Demolition Men! Gasoline Prices UP 85% Under Biden, Mortgage Rates UP 93.4% Under Powell

I feel like we are in an economic demolition derby under Joe Biden and The Federal Reserve (with freshly reappointed Fed Jerome Powell at the helm).

Under Biden, regular gasoline prices are UP 85%. The Biden Administration recently cancelled 0il-and-gas drilling leases in Gulf of Mexico and Alaska Coast, helping to drive up gasoline prices even higher.

In the two-pronged attack out of Washington DC, The Federal Reserve is tightening their monetary policy in an effort to combat 40-year highs in inflation (caused by excessive Federal spending and Biden’s ill-advised energy policies), causing residential mortgage rates to soar 93.4% under Biden’s Reign of Error.

It is almost like the Biden Administration and The Federal Reserve are engaged in an economic demolition derby to see who can cause the most destruction to America’s middle class and lower-wage workers.

We should call the current administration and The Federal Reserve “Demolition Men.”

And here is Biden’s Disinformation Chief giving out penalties for whatever Biden doesn’t like.

1984 anyone?

Putting Cryptos In A Crypt? Bitcoin Rallies, Ethereum Down As Cryptos Collapse (Microstrategy Bond Plunges To $78.34)

Call this “Nobody’s Everything.” Crytpocurrencies are getting clobbered. But then again, the S&P 500 is not doing so well. But crypto stalwarts Bitcoin and Ethereum have down even worse.

At the dollar strengthens, Bitcoin has gotten pummeled.

But at least Bitcoin rose this morning along with Bitcoin Cash. And XRP. But the others are getting clobbered.

Microstrategy bonds are getting crushed.

Beat The Heat! Mortgage Purchase Applications RISE 5% From Previous Week As Homebuyers Scramble To Beat The Fed’s Monetary Tightening

Yes, homebuyers are jumping into a generally slowing housing market to “beat the heat.” That is, beat The Fed’s monetary tightening.

Mortgage applications increased 2.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 6, 2022.

The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 5 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 5 percent compared with the previous week and was 8 percent lower than the same week one year ago.

The Refinance Index decreased 2 percent from the previous week and was 72 percent lower than the same week one year ago.

Beat the Heat!! Or Beat The Fed!!

As least inflation came in slightly cooler in April at 8.3% YoY. While housing (own or rent) is rising at over 2x CPI.

“Middle Class” Joe’s War On … The Middle Class (WTI Crude UP 102% Under Biden, Reg Gasoline UP 83%, Diesel Fuel UP 111%)

Joe Biden likes to sell himself as “Middle Class” Joe. But Middle Class Joe declared war on the middle class with executive orders on fossil fuel drilling and killing the Keystone pipeline. Hence, his press conference on reducing inflation left off one thing: he could rescind the aforementioned executive orders. But he didn’t. So its Band-Aids on Band-Aids.

Since Biden was elected President, WTI Crude Oil futures are up 102%. Regular gasoline is up 83% and the lifeline of the shipping industry, diesel, is up 111%. Of course, inflation measures don’t measure the harm to the middle class at 8.5% YoY.

Here is Biden’s speech, blaming everyone but himself for inflation. And then walks away (as usual) when asked a tough question. But he lied. He COULD cancel his executive orders on oil and natural gas exploration, but didn’t. Instead, he blamed Trump and MAGA voters.

Morning Update! S&P 500 Futures UP, Mortgage Rates UP To 5.57%, Apartment Rents UP 20% YoY, WTI Crude Down -1.76%

At least S&P 500 futures are up this morning, an opportunity to buy the dip.

But on the housing front, we see that mortgage rates have pieced the 5.50% barrier and is now at 5.57%.

On the rent side, apartment rents are growing at 19.3% YoY for both Class A and Class B units.

Commodities are down this AM. WTI Crude is down -1.71%, iron ore is down -4.06% and nickel is down -6.29%.

Whoops! After a positive futures reading before opening, the Dow is down near a full percentage point, but the NASDAQ is almost breakeven for the day.

And the 10-year Treasury yield is down 8.6 bps.

As The Boss sang, “We’re going down.”

Blue Monday Or Stagflation? Commodities Signal Stagflation (WTI Crude DOWN 2.72%, Iron Ore DOWN 5%, S&P 500 Futures DOWN 1.7%, 10Y Treasury Yields Rise To 3.20% Then Sinks)

As the US is engulfed in inflation while The Federal Reserve is engaged in trying to fight inflation (well, sort of), we are seeing markets taking a shellacking, particularly commodities.

One indicator of a slowdown is declining commodity prices. Crude oil futures are down around -2.5%. Iron Ore is down -5% and steel rebar is down -3.21%.

Inflation numbers are due out Wednesday and are forecast to be 8.1% YoY (based on headline CPI). But combined with a slowing global economy, we get the dreaded “STAGFLATION.”

Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index futures are down around 1.726% for Monday open. Asian markets already got clobbered with the Hang Seng down almost -4%.

On the bond side, the 10Y Treasury Note yield rose to 3.20% early in the morning, but has retreated to 3.1447% as of 8:40am EST.

Both stock and bond market volatility measures are increasing.

So, is it a Blue Monday effect? Or global stagflation?

Time for supplemental income under the Biden Administration.

Weekend Update! Mortgage Rates UP 87% Under Biden, Gasoline UP 80%, Food UP 59%, Commodities UP 63%, WTI Crude UP, Rents UP 17% YoY (Ain’t That A Kick In The … Head!)

As crooner Dean Martin once said, “Let ’em have it!” Ain’t this a kick in the … head.

Perhaps Joe Biden and Fed Chair Jay Powell are channeling Dean Martin by letting us have it.

Since Obama’s 3rd term as President (aka, Biden’s installation as President on January 20, 2021), mortgage rates have risen 87%, regular gasoline prices have risen 80%, CRB foodstuffs are up 59% and Commodities are up 63%.

And don’t forget about America’s energy life force, WTI Crude Oil. It is UP 123% under Biden.

Rents? Rising at a 16.8% rate.

Rents rising, food costs rising, energy costs rising, Biden and The Fed are taking us higher. In terms of prices and cost of living.

Cooler Kings! As Biden Keeps Going Green And Fed Raises Rates, Everything Is Cooling (Mortgage Rates UP, Venture Capital Down 53%, Stocks Crushed, Etc)

The Biden Administration and The Federal Reserve together should be called “The Cooler Kings” in that their policies are putting a Big Chill on the mortgage market and equities.

Mortgage rates are skyrocketing thanks to the Federal Reserve.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.27% for the week ending May 5, according to data released by Freddie Mac FMCC, -1.62% on Thursday. That’s up 17 basis points from the previous week — one basis point is equal to one hundredth of a percentage point, or 1% of 1%.

House price growth to wage growth is below the all-time high, but remains above housing bubble levels of 2005-2007.

The Refinitiv Venture Capital Index is down 53% since November ’21 as The Fed cranks up interest rates.

Well, at least commodities are soaring under “The Cooler Kings.” Pretty much everything else is sucking wind.

Home prices are actually falling in some cities, like Toledo Ohio, Detroit Michigan, Rochester NY, and Pittsburgh PA. Even La-La Land (Los Angeles CA) is seeing a drop in median listing price since 2021 of -5.0%.

The question, of course, is whether The Federal Reserve will back off its plans to aggressively raise interest rates in lieu of crashing stock market, venture capital, and possibly home prices.

This is Scorcher VI: Global Meltdown.

Does Biden and The Fed Feel Like We Do?

Bidenflation And Jobs: REAL Avg Hourly Earnings Growth Declines Further To -3% YoY, Fertilizer Prices UP 262% Under Biden

Trevor Noah was correct. EVERYTHING is more expensive under Biden. And REAL average hourly earnings YoY keeps declining.

REAL average hourly earnings YoY fell further to -3%.

Meanwhile, fertilizer prices, a key ingredient to food costs, is up 262% under Biden.

Today’s jobs report was better than expected, at 428k jobs added (versus 380k expected). Its just too bad Bidenflation is clubbing American workers to economic death.

US labor force participation actually declined in April and struggles to get back to levels pre-Covid and Trump.

Here is the jobs market data for April 2022.

Leisure and hospitality sector still has a way to go after the ill-advised government shutdowns surrounding Covid.

Oddly, there are two job openings for every unemployed person.

Here is the new version of American Gothic.

Don’t Panic! NASDAQ Plunges 5% As 10Y T-Note Yield Rises +16.1 BPS (NASDAQ Simply Back To Before Fed Announcement, But Treasury Rates Higher)

The headline screamed “NASDAQ PLUNGES 5%!

True, it did, but it simply lost the gain’s from yesterday’s surprisingly mild Fed announcement.

But the 10-year Treasury yield is rising faster than my blood pressure. The 10-year Treasury yield is up to 3.09%.

Cryptos? Bitcoin is down -7.27% and Dash is down -8.23%.

Watch out mortgage rates!!

Don’t panic … about the NASDAQ. EVERYBODY PANIC about rising mortgage rates.