What’s transmission got to do with it? An odd question perhaps, but not when you step back and think about everything you’ve been taught or told about when it comes to this stuff. From the very beginning, they tell you unequivocally how the Fed is in the middle and everyone must simply obey. It does things with its printing press [...]
There is one additional important point to note in all this repo uproar. Why did the Fed conduct the overnight repo operation this morning? The answer isn’t what you might think. It sounds like officials particularly at the Open Market Desk sounded the alarm about repo and the FOMC forcefully responded. And if you think that, policymakers would be beyond [...]
There are seasonal bottlenecks which litter the calendar. Why did Lehman fail two weeks before the end of the third quarter of 2008? Bear Stearns, if you remember, came to the end of its rope…two weeks before the end of that year’s first quarter. And here we are again today two weeks before another quarter-end. US money markets are in [...]
Finally, finally the global bond market stopped going in a straight line. I write often how nothing ever does, but for almost three-quarters of a year the guts of the financial system seemed highly motivated to prove me wrong. Yields plummeted and eurodollar futures prices soared. It is only over the past few weeks that rates have backed up in [...]
Following up on yesterday’s look at the concept of repo reserves. These are, as hopefully that narrative retelling established, very different from the inert byproducts of QE; or, bank reserves. The explanation for record low and negative yields amounts to a pretty intuitive process, though in practice it is incredibly complex. Sovereign bonds as “pristine” repo collateral (what some Economists [...]
It was truly startling when it was announced. The second and more dangerous phase of the Global Financial Crisis had begun on July 15, 2008. Within two weeks, Merrill Lynch had etched its name on the growing list of “troubled” institutions. On July 28, 2008, Merrill Lynch agreed to sell $30.6 billion gross notional amount of U.S. super senior ABS [...]
Toward the end of June, Chinese RMB money markets seemed like they had weathered the worst of it. One month earlier, in late May, regulators had seized Baoshang Bank Co. sending waves of uncertainty rippling through markets in China and around the world. Authorities were quick to declare “nothing to see here”, blaming the bank’s close relationship with absentee billionaire [...]
Perhaps too much attention was given to “one-and-done”, the knee-jerk disappointment over what everybody is saying was not enough “dovishness.” And while that may have been true as it relates to main star of the puppet show, rate cuts, the FOMC actually did deliver better theater at least with a secondary character. The latest official statement announced the Federal Reserve [...]
From October 2000 to July 2001, the Treasury Department conducted a special survey of users of its Treasury International Capital (TIC) data. Nearly two decades ago, it had become apparent (to some) just how important international dollar flows were to the overall economic and financial landscape. And not just those of the United States. TIC was created ostensibly to aid [...]
Like a shark smelling blood in the water, I don’t care that the blood is in the water from leaking out of what will be a dead horse, if it isn’t deceased already. I pretty much intend to beat on it one way or another. The issue isn’t just fed funds, it’s why anyone cares about that market at all [...]
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