Blog: The Debt Limit-The end of trust and the “risk-free” rate?
Trust is what's at stake with the debt limit.
Topic
Economy
A collection of 81 issues
Blog: Is a Fed "pause" good news or bad news?
Once again we’re hearing that the end is near for Fed tightening. It’s hard to say whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
The optimists say:
1) Inflation has fallen significantly from its highs by most measures,
2) Credit conditions have tightened in the
Blog: Is Equity Risk Declining? Or is it just wishful thinking?
The falling VIX may be a sign that “fear” is declining. But risk has multiple dimensions and its other facets don't agree.
Blog: The Road to Stagflation
Stagflation is a stop along the road from growth to recession. But it's still a nasty place, and it's now a strong possibility.
Newsletter: Liquidity and the MOVE Index - An Early Warning Signal of Financial Crisis
Liquidity has been in the media a lot lately. It’s one of those things we take for granted, until it’s dried up. In Fractal Market Analysis (1994) I made the point that markets don’t exist to give you a fair price (an assumption of the Efficient Market
Blog: The Fed's Three Body Problem - Inflation vs. Employment vs. Financial Stability
In physics, the “three body problem” involves predicting the motion of three objects, or bodies, when the bodies are attracted to one another by gravity. Newton solved the two body problem, but not the three body equivalent. The French mathematician, Henri Poincare, studied this problem in the late 19th century,
Newsletter: From Fragile to Turbulent - But "Minsky Moment" risks have passed
The shift in the Market Uncertainty State Indicator (MUSI) from Fragile to Turbulent requires commentary this month. First, what the change in market state means, and second, why it happened.
Fragile vs. Turbulent
A shock can break a Fragile market. A Turbulent market will bend chaotically, but not break.
Both
Blog: Hard, Soft or Aborted Landing?
Aeronautical terms have been popular form of market jargon for a long time. These days, of course, it’s what type of recession we’re going to have: a “hard” landing (which is a nice way of saying, a crash) or a “soft” landing, where we glide in without disturbing
Blog: Bond Yields and Markets Before the "Before-Time"
A phrase from Star Trek: The Original Show became popular during the 2020 pandemic, referring to the time before COVID-19 as the “before-time.” The phrase was lifted from a 1966 episode entitled “Miri.” The story took place on a planet of children where the adults had been killed off during
Blog: Groundhog Day (not the movie!) for the market
Aspiring market pundit, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow on Thursday, forecasting 6 more weeks of winter for the northeastern US, and a potential bear market. While there is no evidence that Phil, or any other groundhog has forecasting power, the media continue to follow the ritual as a matter of