Doug Noland: Arms Race

This is a syndicated repost courtesy of Credit Bubble Bulletin . To view original, click here. Reposted with permission.
Bloomberg: ‘Treasuries Surge as December Hike Odds Drop After CPI Miss.’ Year-over-year CPI was up 2.2% in September, with consumer inflation above 2% y-o-y for six of the past 10 months. The Producer Price Index gained 2.6% y-o-y in September. Yet, apparently, the focus will remain on core CPI (along with core personal consumption expenditure inflation) that, up 1.7% y-o-y, missed estimates by one tenth and remained below 2% for the sixth straight month. Notably – analytically if not in the markets – the preliminary October reading of University of Michigan Consumer Confidence jumped six points to the high since January 2004. Or taking a slightly different view, Consumer Confidence has been stronger for only one month in the past 17 years. Current Conditions rose to the highest level since November 2000.
Data notwithstanding, from Bloomberg: ‘Bond Shorts Experience the Agony of Defeat Yet Again.’ Ten-year Treasury yields declined nine bps this week to 2.27%, though I’m not sure this qualifies as a ‘defeat.’ In stark contrast to the fanatical gathering on the opposing side of the field, not a single central banker was spotted on the bond bears’ sideline.

This post was published at Wall Street Examiner by Doug Noland ‘ October 14, 2017.