Macro Briefing: 5 October 2022

* White House tries to dissuade Saudi Arabia from cutting oil production
* OPEC+ appears ready for deep cuts to its oil output targets
* Putin signs annexation of Ukrainian regions
* US national debt tops $31 trillion for the first time
* Why the Fed may not be so quick to pivot on rate hikes
* An unprecedented global deflationary cycle has begun, an economist advises
* Factory orders in US unchanged in August
* China’s economy faces several headwinds that are weighing on growth
* US job openings fall sharply in August, tumbling to 13-month low:

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Macro Briefing: 4 October 2022

* North Korea fires missile over Japan in escalation of threatening behavior
* United Nations agency calls on Fed, other central banks to end rate hikes
* Pipeline sabotage is warning to West from Putin, Russia experts say
* Oil prices could rise to $100/barrel as OPEC+ considers production cuts
* Global manufacturing activity contracted in September via PMI survey data
* Construction spending in US falls the most in August in 1-1/2 years
* US Mfg PMI in September shows “renewed expansion”, but…
* US ISM Mfg Index edges closer to no-growth mark in September:

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Macro Briefing: 3 October 2022

* Brazil’s divisive presidential election goes to second round
* UK Prime Minister Truss makes U-turn on tax cuts after market turmoil
* OPEC+ considers production cut after slide in oil prices
* Ukraine continues to recapture territory
* Some Fed officials starting to question rate-hike policy
* Global natural gas market to remain tight in 2023, predicts IEA
* Credit Suisse shares tumble on concerns of investment bank’s financial health
* Cash no longer trash as investors rediscover appeal of Treasury bills as rates rise
* Consumer spending in US rebounded in August
* US 10-year Treasury yield rose for ninth straight week through Friday:

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Book Bits: 1 October 2022

Adrift: America in 100 Charts
Scott Galloway
Review via Publishers Weekly
In this data-driven analysis, NYU business professor Galloway (Post Corona) charts rises in economic inequality, political partisanship, and social alienation since the 1980s. Contending that Ronald Reagan’s tax and budget cuts boosted the economy but suppressed social mobility, Galloway uses graphs, pie charts, and other visuals to illustrate the stark divide in wage growth between the top 1% of American workers and the rest, the declines in infrastructure spending that have left 45% of Americans without access to public transportation, and the sharp increase—from 5% to more than half—of corporate profits registered in foreign tax havens. On the flip side, he presents data documenting how U.S.-led globalization efforts over the past 40 years have decreased global poverty and infant mortality rates. The picture that emerges is one of accelerating domestic decline, as Reagan’s ethos of “rugged individualism” has morphed into “idolatry of innovators” while fostering intolerance and distrust in government.

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Macro Briefing: 30 September 2022

* Russia set to formally annex parts of Ukraine
* Hurricane Ian heads to Carolinas after hammering Florida
* Eurozone inflation soars to record high of 10% in September
* US GDP 0.6% decline is confirmed in revised data
* US gross domestic income (GDI) revised down for Q2
* China manufacturing activity fell for a second month in September
* China services sector slows in September, highlighting struggling economy
* US jobless claims fall to 5-week low, suggesting labor market strength:

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Nominal vs. Real Treasury Yields: A Primer

Real (inflation-adjusted) yields have surged in recent weeks, raising the question of whether it’s timely to buy inflation-indexed Treasuries (a.k.a. TIPS)? Maybe, but before you dive in keep in mind that real Treasury yields a particular mix of opportunity and risk that contrasts with standard Treasuries. Accordingly, it’s crucial to pick the right tool based on what you’re looking to achieve (or avoid) at the right time.

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Macro Briefing: 29 September 2022

* More than 2.5 million Florida customers without power from Hurricane Ian
* Fed’s Bostic favors a fourth 75-basis-points rate hike in November
* Federal Reserve is exporting inflation to economies around the world
* Deficits are more threatening now that inflation has surged
* China’s new fiscal stimulus exceeds amount issued in 2020
* Eurozone economic sentiment continues its steep decline in September
* UK Prime Minister Liz Truss vows to press on with tax cuts despite blowback
* US pending home sales fell for a third straight month in August
* 3mo/10yr Treasury yield curve up for fourth day, rising to highest since July:

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