Tag: fed rate cut

Fed Set To Rattle Global Markets

Posted on by Chris Vermeulen

Today is the day for the US Fed to announce their rate decision and we believe the 25 basis point rate cut is the only option they have at the moment that will attempt to settle foreign market fears and allow for a suitable “unwinding” of the credit/debt “setup” we highlighted in Part I of this research post.

We believe out August 19 expectation of a global market PEAK and the beginning of a price reversion move is related to multiple aspects of the timing of this Fed move and the current global economic outlook. The unwinding of this debt/credit bubble will likely take many more years to unravel. Yet, right now the US Fed is trapped in a scenario they never expected to find themselves in. Either continue to run policy that supports the US economy (where rates would likely stay between 1.75 to 2.75) over the next 5+ years or yield to the global market and attempt to address a proper exit capability for this debt/credit “setup”.

We believe global investors are expecting a massive collapse in the US stock market as a reaction to this move by the Fed and because of the expectation that another bubble has set up in the US. But we believe the actual bubble is set up in the foreign markets and not so much in the US. Yes, the US markets have extended to near all-time highs and the US consumer is running somewhat lean. It would be natural for the US economy to revert to lower price levels and for the US economy to rotate as “price exploration” attempts to find true market support. Yet, our fear is that the foreign markets are much more fragile than anyone understands at the moment and that a reversion in the US markets will prompt a potential collapse in certain foreign markets.

Weekly SPY Chart

This Weekly SPY chart highlights what we expect to transpire over the next 6 to 8+ months. We believe the August 19 peak date that we predicted months ago will likely start a process that will be tied to the US election cycle event (2020) and the US Fed in combination with global market events. We believe a reversion price process is about to unfold that could be prompted into action over the next 2+ weeks by the US Fed, trade issues and global central banks.

fed

If the US Fed drops the FFR by 25pb, the fragility of the foreign market debt/credit issues is not really abated or resolved. It just allows for a bit of breathing room that may allow these foreign debtors enough room to wiggle out of some of their problems. The US Fed would have to decrease rates by at least 75 basis point before any real relief will materialize for these foreign debtors. Continue reading "Fed Set To Rattle Global Markets" →

Fed, central banks cut rates to aid world economy

Posted on by lindsay

By JEANNINE AVERSA

Associated Press Economic Writer (AP:WASHINGTON) The Federal Reserve and six other major central banks from around the world slashed interest rates Wednesday in an attempt to prevent a mushrooming financial crisis from becoming a global economic meltdown.

The Fed reduced its key rate from 2 percent to 1.5 percent. In Europe, which also has been hard hit by the financial crisis, the Bank of England cut its rate by half a point to 4.5 percent and the European Central Bank sliced its rate by half a point to 3.75 percent.

Also cutting rates were the central banks of China, Canada, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Bank of Japan said it strongly supported the actions.

"The recent intensification of the financial crisis has augmented the downside risks to growth," the Fed said in explaining the coordinated action.

The Fed action will reduce borrowing costs almost immediately for U.S. bank customers whose home equity and other floating-rate loans are tied to the prime interest rate. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other banks cut their prime rate by half a point to 4.5 percent after the Fed announcement.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto welcomed the cooperation among the Fed and other countries' central banks to battle the crisis. "It's important and helpful that central banks are working in a coordinated way to deal with stress in the financial system," Fratto said.

But analysts were cautious about the impact of the central banks' coordinated action.

"At first blush, while this is a big step, it is unlikely to prove sufficient to stem the rot. Additional rate cuts are likely and further measures to inject liquidity and re-capitalize banks are needed," said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at the investment firm Brown Brothers Harriman.

The rate cuts came against a backdrop of increasing anxiety in global financial markets. Investors have been fleeing shares on worries that neither the Fed, nor other central banks, could move fast enough to stop the rising turmoil.

To read the rest of this story click here: http://club.ino.com/trading/fed-central-banks-cut-rates-to-aid-world-economy-cont/