Solid signals the debt ceiling is going to be a problem, and might be a catalyst (not they catalyst) behind today's risk market selloff.
Yes, it eventually gets resolved but the fear it will be messy and chaotic this time around.
A thread to explain.
1/6
First, their is 1.3 trillion in Fed reverse repo (RRP). The Fed is offering 5 basis points in this RRP facility
Their is no reason for a T-Bill to have a yield above the 5 bps RRP rate.
2/6
Here is the bill curve out the next 9 mos and the Oct 18 date that the govt runs out of money.
The only bill yield yields above 5 bps is from Oct 19 to Oct 28.
By trading above the RRP rate after Oct 18 signals the debt ceiling is going to be a problem in this time period.
3/6
The betting markets have a contract with an Oct 15 date. It is essentially 50/50 it will be raised before this date.
This signals no early deal. So, even if a deal gets done in time to avoid a mess, it is going down to the wire.
4/6
Now for the political part to ask why this is happening.
The Ds are the majority of the House, Senate and Presidency. They do not need R votes.
But hiking the debt ceiling is deeply unpopular and they want cover from the Rs. They are not getting it.
5/6
Biden is deeply unpopular and it just gets worse everyday. See the orange line, new highs in "disapprove" regularly.
Does Biden lack the stature IN HIS OWN PARTY to cut a deal between his progressives and moderates? He would if he was at 55% appr.
6/6
Bonus
All the Wall Street strategists are in universal agreement this is a bunch of nothing and will get resolved without drama.
This last time they we this sure about something was Feb 2020 with they all concluded CV19 was temporary and not important.
You have been warned!
Can/should the Fed buy T-Bills and stop a mess with the debt ceiling?
Buying bills or any kind of "support" for the Treasury market is taking a side in an intensely political fight.
1/2
Powell is fond of saying that congress does the will of the American People. The Fed job is to respond, not take sides.
And for the Fed to get involved would be especially political given they all but signaled they are going to start tapering at the Nov 3rd FOMC meeting.
2/2
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Yesterday, I made the case that tariff-driven inflation expectations are soaring, driving the bond market, and paralyzing the Fed from cutting despite fears of a recession.
Last week, the 30-year yield rose 46 basis points last week to end at 4.87%.
As this chart shows, this was its biggest weekly rise since April 1987 (38 years ago!).
2/16
Why Did This Happen?
Let's start with what it was not. It was not data that suggested the economy was strong or recent inflation was high.
Here is a tick chart of the last 3-days of the 10-year yield.
3/16
The better-than-expected CPI and PPI reports (green) had no impact on the 10-year yield.
The worst-than-expected Michigan Survey (red), with its collapse in sentiment implying a severe slowdown or recession, did nothing to stop the drive in yields to the highs of the day.
How stressed are markets? By this metric, the most in 17 years.
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SPY = The S&P 500 Index Trust. This was the first ETF created in 1993 and is one of the largest at $575 billion.
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The middle panel is SPY's Net Asset Value (NAV). The price closed at a 90-basis-point premium to the underlying value of the assets.
The last time anything like this happened was 2008. To emphasize, not even in the crazy days of 2020 did its divergence get this big.
2/4
VOO = Vanguard S&P 500, $566 billion in assets
At the same time VOO, which is Vanguard's version of SPY, went out at one of its biggest discounts in years (middle panel).
3/4
Finally, IVV iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, $559 billion in assets
It has been trading at a persistent discount for a few weeks (middle panel).
Something has broken tonight in the bond market. We are seeing a disorderly liquidation.
If I had to GUESS, the basis trade is in full unwind.
Since Friday's close to now ... the 30-year yield is up 56 bps, in three trading days.
The last time this yield rose this much in 3 days (close to close) was January 7, 1982, when the yield was 14%.
This kind of historic move is caused by a forced liquidation, not human managers make decisions about the outlook for rates at midnight ET.
It keeps going, the 30-year yield is now 5.00%!
As chart shows, since Sunday Night, 54 hours ago, the 30-year is up 67 basis points. Cannot find a move like this in my database.
The only overlay is the 30-year Gily blowing up during the Liz Truss moment" in September 2022. That was 130 bos in 5 days. We are now 67 bps 2 1/2 days.
S&P futures are down another 100 points or 2% tonight as I write. This sell-off might not be about tariffs but on the realization that the bond market is broken/breaking.
Markets are fragile. Tariffs broke the bond market and now this decline is about this realization.
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A liquation is underway and must be completed, losing positions have to be exited, not supported or ignored.
Cutting rates and making financing rates cheaper in the middle of this kind of liquidation, encourages speculation ... exactly what is not needed in the middle of such a move.
I think the market knows this which is why the chart below shows only a 63% probability of a cut in rates in a month. Not intra-meeting! Rates cuts are not the answer.
The Fed restarting QE to artificially raise bond prices will only cement the belief that a massive spike in inflation is coming.
This is not a problem that can be fixed with "printing." It was years of "printing" that encouraged the massive build-up in speculation that is now being forced to liquidate.
You cannot drink yourself sober. You can encourage speculation by cutting rates/WE to stop a speculative unwind.