Posts Tagged ‘debt markets’

Notes From Underground: Taking a Look at the Plumbing

February 16, 2023

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.

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Notes From Underground: Coal for Some Stockings?

December 12, 2021

If you’re only looking at the headlines from the past 48 hours, there is something major going on. First, on Friday afternoon Bloomberg reported that the G-7 finance chiefs are planning to discuss inflation as prices soar and the Financial Times followed on Saturday about the U.S. Democrats pushing the Federal Reserve for tougher action against inflation. These two stories are everything that we at NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND have been discussing since the Dems’ poor election showing last month.

The White House polls — and thus the political operatives — reflected that inflation concerns were going to be the biggest issue for all Democrats in 2022, which is why there was a sense of urgency to use SPR and release oil to drive headline energy costs down. It’s the classic political ploy to appear to be doing something. What’s next? Wage and price controls?

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Notes From Underground: Is This a One-Act Play or Will There Be More Theatrics?

November 30, 2011

Today was the day the world’s major central banks decided to “shock” the markets and provide a coordinated intervention to help ease the pressure in the Global bank lending markets. LED BY THE U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE, the OVERNIGHT INDEXED SWAP +100 WAS LOWERED BY THE FED AND OTHERS TO +50 POINTS, AS WELL AS THE MARGIN REQUIRED FOR ECB LENDING TO BANKS WAS DROPPED TO 12% FROM 20%. This is a technical move by the world’s banks to try to ease the pressure in the interbank lending market. I believe this is the first act in a concerted attempt to shift market psychology.

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