Sharp, Near-Term Market Pullback Will Lead To Long-Term Climb, KCD Financial's Jordan Kimmel Forecasts

DE PERE, Wis. and CHESTER, N.J., Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The stock market has enjoyed a spectacular run—with the Dow shattering the 16,000 barrier—but temporary headwinds are likely to drive a sharp, short-term correction by the end of the first quarter, predicts Jordan L. Kimmel, chief market strategist for De Pere, Wisc.-based KCD Financial Inc.

"The longer-term prognosis for the market is very positive, with key economic signs aligning for a sustained bull run," says Kimmel, who has spent more than 25 years in the capital markets, managing portfolios and providing guidance to clients, brokers and the media. "But in the extreme short-term, investors who are on margin should cover their positions so they will be able to make a quick jump as soon as the tide turns."

Kimmel sees a "healthy" 15 percent correction in the spring, as issues like "domestic political scares" or Middle East unrest spook the market.  "There's a need to anticipate it and to plan for it, but this short-term correction will lead to market cleansing, setting the stage for more upturns," he explains. "We are not seeing the beginning of the end."

That's because the underlying fundamentals are still strong, according to Kimmel. "I anticipate 'Goldilocks growth' and returns of 12 percent  for all of 2104," he notes. "The market will be not too hot, and not too cold, but instead the growth will be just right."

One of the key contributors to performance will be the purchasing power of international consumers, adds Kimmel, who works out of Chester, N.J.

"Some market observers fear that domestic consumers are 'tapped out,' but they forget about international consumers who want to own U.S. products," he notes. "There's consumer hunger in just about every country, and U.S. companies are meeting that demand by manufacturing and exporting more goods and services, which translates into a broad-based boost to revenue."

Analyzing the market by segment, Kimmel cautions investors to underweight the bond market, which he thinks will suffer as the Federal Reserve's tapering actions fuel an increase in interest rates. "Yields are terribly low right now, and a rise in rates will drive down bond prices," says Kimmel, a former bond specialist. "Right now there's no upside to exposure to the bond market."

But he is bullish on certain technology and other segments.

"We've just scratched the surface when it comes to the Internet," Kimmel says. "We're looking at ubiquitous connectivity, and I'm looking into companies that are developing 'smart' appliances and that are investing in research and development efforts. But with that in mind, I'm not a big fan of social media, because I believe the market is overbidding it right now."

Kimmel does see a comeback for the housing market, which should have a positive impact on construction, and he believes the long-term outlook for banks is also good.

"Companies that are tied in to infrastructure activity should offer good returns," he adds. "And I also believe that automotive suppliers will do well, since consumers have owned their cars longer."

Kimmel recently joined KCD Financial, a fully introducing broker/dealer and State Registered Investment Advisor firm that is majority-owned by Freedom Securities, Inc. In his role as chief market strategist, he provides guidance to the firm's nationwide network of independent brokers and their clients on relative risk and opportunities in the capital markets. Prior to joining KCD Financial, Kimmel served as chief market strategist and portfolio manager for other national independent brokerage firms.  From 1997 to 2009, he was president of the Magnet Investment Group, LLC, an independent firm that managed proprietary funds and served as a sub-advisor to other prominent investment firms. He authored Magnet Investing and The Magnet Method of Investing: Find, Trade, and Profit from Exceptional Stocks, (Wiley, 2009).  In 2013, the well-known Stock Trader's Almanac dedicated its 46^th annual edition to Kimmel.

SOURCE KCD Financial Inc.