Since my last commentary three weeks ago, images of Rihanna belting out “just gonna stand there and watch me burn” certainly have become even more appropriate for describing market price action. And to be sure, the PNL inferno on this ride back down to the June lows...
Released back in 2010, the song “Love the way you lie” by Eminem and Rihanna expressed all the passion and pain associated with a turbulent love/hate relationship. The original songwriter, Skylar Grey, claimed the song was written about her volatile exchanges with...
Let’s start today with a couple fun facts. First, the US economy contracted in the first half of 2022 – specifically, Q1 and Q2 GDP growth came in at annualized rates of -1.6% and -0.9%, respectively. As such, we spent less on goods and services over the first six...
Here is the single most important excerpt from Jay’s press conference on Wednesday: …as it relates to September, I said that another unusually large increase could be appropriate. But that’s not a decision we’re making now. It’s one that we’ll make based on the data...
The most interesting outcome from the ECB meeting last week was not the larger-than-expected 50 bps hike, nor was it the unanimous decision to create an uncapped and ratings-free anti-fragmentation tool. Rather, it was the decision to completely ditch any and all...
One month ago, just before the last FOMC meeting, I penned the following lines in a note entitled "Jay's Volcker Moment": Jay is going to act, and act aggressively!!! That surely brings 75bps into play on Wednesday. And one could make a very cogent argument for...
“For now, we have a very easy policy reaction function to predict. This is a hawkish Fed that is unlikely to be backstopping financial markets anytime soon. Simple as that” (from my note on May 26th entitled “Central Bank Vigilantes”). While many have focused on the...
As a prelude to today's missive, I want to first provide a little background on my motivation for writing this piece. Back in the early days of my tenure at Jefferies, between 2010–2015, I spent an enormous amount of time arguing that QE would work. And to be sure,...
These are complicated times. Serious fires are raging all across the financial markets. The HY new-issue market has largely shut down over the last couple weeks, 5yr MBS have now transformed themselves into 15yr securities, biotech stocks are probing 5-year lows, and...
A discussion of the FOMC rate decision, the market reaction, and the outlook for Fed policy to fight inflation going forward. Watch replay here. You are unauthorized to view this...
