Equities Aren’t a Bargain

Courtesy of Michael Panzner of Financial Armageddon

Even if you don’t buy my argument that there is plenty more downside to come as far as the U.S. economy is concerned, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should acquire or own stocks.

Aside from the fact that revenues aren’t keeping pace with profits and the latter are in many cases being pumped up by quick fixes that undermine future prospects — as I noted yesterday in ""Wall Street’s Gains Equal Main Street’s Loss?" — the reality is that equities simply aren’t a bargain.

Indeed, the Pragmatic Capitalist says as much in a graph-filled post entitled "Is the Market Cheap":

I’ve compiled a few different measures of valuation for your consideration.   Regular readers know that I am not much a “value” investor.  Value, in my opinion is in the eye of the beholder.  Is Apple cheaper at a high PE than GE at a low valuation?   Perhaps yes, perhaps no.  Most valuation metrics are based on the guesses of the analyst community – something that I believe is entirely unreliable.  Nonetheless, here are a few measures to help you put things in perspective: