Since 1977 the Fed has maintained a dual, and equal, mandate of full employment and low inflation. Now they are prioritizing employment over inflation and have added financial stability as a third mandate of lesser importance.... Read More
Updating the growth in central bank balance sheets... Read More
The Fed let it be known that they are committed to keeping rates at zero for the next few years, if need be.... Read More
Jay Powell insists the Fed will not resort to negative rates. He is sincere, but the market is beginning to have other thoughts and may force his hand.... Read More
Updating the growth in central bank balance sheets... Read More
Growth is booming to new highs... Read More
S&P futures opened 60 points lower (1.9%), but have reversed to positive on the day. The market has priced in a 50 bps cut for tomorrow morning.... Read More
How accurately do the FOMC minutes, which are released only a few weeks after a meeting, reflect the full transcripts, which are released on a five year lag?... Read More
The decline in the market has put the Fed back in play this spring.... Read More
Day one of Powell's testimony offered two takeaways. First, the Phillips Curve is dead. Second, the Fed intends to support the repo market until at least April.... Read More
Market measures are pricing in a Fed rate cut in 2020. Fears of supply chain disruption are driving this idea.... Read More
The Fed made no major policy announcements, but Powell's comment about a floor on excess reserves was noteworthy.... Read More
The Fed is poised to hike Interest on Excess Reserves (IOER) by five basis points today in an attempt to keep the effective funds rate near the mid-point of its targeted range between 1.50% and 1.75%.... Read More
The Fed?s reaction to the disruption in repo markets shows how hard it will be for policymakers to reverse their ?money printing.?... Read More
Jim was on CNBC's Trading Nation yesterday talking about the outlook for the Fed going into 2020. The Fed has a plan to keep rates steady for the foreseeable future, but as Jim quipped, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." He believes a 5% to 7% correction in stocks in 2020 could force the Fed to revisit talks of rate cuts.... Read More
Using a central bank as a blunt instrument to force government spending is not a good idea.... Read More
The Fed has spent $273 billion trying to calm the repo market.... Read More
Powell's inflation comments put a ceiling on the funds rate. Also, the FOMC statements continue to get shorter and easier to understand. According to the Flesch-Kincaid grade-level test, readers don't even need a high school diploma to understand yesterday's statement.... Read More