Hey Fed: You Break It, You Fix It

In his January press conference, Fed Chief Jay Powell accepted some responsibility for the sharp rise in housing prices during the pandemic. “We’re also well aware that when we cut rates at the beginning of the pandemic, for example, the … housing industry was helped more than any other industry.” This statement implies that, were … continue reading →

Is the Meltup Over?

We’ve waited a very long time for SPX’s 50-DMA to reach a great spot for a small pullback. It’s finally here. Will the market cooperate? NOTE: I will be out of the office between March 4-6, returning on March 7. continued for members… … continue reading →

Stagflation Fears Renewed

January PPI came in much hotter than expected while housing starts and permits fell far short of consensus, stoking persistent fears of stagflation.  PPI came in at 0.3% MoM versus 0.1% expected.  Excluding food and energy, core PPI rose 0.5% versus 0.1% expected. Stripping out trade services, the tally rose to 0.6%, its highest print … continue reading →

A Look Ahead at 2024

To quote the great Yogi Berra, “it’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” But, there are a number of important themes that should drive markets in 2024. The elephants in the forecasting room are the so-called Magnificent Seven (AAPL, GOOGL, MSFT, AMZN, META, TSLA and NVDA) which soared 105% in 2023 versus the … continue reading →

The Year in Review: 2023

These annual reviews are always interesting. This past year of charting, like most, saw some enormous successes as well as some lessons in humility.  More importantly, though, the markets’ behaviour in 2023 offers vital insight into the year ahead. Equities As we noted back on Jan 10, 2023 in A Look Ahead at 2023, the … continue reading →

PCE Just High Enough

Official core PCE came in at 3.5% YoY (0.2% MoM) which was high enough to knock fuutres off their overnight highs but not enough to drive VIX above its 10-day moving average. We pay a lot of attention to VIX as it’s perhaps the most important daily driver of algo behaviour. After poking up above … continue reading →