The Fed told us many times "tapering is not tightening". By that same logic, yesterday's "not to tapering" is "no easing". But the resulting market response certainly felt like an easing. And it will continue to do so for a while.
The Fed decision to maintain $85 bn in monthly asset purchases is the latest manifestation of fiscal policy interfering with the central bank's adjustment of monetary policy. The risk of a government shutdown next month and the resulting failure to raise the debt limit could exacerbate the nascent recovery if $10bn or $15 bn were removed.
Today's release of US August existing home sales hitting 5-year highs and the Philly Fed index at 2-year highs appear a valuable set of evidence in markets' data watch, but it is the labour market data, which command supremacy for the Fed.
What if Yields Rose Again?
Here's the Fed's upcoming trick, likely to be added into the forward guidance. So fat, the guidance has primarily focused on a threshold for the unemployment rate, but yesterday's comments from Bernanke suggested setting an "inflation floor" as a "sensible modification to the guidance". If attained, this could be a successful means of slowing down rising yields as long as falling unemployment is not accompanied by a recovery in inflation. The Fed's preferred inflation figure, core PEC price index, is at 2 ½ year low of 1.2%. Further declines nearing 1.1% could render the inflation forward guidance to become a carte blanche for further awaiting that 6.5% unemployment rate without fretting about the need for higher interest rates.
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Once you have watched this 45-second video about the stock markets' ability to shrug geopolitical tensions, ask yourself how long this rally will last. We all know how April is one of the best months for the markets. We also know about the Sell-in-May-&-Go-Away. Will it be so obvious? Here is when the signal was issued. Watch here.
Patterns on Fridays & Mondays
Since the start of the war on Iran, the pattern of falling Fridays in US equity indices has become obvious. Will the pattern ends this week.
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Understanding US Dollar 2018 2019
I created this chart in December 2024, pointing to the importance of understanding some of the fundamental events shaping USD Index between 2018 and 2019. Why 2018 and 2019.
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