JPMorgan turns bullish on UK shares for first time since Brexit vote

LONDON — JPMorgan has upgraded U.Okay. shares to “obese,” ending years of warning on British fairness markets which the financial institution mentioned at the moment are buying and selling at a “document low cost.”

The Wall Road large had held a longstanding cautious name on U.Okay. equities because the Brexit referendum in 2016, earlier than transferring to “impartial” in July 2020 after a very dire spell for U.Okay. shares and after the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.

With U.Okay. equities having delivered a extra range-bound efficiency in opposition to their transatlantic and European friends over the previous 12 months, nonetheless, JPMorgan on Monday upped them to obese in each a European and international context.

Because the Brexit referendum, U.Okay. equities have lagged the U.S. by a cumulative 50% and the euro zone by 24%, JPMorgan Head of World and European Fairness Technique Mislav Matejka highlighted in a analysis word.

JPMorgan’s aggregated information confirmed that the U.Okay. has opened up a “document low cost” versus different areas, each on a price-to-earnings and a price-to-book foundation. The previous helps decide the market worth of an organization’s inventory relative to its monetary outcomes, whereas the latter is relative to the guide worth of the corporate’s fairness.

The low cost holds even when worth sectors — these which usually commerce at a reduction relative to their monetary fundamentals — are taken out.

“Throughout the U.Okay., we held a longstanding choice for FTSE 250 vs FTSE 100, and for
home vs exporters. We now suppose FTSE 100 might carry out higher,” Matejka mentioned.

Matejka’s staff is funding the improve by slicing its publicity to Japan, and picked 25 U.Okay. shares to greatest capitalize on the catch-up commerce. These embrace such high-profile names as BP, Barclays, Jupiter Fund Administration and Vodafone.

Diverging fortunes

JPMorgan’s new obese place within the U.Okay. follows a long-held view for European fairness analysts at British rival Barclays, who’re additionally obese the big cap FTSE 100 for its export-heavy composition, however underweight the extra domestically-weighted FTSE 250.

This diminishing religion in home small-cap shares was echoed on Tuesday by Credit score Suisse, which lowered U.Okay. small caps to underweight whereas boosting their U.S. friends to obese.

“U.Okay. small caps are far more cyclical and extra home than massive caps, but U.Okay. small caps have barely reacted to the decline in U.Okay. PMIs (buying managers’ index), which might nicely have additional to go,” Credit score Suisse strategists mentioned in a analysis word, including that British small caps are pricing in a PMI of 62, versus 57 presently.

“The UK faces a spread of idiosyncratic supply-side challenges with a extra hawkish central financial institution, which might result in GDP forecasts for subsequent 12 months coming below extra downward stress than in different areas.”

Credit score Suisse highlighted that British small caps typically carry out badly when sterling falls, and presently appear to be discounting a decline in credit score spreads, which strategists see as “unlikely.”

“Regardless of these dangers, small caps proceed to commerce at a really massive valuation premium to massive caps vs their historical past,” they added.

Steve Brice, chief funding officer at Customary Chartered, advised CNBC final week that the financial institution’s chief concern in regards to the U.Okay. fairness market was whether or not the Financial institution of England would “overreact” to persistently excessive inflation, which it now expects to high out at 5%.

The central financial institution final week held off on an anticipated hike to rates of interest, opting to attend and assess labor market information after the tip of the U.Okay.’s furlough scheme. Nonetheless, markets broadly count on an imminent hike.

“Clearly there may be provide bottlenecks globally, however they’re being extenuated within the U.Okay. from Brexit as nicely, so it isn’t a most popular market of ours from an fairness market perspective,” Brice mentioned.

“If something, it’s our least favourite market after we look all over the world in the present day, due to these coverage dangers.”