Fed Chair Jerome Powell goes quiet as bond markets see recession, sate cuts
Often, it's what isn't said that deserves the most attention.
Despite minutes from Fed meetings warning that rates will rise past 5%, and stay there for some time, suggestions of near-term hikes from Fed Governors in media interviews and Powell's recent warnings on the risks of unchecked consumer price risks, stock and bond markets have continued to test the central bank's overall inflation-fighting message.
The S&P 500 has risen around 3.36% since late December, a modest gain when compared to last year's brutal 20% decline, but nonetheless telling in the face of the Fed's hawkish warnings.
The
Stocks Higher, 10-Year Auction, Tesla, Apple, WWE - Five Things To Know
Benchmark 2-year note yields, which closed at 4.403% at the end of December, have fallen to around 4.21% amid easing wage pressures in the job market, a grim assessment of services sector activity from the ISM survey and bets on a tame December inflation reading from the
That sits a long, long way from the Fed's projection of a Fed Funds rate that's north of 5%, which it sees hitting in early spring, and echoes rate hike bets from FedWatch that not only see rates peaking below 5%, but forecast rate cuts over the second half of the year.
So who do we believe?
That view could be tested today, in fact, as the
The auction, a re-opening of a prior issue, will provide a real-time benchmark for fixed income appetite ahead of tomorrow's December CPI reading, which is expected to show a sixth consecutive month of easing price pressures.
If bidders snap-up the new paper, it could suggest they're less concerned about inflation pressures and more worried about growth prospects, particularly now that investors view a near-term recession as a 50/50 bet.
Bond markets, in fact, have been signaling recession for quite some time, as yields on 3 month
Job growth is forecast to slow sharply over the coming months, following the addition of 4.5 million new workers last year, the housing market continues to roll over and a closely-tracked survey small business owner sentiment fell to the lowest levels since 2013 last month.
Others, however, note that bond markets have 'cried wolf' on recession in the past, and correctly argue that economic models don't always capture the increasing complexity of a globalized world.
"The consumer is still spending and with businesses still hiring at an elevated clip, there is a chance that we can skirt by with an economic slowdown and not an outright contraction," said
"It's also important to point out that the last time the 3-month/10year yield curve was inverted, the economy fell into a recession because of a global pandemic—something we would argue was not priced into the inversion yet it still gets 'credit' for the signal," he added.
Powell, who focused on central bank independence and the need for a defined mandate from lawmakers during Tuesday's speech in
And if he continues to allow markets to price-in smaller rate hikes, a lower peak and cuts over the back half of the year, he's either comfortable with that forecast and willing to let it run and let inflation data do the push-back work for him.
That could be a major risk.
Chair Powell has made it abundantly clear that the Fed will not be front-running the coming drop in inflation," said
Federal Reserve's Powell warns the bank not to 'wander' into climate, social programs
Stories to Watch 2022: TennCare Coverage
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News