US reliance on debt is growing. Having already just about used up the conventional monetary tool and a massive balance sheet, the Fed is looking for new tools – a la Japan. Stocks’ reaction function to Japanification is key. At … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of February 18, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net short 306.3k, down 92.7k. Once again, bond bears (on price) were having to defend 1.51 percent on the 10-year Treasury yield (1.47 percent). Most recently, … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of February 11, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net short 398.9k, up 40k. The Fed for all intents and purposes has been preparing the markets for more liquidity to come. Since late September last … Continued
There is a divergence in progress in the U.S. job market. Historically, non-farm job creation and openings move in tandem. They are currently going their separate ways. In December, non-farm job openings fell 364,000 month-over-month to 6.42 million. They have … Continued
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
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
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