Crossmark's Doll: Market valuations are too high, priced for perfection

Bob Doll, chief investment officer at Crossmark Global Investments, says that stock market valuations are extended to the point where "things need to be nearly perfect to justify those valuation levels." He is finding much better valuations internationally, noting that "Non-U.S. equity markets are cheap relative to the U.S. by an amount we have never seen before," which is why he is suggesting investors start nibbling and dollar-cost averaging into foreign markets now. Doll also reviews his annual list of 10 forecasts for the calendar year and sizes up where his forecasts stand after the mid-year point of the 2024. Doll says the economy is slowing and he expects that to show up in a market downturn before year's end. Michael Urich, chief economist at Seventh Point Analytic Consulting, discusses the latest Business Conditions Survey from the National Association for Business Economics -- released today -- which shows that a record number of respondents reported that their firms had raised prices in the last three months, but fewer respondents reported higher sales and profits, a dichotomy that suggests there might be some economic trouble ahead. Plus, Kyle Guske, analyst at New Constructs, puts a mutual fund in the Danger Zone.