rouwenhorst, Facts and Fantasies about commodity Futures: February 28, 2005.
Real assets are among the few that offer offensive and defensive characteristics in todays increasingly liquidity-driven macro environment.
4 ncreIF total rate of return on real estate, where quarterly rates of return on real estate investments are calculated with net operating income, appreciation in market value and improvements made to the property. For more details, visit ncreIF.org.
KKR InsIghts: global Macro trends
exhIbIt 11
The Three Phases of This Debt Bubble: From Corporates to Wall Street to Sovereigns
Phase I Phase II Phase III
the IsM index.5 In many instances, the IsM falls in response to both higher input costs and lower-end demand (Exhibit 13). In addition, equity valuations typically contract when oil and other commodity prices increase (Exhibit 14). hence, quite frankly, we believe it makes sense to have investment exposure to the culprit behind thinner corporate profit margins and slower economic growth rather than solely having exposure to the culprits target.
exhIbIt 13
corporate leverage = s&P 500 ex-Financials net debt-to-assets; Wall street leverage = average assets-to-equity for goldman sachs and Morgan stanley; government leverage = United states: general government gross debt % of gross domestic Product (gdP). source: IMF Weo, Factset, s&P. data as at september 30, 2011.
exhIbIt 12
Rising Oil Prices Typically Move in the Opposite Direction of Corporate Earnings
S&P 500 EPS (Left Axis) WTI Crude, 12mo Moving Avg. Y/Y (Right Axis, Inverted, Leading 18mo)
data as at February 22, 2012. source: Institute for supply Management, haver.
exhIbIt 14
86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12
WtI = West texas Intermediate. source: bloomberg, s&P, thomson Financial, Factset.
given the propensity of surging oil prices to dampen corporate profits and growth (Exhibit 12), we think that increasing exposure to real assets creates an important hedge to our sizeable exposure to the corporate sector. there are two factors underlying our rationale. First, as oil prices increase, there is usually a slowdown in
data as at February 22, 2012. source: energy Information administration, s&P, thomson Financial, Factset, haver.
5 the Institute for supply Management (IsM) Manufacturing Index is a survey released on the first business day of every month of more than 300 manufacturing companies, which monitors employment, production inventories, new orders and supplier deliveries.
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In Many Instances We Are now Getting Paid to Wait as Real Assets Are Increasingly Tied into our Yield-and-Growth Theme. What makes many real asset investments especially compelling in our view is that many of todays investments in the asset class now offer not only appreciationbut also attractive return of capital along the way. It wasnt always this way. For example, today we see a growing number of real estate and oil production investments being structured such that investors can get dividend income of 48% upfront, in addition to inflation hedging and the potential for capital appreciation. the income component has always been germane to public real estate investment trusts (reIts), but now we increasingly see investment managers in private real assets pursuing attractive dividend yields and still retaining the potential for capital appreciation. Probably more important though, is the opportunity for managers to buy older oil production operations at attractive prices, resuscitate their wells, and use the proceeds to create a sizeable dividend stream for investors.
exhIbIt 15
exhIbIt 16
1.5
Under 65
Over 65
data as at december 6, 2011. dividend yield calculated using dividend income as reported by the Irs statistics of Income division and equity holdings as reported by the Federal reserve survey of consumer Finances. our estimate includes an assumption that roughly half of privately held businesses pay some form of dividend. source: Irs, Federal reserve, KKr global Macro and asset allocation estimates.
We view return of capital as a critical component of our macro view and asset-allocation strategy, since we believe that assets offering yield and growth are likely to be revalued upward in the coming years because of demographic trends among the investor population. these trends present a strongyet often underappreciatedforce driving asset preferences and subsequent returns. as Exhibit 15 shows, almost every major developed economy has hit or is fast approaching an important demographic inflection point. this transition is important because, as Exhibit 16 shows, many retirees, particularly among baby boomers, aspire to materially increase the yields on their portfolios as they grow older. these investors dont just pursue yield in isolation; they seek yield combined with the potential for growth and, if possible, an inflation hedge. given that real assets contain all three of these attributes, we think there is great potential for an upward revaluation of such assets. additionally, since other inflation-protection instruments like tIPs now have negative yields (meaning that investors now need to pay for the inflation protection they receive), we believe the yield component of real estate and certain energy and related infrastructure investments is far more compelling in todays market (Exhibits 17 and 18).
data as at May 31, 2011. source: United nations World Population Prospects
We think that recent aggressive moves by the Fed and other central bankers will continue to benefit overweight positions in such real assets as real estate, infrastructure, and oil-producing assets.
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exhIbIt 17
repercussionsa consequence to be expected given Irans central role in the worlds oil supply (Exhibit 20).
exhIbIt 19
March 8, 2012
tIPs = treasury Inflation Protection securities. data as at March 12, 2012. source: bloomberg.
March 9, 2012
history has validated our concerns: In past supply disruptions, crude oil prices rose an average of 62%, depending on the magnitude of the shock to supply. additionally, the correlation between peak supply loss and the peak of oil prices is 91%, so the larger the supply loss, the higher the price increase (Exhibit 21). libya was the worlds eighteenth largest oil producer before the uprising that unseated its government6. the libyan revolt claimed a loss of 1.8 million barrels of oil-production capacity, and prices rose about 35%. but unlike libya, Iran is the worlds sixth largest oil and liquid fuels producer, with production of 3.6 million barrels per daytwice that of libya. If we lost Irans 3.6 million-barrel supply, historical patterns suggest that crude oil prices could rise another 85% from current levels, or about $190 per barrel. this is not our base case, but it may explain why oil prices have edged up on fears of a conflict involving Iranand it also underscores the importance of having some downside protection in the event of a geopolitical shock that could severely crimp oil supply.
Euro
Italy
Germany
France
real yield calculated as current nominal yield minus current inflation. this yield may not be representative of yields earned by foreign investors which may be subject to other levies and taxes (e.g., brazil has an IoF or Financial operations tax of 6% on certain instruments). data as at January 31, 2012. source: bloomberg.
Real Assets May Help Hedge Against Rising Geopolitical Tensions. among the many headwinds of todays global macro environment, we think Middle east tensions are among the most significant and pose a sizeable tail risk to the global economy. beyond the instability and uncertainty wrought by the arab spring, the standoff over Irans nuclear program has the potential to escalate to a broader conflict (Exhibit 19), in which case real assets could serve as a hedge against skyrocketing energy prices and related economic
Japan
Brazil
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exhIbIt 20
22.5 barrels of oil annually per person, compared to just 2.5 barrels in china; U.s. residents consumed 907 kilograms of corn annually per person, compared to 123 kilograms in china7. More importantly, china can no longer satisfy its citizens growing appetite for natural resources with domestic supply, and has shifted from being an exporter of such goods to an importer, in many instances. For example, china has experienced a notable surge of imports of crude oil and agricultural commoditiesparticularly cornin recent years (Exhibit 22).
exhIbIt 22
China has Gone from a Net Exporter to Importer and from Minor Consumer to Major Consumer in a Number of Categories
road vehIcles corn sWIne Meat beverage and tobacco Wheat ExPoRTER In 2005 9516 3665 454 395 268 4 IMPoRTER In 2011 -5503 -3800 -290 -1412 -500 -65 unITs Us$M 1000 Mt 1000 Mt cWe Us$M 1000 Mt 1000 heads
mb/d = Million barrels Per day. source: energy Information administration short-term energy outlook March 2012.
exhIbIt 21
cattle anIMals
CHInA % WoRLD ConsuMPTIon ceMent PorK coal steel lead cotton alUMInUM 2000 35.7% 46.9% 30.7% 15.1% 10.2% 25.0% 13.4% 12.4% 5.1% 6.2% 2010 56.2% 49.9% 48.2% 44.6% 44.0% 40.2% 39.8% 38.3% 37.2% 10.4%
Crude Oil Gross Peak Supply Loss (Millions of Barrels Per Day)
Emerging-Market Growth Appears to Favor Real AssetsCommodities in Particular. We see real assets as a sort of investment play on the rising consumption patterns of emerging-market populations. as high population countries like china accelerate their urbanization and experience an increase in personal income, the demand for such commodities as corn, cotton, and oil may continue to rise. consider the following: In 2010, U.s. residents consumed
data as at december 30, 2011. source: china customs, United states department of agriculture, haver. as of 2010. source: Usda, Usgs, World steel association, china national bureau of statistics, eIa, Iea, bP statistical review, World bureau of Metal statistics, bloomberg, haver.
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exhIbIt 23
exhIbIt 24
emerging markets includes emerging and developing economies as defined by IMF, Korea, taiwan, and singapore. data from 2005-2010. source: IMF, KKr global Macro and asset allocation research.
emerging markets are big and getting bigger: their combined consumption is now not only larger than that of the United states, but is also growing faster (Exhibit 23). a key catalyst to this growth is the urbanization of countries like china and India (Exhibit 24). the proportion of chinas population living in areas classified as urban stands at only 45%, and Indias is even less, at 30% (Exhibit 25). as urbanization percentages increase for these vastly populated countries, we expect demand for natural resources, including oil and soft commodities, to maintain its steady upward trend.
exhIbIt 25
We think theres an opportunity for managers to buy older oil production operations at attractive prices, resuscitate their wells, and use the proceeds to create a sizeable dividend stream for investors.
Turkey Iran Japan South Africa Indonesia China Thailand India Vietnam
But We need to Be Mindful of the Risks, Too. even the most persuasive investment ideas bear risks worth considering, and while we retain an overweight position in real assets with strong conviction, we observe several noteworthy pitfalls to keep an eye on. First, the bull market for real assets started more than a decade
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ago as financial assetsequities in particularwere at record valuations. Fast-forward to today, and you will find that stocks have essentially gone nowhere over a decade, while gold has gone up 474%, oil has risen 269%, and the reIt index has climbed 200%8. to use a baseball metaphor, we may not be in the ninth inningbut were certainly not in the first. In addition, there is a lot of capital coming into the asset class, to energy-related investments in particular. the oil and gas industries are very capital-intensive, and over the past 12 years, capital expenditures in these industries have grown at an annualized rate of 16.7% to $151.0 billionup from just $23.6 billion in 1999whereas fixed, non-residential investment (ex-oil and ex-gas) has only grown at an annualized rate of 1.7% over the same period9. as a result, oil- and gas-related capital expenditures are now running at 9.9% of total non-residential investment, up from 2.0% in 1999. While shale plays are creating somewhat of a renaissance in drilling activity, the current level of energy capital expenditures (which stands at 10% of total non-residential expenditures) has historically signaled a peak during past cycles, including in 1944 and 1981 (Exhibit 26). however, as a percentage of market capitalization, energy still appears to have substantial upside before it would approach past peak levels of the s&P 500 (Exhibit 27).
exhIbIt 26
exhIbIt 27
Energy as a Percentage of S&P 500 is Still Well Below Past Peak Cycles
Energy as a % of U.S. Market Cap Energy as a % of Europe Market Cap 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Mar-86 6.6% Nov-99, 5.3% Nov-80 23.8% Sep-02 13.4% Feb-00, 6.5% Nov-80, 31%
lastly, both commodities and real-estate prices are economically sensitive, and their correlations with a traditional 60/40 (equity/ bond) portfolio tend to increase during economic downturns10. this is particularly true for the goldman sachs commodity Index, which many popular mutual funds currently use to theoretically gain exposure to real assets. We focus on investments that hedge some of the downside risks of commodities and, at the same time, present an opportunity to profit from production or market-share gains. and special discipline is advised for investors in real estate, namely sound financing strategies and reasonable leverage limits.
1999, 2.0
oil and gas related includes Mining exploration, shafts, Wells and Mining & oilfield Machinery. data as at december 31, 2011. source: bureau of economic analysis, haver.
Beyond the instability and uncertainty wrought by the Arab Spring, the standoff over Irans nuclear program has the potential to escalate to a broader conflict, in which case real assets could serve as a hedge against skyrocketing energy prices and related economic repercussions.
10 see exhibit 54 of Phase III: The Last Stage of a Bumpy Journey, october 2011 available on KKr.com.
KKR InsIghts: global Macro trends
8 source: bloomberg. data from december 31, 2000 to december 31, 2011. 9 source: bureau of economic analysis, haver. data as at december 31, 2011.
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Summary
In our view, the macro backdrop is extremely compelling for investments in real assets. We are targeting significant overweight positions in this asset classincluding real estate, energy production, infrastructure, and soft commoditiesas both a defensive and offensive strategy. defensively speaking, we recommend hedging against highly loose monetary policy and potential fallout from geopolitical tensions stemming from the Middle east. We also view commodities, especially oil assets, as an effective hedge against corporate exposure, of which we possess a fair amount in our target asset allocation. on the offensive side, we favor the income-producing components that real estate, energy infrastructure, and production-related investments can providea particularly appealing feature to us in todays low-rate environment. there are, of course, risks to our target positions. to pursue what we advocate, an investor generally must forfeit some liquidity in order to gain exposure beyond generic commodity swaps. even so, it is a bet we are willing to make in light of the poor performance features that many well-known indexes provide. Just consider that between 2004 and 2011, on an absolute basis, the gscI Index has returned just 8.5% versus 147.5% for the underlying spot commodity. another risk is that global growth may slow sharply and undermine the value of many real assets. this risk is not to be discountedyet we think that any pullback in real-asset performance, however major, could be temporary. our belief is grounded in the underlying consumption trends in emerging markets that appear structural and secularrather than cyclicalin nature. Finally, any future decision by central banks worldwide to begin contracting their balance sheets may come at a price. We are thus comfortable maintaining an overweight position in real assetsespecially assets that have the potential to generate both yield and growth.
We suggest focusing on investments that hedge some of the downside risks of commodities and, at the same time, present an opportunity to profit from production or market-share gains.
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Important Information the views expressed in this presentation are the personal views of henry Mcvey of Kohlberg Kravis roberts & co. l.P. (together with its affiliates, KKr) and do not necessarily reflect the views of KKr itself. the views expressed reflect the current views of Mr. Mcvey as of the date hereof and neither Mr. Mcvey nor KKr undertakes to advise you of any changes in the views expressed herein. In addition, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any investment professional at KKr, and may not be reflected in the strategies and products that KKr offers. KKr and its affiliates may have positions (long or short) or engage in securities transactions that are not consistent with the information and views expressed in this presentation. this presentation has been prepared solely for informational purposes. the information contained herein is only as current as of the date indicated, and may be superseded by subsequent market events or for other reasons. charts and graphs provided herein are for illustrative purposes only. the information in this presentation has been developed internally and/or obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, neither KKr nor Mr. Mcvey guarantees the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of such information. nothing contained herein constitutes investment, legal, tax or other advice nor is it to be relied on in making an
investment or other decision. there can be no assurance that an investment strategy will be successful. historic market trends are not reliable indicators of actual future market behavior or future performance of any particular investment which may differ materially, and should not be relied upon as such. target allocations contained herein are subject to change. there is no assurance that the target allocations will be achieved, and actual allocations may be significantly different than that shown here. this presentation should not be viewed as a current or past recommendation or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. the information in this presentation may contain projections or other forwardlooking statements regarding future events, targets, forecasts or expectations regarding the strategies described herein, and is only current as of the date indicated. there is no assurance that such events or targets will be achieved, and may be significantly different from that shown here. the information in this presentation, including statements concerning financial market trends, is based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate and may be superseded by subsequent market events or for other reasons. Performance of all cited indices is calculated on a total return basis with dividends reinvested. the indices do not include any expenses, fees or charges
and are unmanaged and should not be considered investments. the investment strategy and themes discussed herein may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific investment objectives and financial situation. Please note that changes in the rate of exchange of a currency may affect the value, price or income of an investment adversely. neither KKr nor Mr. Mcvey assumes any duty to, nor undertakes to update forward looking statements. no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made or given by or on behalf of KKr, Mr. Mcvey or any other person as to the accuracy and completeness or fairness of the information contained in this presentation and no responsibility or liability is accepted for any such information. by accepting this presentation, the recipient acknowledges its understanding and acceptance of the foregoing statement. the MscI sourced information in this document is the exclusive property of MscI Inc. (MscI). MscI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MscI data contained herein. the MscI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. this report is not approved, reviewed or produced by MscI.
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