By now, 6 years after America's grand experiment in recreating Soviet-style central planning started, it should be clear to all except that subset of Homo Sapiens also known as "economists", that the Fed's QE is not helping the economy. In fact, it is merely boosting wealth inequality, leading to asset price (hyper)inflation, middle class devastation, and its inevitable outcome is yet another asset bubble can which will need to be kicked eventually leading to even greater economic misery, greater inequality, more conflict, and increasingly: outright warfare. In fact the two final outcomes of more QE are becoming increasingly clear: broad hyperinflation a la the Bernanke chopper to offset ever steeper episodes of deflation (as one monetizing nations exports its deflation to all the other nations), which implies a failure in the reserve currency, and rising social conflict, which culminates in a French revolution-type social revolt when the poor finally roll out the guillotines.
The above is also largely clear to most, except the abovementioned economists and members of the Fed of course. So it is for their benefit that we present what two people who actually work successfully in the markets for a living, something that nobody in the Marriner Eccles can say, have to say about QE. We can only hope someone in the US money printing department reads it, but we doubt it.
First, here is David Einhorn [8], who spoke at the annual, and amusingly misnamed, hedge fund gala known as the Robin Hood Investor Conference, talking about Fed policy:
"I think they're behind the curve in terms of helping the economy. It's like too much of a good thing. They're actually, I think, slowing down the economy, even though they don't realize that they're doing that," he said.
Spot on. And the following is even more accurate:
When interest rates increase, the economy would ultimately benefit, he said.
"I don't really concern myself that much with the exit (of quantitative easing) because first of all, if they did raise rates I think it might be bad for Wall Street, but I think it would be good for the real economy and everyday, normal people out in the world, and, ultimately, you'd have faster GDP that would come from that," he said. "So, yeah, there would be a little hiccup in the market, but I think that would be a good thing to have happen."
Sadly, as both Williams and Bullard confirmed last week, the only thing the Fed cares about is the market. The economy is low on the Fed's list of priorities.
And speaking of the market, as a follow up from the same conference, here is another billionaire who has made his name in the market: Carl Icahn, on the topic of the market:
The Fed is really holding the market up.... The Fed turned this market around here because it let it be known that the Fed funds rate isn't going to be raised in March. I am concerned about the high yield market, I think that's in a major bubble, but nobody knows when it's gonna burst...
Good luck Fed with the whole "exit" thing.
