It is an FOMC week this week. Fed funds futures expect the one-year tightening cycle to terminate with a 25-basis-point hike this time; by June, the Fed is already expected to ease, with 2023 ending at 3.68 percent and 2024 … Continued
The 10-year continues to perk up, eyeing 1.4 percent. The strength is seen even though the Fed continues to aggressively buy these securities, although foreigners have been cutting exposure. In a leveraged economy, higher rates will translate to higher interest … Continued
Last week, Fed officials threw cold water on incipient taper talk, making it clear they would continue to purchase treasury securities. This followed a backup this month in rates in the long end of the treasury yield curve, with the … Continued
Easy money is here to stay. That was pretty much the message Chair Powell delivered this week. The US economy is up to the gills in leverage. A sustained rise in interest rates will hurt. The Fed will try to … Continued
Short squeeze of non-commercials in the futures market was a big factor behind the rally in the S&P 500 since mid-June. These traders have now targeted the Nasdaq 100. This has raised tech bulls’ hopes for a squeeze. But conditions … Continued
Foreigners in the aggregate have been dumping Treasury notes and bonds. The Fed has been buying these securities, but less and less so. Given the soaring budget deficit and the need to issue new debt, the status quo cannot continue. … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of August 4, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net long 92.1k, up 18.9k. The Fed’s balance sheet peaked in the week to June 10 at $7.17 trillion, up nearly $3 trillion in three months. … Continued
June’s CPI was reported yesterday. Inflation behaves well. This makes the Fed’s job easier to continue to pour liquidity into the system. All hell breaks loose once inflation refuses to cooperate – whenever that is. After three successive months of … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of June 23, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net long 6.5k, up 17.4k. The Federal Reserve continued to reduce its assets this week. Since rising to a record $7.17 trillion two weeks ago, the … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of June 16, 2020. 10-year note: Currently net short 10.9k, down 13.1k. Foreigners are aggressively getting out of the US sovereign bond market. In March and April, they sold $475.6 billion in Treasury … Continued