Archive - Sep 17, 2015 - Story

Historical comparisons, suggest to the FOMC to be extra careful, and don’t underestimate the trust the markets have for the FOMC to act rationally. We all expect the FOMC to act counter-cyclically; a rate rise now would be pro-cyclical, or making the problem worse. Anything FOMC members say after a ‘philosophical’ rate rise would greatly diminish its value. This comparison with Japan suggests that raising rates prematurely is detrimental and avoidable.

The data, according to many analysts, have been broadly supportive, with stronger growth and a tightening in the labor market that should allow the Fed to be "reasonably confident" that inflation will gradually return to target. That said, heightened global risks could lead to a tactical delay. Economisseds remain evenly split on the prospect of the first rate increase in 9 years.

Below we show what the latest, September, response is to the question "what investors consider the biggest tail risk" as well as evolution of this answer in the three months preceding. Curiously both #1 and #2 risks, namely "China recession" and "EM Debt Crisis", are an indirect function of the recent and ongoing surge in the dollar, which will likely be exacerbated should the Fed indeed launch its first rate hike cycle in 9 years.

Waterborne shipments of crude and condensate have been heading in one direction since the beginning of the shale revolution: up. That statement is no longer true. Nearly halfway through the month, and September loadings are more than 200,000 barrels per day lower than during the same period last year.

Goldman Sachs said yesterday that financial markets are vulnerable because nobody can agree on what the Fed will do. While equity investors have been anticipating this moment with all the excitement and tension of a prizefight, as Bloomberg reports, bets on the outcome from the Federal Reserve’s rate decision are far more complicated than simply “win or lose” for stocks. Amid the tumultuous background, here are predictions of nine money managers and strategists on what to expect this afternoon...

The central illusion of this era is that the Status Quo can be reformed or saved. The world is shifting from unlimited growth to limits and Degrowth. The Status Quo that is completely dependent on growth is doomed - an implosion that no amount of reform can stave off.

How did our financial system weaken to the point where a quarter of a percent increase in rates is more than it can handle?

Earlier today, Jefferies which is now a part of Leucadia, provided this much anticipated glimpse into how the rest of Wall Street is doing. The answer, if Jefferies is any indication, is "quote horribly" because just like two of the past four quarters, Q3 was also a disaster and indicative of nothing short of a trading bloodbath on Wall Street in the past three months of trading and especially August. In fact, it was so bad for Jefferies, it reported a massive 31% plunge in total revenues down to $579 million resulting in net income of a tiny $2.5 million as a result of what may be only its first negative fixed income revenue print since the financial crisis.

CBOE's SKEW index  - which measure traders' perceived risk of a major decline - in recent days has seen several readings in the 140?s, an extremely elevated level from a historical basis. The thing is, these readings are occurring amid circumstances unlike those during any other historical extreme reading – except for one.  10 of the 11 occurrences prior to 2015 could reasonably be considered non-contrarian warnings of at least sub-par returns to follow. You might say that these recent signs of extreme options distortion are themselves distorted.

Whether Janet Yellen admits it or not, you can bet that going into today’s most important Fed meeting ever (until the next one) the supposedly “data dependent” FOMC has taken a good hard look at what’s happening in China in the wake of Beijing’s not-so-smooth transition to a new currency regime. A fresh look at the data suggests outflows from July through mid-Septemeber total more than $300 billion.

As if there was not enough negative data for the Fed to contend with, and make the case for a rate hike delay already, moments ago the BLS released the preliminary estimate of its "annual benchmark revision to the establishment survey employment series" for the 12 month period ended March 2015.  While the final report will not be released until February 5, 2016, with the publication of the January 2016 Employment Situation news release, today's release will give the Fed yet another reason for concern as the BLS just admitted that at least 208K total jobs (and 255K private jobs) were overestimated in the year ending March 2015.

On the heels of Empire Fed's big plunge, Philly Fed just collapsed. Despite employment and new orders picking up, the headline Philly Fed data crashed from 8.3 to -6.0 (missing expectations of +5.9 by the most in 4 years). This is the lowest print since March 2013 and is blamed on markets "evidence suggests that the responses regarding general activity that were received earlier in the month may have been negatively affected by the volatility in the stock market and international news reports." Must. Keep. Stocks. High.

Today, much of the world turns its lonely eyes to the Fed and its chieftain. The Fed has as much as promised to make the blind see and the lame walk. It claims that it – and it alone – is capable of improving the U.S. economy and, by extension, the world economy. People will earn more money. They will live better. And they will have less to fear from financial calamities, such as those that happened before the Fed was set up in 1913. In the popular mind – if there is such a thing – it is further believed that the Fed “won’t allow” a major bear market, because “it would be bad for the economy.” The Fed rules the entire universe of commerce, finance, and investment. Janet Yellen rules the Fed. But who rules Janet Yellen?