Currency and money markets news scan: Will banks leave more money in their Federal Reserve bank vaults?

The takeaway: Will banks leave more money in their Federal Reserve bank vaults? Alejandro Riviera is upset today. He needs $200,000 per year in income in order to enjoy retirement with his wife, Anita, and the dog, Puff. Last week, with the two-year rate at 3.99%, Alejandro needed a portfolio of $5,012,531 to generate his … Continue reading Currency and money markets news scan: Will banks leave more money in their Federal Reserve bank vaults?

Currency and money markets news scan: Don’t get triggered by the politics. One man is not the economy.

The Takeaway: Don’t get triggered by the politics. One man is not the economy. No amount of reason is going to quiet the Trump Derangement Syndrome running rampant through the electorate of the United States. I am in the camp that the President does not have a reach extensive enough to put a negative dent … Continue reading Currency and money markets news scan: Don’t get triggered by the politics. One man is not the economy.

Currency and money markets news scan: Trump wants to reverse an “inflation catastrophe.”

The takeaway: Trump wants a balanced budget, but half the work is already done. 15 USC § 3101(b)(2) lists as one of the goals for economic growth a balanced budget. Specifically, the section reads: “(2) Aggregate monetary and fiscal policies alone have been unable to achieve full employment and production, increased real income, balanced growth, … Continue reading Currency and money markets news scan: Trump wants to reverse an “inflation catastrophe.”

Currency and money markets news scan: Three Fed reference rates see an uptick. China, Japan receive warning about weakening currency.

The takeaway: As Trump seeks to weaken the US currency, he calls out Japan and China for doing likewise. Joseph Adinolfi yesterday wrote for MarketWatch that supporters of President Trump as well as members of the administration would like the President to consider policy that would weaken the US dollar while maintaining the dollar’s status … Continue reading Currency and money markets news scan: Three Fed reference rates see an uptick. China, Japan receive warning about weakening currency.

Currency and money markets news scan: Positioning ourselves to benefit from a rebuild of Ukraine infrastructure.

The takeaway: Turning the Ukraine-Russia war into a play on infrastructure. Among my general thesis about government is that it plays a role in making a market. In the 1700s and 1800s, the United States was in essence a realtor, selling land to settlers who promised to develop the vast territory of the United States. … Continue reading Currency and money markets news scan: Positioning ourselves to benefit from a rebuild of Ukraine infrastructure.

Interbank market news scan: Two-year falls below four percent and Zelensky gets sonned.

The takeaway: Trump flexes his strongman muscle and boxing skills … Yesterday’s dressing down of Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, by U.S. President Donald Trump, I am sure, caught many a viewer off guard. The sitting room where the President has a photo-op chit chat with other world leaders tends to look staged with phony … Continue reading Interbank market news scan: Two-year falls below four percent and Zelensky gets sonned.

Interbank market news scan: Will Trump’s reining in of independent agencies snare Federal Reserve monetary policymaking?

The Interbank Market U.S. Treasury rates The two-year, ten-year, and thirty-year Treasury rates all increased between 9:43 am this morning and 4:52 pm this afternoon. According to Treasury data, the two-year rate stayed relatively the same, moving from 4.26% to 4.29%. The ten-year rate increased from 4.47% to 4.55%, while the 30-year rate moved from … Continue reading Interbank market news scan: Will Trump’s reining in of independent agencies snare Federal Reserve monetary policymaking?

Interbank market news scan: On interest rates, traders be advised that Mr. Trump is out of his lane

Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would demand that the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System lower interest rates. Mr. Trump’s off the cuff remarks reminded me of a scene from “Air Force One” where Harrison Ford’s character during a speech made in a central Asian country shared a position on … Continue reading Interbank market news scan: On interest rates, traders be advised that Mr. Trump is out of his lane

Interbank market news scan: Did Trump say anything scary to Davos participants? Nothing they have not heard before.

Speaking today via satellite before approximately 3,000 attendees at the World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump provided his agenda for where he wants to take the American and world economies. It was basically a rehash of some of his written executive orders over the last three days. Mr. Trump declared that the election provided him … Continue reading Interbank market news scan: Did Trump say anything scary to Davos participants? Nothing they have not heard before.