Recession Risks Revealed in the “Disindependence” of the Federal Reserve

Major central banks typically cut interest rates in response to economic stresses; they ease when the data force them to do so. Some important exceptions in recent history happened 1) in 2016 when Mark Carney’s Bank of England cut rates as a cushion against the potential downsides of the pro-Brexit vote, and 2) when the … Read more

How to Understand the Inverted Yield Curve and Its Relationship to Recessions

The Federal Reserve’s program of monetary tightening has been fighting the bond market since the process began about 3 years ago. Over that period, the Fed has painstakingly tried to hike rates in a way that would avoid roiling markets. Unfortunately for the Fed, long-term rates on U.S. Treasuries failed to cooperate and barely budged … Read more

Above the 40 (March 22, 2019) – Tension Headache: Dovish Fed Fails to Keep Market Complacent to Risks

AT40 = 45.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (2+ month low)AT200 = 38.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 16.5 (20.9% gain)Short-term Trading Call: bearish Stock Market Commentary Friday’s trading action provided delayed confirmation of my short-term bearish trading call. The week previous to the last, … Read more

The Federal Reserve Gives Gold A Good Heave Upward

“The federal funds rate is now in the broad range of estimates of neutral–the rate that tends neither to stimulate nor to restrain the economy. As I noted, my colleagues and I think that this setting is well-suited to the current outlook, and believe that we should be patient in assessing the need for any … Read more

Above the 40 (February 22, 2019) – An Extended Overbought Rally Slowly Grinding Resistance Away

AT40 = 85.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (20th overbought day)AT200 = 47.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (4-month high which reverses the October, 2018 breakdown)VIX = 13.5Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The waiting game continues within a bullish cloak. An extended overbought rally … Read more