Withholding tax collections soared in February to their highest level in 13 months. If this is not just a flash in the pan or data anomaly, it could mean smaller than forecast deficits ahead. Smaller deficits translate to less than expected Treasury supply. But less than expected isn’t less in real terms. Supply will still be huge, and still a problem for the market to digest over the longer term. Non-subscribers, click here for access.
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But in the short run, the strongest revenue collection period of the year starts now. Corporate income taxes for last year are due on March 15, and both annual individual and quarterly individual and corporate income taxes are due April 15. Which is why, every year from mid March to late May, the annual revenue windfall leads to paydowns of Treasury bills. Non-subscribers, click here for access.
Those paydowns put cash back into the pockets of the holders of the paid down T-bills. That cash figruratively burns holes in the pockets of those entities, mostly professional investors, who then use that cash to buy longer term fixed income paper and yes, stocks. That’s why we normally see a seasonal rally in the stock or bond market, or both, in the spring. The timing varies, but significant strength in April and May is the rule. Non-subscribers, click here for access.
When the paydowns end and the government starts borrowing heavily again, the markets often sell off. Non-subscribers, click here for access.
So should we expect anything different this year? Here’s the answer, and an explanation of why that is, and how to take advantage of it. Non-subscribers, click here for access.
Liquidity analysis gives us the context, or the map of the general direction where we can expect the markets to head over the next few months. That helps us to better understand the message of the technical charts. Non-subscribers, click here for access.
Meanwhile, the Fed’s RRP facility, which has been the source of much of the money contributing to the stock and bond market rallies, continues to be drained. However, the rate of withdrawals has slowed dramatically. As a result, the money in that pot looks likely to last longer than I originally expected, especially if T-bill paydowns increase on the strength of greater than expected revenues. This report also shows you exactly what that means for the markets. Non-subscribers, click here for access.
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