Is the 2y bond telling us something? HAS THE CRASH BEGUN?
Bonds yields have been moving up at a fast pace recently - the 2 year bond yield moved between may and now nearly a full percentage point. Currently at the levels seen around 2008 right before the markets crashed. With real rates on the 3 Month bill actually reaching the exact rate before 08 crisis.
One thing I noticed is that the longer end of the curve, i.e bonds with longer maturity have risen at a faster pace as well in the recent weeks.
Hedge funds put massive bets in the last few weeks that yields would go higher ( shorting bonds) and I wonder if higher bonds pushing for higher rates is what may be the trigger that puts us into a recession and I do think into a real crash in the stock market.
What do I mean? I think that the market has realized that inflation has been going down in many areas as shown month after month on the CPI, PCE and such reports. Although, there are still many areas where inflation exists and does not seem to be going anywhere, such as real estate, energy, and even food. Another big factor here is loan payments, mortgage payments, that people are paying on cars, houses, etc. So people are not saving, people are taking more and more credit as shown recently that we are currently at record levels of credit card debt and the lowest rate of savings in over a decade.
The optimism in the market since the start of the year, was so that the market started to be ok with the fact that rates would be going to around 5%-5.5%, and even pricing in rate cuts during 2024- as we all know, the markets are forward looking, so equity prices started moving higher.
But after all this, we have reached a point where the market is questioning valuations when we have a good return in "risk free" assets, and with so much concentration in a handful of names bringing great companies at trillions of dollars of market cap but with no where near a reasonable price relative for the risks. Not to mention the soft earnings, yes we beat expectations, but is it really hard to beat such low expectations? if you look at earnings in compared to a year ago you will see that there is hardly any growth and even no growth and lower sales.
Back to Bonds- why would yields go up?
Fitch downgrading the US credit market is one reason, but not at all the whole story. Sticky inflation could another reason.
One major one which I think has been forgotten recently, is the banks. Reginal banks and even more larger banks have on their balance sheets loads of us treasuries, when SVB and First republic collapsed, it showed how fragile the banks are to rising yield rates on the securities they hold. Now that is is happening again, and this time along with longer maturity securities, I think there may be a real crisis waiting to unravel. Perhaps bringing dozens of banks to the brink of collapse. This is something that would be to great for JP Morgan or any other major bank to buyout and save by themselves.
On another note The market is showing its concern, for fiscal issues, real problems with the US paying over a trillion Dollars a year just on interest payments. Less income on taxes and much more spending due to inflation. I think the current environment is screaming a lack of trust and wants real returns for the risks in takin on more US debt, so rates are going up.
How much higher can yields go without something breaking?
I think the 30y mortgage rate at 7%+ currently is going to be another breaking point.
Without going to further in the housing market, I will just note that with rent prices at all time highs in many cities, could be a signal that home owners are trying to get a yield on their investment that can cover their mortgage expenses which are rising. Putting the expense on the renter. When it reaches a level where renters cannot pay these amounts that's when owners cannot keep their homes, selling starts. Home owners seeing rates rising ( 10Y bond is the best indicator as most Mortgage brokers use that to calculate rates ahead) can start to panic and sell.
So I do think that if there will be a total crash it will happen simultaneously in many markets and will obviously cause major panic and mayhem. This time the Fed wont be able to do much, printing money will be seen as a major fiscal risk and may cause the end of the dollar all together, inevitably a major correction will be needed to reset financial valuations and restore confidence in the debt markets.
To summarize, there are definitely cracks, and real risks that seem to outweigh the current reward in the equity markets..
One thing I noticed is that the longer end of the curve, i.e bonds with longer maturity have risen at a faster pace as well in the recent weeks.
Hedge funds put massive bets in the last few weeks that yields would go higher ( shorting bonds) and I wonder if higher bonds pushing for higher rates is what may be the trigger that puts us into a recession and I do think into a real crash in the stock market.
What do I mean? I think that the market has realized that inflation has been going down in many areas as shown month after month on the CPI, PCE and such reports. Although, there are still many areas where inflation exists and does not seem to be going anywhere, such as real estate, energy, and even food. Another big factor here is loan payments, mortgage payments, that people are paying on cars, houses, etc. So people are not saving, people are taking more and more credit as shown recently that we are currently at record levels of credit card debt and the lowest rate of savings in over a decade.
The optimism in the market since the start of the year, was so that the market started to be ok with the fact that rates would be going to around 5%-5.5%, and even pricing in rate cuts during 2024- as we all know, the markets are forward looking, so equity prices started moving higher.
But after all this, we have reached a point where the market is questioning valuations when we have a good return in "risk free" assets, and with so much concentration in a handful of names bringing great companies at trillions of dollars of market cap but with no where near a reasonable price relative for the risks. Not to mention the soft earnings, yes we beat expectations, but is it really hard to beat such low expectations? if you look at earnings in compared to a year ago you will see that there is hardly any growth and even no growth and lower sales.
Back to Bonds- why would yields go up?
Fitch downgrading the US credit market is one reason, but not at all the whole story. Sticky inflation could another reason.
One major one which I think has been forgotten recently, is the banks. Reginal banks and even more larger banks have on their balance sheets loads of us treasuries, when SVB and First republic collapsed, it showed how fragile the banks are to rising yield rates on the securities they hold. Now that is is happening again, and this time along with longer maturity securities, I think there may be a real crisis waiting to unravel. Perhaps bringing dozens of banks to the brink of collapse. This is something that would be to great for JP Morgan or any other major bank to buyout and save by themselves.
On another note The market is showing its concern, for fiscal issues, real problems with the US paying over a trillion Dollars a year just on interest payments. Less income on taxes and much more spending due to inflation. I think the current environment is screaming a lack of trust and wants real returns for the risks in takin on more US debt, so rates are going up.
How much higher can yields go without something breaking?
I think the 30y mortgage rate at 7%+ currently is going to be another breaking point.
Without going to further in the housing market, I will just note that with rent prices at all time highs in many cities, could be a signal that home owners are trying to get a yield on their investment that can cover their mortgage expenses which are rising. Putting the expense on the renter. When it reaches a level where renters cannot pay these amounts that's when owners cannot keep their homes, selling starts. Home owners seeing rates rising ( 10Y bond is the best indicator as most Mortgage brokers use that to calculate rates ahead) can start to panic and sell.
So I do think that if there will be a total crash it will happen simultaneously in many markets and will obviously cause major panic and mayhem. This time the Fed wont be able to do much, printing money will be seen as a major fiscal risk and may cause the end of the dollar all together, inevitably a major correction will be needed to reset financial valuations and restore confidence in the debt markets.
To summarize, there are definitely cracks, and real risks that seem to outweigh the current reward in the equity markets..