Global Macro Hedge Economics Trading Latest Economic News
click on image to view pdf document
Welcome to the fwdbonds.com website. FWDBONDS LLC is a financial markets research company publishing reports on the world economy and markets.
There are frequent updates here on the global markets, U.S. bonds and stocks, straight from seasoned analysts comparable to the best advice from Wall Street trading desks.
But check out our products by clicking on the "Research you can buy" tab on the side panel. Research reports at a modest cost that some hedge funds would pay $35,000 a year for. Where's the market going? There's no more fundamental question. There is no investment advice offered anywhere on this site or in our research products. The future is uncertain, but the trends and analysis presented in these market reports, with easy to understand graphs and tables, can help you navigate the risks to your own portfolios and your businesses.
If you can't see it, you can't trade. You cannot plan for your business prudently, you cannot invest your savings wisely. Not without research. Buy it here.
Bond Market Strategy
Treasury 10-yr
Yield Trend: The Movie click on image to view movie
If you can't see it, you can't trade.
Friday, May 13, 2022
On Thursday, S&P 500 down 19.9% from record high now discounts a recession. 10-year yields close 2.92% on Friday. Guessing game remains how high Fed funds rate (it's only 1% now) needs to go to slow the economy and stop additional rate hikes from Fed. Bond yields okay here sort of if Fed doesn't go higher than 3.5%.
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Stocks holding Tuesday's low where S&P 500 down as much as 17.9% from the highs this year. CPI worse than expected, but still looks like it may have peaked at a very high level. See our comment above. Inflation Isn't Any Hotter, But The Fire Isn't Out Yet.
10-year yield closes 3.14% after 428K jobs report. Higher bond yields depress stocks. Talk from former Fed officials about the need for a 3.5% Fed funds rate (2.5% supposed to be neutral for economy) to fight inflation is lifting bond yields. No sign of an economic slowdown yet. S&P 500 new 2022 closing low down 13.5% YTD. The low from Monday held today so the total high-low decline in 2022 remains 15.7% at worst point. Every recession since 70s has seen stocks fall at least 20%.
Thursday, April 28, 2022
Stocks were unable to close below the March 8 4170.70 low for the year earlier this week, although still time as this is written Thursday morning. Real GDP fell 1.4% in Q1 2022 reported this morning, although the data show a possiblity of a better core PCE inflation number due out on Friday morning. For all the worries about world growth, S&P hasn't fallen 20% yet, where a 20% sell-off or more is the norm for every recession since the 1970s.
Thursday, April 21, 2022
A reversal of fortune for stocks today despite last night’s Tesla earnings with Tesla closing 3.2% higher today. Sell-off being blamed on Powell as no one else is around although stocks fell at the same basic rate all day long. S&P 500 was up 1.2% on the day at the opening highs, and was down 0.6% on the day at 1:17pm ET when Powell was speaking on an IMF panel saying front-loading was necessary because of higher inflation and 50 bps would be on the table at the May 3-4 meeting. Yes that’s it, and 50 not a big deal given August Fed funds futures have discounted 50 bps rate hikes at the next three Fed meetings. S&P 500 closed down 1.5% and if this was the futures market, we’d say stocks are getting ready to break sharply lower.
Thursday, April 14, 2022
End of holiday shortened week. 10-yr yield 2.83% versus 2.66% last week Friday April 8. Fed funds futures and market expectations still okay with 2.5% Fed funds rate at the end of this year, including 50 bps rate hikes on May 4 and on June 15, and we guess 25 bps moves the final 4 meetings of the year. No real sign of a slowdown yet in the economy even with retail sales ex-gasoline falling 0.3% in March as reported today. Sleeper stat is nonfuel imported goods prices reported this morning. In the year ending March 2022 prices are up 7.5% and the year before ending March 2021 these prices were 3.8% higher year-on-year. Inflation a global problem, not just USA, USA, USA.
Friday, April 8, 2022
10-year yields made a new 2022 high at 2.73% on Friday. You know the Fed is getting tough when Fed Governor Brainard wants to wage war on inflation. She spoke Tuesday before the Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute that is at the Minneapolis Fed. There won’t be any economic growth if the Fed raises the cost of borrowing with massive interest rate hikes and an aggressive balance sheet wind down. Brainard is waiting on a confirmation vote to replace Clarida as Fed Vice Chair later this month. Bond yields went higher on Thursday, possibly mortgage-hedge sales with Wednesday’s close above 2.50% the first time. Bullard moved yields higher still on Thursday with a 3-3.25% Fed funds rate on his wish-list in the second half this year. Just sticking with the next three Fed meetings, August 2022 Fed funds futures are discounting two 50 bps rate hikes and one 25 bps move. Stay tuned.
Friday, March 25, 2022
Bonds touched 2.50% today closing at 2.48%. They are priced for a Fed funds rate peak this cycle of 2.5%. The only problem is the Fed funds rate might be there at 2.5% in December this year, the fastest tightening in years. In fact, we used to think 200 bps of rate hikes a year was too much for the economy, but we will see. The shift from we won't tighten to help the recovery to we will aggressively tighten to help bring inflation under control has happened too fast. We will watch for any sign of economic weakness if not recession because of higher rates and higher energy prices.
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Powell shouted fire in a crowded theatre Monday saying Fed needed to move rates up expeditiously to neutral in a speech with headlines hitting 1230pm ET. He said if they needed to do a 50 bps move they would do it. If they needed to move rates above neutral to slow inflation they would do it. S&P 500 fell 1.1% on what it thought it heard. 10-year yields traded as high as 2.32% on Monday and are trading 2.37% now on Tuesday afternoon. Stocks stop caring about Powell and are moving to new highs.
Monday, March 14, 2022
10-yr yield new high, starting early overnight as European markets opened mostly, 10-yr Treasury close at 2.14% from 2.00% Friday. Something to do with the Fed announcement on Wednesday at 2pm ET about how many rate hikes are coming in 2022. Market expecting 7 more rate hikes, 25 bps at each of the remaining 7 Fed meetings this year, so ending at 2.0% the Fed target rate from 0.25% today.
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Market risks are getting impossible to quantify as the Russian invasion intensifies and looks unlikely to stop. 10-year Treasury yields are 1.84% tonight and S&P 500 at the close down 8.4% year-to-date. Starting to hear Q1 2022 US company earnings will not be as good because Q1 2021 fiscal stimulus falls out of the equation, but...