I think it is interesting that the TIC data also provides some further confirmation about the Swiss participation in the January 15 version of the “dollar” problem. Of course, that still fits with the supercycle decay of the overall eurodollar standard, and even as one of those asymmetries, but I think it deserves its own emphasis. Again, all caveats about [...]
The June 2003 FOMC meeting is one of those events that has only taken on increased relevance and significance with time. That gathering marked a major shift in monetary policy as it was, particularly with relation to the fomented housing bubble, as the FOMC was debating the zero lower bound. The discussion centered around the proposed monetary alignment that would [...]
Usually references to April 15 are reserved for income taxes, but in this case that preference may be superseded. Recognizing the illiquidity pattern of the “rising dollar” means being vigilant toward the next expected instance. If October 15 was an “event” followed by January 15 in succession, then it is reasonable to at least anticipate conditions for April 15. To [...]
Taking a look back at economic projections from orthodox models (and the theories they incorporate and encompass) is more than just a review of past econometric failures. That is the most obvious component as the ability of mainstream models to forecast actual economic conditions is inarguably flawed beyond repair. That calls into question, certainly, current outlooks based upon the same [...]
The emphasis of QE in terms of “portfolio effects” and interest rate “stimulus” is to visit upon the entire curve what monetary policy has done in the past in only the shorter maturities. So the evolution of monetarism under activism and interest rate targeting is to bring the entire curve down whereas before it was content to intrude only in [...]
While the more interesting action has shifted to funding markets, the treasury curve remains at least relevant to the analysis of all those ebbs and flows. For the most part, the yield curve in UST has found itself stuck in a rather tight range right at the bottom of the “cycle.” While that would be noteworthy in one or two [...]
Every other central bank in the world has at some point shifted their monetary policy framework to the world of secured short-term funding rather than unsecured. That shows the primacy of repo as opposed to what has been used almost exclusively in the US (and related eurodollars). The Federal Reserve has discussed letting go of the federal funds target before, [...]
Janet Yellen threaded the needle this week with a masterfully worded statement following the FOMC meeting. The word "patient", the removal of which had produced so much angst in markets recently, was excised to appease the hawks while the rest of the statement cooed dovishly to appease the stock market bulls. The Fed finally acknowledged reality and downgraded their economic [...]
With the FOMC throwing in the towel on the US “boom”, funding markets have knee-jerked back into the same trends as predominated during the prior liquidity events. In other words, extreme pessimism has once again intruded in eurodollars. The funding curve has exploded (imploded?) back to where it was at the early part of February, when everything was still just [...]
Ever since the price of oil became a major economic theme last fall, even before the now-ubiquitous “dollar” though they are essentially one and the same function, economists and especially those at the FOMC have been in a rush to reassure that the oil price collapse was both going to be short-lived and a huge benefit to consumers. One didn’t [...]
Stay In Touch