Hot CPI Dashes Rate Cut Hopes

January CPI came in hotter than expected, taking a March rate cut off the table and casting serious doubts on a May rate cut. Futures are off sharply, shedding over 1% to reach the bottom of the rising green channel from Oct 2023. continued for members… … continue reading →

All Eyes on CPI

CPI, due out tomorrow morning, always plays an important role in driving interest rates and economic forecasts. This one is especially important given the extent to which the market has already rallied in anticipation of lower rates. Our gas price model for CPI shows inflation settling lower after a slight bump up over the last … continue reading →

Oh So Close…

The S&P 500 came within 11 cents of 5,000 yesterday, marking a remarkable 43% run since the October 2022 lows and 22% return since the October 2023 lows. The month of February has a mixed track record over the past 10 years, with gains and losses evenly split. Stocks frequently pause at big, round numbers … continue reading →

NFP Soars

Nonfarm payrolls soared by 353,000, more than twice the 175,000 expected. Average hourly wages also beat at +0.6% (+4.5% YoY) versus +0.3% expected. Unemployment remained at 3.7%. Forget about a March rate cut. Bulls will be lucky to get one in May. The overnight ramp job has completely disappeared, with futures struggling to remain positive.  … continue reading →

No Pivot, No Punch Bowl

Powell said what many of us have been thinking: There’s no reason to rush into a rate cut. The part he didn’t say (but implied) was that there was a clear risk to cutting rates at this time. The market, which has been fueled for months by rate cut expectations, was quite disappointed. SPX shed … continue reading →

Will They or Won’t They?

Futures are off moderately as investors place their bets on tomorrow’s FOMC rate decision. This follows yesterday’s pop in prices which was reported as motivated by a better than expected treasury report, but was in reality driven by [drumroll please] more algo funny business in VIX. In any case, SPX was finally pried off its … continue reading →

PCE in Line, Home Sales Beat

PCE increased 0.2% MoM and 2.6% YoY in December, in line with most estimates. Core PCE increased 2.9% YoY.  This is the smallest gain since Mar 2021. Drilling down, goods rose 1.1% (durable goods 1.5%) in December while services rose 0.3%. Real PCE rose 3.2% YoY, with the goods category growing 5% and durable goods … continue reading →

Q4 GDP Beats

Q4 advanced GDP came in at 3.3% annualized versus 2.0% estimates and full year 2023’s 2.5%. The PCE price index and durable goods orders came in as expected, though durable goods ex-transportation came in sharply higher than estimates.  The numbers… Futures had already bounced at the rising white channel midline, but extended their gains after … continue reading →