Cyclical stocks will lead markets higher as economy recovers - JPMorgan

CNBC reports that investment bank JPMorgan expects cyclical stocks to lead the market higher in the medium- to long-term as the business cycle improves.

“You’re going to see cyclicals and more defensive names continue the rally after we get past this period of adjustment,” said James Sullivan, head of Asia ex-Japan equity research at JPMorgan.

Cyclical stocks are companies whose underlying businesses tend to follow the economic cycle of expansion and recession. Some of these include sectors such as finance, energy and industrial. Defensive stocks — such as health care and consumer staples — typically provide consistent earnings and dividends regardless of stock market conditions.

Steepening of the yield curve is positive for the overall profitability of large financial institutions, Sullivan explained, adding that the investment bank is overweight for both the banking and insurance sectors. Financial companies typically benefit from rising interest rates as it expands their profit margin.

JPMorgan is also positive on consumer stocks, according to Sullivan. “We are seeing very strong consumption trends across the board,” he said, adding the bank “would be positive on both financials and consumer as a result.”