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HomeHoisington: The Case for Lower Long Term Rates
Posted by Larry Doyle on July 24th, 2013 7:08 AM |
When the herd on Wall Street is moving to one side of the boat, I am inclined to start thinking about moving to the other. Or at the bare minimum, I want to consider getting to the middle.
I make that point as many strategists and Wall Street savants are playing the momentum card and recommending that people overweight equities and underweight bonds because rates are assuredly headed higher.
The vicious sell off in bonds over the last two months on the heels of Fed chair Bernanke’s comments about tapering is clear cut evidence that the savants are right and that rates will continue their move higher, correct? (more…)
The Wheels Have Come Off Barack’s Bond Bus
Posted by Larry Doyle on May 27th, 2009 5:56 PM |
Despite what market analysts, media mavens, and government officials may assert, from an investment standpoint, the price action in the bond market can only be defined as “THEY’VE LOST CONTROL!!”
Who’s they? Bernanke, Geithner, Summers, Obama, and team. How so? The weight of the massive deficit spending along with the embedded costs of the Fed’s quantitative easing program are pressuring the bond market and driving interest rates dramatically higher. (10yr U.S. Treasury moved higher by almost 20 basis points today to 3.75%, a full 55 basis points higher over the last week. This is an ENORMOUS move.)
The knock on effect is increased anxiety in the equity markets (down 2% today) and a highly likely further slowing in the economy. I am not surprised. Given the programs and approach put forth by Obama, along with the economic turmoil, there was little doubt we would experience very high levels of deficit spending. Prior to the inauguration (January 4th to be precise), I surmised:
I also believe that despite the Fed and Treasury purchasing government and mortgage debt, these rates will end up much higher at the end of this year than they are now simply due to the growing deficit. A move higher in these rates will potentially cause further anguish within the equity markets.
I have tried to proactively highlight why I thought the government bond bubble was bursting (Is The Government Bond Bubble Getting Ready To Burst?) and just yesterday broached the negative impact on interest rates of all the mortgage refinancing activity (Mortgage Refi Activity Is Driving Rates Higher).
For those involved in trading or investing, successful calls are measured by direction, magnitude, and time. This call on rates has been a fairly patient development, but given the dramatic shift higher in rates over the last week, the implications of this move can now be embraced. Those implications include a revaluation of the equity markets (lower) and the economy (forestalled recovery). Beware of people who discount this move in interest rates. The fact is it has more to run. In my opinion, the move higher in rates is not only a reflection of the supply of bonds (both government and mortgage) but also an indication of further deterioration in our currency precipitating inflation.
Can the Federal Reserve do anything to defend the currency? Increase short term interest rates. Does anybody think our economy can afford an increase in short term rates at this juncture? NO WAY! There truly is very little the Fed or Treasury can do at this juncture. Thus, in my opinion, they’ve truly lost control as “the wheels have come off the bus.” Welcome to the Brave New World of the Uncle Sam economy 2009.
LD
The Global Economic Horizon
Posted by Larry Doyle on March 14th, 2009 2:45 PM |
While there is nothing like a nice 10% rally in equity markets to salve a wounded soul, let’s not get overly ebullient. The global economy is facing a host of issues the likes of which it has not seen in a long time, if ever.
I truly relish the honest perspectives offered by a number of our Thought Leaders. A recent piece posted by Professor Ken Rogoff, a former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund, and currently a professor of Economics and Public Policy at Harvard, lays out a logical road map for global interest rates, economic growth, sovereign defaults, and inflation. Let me preface Rogoff’s piece by stating the road will be long and steep!
What does Rogoff think about the prospects here in the United States under the Obama administration? He writes, “US long-term growth could be particularly dismal, as the Obama administration steers the country toward more European levels of welfare assistance and income redistribution.”
I strongly recommend Rogoff’s What is the Deficit Endgame? Please access a wealth of other global perspectives at the Thought Leaders link (in the left sidebar), which provides access to leading global economists and over 400 periodicals from around the world.
LD
