Debt addiction is pervasive among consumers, corporations as well as the federal government. Several debt-related metrics are in uncharted territories. The craving is built into the system and can continue until markets rebel. In December, U.S. consumer credit grew 4.7 … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of February 4, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net short 358.9k, up 88.5k. One more week of additional liquidity from the Fed! In the week to Wednesday, SOMA (System Open Market Account) holdings went … Continued
US home prices continue to rise. Consumer sentiment is more or less sideways at an elevated level. Supply of homes is limited. The cycle marches on. Nationally, using the S&P Case-Shiller national home price index, US home prices appreciated 3.5 … Continued
Bulls put foot down. Bears had an opening but were unable to make much out of it. Another opportunity to take on the snorting bulls may be just around the corner. Since the S&P 500 large cap index (3297.59) peaked … Continued
Up 3.3 percent at one time, the S&P 500 ended January down 0.2 percent. ‘As January goes, so goes the year’ adage is not fail-safe but worth paying attention to. Not the least because the index rallied nearly 29 percent … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of January 28, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net short 270.5k, down 32.1k. The Fed has a dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices. The post-Great Recession recovery/expansion has been uneven, but jobs … Continued
In the wake of the tax cuts of December 2017, S&P 500 companies are paying less than 20 percent in income taxes. All good except the gap between GAAP and non-GAAP income remains. In 3Q19, S&P 500 companies paid 18.9 … Continued
Mid-January, Nasdaq short interest rose to a four-plus-year high. In 14 months, the index rallied north of 52 percent. Shorts find this, among others, a compelling reason to build positions. Ironically, they may also end up helping longs defend support … Continued
The year is quite young, but things have not quite turned out the way bond bears were hoping they would. The 10-year T-yield last week pierced through trend-line support from last September. In due course, this likely opens the door … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of January 21, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net short 302.5k, up 79k. The FOMC meets next week – on 28-29. This is the year’s first meeting. Markets do not expect the Fed to … Continued