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India’s Market Outlook: Insights from Jonathan Garner, Morgan Stanley

India to Outperform China for Fourth Consecutive Year: Morgan Stanley’s Analysis

India to Outperform China for Fourth Consecutive Year: Morgan Stanley’s Analysis

Jonathan Garner, Chief Asia & Emerging Market Strategist at Morgan Stanley, provides insights into India’s market performance and outlook, emphasizing the country’s superior GDP growth, sustained earnings growth, and attractiveness to global investors. Garner expresses a bullish outlook on India’s market, highlighting the preference for India over China and the factors driving India’s market performance.

Key Takeaways:

1. India is expected to outperform China for the fourth consecutive year, driven by superior GDP growth and sustained earnings growth.


2. Global investors are showing increasing interest in the Indian market, following significant FDI and portfolio equity flows into India.


3. Jonathan Garner strongly prefers India to China, citing expectations of Chinese nominal GDP growth being less than half that of India.


4. India’s market resilience during previous Fed cycles and its improved current account and fiscal positions contribute to its attractiveness to global investors.


5. The focus on domestic growth, particularly strong nominal GDP growth, is emphasized as a key driver for the performance of equities in India and Japan.


It is evident that Jonathan Garner, Chief Asia & Emerging Market Strategist & Chairman of Asset Allocation at Morgan Stanley, has expressed a bullish outlook on India’s market performance and has provided insights into the factors influencing this outlook. Let’s break down the key points and elaborate on the various aspects mentioned in the text.

India’s Market Performance and Outlook

Jonathan Garner’s statements indicate a strong preference for India’s market over China, with expectations of India outperforming China for the fourth consecutive year. The reasons for this preference are attributed to India’s superior GDP growth, nominal GDP growth, and sustained earnings growth of Indian companies. Garner emphasizes the importance of sustained earnings growth as a key factor driving the bullish recommendation for the Indian market.

Impact of US 10-Year Yields and Monetary Policy

Garner also discusses the impact of US 10-year yields on emerging markets, stating that the US 10-year yields have likely peaked for the current cycle and are expected to fall, leading to a disinflationary process globally. He highlights India’s resilience during previous Fed cycles, citing improved current account and fiscal positions. Additionally, he anticipates the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to follow a pattern of interest rate reduction, which could provide some support to the equity market. However, he emphasizes that monetary policy, whether overseas or in India, is not as important as GDP growth and earnings growth.

Global Investors’ Positioning and India’s Attractiveness

Garner notes that global investors are starting to move into the Indian market for the first time, driven by significant FDI and portfolio equity flows into India. He acknowledges that India’s weight in the EM index is rising significantly, and while global investors are currently broadly neutral, there is a growing trend of global equity funds adding exposure to India.

India vs. China Comparison

In comparing India and China, Garner expresses a clear preference for India over China, citing expectations of Chinese nominal GDP growth being less than half that of India and the limited ability of China to generate compound earnings per share growth. He advises against a contrarian shift back towards China and reiterates the overweight position on India.

Factors Influencing 2024 Market Performance

Garner emphasizes the importance of underlying economic growth, particularly strong nominal GDP growth, as a key driver for the performance of equities in India and Japan. He mentions a new era in Asian investing, led by Japan and India at opposite ends of the GDP per capita spectrum.

Earnings Cycle and Valuations in India

Regarding the earnings cycle in India, Garner suggests that India is likely midway through a long earnings upcycle, driven by unprecedented foreign direct investment and private equity commitment. He also discusses valuations in relation to return on equity and earnings growth, indicating that India’s growth multiple is high, but justified by the scale of earnings per share growth.

Outlook for 2024 and Beyond

Garner maintains a consistently bullish outlook on India, expressing confidence in India’s market and its alignment with the new era of Asian investing. He prioritizes financials and domestic-denominated sectors, while being cautious about global-denominated sectors, emphasizing the focus on domestic growth.

Key Considerations for 2024

Looking ahead to 2024, Garner suggests that the stars are aligned for the Indian economy and market, reiterating the bullish outlook and the potential for India to be a breakout market. He also emphasizes the importance of understanding the performance in Asia based on domestic growth factors rather than broad global concepts.

Emerging Markets and Global Investment Trends

Garner discusses the changing dynamics of emerging markets, highlighting the divergent paths of GDP growth and earnings growth. He emphasizes that the attractiveness of markets like Japan and India is driven by their fundamentals rather than global liquidity or the path of US interest rates.


In conclusion, Jonathan Garner’s insights provide a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing India’s market performance, the preference for India over China, and the key considerations for 2024. His analysis underscores the significance of sustained earnings growth, strong nominal GDP growth, and the domestic-driven nature of India’s market as key drivers of its attractiveness to global investors.

FAQ

Q1: What are the key factors driving India’s market outperformance according to Jonathan Garner?

A1: Jonathan Garner highlights India’s superior GDP growth, sustained earnings growth, and the country’s attractiveness to global investors as key factors driving India’s market outperformance.


Q2: How does India compare to China in terms of market preference?

A2: Garner expresses a clear preference for India over China, citing expectations of Indian outperformance and the limited ability of China to generate compound earnings per share growth.


Q3: What are the key considerations for India’s market performance in 2024 and beyond?

A3: Garner emphasizes the importance of understanding the performance in Asia based on domestic growth factors, particularly strong nominal GDP growth, as a key driver for the performance of equities in India and Japan.