T-Dazzle! Inflation Crushing Households Under $60k, Russian CDS Indicating 99% Probability Of Russia Debt Default Over Next Year (WTI Crude UP 2%+, Wheat UP 3%+)

As we are painfully aware, The Fed’s exaggerated monetary flood combined with Federal stimulus spending has led to horrible inflation.

Yes, despite what government talking heads say, Federal stimulus increases demand for goods, the supply is generally slow to respond resulting in rising prices. Then government policies driving up energy prices also leads to highers prices. Throw in Federal Reserve monetary stimulypto and we have this chart from hell from Penn-Wharton. The chart shows that households earning less that $60,000 experience higher expenses due to rising prices than their gain in earnings.

Speaking of the government push to “go green” I saw an ad for a Mercedes Benz EQ sedan that I admit looked really cool, but no price given. I went to Car and Driver’s website and it said “Starting at $103,360.” I’ll take a hard pass, but you can see why households making over $150,000 per year have rising additional expenses due to price increases. To paraphrase April Ludgate, “Thanks for nothing President Biden and Fed Chair Powell.”

Another chart from hell is the Russian USD Credit Default Swap (CDS) curve. It is spiking at over 20,000.

The one-year Russian CDS is currently at a whopping 20,336 indicating that there is about a 99% of a Russian default over the coming year. As someone who lived through the 1998 Russian credit default scare on Wall Street, this will send a shock wave through credit and Treasury markets.

On the US Treasury front, this chart shows how steeply sloped the US Treasury actives curve has become. Steep until 3 years, then flat. I call this chart “T-Dazzle!” T-Dazzle because I can’t believe how badly the Biden Administration and The Federal Reserve are screwing up the country.

Crude oil? WTI Crude is back to almost $100 per barrel while Brent Crude is at $102.78 per barrel. Wheat is up 3.22% thanks largely to problems related to Russia invading Ukraine (Europe’s bread basket) and a dismal Chinese wheat harvest.

Cryptocurrencies, the alternatives to the US fiat dollar, are rising (in particular, Bitcoin and Ethereum).

Of course, I have to finish up with the soaring 30-year mortgage rate.

Here are Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg trying to convince people that Treasuries are fantastic and to avoid alternatives to fiat currency like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Stablecoin or anything else.

Weekend Update: 2022 A Tough Year For Bonds, Mortgages Tighten, Mortgage Demand Backs Off As Rates Surge (Bond Volatility On The Rise)

2022 has been a tough year for bond investors and the mortgage industry.

Doubleline’s Jeff Gundlach observed that the 2 Year Treasury yield is up 125 bp over the past month or so. I commented that the 2 Year Treasury Yield is up 179 bp since December 31, 2021 and the 30-year mortgage rate is also up 179 bp since the end of 2021. Yes, 2022 has been a dismal year for bonds and the mortgage market.

The ICE BofA MOVE index, a yield curve weighted index of the normalized implied volatility on 1-month Treasury options, has risen in 2022 along with the 30-year mortgage rate as the normally dormant Federal Reserve finally waking-up and trying to fight inflation.

Mortgage demand backs off due to anticipated Fed rate hikes.

The latest Fed Dots Plot reveals that Fed Open Market Committee members are expecting Fed Funds rate increases in 2023, but remaining the same in 2024 (FOMC median projection). Then falling in the longer term.

With home prices and rents soaring with Federal Reserve stimulus, let’s see how home prices and rents react to The Fed raising rates. My models forecast a slowdown in late summer 2022 to 6% home price growth YoY as The Fed actually implements their quantitative tightening.

Inflation? CPI YoY is the highest in 40 years and FLEXIBLE Core CPI is 20% and the highest since … Lyndon B. Johnson was President (the flexible price index only goes back to 1968). Actually, Flexible Price inflation is even higher than it was under LBJ. Perhaps this is one of those accomplishments that Biden staffer are complaining never gets discussed.

On a side note, Sheila Bair has stepped down as CEO of government mortgage giant Fannie Mae.

The Financial House is a Rockin’ … but not in a good way.

Fed Fireball! 30-year Mortgage Rate Breaches 5% As Fed Goes On The Offensive (Minutes Indicate Balance Sheet Shrinking Of $95 Billion Starting In May)

As the US Treasury 2-year yield hits 2.507% (up from 0.128% when Biden was installed as President) and the number of Fed rate hikes over by February 2023 hits 9.6, Bankrate’s 30-year mortgage rate breached the 5% mark at 5.04%.

The most recent data from on existing home sales show YoY sales in negative territory as The Fed begins in monetary fireball tightening.

St Louis Fed’s Bullard said The Fed is “behind the curve.” Ya think??

The Fed’s minutes from the most recent meeting indicates that The Fed will shedding $95 billion a month from it swollen balance sheet. At almost $9 trillion mostly populated by Treasuries will be the first asset to run-off the balance sheet (there is almost $1 trillion of Treasuries maturing in 2022 and $856 billion maturity in 2023, etc), The Fed plans to shrink the balance sheet while, at the same, raising The Fed Funds target rate from it near zero levels.

The Federal Reserve has ignoring rules like the Taylor Rule since the financial crisis of 2008-2009, but seemingly are paying attention to the Taylor Rule because of 7.9% inflation. The Taylor Rule is suggesting a 20.42% Fed Funds target while the current target rate is 0.50%. Now THAT would be a real shock to the economy.

Powell: “Unleash the Fed Fireball on the 99%!”

Biden’s Fastest Economic Recovery In History? Or Recession? Flexible Inflation Rate Hits 20% And Q1 GDP Stalled At <1% (Real Average Hourly Earnings Dive To -2.72% YoY) As Fed Drive Rates Up

Government response to COVID in the form of business shutdowns resulted in massive job losses, then as governments opened the economy up again, job gains were incredible. The Hill had an article discussing the whipsaw in jobs entitled “Biden is delivering the fastest economic recovery in history. Why hasn’t anyone noticed?”

Well, the US have gone from “fastest economic recovery in history” to real GDP growth of less than 1% (Atlanta Fed GDPNow for Q1). In addition, the flexible price CPI less food and energy is a whopping 20%.

You can see “The Biden Miracle!” in the following chart. Hires (red line) dropped with Covid shutdowns, then spiked when governments opened economies again. Throw in the trillions of Federal government Covid stimulus and trillions in Fed monetary support, the Biden Miracle sees less like a miracle and more like an extremely expensive way to add jobs. But the interesting problem facing the Administration is the massive spike in job openings relative to hires (again, governments opening-up plus Federal Stimulypto).

Now for a real downer of a chart. Inflation is so toxic that REAL average hourly earnings YoY is down -2.72%. Hardly the best economic growth in history.

Now we have Jerome Powell and The Blackhearts threatening quantitative tightening starting in May. Here is The Fed’s theme song “We love printing money.”

But The Fed is already slowing the growth of monetary base, although this Fed Stimulypto is still growing much faster than pre-Covid.

At least the 10Y-2Y Treasury curve is back above 0 bps as the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow Q1 forecast falls to under 1%.

Remember, The Fed is planning on shrinking the balance sheet by $95 billion. The Fed’s balance sheet is just shy of $9 trillion. Which is around 1% per month.

With rising expectations of Fed quantitative tightening (QT), residential mortgage rates keep climbing.

Despite a slowing economy teetering on recession and a war raging in Europe, The Fed is tightening monetary policy. Allegedly to fight red-hot inflation.

When Fed Gov Brainard Talks, Markets Listen! Brainard Says Fed Will Shrink The Balance Sheet At A Rapid Rate (10Y Treasury Yield Rises 16 BPS As Nasdaq Falls 300 PTS) Mortgage Rates Will SOAR!!

When Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard speaks, markets listen

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said the U.S. central bank will continue to tighten policy methodically and shrink its balance sheet at a rapid pace as soon as May.

Brainard’s hawkish remarks sent bond prices crashing and 10Y bond yields up over 16 bps.

While Bankrate’s 30Y mortgage rate is down slightly today, the surge in the 10Y and 2Y Treasury yields could push mortgage rates above 5% by tomorrow,

Even Europe is feeling Brainard’s wrath. Italian 10Y sovereign yields are up almost 20 bps.

The NASDAQ index is down 300 points on Brainard’s utterance.

Gee thanks Lael from all us wanting to finance the purchase of a house.

Brainless and Brainard.

Inversion Therapy? Yield Curve Continues Inversion As Fed Slows Down Treasury Purchases (Mortgage Rates Climb To 4.91%) Biden Orders Autos Have 49 MPG By 2026

Its official! I submitted my resignation from George Mason University effective June 1, 2022. I will miss teaching the students, past and present.

But back to the US Treasury yield curve. It remains in reversion (meaning shorter-term Treasuries have higher yields than longer-term Treasuries, usually a sign of impending recession. The Fed has actually started quantitative tightening (QT) and the growth rate of Treasury note and bond purchases has slowed to a crawl.

Meanwhile, Bankrate’s 30-year mortgage rate rose slightly to 4.91%.

Meanwhile, President Joe “The Big Guy” Biden has ordered carmakers to increase their average fuel economy to about 49 miles (78.8 kilometers) per gallon by 2026. Of course, this is intended to kill-off gasoline-powered autos and make all cars electric or hybrid like the Toyota Prius.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price for an electric vehicle in April 2021 was $51,532. That’s more than $11,000 higher than what you’d pay at the dealership for a full-size gas-powered car, and nearly $30,000 more than the average compact car sale.

This can be the Democrat’s midterm election slogan: “Making living in the USA unaffordable!”

The middle-class unaffordable Ford F-150 Lightning at nearly $100,000. Thanks Joe!

Alternatively, you can buy a Buick Envision (made only in Shanghai China) with up to 24 city / 31 highway MPG. Well, kiss that baby goodbye under Biden’s new MPG mandate.

Zoltan! US Dollar Purchasing Power For Consumers Sinking Faster Than The Titanic As Zoltan Pozsar Suggests Bretton Woods III With Money Backed By Commodities

Zoltan!

(Forbes) – Credit Suisse’s Zoltan Pozsar argues Bretton Woods II crumbled when the G7 countries seized Russia’s foreign exchange reserves. Keeping money inside financial institutions like the IMF was considered risk free. That is clearly no longer the case. Similarly, Bretton Woods I collapsed when Nixon took the US of the gold standard back in 1971 when dollars were convertible to gold at a fixed exchange rate of $35 an ounce. This led to Bretton Woods II, backed by “inside money” or the dollar, which itself is not linked to gold or any other commodity.

Now the basis of this system, which has operated for the past 50 years, is being called into question. The sanctions on Russia, which showed that reserves accumulated by central banks can simply be taken away, raised the question of “what is money?”

That question may explain why Pozsar believes a huge shift in the way the world organizes money and reserves is now underway, “creating a “Bretton Woods III backed by outside money,” (gold and other commodities). Including crude oil and bitcoin.

At least crude oil has fallen below $100 as Biden merrily drains the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Gasoline prices have fallen slightly as this is being done before the midterm elections with political, not economic, intent. Once the midterms pass, will Biden continue draining the SPR until there is little left forcing the US to convert to “green energy”?

The purchasing power of the consumer dollar took a plunge under Biden as other commodities such as Bitcoin and crude oil soared.

An alternative asset, gold, have generally risen under Biden’s Reign of Error, but particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Politicians love to spend money, often recklessly. And with The Fed monetizing Federal government expenditures, the purchasing power of the US dollar for consumers is sinking faster than The Titanic.

The Powellenburg Omen! Will Powell Pop The Asset Bubble Created By The Fed’s Repeated Policy Errors? (Blackrock Rises, NVR Homes Gets Crushed)

As of today, Jerome “Nero” Powell and The Gang at The Federal Reserve have not trimmed the Fed’s balance sheet and have only raised their target rate once under President Biden.

Here is the Hindenburg Omen, named for the catastrophic explosion on May 6, 1937 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. The Hindenburg Omen was flashing red before the stock market correction of late 2007-2009. But, the Hindenburg Omen has flashed red repeatedly since the financial crisis, yet the S&P 500 index has kept rising. The reason? Repeated policy errors by The Fed leaving monetary stimulus in place for too long leading to a bubble forming in the stock market.

The Shiller CAPE (Cyclically-adjust price-earnings) ratio is at the second highest level since the 1800s. The highest point was the infamous Dot.com bubble and bust in 2000/2001.

Since The Fed continues to say “We have a plan!” to slow/shrink The Fed’s balance sheet and raise their target rate … it has not done anything yet (other than a 25 basis point bump at the March meeting).

I am not advocating technical analysis for stocks, but the Bollinger Band analysis for the S&P500 index is showing the S&P 500 index near the top band indicating that a decline in likely.

Today, the US equity market in essentially flat given the massive uncertainty about the Russia/Ukraine situation and whether the US economy is slipping into darkness. But this morning, Federal government blessed companies (healthcare, solar energy and Blackrock) are doing quite well, while homebuider NVR is taking it on the chin thanks to hints that The Fed will raising rates.

Now, NVR (Northern Virginia Homes, Ryan Homes) had explosive earnings growth in their February 1, 2022 report.

But the market is pricing in the crushing Fed rate hikes that are expected.

So, will Foul Powell pull a Volcker and raise rates and crush the economy (and stocks)? Or will Foul Powell And The Fed gang let inflation burn out of control, but preserve the massive asset bubbles?

Trouble In Potomac City! US Treasury 10Y-5Y Curve Goes Further Into Inversion As Mortgage Rates Keeps Rising

We’ve got Trouble in Potomac City!

The US Treasury 10Y-5Y curve is going deeper into inversion.

The short end of the Treasury curve is rising, as expected, but declining at the 5 year tenor and beyond.

The aggregate Treasury Index is plunging as Fed Funds Futures signal 8.341 rate hikes over the next year.

Mortgage rates? Climbing as mortgage refinancing applications fall (as expected).

Is The Federal Reserve actually run by The Office’s Michael Scott?

Trouble With The (Yield) Curve! 10Y-2Y Slope Approaching Inversion As Fed Plans Rate Hikes And Bitcoin Falls

The US Treasury yield curve (10Y-2Y) is rapidly approaching inversion at 20.5 bps (where the 10-year yield is lower than the 2-year yield). But the 10Y-3M curve is generally steepening at 173.33 bps.

Of course, the driving force behind the flattening of the 10Y-2Y curve is the rapidly rising 2-year Treasury yield (orange line). The last time the 10Y-2Y curve inverted was in 2019, prior to the COVID outbreak in early 2020.

The Wu Xia United States Federal Reserve Funds Shadow Rate has finally climbed back into positive territory.

At last look, The Federal Reserve is forecast to raise their target rate 7 times over the coming year. And with the increasing forecast of rate hikes, we are seeing the cryptocurrency Bitcoin fall from near $70,000 to $41,817.

President Biden announced that he will be issuing an executive order to combat rising energy prices (the rising energy prices that he caused in the first place with … executive orders). Let’s see what happens next.

Hello t-r-o-u-b-l-e.