The Wizard of Oz provides so many appropriate metaphors for dealing with global central bank policy. The failure of the wisdom of those who meet behind the “curtain” enthrall the members of the elite media who genuflect on the altar of access. Provide the necessary backdrop of equations and the media believes everything. It reinforces the sentiment of the Greenspan era: “If you think you understood what I said, I must have misspoken.” The idea of an “all-knowing Fed” is beginning to lose its luster as markets begin to understand that FED policy is not rocket science. There is no predictable outcome for the global experiment of negative interest rates or zero interest rates. Even the growth of supersized central bank sheets is causing doubts among the blind followers of free money forever.
Posts Tagged ‘Tarullo’
Notes From Underground: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
September 11, 2016Notes From Underground: After the Flood … Of Data
June 2, 2016It’s that time of the month: first Friday and the jobs data is front and center. Consensus is for 152,000 nonfarm payrolls. In my humble opinion it will take a number above 200,000 to put pressure on the FOMC to actually raise rates at its June meeting, or, more importantly, a headline jobless rate of 4.8%. As always, I am highlighting the AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS (AHE) as the most important number because it plays to Chair Yellen’s concern about 20 years of stagnant wages. The market is anticipating a tepid rate of 0.2% following April’s gain of 0.3%. A flat wage number would keep the FOMC on hold.
Notes From Underground: Europe Steals A Page From Alan Greenspan
October 27, 2011It was once reported that Alan Greenspan, the Maestro of solipsistic reasoning, once said, “if you understood what I said, I must have misspoke.” The markets think they understood the basics of the GRAND EUROPEAN PLAN, but after reading through the many releases, I am not sure how the bail concoction actually will be deployed. (more…)
Notes From Underground: The CHINESE ARE THE RUMOR DE JOUR TO BUY EFSF DEBT
October 26, 2011(AN HOUR LATER THE MARKETS WILL BE HUNGRY FOR MORE RUMORS)
Another day and another round of rumors. As the financial markets awaited the EU LEADERS’ statement, the rumor of China agreeing to buy European SOVEREIGN DEBT and EFSF paper provided a boost to a falling EURO and a BID TO the U.S. EQUITY MARKETS. It seems that the market wants to BELIEVE that the Chinese are going to ride to the rescue of the EU and provide the backstop that the Germans are so reticent to bankroll.
Notes From Underground: Housing Is Making It As the Foundation of Obama’s Domestic Agenda … Why Hasn’t Geithner Been Replaced?
October 24, 2011The speeches by FOMC GOVERNOR TARULLO and Vice Chair Yellen were followed up with an Obama speech on a “major” REFI operation and many articles in the media. In today’s Financial Times, Larry Summers just happened to have a piece titled, “WHY THE HOUSING BURDEN STALLS AMERICA’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY.” It seems that the administration has awakened to the fact that the credit crisis has been wrapped in a housing crunch that has kept consumer demand lackluster at best. (Also known as the Geithner plan: Aid the banks first and maybe help the debt-laden consumer/homeowner somewhere down the line.)