Why Are Bonds Still Crashing?Why are US, UK, and EU bonds still crashing since March 2020?
In this video, we are going to study the relationship between bonds, yields, and interest rates, which many of us find confusing. How can we understand them, and why are bond prices leading the yield, followed by interest rates this season?
10 Year Yield Futures
Ticker: 10Y
Minimum fluctuation:
0.001 Index points (1/10th basis point per annum) = $1.00
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Yields
How I use moving averagesThe US 10Y yield continues to plough higher. We had been watching the support at 2.73 (end of April low) for a possible break but in the end, this held several attempts, and the market has recovered well. This support was reinforced by the 55-day ma, which lies at 2.78 currently and this has left the market well-placed to tackle the 3.20 May high.
In the past I used to regularly have discussions regarding the optimisation of moving averages, crossovers, whether to use simple, exponential or weighted moving averages and all I can say is that I have remained firmly married to the 20, 55 and 200 simple period moving averages for a very long time.
Firstly, I should state how I use them, and it is as a straightforward support and resistance tool. I have noted over time that markets tend to mean revert to their long-term moving averages and price action around particularly the 55 and 200-week moving averages can be critical for the long-term trend. Crossovers can also add weight to a view, but as these are lagging indicators, I normally have a view in place already. All I would say is try them out and see which one suits you.
John Murphy has this to say about moving averages:’ Even though there are clear differences between simple moving averages and exponential moving averages, one is not necessarily better than the other. Exponential moving averages have less lag and are therefore more sensitive to recent prices - and recent price changes. Exponential moving averages will turn before simple moving averages. Simple moving averages, on the other hand, represent a true average of prices for the entire time period. As such, simple moving averages may be better suited to identify support or resistance levels.
Moving average preference depends on objectives, analytical style, and time horizon. Chartists should experiment with both types of moving averages as well as different timeframes to find the best fit.’
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Macro study of U.S. economy - Market warning signals?They do not scream "SELL" just yet, but these indicators offer strong caution of further market correction. Please take some time to study the charts so you understand the story they tell. I am not an economist; I am a trader who has been learning more about bonds and macro indicators.
(I have ignored the pandemic drop because it was extraneous to normal economic factors that move markets.)
ISM Manufacturing
> A leading indicator - below 50 indicates contraction
> Peak expansion in 2021 seems to have ended, yet wages have risen - this will pinch corporate profits
> If next month is lower, it indicates further slowdown (slowing expansion)
> Texas manufacturing for Jan'22 showed concerning declines
> Note the readings below 50 from Aug-Dec 2019 indicated a problem. Covid-19 did not cause markets to drop; it exaggerated the move.
HYG high yield bond ETF
> Includes many junk bonds - indicative of economy's credit situation (corporate, municipal, consumer)
> Yellow lines show the beginning of a significant drop that indicated worsening credit conditions
> Note the "valleys" below 85 match with SPY corrections
> Will this keep dropping to 81-80?
CCI - Consumer Confidence Index
> A leading indication of people's optimism about economy
> Red rectangles show significant drops that corresponded with SPY correction
> Does most recent CCI drop reflect more SPY correction?
High consumer price inflation is good for borrowers, right? Err…Another Market Myth Exposed
The Nasdaq index has now declined by 10% from its November high , prompting the mainstream financial media to call it a “ correction ” whatever that means. I think they call it a bear market when it is down by 20% . Many stocks have already fallen by at least that amount, and realistically, it’s all semantics anyway.
It’s early days, but what is curious, though, is that high yield , or junk , bonds continue to hold up. To be fair, junk bonds, as measured by the U.S.$ CCC & Lower-rated yield spread reached peak outperformance in June last year and have underperformed since, but yet there have been no signs, as yet, of any rush out of the sector.
I heard an analyst on Bloomberg TV yesterday say that he was bullish of credit, particularly junk, because it does well in an accelerating consumer price inflation environment. The theory is that higher consumer price inflation means that companies can increase prices, thereby increasing revenue in nominal terms. At the same time, though, the amount the company owes via its bonds remains the same, thereby decreasing the debt’s real value and making it easier to service. It’s a win-win situation apparently, and that means junk bonds outperform.
The opposite should be true under consumer price deflation. Junk bonds should underperform because, with nominal corporate revenues declining, the value of debt goes up in real terms, making it harder for corporates to service it.
OK, I thought, channeling Mike Bloomberg’s mantra of, “ in God we trust, everyone else bring data ” let’s have a look at the evidence.
The chart above shows the U.S. dollar-denominated CCC & Lower-rated yield spread versus the annualized rate of consumer price inflation in the U.S . Apart from the period of 2004 to 2006, there’s hardly any evidence to suggest that accelerating consumer price inflation is good for the high-yield corporate debt market.
Junk bonds were only just being invented by Michael Milken in the 1970s, and didn’t come into popularity until the 1980s, but we can examine corporate bond performance by looking at the Moody’s Seasoned Aaa Corporate yield spread to U.S. Treasuries. Doing so, reveals that, in the first major consumer price inflation spike, between 1973 and 1975, corporate debt underperformed as the yield spread widened. In the second major consumer price inflation spike, from 1978 to 1980, corporate debt briefly outperformed but then underperformed dramatically, as annualized price inflation reached 13%.
It goes without saying, of course, that this analysis is just looking at the relative performance of corporate debt under accelerating consumer price inflation. The nominal performance is another matter. Borrowers and lenders ( bond investors ) both got savaged in the 1970s with the Moody’s Seasoned Aaa Corporate yield rising from 3% to close to 12%.
The conclusion we must reach is that the level of consumer price inflation does not matter to relative corporate bond performance. It does, however, matter for nominal performance . More semantics, some may say. What really matters is how it affects one’s wallet.
The bread and butter of global macroBefore you trade stocks, bitcoin, FX, bonds or anything you have to try and understand how our monetary system works not to miss the big picture.
This video helps you by providing a 10.000 foot view of the global macro landscape. Don't miss the forest for the trees.
Tune in and enjoy!
US Treasury Yield Curve and Inversions.This chart shows three times during the past three decades in which the yield curve inverts. An inversion is when the rate of a shorter term debt security is higher than the rate of a longer term debt security. This is identified on this chart in 2000, 2006, 2019.
Treasury Debt Securities:
Bill; less than one year to maturity at issue.
Note; greater than one year but less than 10 years to maturity at issue.
Bond; greater than 10 years to maturity at issue.
In 2000 the yield of the 3 month US Treasury Bill was about 6.3% while the yields of both the 5 year Note and 30 year Bond were around 5.8%.
In 2006 the yield of the 3 month US Treasury Bill was about 5.1% while the yields of both the 5 year Note and 30 year Bond were around 4.9%.
In 2019 the yield of the 3 month US Treasury Bill was about 2.3% while the yield of the 2 year Note was around 1.8%.
FR US yields vs EURUSDInterest rates are crucial in the movement of currencies. The blue is EURUSD. Those things are not 100 percent correlated but it is something that needs to be paid attention to.
In this post I will demonstrate the relationship between French American bond yields (interest rates) differential and EURUSD.
We use 2 principal yields 2 yearly and 5 yearly composite differential.
As you see, once the yields differential hits the resistance or reversal level (here we use DeMark and Camarilla reversal levels) - there is a reaction in EURUSD. EURUSD keeps moving some 30 pips more (fakeout?) and then turns as well.
On weekly differential chart we see that the differential is at 0 level after a poor bullish breakout. There is also fractal pattern in play.
We also see DeMark monthly pivot squeeze on 60 min (DeMark squeeze predicts volatility and turns in the markets).
You may also use German yields instead of French ones - not much difference actually.
Both American and European yields are in their lowest levels. German ones dropped below 0.
Bitcoin: a gauge for asian risk toleranceSpread between Chinese and JGB's appears follow Bitcoin (usd) pretty well. As expected: bitcoin is the exact opposite of a portfolio hedge, and just a call option (like Tom Lee has made the case for) for growth. Interestingly enough, falling rates appear to stimulate selling and rising rates entice buying.
