Post Tagged with: "Federal Reserve"
The Fed Resumes “Printing”
One conclusion from the Fed’s actions is that it doesn’t care as much about its inflation target as it does about improving the unemployment rate. Thus, it will err on the side of letting inflation rise, if it would improve unemployment. But holding rates too low too long fueled the housing bubble. Repeating the same game will have consequences of malinvestment in the form of new bubbles in the economy. The Fed hopes to restore employment before the negative consequences of loose monetary policy show up
A Real Phony
A quote from Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who centrally controlled and underpriced the most over-leveraged interest rate in the world for 18 years and is now cashing in like a reality TV celebrity
Short Note on ISM Manufacturing Survey
The Institute for Supply Management reports its January manufacturing survey on February 1. The Bloomberg consensus expects a small increase to 54.5 from
Chart of the Day: Permanent Zero and Personal Interest Income
If you are a retiree, you’re not happy these days. Five years ago, you were getting a decent return on your fixed income investments. But since then, the Fed has trashed the fixed income market by reducing interest rates to zero percent for “an extended period”. The thinking is that this will get people to take on more credit. But the reality is that a lot of people are stuffed to the gills with existing credit and are not creditworthy. The Fed is pushing on a string
[PREMIUM] The Ultimate QE is the Fed’s Coming Purchase of Real Assets
I would bet on near-systemic collapse before the Fed starts either asset purchases or Congress resorts to fiscal activism. But eventually, the Fed is going to purchase more than just treasuries. They will purchase a lot of financial assets and probably some real assets as well
Stephen Roach on US, the Fed, China, and Europe
Stephen Roach says the Fed is going all in in support of QE and I agree. But what else are they going to do? Look at Europe, for example. The ECB there has a hydra-headed problem with sovereigns and banks on the brink of insolvency and they too have expanded the balance sheet like mad. China faces many of the same challenges with excess credit growth and fragile financial firms in the face of asset price deflation
I repeat: The Fed’s Permanent Zero rate policy is toxic
Permanent zero can work over the medium-term but the economy is dependent on employment growth and monetary policy doesn’t drive that
[PREMIUM] More on the Fed – Obama stimulus plan
My last weekly said the hand-in-hand Fed activism and fiscal activism via Obama’s mortgage proposal is bullish. Let me add a bit of colour here
The stark contrast between European economic policy and US economic policy
I was on CNBC yesterday ahead of Ben Bernanke’s speech explaining the FOMC’s recent decision to add an explicit inflation target to its decision to extend its rate easing/permanent zero policy. My conclusion: the Obama mortgage plan and Bernanke easing campaign are bullish for the US economy
[PREMIUM] The Fed’s Rate easing and Obama’s Mortgage refi plan are bullish
Investors must still be worried about the fallout from the European meltdown. However, the situation in the US is looking much better than it did last week because of this aggressive policy response
Dollar Falls on Fed, Potential Greek Debt Deal
Dollar extended losses overnight and into the European session following the Fed’s dovish policy stance. Global stocks are broadly high off the back of Fed and Greek debt deal; EuroStoxx up 0.6%, banks up 0.7%. Economic data saw German consumer confidence improve; UK’s CBI retails sale retrenched in January
Chart of the Day: Gold reacts to FOMC rate easing
The Fed has come out 9-1 in favor of rate easing i.e. capping medium-term treasury rates. The interesting bit is that while the Fed did the exact same thing in August out to two years, this announcement takes permanent zero out to nearly three years. That’s rate easing. Some people call it financial repression. And it’s gold bullish