Follow the Trend: The Turkish Lira

brutal failure (Credit: Hands to the head by hernanpba on Flickr)

In early December, I was hopeful that the Turkish lira would finally find its footing. The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) was aggressively hiking rates and currency reserves sat at record levels. The high interest rate (40% at the time) made betting on eventual currency appreciation appear worth the risk. While collecting … Read more

Another Shot for the Turkish Lira After Big Rate Hike and Record Reserves

monster rate hike (Credit: Ping Timeout, Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games - Soccer | Jalan Besar Stadium on Flickr)

A week ago, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) hiked its policy interest rate another whopping 500 basis points to 40%. The response in currency markets was a collective yawn. The CBRT explained that while inflation performed in-line with expectations, “the existing level of domestic demand, the stickiness in services inflation, and … Read more

Bulls Explode Out of Oversold Trading Conditions – The Market Breadth

bulls explode out of oversold trading conditions

The bear market intrusion to the oversold period gave way to an explosion of bullish trading action this week. The maximum drawdown of October for the S&P 500 (SPY) was 4.0% well above the average for the month. This extreme move provided the perfect setup for the sharpness of the current oversold bounce. The rubber … Read more

How to Trade A Bear Market Intrusion On An Oversold Period – The Market Breadth

bear market intrusion

Stock Market Commentary A bear market intrusion upset the dynamics of this oversold period. The NASDAQ is back in bear market territory. Both the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 broke down below their respective 200-day moving averages (DMAs) (the blue line in the charts below) and entered “correction” territory which is 10% below the 52-week … Read more

The Turkish Lira’s Surge: How CBRT’s Monster Rate Hike Changes the Game

monster rate hike (Credit: Ping Timeout, Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games - Soccer | Jalan Besar Stadium on Flickr)

After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “war of economic independence” came to an official end, I waited for evidence that the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) would get serious about fighting inflation. The monetary evidence may have arrived on August 24th in the form of a monster rate hike from 17% to 25%. In … Read more

Fed Avoids Ending the Summer of Loving Stocks

summer of loving stocks (Credit: Hippie tag ! by jocelyn.aubert on Flickr)

The Federal Reserve gave tacit approval to the unfolding summer of loving stocks. In its June decision on monetary policy, not only did the Fed hold interest rates steady, but also it rolled out improved overall forecasts for the economy. GDP growth for this year went from 0.4% to 1.0%, presumably lowering the odds for … Read more

The Brutal Failure of Turkey’s Monetary Experiment

brutal failure (Credit: Hands to the head by hernanpba on Flickr)

Brutal Failure Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “war of economic independence” has ended in a brutal failure. The president used his central bank to fight inflation with rate cuts and lost in spectacular fashion. This experiment with unconventional monetary policy severely devalued the Turkish lira (USD/TRY) and helped to generate massive inflationary pressures. The chart below … Read more

The Bank of Canada’s Goldilocks Scenario Graces the Canadian Dollar

goldilocks (Source: Brett Jordan on Flickr)

“We are encouraged that inflation is declining, and we are seized with the importance of staying the course and restoring price stability for Canadians. Inflation is coming down quickly and is forecast to be around 3% this summer. The economy is expected to grow modestly even as inflation comes down. This is good news, but it is not job done.” “Monetary … Read more

Emergency Exit Looms As Market Teases Oversold Conditions – The Market Breadth

emergency exit

Stock Market Commentary: The Federal Reserve was an anti-climactic headliner last week. The Fed proceeded with a 25 basis points rate hike couched in words that suggested that inflation remained the Fed’s biggest concern. In the Q&A portion of the press conference, Chair Jerome Powell essentially downgraded the Panic of 2023 to the Speed Bump … Read more

Project Calm from the Feds Bounces Stocks Away from Oversold – The Market Breadth

calm

Stock Market Commentary: The Feds delivered on Sunday as Janet Yellen promised. The FDIC, the Treasury, and the Federal Reserve joined forces to offer emergency financial backing and reassurances for the banking system, a kind of “Project Calm” to project calm. The Federal Reserve even came up with a new acronym that looks like a … Read more