In the context of slowing U.S. #economic growth and moderately higher #inflation figures (at least through the year’s first half), alongside political risks both domestic and international, we think the 10-Year U.S. #Treasury yield is unlikely to exceed 2.25% this year.
And while modestly higher #inflation may be spurred by base-effects and a weaker #USD in 2020, as well as by #oil prices that could trade near the higher end of our 2020 estimated $50 to $75/bbl range for a time, the structural drivers of lower prices remain intact, in our view.
In 2020, the average U.S. labor #market growth rate will likely be slower than last year’s average, but simultaneously, #wage growth should be higher in 2020 than it was in 2019 and the #Fed will remain on hold through the year, barring serious economic shock.
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The world continues to watch for a pathway to lower interest rates, but despite a modestly softer headline in nonfarm payrolls last week, of 143,000 jobs gained, underlying employment conditions continued to display a resilience that makes any @federalreserve rate cutting in the near- to intermediate-term appear unlikely.
Indeed, at 0.48% month-over-month and more than 4% year-over-year the wage growth looked solid, unemployment declined slightly to 4.0%, and prior month payroll revisions were 100,000 jobs greater than previously reported. So, all in all, the labor markets still appear to be in a good place.
In our view, for a Fed rate cut to be back on the table, we would need to see two, or so, consecutively softer employment reports, and that is for the central bank to even consider resuming its rate cutting cycle.
As we have argued in recent months, a great deal of progress has been made in combatting high levels of post-pandemic inflation. Still, the likelihood is that most of the meaningful progress is behind us at this stage, and inflation may remain sticky at levels higher than the @federalreserve would ideally like.
Indeed, yesterday’s headline CPI increased 0.39% month-over-month, greater than its gains from last month, largely due to energy price gains. That resulted in headline CPI rising to 2.89%, from 2.75% the month prior, on a year-over-year basis, amid unfavorable base effects.
The core CPI measure gained 0.23% month-over-month, and 3.24% year-over-year. Taking a step back to provide some context, the average annual rate of core CPI inflation from 2000 through 2023 was 2.37%, but for 2024 this measure resided at 3.24%, illustrating vividly why the #Fed wants to see further progress on #inflation.
What a way to kick off 2025!
Last Friday’s #JobsReport gave us more revealing data on the status of the jobs market in the U.S. at this stage, and it certainly continued to describe an economy in very healthy shape.
The evolution of hiring conditions is something that we are very focused upon, and we will continue to be so over the coming weeks and months. With a new Administration coming in, policies such as immigration reform, government hiring (or closures and layoffs), and incentives to spend more aggressively in places like in energy, will influence the ‘to and fro’ of job-demand in the country.
And furthermore, the @federalreserve has cited- almost as perquisite- that softness in labor conditions would have to be in place to continue to move the Fed Funds policy rate to lower levels, and we didn’t see a lot of motivation for in this data.
Yesterday’s @federalreserve move signals something of an ending to a story that has played out for several months now, in terms of the Fed’s rate cutting cycle, associated with what were significantly restrictive interest rates.
The #FOMC cut policy interest rates by a quarter-point, to the 4.25% to 4.50% range, and communicated more #hawkishly through the updated dot plot/Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), as well as during the Chair’s press conference. To us, this suggests that we’ve entered a new phase of the rate cutting cycle.
We have often argued that the more elevated Funds rate creates great pressure on lower income cohorts through the housing, credit card, and auto finance channels than is worthwhile at this stage, particularly given where inflation has decelerated to.
As usual, today’s #CPI report created great anticipation and then introspection upon its release. It’s always amazing that a few basis points (bps), one way or the other, can have such a large impact on market perception, and presumably on the interpretation of how the @federalreserve will react to such a number.
The truth, however, is that the #Fed considers a multitude of #inflation readings, with a higher emphasis on the Core PCE measure. Yet, we find ourselves at a point in time where the range of outcomes for inflation related to recently solid economic growth, to newly elected political officials, and to the consequential potential for higher tariffs and higher levels of growth, etc., has led to an enormous focus on this number.
To that end, today’s report showed still firm inflation readings of 0.28% month-over-month, and 3.33% year-over-year for Core CPI (which excludes the volatile food and energy components) and 0.24% and 2.60% for headline CPI, over the same time periods.
Upon reflection, last week’s #JobsReport was, as always, interesting and helpful for understanding where employment currently stands, which is at the top of the priority list for the @federalreserve.
However, the data is also challenging to interpret, in terms of true job growth, given distortions from recent hurricanes in the southeast of the U.S., labor strikes in the Pacific Northwest, and the uncertain impact of these events.
Moreover, this payroll report occurred right in the middle of some major economic and market-moving events, such as the U.S. elections, the announcement of the U.K. budget, major tech and other corporate earnings, the onslaught of other economic data, and this week’s #FOMC meeting.