I had the pleasure of sitting down with Joseph Wang, one of the better Fed/interest-rate plumbers, who also has a deep knowledge of all things global macro. Listen closely to the latest podcast as he reveals the many shades of the inner workings of the Fed, especially those insights on Governor Christopher Waller. There are certainly areas where we disagree, which is to be expected, but that is what makes the effort by Richard Bonugli to do these podcasts so richly rewarding.
As always, I advise not rushing into any of our recommendations but to do your own work in context and of course in and levels of risk you are comfortable. The purpose as always is to sift through the amalgam of data/info and find profitable opportunities as we provide a deep dive into context and nuance.
Say goodbye to Daddy Warbucks Say hello to Uncle Joe.
On Monday we got a preview of the Biden Administration as Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen appeared before the Senate Finance Committee. It was sad that her testimony was released over the weekend. There were the stock answers to the issue of the U.S. dollar, which falls under the auspices of the Treasury Department. Yellen proclaimed that the markets would set the value of the DOLLAR and that it would not be the policy of the Biden Administration to manipulate the currency to attain some illusionary trade advantage.
There were two central bank meetings in the past two days: The Bank of Canada and the European Central Bank. The BOC stayed its current course with no change in policy. Several analysts were looking for more dovish action because of the appreciation of the Canadian dollar but the BOC was wise in noting that a “broad-based decline” in the U.S. exchange rate has contributed to a “further appreciation of the Canadian dollar.” As a result, the BOC has ZERO concerns about its currency appreciating as long as it is BROAD-BASED.
On Monday night, the Reserve Bank of Australia issued its policy decision and as expected, there was no change in overnight rates at 0.25%. More importantly, the RBA is targeting three-year Aussie government bonds at 0.25%, keeping the yield curve flat or inverted out to that point.
Equity markets on Monday sustained their global rally as markets across Asia, Europe and the United States powered higher, even as the political backdrop continues to foment greater uncertainty. This week brings three key central bank meetings: The Bank of Canada, the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan. (more…)
At the end of 2017, my readers may recall that I did an unusual thing. I made a prognostication as where the 10-year yield will end the year. I said the 10-year would end the year at 3.41 percent, to which a friend offered up a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon if the rate reached that level. (The yield was 2.60 percent at the time.) Well, I’m throwing in the towel as it looks like 3.26 percent looks to be the top for the year. I guess I will have to enjoy a lesser-quality libation.
The current market temperament is causing angst among investors. A relatively strong earnings season is failing to provide support to the U.S. equity markets that many analysts have been promoting. The media is wondering what will halt the continuing slide in stocks around the globe. We at Notes From Underground have pondered what the primary catalyst would be
On Tuesday, Rick Santelli and I spoke, and, as usual it was way too short as we couldn’t cover anything in the depth we would’ve liked. Regardless, it allows us to get out front of many investment ideas. Rick has a stable of high quality guests: Bianco, Boockvar, Biderman, Trichet, Lazear … the list goes on and sometimes I wish my readers would let CNBC know how important Rick is for a larger discussion about ideas besides the most recent Apple price and latest Trump tweets.
Click on the image to watch me and Rick discuss the euro and the central banks.
Just a few quick points that are relevant to the markets at the end of the year:
1. Tonight I am including charts of the U.S/German two-year yield differentials. The U.S. two-year note is yielding 256 basis points above the German rate. This is relevant because both instruments are high quality assets that play an important role as collateral in the funding markets. I’ve also included a 25-year chart of the U.S. 2/10 yield curve. Note that the last two INVERSIONS occurred before significant equity market corrections. Does this current flattening portend a stock market correction? We can’t be certain because the role of the central banks has certainly created an investment environment where markets suffer from a lack of RISK PREMIA in all asset prices.
Two central banks announced interest rate decisions today: the Bank of Canada (BOC) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ). The BOC left rates at 0.50% while the RBNZ SURPRISED markets by lowing its official cash rate by 0.25% to 2.25% as Governor Graeme Wheeler revealed concerns about a slowing Chinese economy and the ever-increasing global financial risks. There was no specific mention about the KIWI but Wheeler voiced concerns about the downward pressure on DAIRY EXPORT PRICES. The KIWI dropped 2 percent against the U.S. and Australian dollars following the surprise move but the explicit notation of slowing Chinese growth should be an alarm for those concerned about the impact of China on global commodity prices.
