Showing posts with label Inflation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inflation. Show all posts

Thursday, April 10, 2025

From Trade War to Financial War: China to Rock the Dollar | George Saravelos

The market is rapidly de-dollarizing. It is remarkable that international dollar funding markets and cross-currency basis remain well-behaved. In a typical crisis environment, the market would be hoarding dollar liquidity to secure funding for its underlying US asset base. This dollar imbalance is what ultimately results in the triggering of the Fed swap lines. Dynamics here seem to be very different: the market has lost faith in US assets, so that, instead of closing the asset-liability mismatch by hoarding dollar liquidity, it is actively selling down the US assets themselves. 
 
 » The US administration is encouraging the sell-off in US Treasuries. «

We wrote a few weeks ago that US administration policy is encouraging a trend towards de-dollarization, to safeguard international investors from a weaponization of dollar liquidity. We are now seeing this play out in real-time, at a faster pace than even we would have anticipated. It remains to be seen how orderly this process can remain. A credit event in the global financial system, that threatens the provision of short-term dollar liquidity, is the point of greatest vulnerability, which would turn dollar dynamics more positive.

  » Japan is the largest official holder of US Treasuries. «

The US administration is encouraging the sell-off in US Treasuries. The first-order effect of current policy is, of course, the generation of a large negative supply-side shock, that raises inflation and makes it harder for the Fed to cut rates. There is, of course, the bond basis trade that is being unwound. But there is something larger at play as well: a policy objective of reducing bilateral trade imbalances is functionally equivalent to lowering demand for US assets as well. 
 
This is not a theoretical consideration: the US has, this week, initiated trade negotiations with Japan and South Korea, with a specific reference to currency levels being a negotiating objective. It should not be overlooked that Japan is the largest official holder of US Treasuries. An implicit negotiating objective of lowering USD valuations entails the possibility of the sale of US Treasuries from the Japanese Ministry of Finance. We argued two weeks ago that the whole Mar-a-Lago accord framework was flawed, because it imposed fundamental inconsistencies in the desired economic objectives of the administration. We are now seeing those inconsistencies exposed in broad daylight.
 
China is de-dollarizing with the launch of a $1.2 trillion digital yuan system, 
bypassing the Western SWIFT network. Lena Petrova, April 8, 2025.

Beware a trade war shift to a financial war. At the epicenter of the last few days’ escalation is the trade war with China. As our colleagues have highlighted, China appears to be maintaining the optionality on weaponizing the currency, while signaling a far more supportive domestic economic stance. With a 100%+ tariff on China, there is little room now left for an escalation on the trade front. The next phase risks being an outright financial war, involving Chinese ownership of US assets, both on the official and private sector front. It is important to note, there can be no winner to such a war: it will damage both the owner (China) and the producer (US) of those assets. The loser will be the global economy.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Gold Rises Not with Inflation, But with Geopolitical Issues | Martin Armstrong

Comment by FD: Is he breaking the London metals dealers’ hold to suppress the gold price?
 

Reply by Martin Armstrong: I am tired of hearing the same constant nonsense about gold being intentionally suppressed by dealers, and that’s why it’s not at $10,000. I have traded against these people for years. Here is a clip from  The Forecaster with Barclay [Leib], who used to work for me years ago, talking about how he checked me out with Goldman Sachs before taking the job. 
 

Every manipulation these dealers ever pulled off was to the upside – not to suppress gold. They sell 10x more when people think gold is rising, not declining. This BS claim that they were suppressing gold to help the government keep inflation in check is total BS!  
 
[...] Gold rises NOT with inflation, but with geopolitical issues. Here was the National Debt Q2 1980 at $877.614bn. As of Q2 2024, it stood at $36,218bn. The debt has risen 40.29% since 1980. Gold hit $875 on January 21, 1980, in the cash market. If gold rose because of inflation or the debt level, then it should be $35,260 per ounce. The gold dealer could buy all of Wall Street with that price.
 
Gold/USD (Monthly Bars).
Since the start of the never-ending, ever-larger global US War-of-Terror in September 2001, the price of
gold in USD rose from 251 to 3,176 USD/ounce by April 2025 (average annual growth rate: 17.35%). 
The average annual inflation rate in the US from 2001 to April 2025 is approximately 2.7%.
The cumulative inflation rate in the US from 2001 to April 2025 is approximately 74.9%.
In 2001, the US federal debt was $5.8 trillion and rose to $34.8 trillion by April 2025 (annual growth: 9.86%).
Preliminary results of the global US War-of-Terror in 2023: 4.5 to 4.7 million Muslims killed, with millions more wounded and
maimed. 38 million Muslims displaced, and tens of thousands of settlements, institutions, and infrastructure destroyed. Eco-
nomies collapsed, misery widespread, and famines and mass migrations triggered. US budgetary costs: $8 trillion plus interests.
 
These people who make up these excuses [gold price manipulation] are unbelievable. Gold pays no interest, which is why they lease it out. Otherwise, it is a dead asset that brings in no income. It is a hedge against the government in times of uncertainty—that’s it. It is not a hedge against inflation or the size of the debt. That has been a great sales pitch, but that is it.

 
See also:

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Are Metals Kicking Off the Next Commodity Supercycle? | Alex Krainer

Market analysts tend to attribute great significance to the price of copper as an important leading economic indicator: if demand for copper is rising, the economy is growing (and vice versa). For that reason, they pay close attention to what "Dr. Copper" is saying. But last week, Gold also made new all time highs at around $3,050/oz. Silver rallied quite strongly as well, but it's still trading well below its ATH price, which was just shy of $50/tr.oz. in April of 2011. Here is what the whole COMEX metals complex looks like:
 
 COMEX Metals Complex (January 01, 2021 = 100)
 
There has been an overall rising trend in the metals, building gradually from late 2023. However, platinum barely moved thus far and palladium actually dropped by more than half in the last four years. The rise in Gold, Silver and Copper may be driven by inflation fears rather than economic growth. Those three metals are investors' preferred inflation hedges. Inflation hedging demand is likely what's behind the upward pressure on prices. 
 
Europe's great rearmament frenzy and the hundreds of billions of euros being allocated for it might end up adding more upward pressure to prices of industrial metals, as well as energy. In all, this will end up giving a strong boost to commodity price inflation in what could end up being a self-reinforcing cycle, triggering the next leg in the widely anticipated commodity supercycle.

US Commodity Price Index (1795 to Present)
with Major Inflation Peaks (Red Dots) & Major Inflation Troughs (Blue Dots).
Shown as 10 Year Rolling Compound Growth Rate with Polynomial Trend at Tops & Bottoms.

Long commodity cycles suggest that currency debasement and inflation may peak in the early 2040s. A commodity supercycle could reach its peak by 2045 (indicated by the last red dot), following a long cycle wave that spans approximately 55 years, with each cycle growing 5 years longer over the past 200 years. This pattern implies that the next peak will occur around 2045, 65 years after the peak in 1980.

None of this will happen overnight: the commodity supercycle is expected to span a period of 10 to 25 years, and it will be marked with many price rallies, followed by corrections and consolidations in that time. It should therefore be navigated with due caution and an iron discipline.

 

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Trump and Stockholm Syndrome: In a Captured State | Steve Brown

The current reverence for Donald Trump as potential savior of the Western world is like a twisted version of Stockholm Syndrome. The Biden regime was so vile and so corrupt, that the manifestation of Trump (since his election) seems like a life raft thrown to a drowning person. In other words, the US situation is so hopeless that any sort of hope from anywhere must look good to the average US American now.
 
Trump is, of course, beholden to his donor class. It is a donor class where unsavory ‘trillionaires’ like Zuckerberg, Bezos, and their Wall Street moguls (including the banks) have ‘switched sides’ to back the Trump regime. And well, that is the mantle of power. Trump’s backers preside over war, mayhem, and death all over the globe with glee – just as Biden’s did. The only question for elites now – whether Democrat or Republican – is  how affordable this ongoing destruction may be.
 
The great debacle for the former United States is that its political leadership has failed — meaning both parties — and the Wall Street model of leveraged graft, theft, corruption, and greed has eventually devolved into a Western financial system built on bullshit and fake industry — which Pepe Escobar calls ‘casino capitalism.’ That devolution has now become apparent to the entire world. Trump has drawn a veil over donor influence by promoting a populist message of ending the ‘forever wars’ that the US engages in. But ending forever wars is not a goal that the entrenched Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) can allow, even if that is the will of the American people.

 » MAGA in itself is an admission that the US has already failed. «

Thus, Trump has used the immigration issue as cover too, to obfuscate a deeper agenda. That agenda includes confrontation with China, assistance to the Greater Israel project, and accepting advice to leverage crypto as a means to support the lagging primacy of the US dollar. The foregoing agenda will be enforced later during his regime after the dust has settled.

The point is, Trump promised to “make America great again” — which in itself is an admission that the US has already failed and is playing catch-up. China’s success in AI with Deep Seek is just one example. Bottom line, where US America was once about its industry and the ingenuity of its people, due to the criminality of Wall Street and its banks, that dynamic is gone. Ironically, all that remains of US success (as a unipolar hegemon) is the primacy of the US dollar.
 
 And the swamp? Still thriving.

US financial markets, including debt instruments, are still the most secure and reliable stash for trillions of US-manufactured Federal Reserve Notes to go. Of course, when those dollar investment vehicles become ignored by the rest of the world, that becomes an issue, and that process is underway. Meanwhile, I stand by my article from 2019, "Trump’s Limited Hangout: Populism Derailed."

 

While the above may seem a bleak message for the West, the bottom line is that the United States has been on the wrong side of history since the end of the Second World War. Only the redeeming asset of the US dollar and Western financial markets have maintained US primacy over these decades.

The hopeful message is that, as the US dollar erodes and eventually US financial markets crash, the Neocons and satanic creatures who have led US foreign policy for eighty years now will finally erode away as well—or at least be marginalized—and that's via their own historic folly, personal excess, and greed.

 
 

Monday, November 25, 2024

Trump's Plan to Ruin China │ Dmitry Skvortsov

Losses in the hundreds of billions of dollars may await China in the coming months – and it’s all because of a document that has just been adopted in the United States. Now, everything depends on the decision of the next White House administration and Donald Trump personally. What is at stake, and how does Trump want to squeeze China out of the American market?


The
U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) recommended stripping China of its Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. This move is intended to facilitate the introduction of the trade tariffs promised by Trump on Chinese goods. This is the first time that the USCC, in its annual report to Congress, has openly called for an end to a policy that has been a cornerstone of China’s economic rise over recent decades. In 2022, the Commission had proposed to Congress to temporarily suspend China's PNTR status if the U.S. Trade Representative determined that Beijing had failed to meet its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations regarding market access.

The PNTR status was approved by Congress for China in 2000 in exchange for Beijing’s agreement to open its markets and liberalize trade practices before joining the WTO. This status obligates Washington to apply the same basic tariffs and privileges to Chinese goods as it does to most of its trade partners, in accordance with U.S. commitments under the WTO. It was also in October 2000 that Congress created the independent USCC, composed of 12 commissioners appointed by Congress. Its role was to monitor U.S.-China relations in trade and security and to provide annual reports to U.S. lawmakers on these issues.
 
  » In China, Tom Cotton wouldn’t even be a village chief. «

According to WTO rules, the U.S. can strip a country of trade advantages under exceptions for national security reasons. The Biden administration used this rationale when imposing sanctions on Russia after the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 (without specifying what exactly constituted a national security threat to the U.S.). In relation to China, American lawmakers want to free their hands in advance, creating the possibility of imposing tariffs or sanctions without any conditions or timelines.

Last week, Representative John Moolenaar, a Republican from Michigan and chairman of the House China Committee, introduced a bill to revoke China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations status. He cited U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s assessment that China still adheres to a 
"state-managed, non-market approach to its economy and trade," which contradicts WTO norms and principles. The bill is likely to gain support from Republicans, including Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Marco Rubio of Florida (Trump’s current nominee for Secretary of State), who were strong advocates for revoking PNTR for China during Trump’s first term. Democrats during Biden’s presidency also pressured China by limiting chip supplies and increasing military tensions between the two countries. However, Biden’s administration’s ultimate goal was to force Beijing to retreat and engage in what is called "decoupling."
 

In Washington’s interpretation, this would mean preserving a global economy where the U.S. would hinder the development of China's high-tech sectors while allowing it to continue earning revenue from supplying mass consumer goods to America. Chinese oligarchs were subtly hinted that they could return to a "business as usual" scenario if they could deal with Xi Jinping and avoid interfering in high-tech areas.

The Trumpist position is different. They want to strengthen America’s industrial power, even if it requires sacrificing the interests of global financial conglomerates and the very existence of a unified global economy. In this scenario, Chinese products would be forcefully squeezed out of the U.S. and several countries crucial to American economic interests. Whether China will find alternative markets to replace the U.S. is of little concern.

In a report published Tuesday, November 19, the Commission justified its recommendation to Congress to revoke PNTR status by stating that it 
"allows China to benefit from the same trade terms as U.S. allies despite its practices of intellectual property theft and market manipulation." Among the Commission's findings is also a recommendation for Congress to revoke the de minimis exception for e-commerce goods. This provision, enshrined in U.S. trade law, allows goods worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free and with less oversight from regulatory agencies. USCC experts refer to statements by U.S. officials that the "de minimis loophole" used by Chinese e-commerce companies like Shein and Temu harms U.S. jobs and could allow Chinese companies to deliver illegal products, including materials related to fentanyl.

China's Four Red Lines: Xi's warning to Biden and Trump.
November 17, 2024.
 
The recommended revocation of PNTR status would enable a Trump administration to increase tariffs on a wide range of Chinese products. Additionally, without this status, China could face annual reviews of its trade practices, as was the case before PNTR was granted. As USCC commissioner Jacob Helberg stated, "Increasing tariffs on Chinese industrial goods will accelerate the return of supply chains to the U.S., which aligns with President-elect Donald Trump's argument for imposing universal tariffs on imports."

The Chinese Embassy in Washington immediately responded to the recommendations in the USCC report. 
"Attempts to return U.S.-China trade and economic relations to the Cold War era violate WTO rules and will only harm the mutual interests of both countries and undermine the global economy," said embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu.

In 2023, China's exports to the U.S. amounted to $448 billion (compared to $505.6 billion in 2017). China has already been surpassed by Mexico ($480 billion) and is only slightly ahead of Canada ($429 billion). U.S. imports from China totaled $147 billion. In this regard, China ranks third, behind NAFTA  (USMCA) countries Canada ($352 billion) and Mexico ($323 billion). The U.S. trade deficit with China in 2023 was an unprecedented $301 billion, and it could increase by 4.4% this year.

If Trump imposes the 60% tariff he has promised (which would be easy to do if the USCC's proposal is adopted), the volume of Chinese goods entering the U.S. will drop sharply. China’s trade surplus with America will also shrink drastically. Even for Chinese companies that don’t leave the U.S. market, profitability will plummet. For those for whom the U.S. market is effectively closed, things will be much harder. Bankruptcy of a number of companies, mass layoffs, and decreased budget revenues are possible.

Quoted from:

Sunday, November 10, 2024

The Illusion of Control: The Fed's Quiet Coup d'État | Gerry Nolan

As Mike Lee states, the Executive Branch was meant to be under the President’s executive branch and direction. And yet, the Fed remains the ultimate untouchable, a fortress of financial power immune to democratic oversight or any real accountability. Let’s face it: The Fed is not about serving the people; it’s the nerve center of a Ponzi scheme so vast that it makes Wall Street look like pocket change.

 » The Federal Reserve isn’t a public service, it’s the vault where the
sovereignty of the American people was locked away a century ago. «

For over a century, the Fed has held the American economy in a chokehold, dictating monetary policy in ways that serve the banking elites and global financiers, while keeping citizens in perpetual debt-enslavement. It’s not a “politically independent institution” as they like to spin it - it’s a profit machine, designed to siphon wealth upwards and keep the masses at bay with breadcrumbs of credit and endless inflation.

 » The Fed is a profit machine, designed to siphon wealth upwards and keep
 the masses at bay with breadcrumbs of credit and endless inflation. «

The Fed controls interest rates, injects trillions into the economy at will, and manipulates the currency supply, all without a single vote from the American people. True sovereignty would mean a government with control over its own currency, accountable to its citizens, not be held to private bankers. But ending the Fed? That would mean dismantling the very backbone of U.S. financial imperialism, a move that would bring about sovereign economic control, yet will never happen under the current system of oligarchic “democracy.”

The real question isn’t whether Trump (or any president) could rein in the Fed; it’s whether the American people will ever realize that the Federal Reserve isn’t a public service, it’s the vault where their own sovereignty was locked away a century ago.

The Fed's Ponzi machine may be untouchable, but the illusion of freedom is slipping. How long until the curtain falls?

Quoted from:

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Global MAGA-nomics | Francisco José Fernández-Cruz Sequera

The re-election of Donald Trump will lead to significant shifts in US economic and foreign policy, emphasizing unilateral protectionism and high tariffs aimed at boosting domestic production and safeguarding American interests. This 'MAGA-nomics' approach may impose tariffs of 10% to 20% on all imports and up to 60% on Chinese products, intending to reverse US deindustrialization and create jobs in key sectors.

MAGA-nomics: The war Trump will wage in 2025.

Trump's trade rhetoric portrays free trade as detrimental to the US economy, claiming trade deficits indicate weakness and job losses. His strategy seeks not only to protect the domestic market but also to pressure other nations to enhance market access for US goods. However, such mercantilism poses risks, including potential retaliatory tariffs from other countries, which could escalate costs and inflation both in the US and globally.

 Chronicles of Western Collapse — October 30, 2024.

A drastic tariff increase could harm American consumers by raising prices and potentially increasing inflation. The confrontation with China is particularly complex, as high tariffs may prompt China to devalue its currency, exacerbating internal economic issues while potentially triggering further trade conflicts.

The European Union, a major US trading partner, would likely suffer from these tariffs, which could significantly impact its economy amidst already existing challenges. Projections indicate that a 10% tariff on EU imports could reduce the Eurozone's annual GDP growth, further straining economic recovery.

 High tariffs, radical unilateralism, and the end of globalization as we know it.

Emerging markets like Vietnam, India, and Mexico may benefit as companies relocate production away from China, realigning global supply chains and potentially harming economies in Africa. The International Monetary Fund estimates that escalating trade disputes could reduce global economic growth, affecting millions worldwide.

Trump's approach extends beyond economics to form a coalition against China's influence, integrating defense strategies within economic policies (“Free and Open Indo-Pacific”). This could deepen geopolitical tensions and potentially lead to a new pro-China bloc. The historical precedent of protectionism, such as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, illustrates the risks of such policies, emphasizing the interconnectedness of global economies and the potential for widespread negative repercussions.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Fed Policy-Driven Super Rallies and Corrections in US Stocks | Sven Henrich

The US market is at a critical juncture with a contentious election, a Fed meeting, and numerous earnings reports on the horizon. A significant liquidity rally is underway, raising hopes for a year-end rally, yet concerns about a potential corrective move linger, especially after an 11-month rise. Despite strong bullish sentiment, skepticism remains due to insufficient changes in underlying conditions and earnings not meeting expectations. The S&P 500 is now at approximately 5,800, with some analysts projecting levels as high as 6,600, but these optimistic forecasts prompt concerns about sustainability.

Super rallies and corrections in the S&P, driven by interest rate cuts and hikes (2016–2024).
 
Liquidity-driven super rallies, influenced by Fed policy on interest rates, are characterized by prolonged market increases with minimal price discovery. The first major super rally in the above chart followed the earnings recession of 2015-2016, fueled by tax cuts and global quantitative easing. Subsequent rallies occurred despite rate hikes, indicating a strong influence from central banks and government policies. These rallies often persist until liquidity conditions shift, such as through rate increases or unexpected events. 
 
Currently, global central banks are signaling easing policies, contributing to the ongoing liquidity rally. Fiscal dominance, marked by significant deficits, plays a crucial role in this environment. The unprecedented $1.6 trillion deficit in 2023 raises questions about recession potential amid fiscal stimulus. Past experiences show that downside movements typically arise when liquidity changes. The current market situation highlights a disconnect between strong policy support and underlying economic conditions. Overall, these factors suggest that the rally extend through the end of the year or into 2025, but risks remain.
 
Reference:

Markets expect the Federal Open Market Committee to 
cut interest rates again by 0.25% on Thursday, November 7.
 
The median Nasdaq 100 (NDX) return from October 27th to December 31st is +11.74% since 1985.  
The median S&P 500 return from October 27th to December 31st in election years is +6.25% since 1928. 
 

Friday, October 25, 2024

Hidden Signs and Obvious Clues | Janet Yellen


The moment United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen uttered the phrase "the dollar is the world's reserve currency", the coat of arms of the US Treasury Department fell off her lectern and crashed to the ground.


S&P Cycle Analysis - Time and Price Projections Update | Steve Miller

The upcoming week marks the pre-election period, where heightened election anxiety and a significant earnings schedule are expected to drive high volatility. This trend is likely to continue through election day. Historical analysis shows that the September to November timeframe has often been associated with increased risk, frequently leading to substantial market corrections.

SPY (weekly bars), the MACD, and the extreme stretch between the 13-week and 89-week 
moving averages, which historically always leads to extended corrections.
 
Stocks have demonstrated remarkable resilience, displaying behavior that can be characterized as extreme. The above weekly chart of the SPY highlights this dynamic, tracking the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) alongside the distance between the 13-week and 89-week moving averages. Currently, the MACD indicates an unusually wide gap between these averages, suggesting a potential correction on the horizon.

 SPY (weekly bars), six-month cycles, three-month cycles.

When such corrections occur, they can be quite severe. Although the market has remained strong, November and December are anticipated to experience downturns due to the current extremes, which could lead to several challenging weeks ahead. Nevertheless, broader analysis suggests that the bull market may extend into 2025 before facing a significant downturn, potentially resulting in years of low or negative returns in the stock market.

 SPY (daily bars) and 21-trading day cycles with projected ideal troughs around 
November 6 (Wed) and December 4 (Wed), with a margin of ±3 trading days.

An examination of the SPY across various timeframes, including weekly and two-hour metrics, reveals a deterioration in the two-hour indicators, often the first sign of an impending correction. Historical examples, such as the market's reaction following the 2016 Trump election, highlight the potential for volatility. On that occasion, the Dow fell nearly 800 points before rebounding. Similar large movements are anticipated in the days leading up to and following this forthcoming election. While signs of a downturn have been expected for weeks, the market continues to set the course, underscoring its ultimate authority.

 

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Strong NYSE Breadth Indicates Liquidity is Abundant | Tom McClellan

Strong NYSE breadth says liquidity is plentiful.

A higher number of advancing stocks suggests bullish sentiment, 
more declining stocks bearish sentiment.


"No need to fear S&P 500 new all-time highs … until they cease."

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Budget Deficit Bullish for S&P 500 and Gold | Tom McClellan

The final stats are in for fiscal year 2024, and the federal debt in the U.S. grew by $2.297 trillion versus a year earlier, and as of September 30, 2024, the total debt stood at $35.465 trillion. 

 
[...] A rising debt load is a horrible thing, but it is a bullish thing. And trying to pay down the debt is a bearish thing. [...] And deficits are also really bullish for gold too.