MarketWatch

Markets have reeled since the Federal Reserve announced, through the release of the December minutes, that the central bank would like to take a big whack at its $9 trillion balance sheet rather than keep it at that lofty level. Value stocks, they argue, will continue to be boosted by the transition from quantitative easing to quantitative tightening, as the Fed pivots from fighting deflation to fighting inflation. By and large, the Goldman team says most of the moves in the market have been explained by fundamentals, but it says some defensive sectors, including food and beverages, household goods and personal products, may have rerated too much, while semiconductors may have sold off by too much.