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Category: Fed, Central Bank and Banking Macro Liquidity

Analysis of the major forces of macro liquidity that drive markets. Click here to subscribe. 90 day risk free trial!

Markets Create Money, Money Talks, Markets Listen Etc.

The Fed’s weekly real time balance sheet data and its slightly lagged data on the condition of the US banking system are inching closer to suggesting an end to the stock market rally. But they aren’t there yet. It could still take weeks or months.

It’s better not to attempt to anticipate. Money talks, and markets listen. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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Markets also have the ability to create their own money. And that’s what’s been happening in this bull run. The Fed and its cohorts are not the drivers of this, as they were under the 12 year QE regime. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

As animal spirits take hold, eventually they turn into manias. And manias create their own liquidity through the magic of leveraged borrowing. As prices of stocks rise, a cycle of rising prices creates more collateral for borrowing, leading to higher prices, and so on.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Of course, manias ultimately lead to crashes. But they continue until they are exhausted. We look for signs of exhaustion both in the technical market data, which I report in the Technical Trader reports, and in the liquidity data that I report here. In this report, I show you exactly what the charts of the data are telling us to expect in the weeks and months ahead. If you know what’s coming, then you can formulate your own strategy and tactics accordingly. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

As I wrote last week, “The end may come quickly, so we need to be prepared and vigilant. Complacency is the trader’s enemy. We must guard against that…” Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Get the report now, for specifics.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

The Magic of Rising Stock Prices Driving Liquidity, Driving Prices

The Fed’s weekly real time balance sheet data and its slightly lagged data on the condition of the US banking system still show little sign of an imminent end to the stock market rally. Only the Foreign Central Bank trend is negative, and that on its own isn’t sufficient to turn the market. It needs help, and there’s none to be found. The bulls are running wild. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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As they do, prices of stocks rise. And that creates its own vicious cycle of liquidity creation leading to higher prices, and so on. This is how manias become entrenched. They continue until they are exhausted. We look for signs of exhaustion both in the technical market data, which I report in the Technical Trader reports, and in the liquidity data that I report here. In neither case are there signs that this rally is finished yet. But I’m on the lookout.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

The end may come quickly, so we need to be prepared and vigilant. Complacency is the trader’s enemy. We must guard against that.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Subscription Plans

KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

Attention New Subscribers! Please check your spam folder for your subscription welcome messages and post notifications and whitelist Liquiditytrader.com. Some email providers like Hotmail and others which use the Proofpoint gatekeeper are blocking Liquidity Trader emails completely. I have been unable to get them to stop. Please notify them to “Let my emails go!”

If you continue to have issues receiving Liquidity Trader emails, just check here daily at 9 AM ET for the latest posts.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Tax Collections Took Off in a Stunning Reversal in February

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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We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Fed – We Make Money from Nothing

Neither the Fed’s weekly real time balance sheet data, nor its slightly lagged data on the condition of the US banking system yet shows any sign of an imminent end to the stock market rally. On the other hand, there’s plenty of evidence of an entrenched mania. And they usually don’t end well. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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We can deduce that the fuel for this rally has several sources. They’re not finite. This is a matter of where there’s a will there’s a way. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Some of it is bond portfolio liquidation. Some is margin. Some is foreign money inflows. None of it is coming from the Fed. This is all about animal spirits, and the power of animal spirits to create money from nothing and stocks for free. Just borrow the money into existence. Or move it from something else, or somewhere else. That can go on and on until the mass psychology exhausts itself. When that happens, it usually does so with a vengeance. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

This process is sustainable until it isn’t. We, like the Fed, are data dependent, and that data includes both the liquidity data and the technical analysis data that I cover in the Technical Trader reports. So far neither set of data is screaming “It’s over!” Until they show signs of topping out simultaneously, we have to let it ride. The theater is crowded, but there’s no point in screaming “Fire!” yet. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

Attention New Subscribers! Please check your spam folder for your subscription welcome messages and post notifications and whitelist Liquiditytrader.com. Some email providers like Hotmail and others which use the Proofpoint gatekeeper are blocking Liquidity Trader emails completely. I have been unable to get them to stop. Please notify them to “Let my emails go!”

If you continue to have issues receiving Liquidity Trader emails, just check here daily at 9 AM ET for the latest posts.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Market Sentiment vs. Liquidity Reaches Historical Hysterical

In last week’s report, we noted that “One of the key measures of animal spirits versus liquidity has reached an historic level of insanity that could mark the end of this move. Or it could signal the beginning of even more craziness.” Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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The market’s verdict last week was “more craziness.” But the liquidity readings still are not cooperating. That craziness should end with a thud in the next couple of weeks. We’re already seeing the indigestion in the bond market. I think that that’s a sign of things to come, with worse news ahead for Treasuries and other fixed income. And then for stocks. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

The issue, as always is the timing. We’ve reached a stage in this market that the weekly banking data and real time weekly Fed balance sheet data is more important than ever. Therefore, I will go to a weekly follow up on this.  I’ll show you the charts, tell you what they mean, and we’ll formulate a plan for how to handle the tactical view from the TA.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

This very well could be the week that was. One way or the other. This report shows what the key is, and what to do about it.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Subscription Plans

KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

 

Attention New Subscribers! Please check your spam folder for your subscription welcome messages and post notifications and whitelist Liquiditytrader.com. Some email providers like Hotmail and others which use the Proofpoint gatekeeper are blocking Liquidity Trader emails completely. I have been unable to get them to stop. Please notify them to “Let my emails go!”

If you continue to have issues receiving Liquidity Trader emails, just check here daily at 9 AM ET for the latest posts.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

This Will Be the Week That Was

A potentially historic week is on tap. One of the key measures of animal spirits versus liquidity has reached an historic level of insanity that could mark the end of this move. Or it could signal the beginning of even more craziness.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Subscribers, click here to download the report.

This very well could be the week that was. One way or the other. This report shows what the key is, and what to do about it.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

 

Subscription Plans

KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

 

Attention New Subscribers! Please check your spam folder for your subscription welcome messages and post notifications and whitelist Liquiditytrader.com. Some email providers like Hotmail and others which use the Proofpoint gatekeeper are blocking Liquidity Trader emails completely. I have been unable to get them to stop. Please notify them to “Let my emails go!”

If you continue to have issues receiving Liquidity Trader emails, just check here daily at 9 AM ET for the latest posts.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

What’s Up with Down Withholding Tax Collections

Withholding taxes rebounded in January, but they were still negative year to year in inflation adjusted terms, and barely positive in nominal terms. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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By any standard, the withholding tax data doesn’t support the jobs report.  Non-subscribers, click here for access. 

But that’s not what matters. Here’s what does.    Non-subscribers, click here for access. 

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KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

Fed Balance Sheet Right Now Says Bears Should Get Ready to Rumble

Despite the fact that the Fed is no longer the only driver of the markets in one direction, it still plays a role indirectly. So we still monitor the Fed’s weekly balance sheet. It is still the timeliest source of data on several critical market drivers. It’s published weekly, virtually in real time, with data through the current Wednesday, published on Thursday after the financial markets close.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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The numbers and the discussion are dry, and can be dense, so I’ve been thinking about ways that I could relate those numbers to the reality of stocks and bond prices on the ground, without putting you to sleep.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Then it dawned on me!  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

So, in this report I present a few charts of the Liabilities side of the Fed’s balance sheet. They show us that maybe we shouldn’t be so sanguine about the continuation of this bull market. In fact, it looks like something bad is coming, and soon.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Subscription Plans

KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

 

Attention New Subscribers! Please check your spam folder for your subscription welcome messages and post notifications and whitelist Liquiditytrader.com. Some email providers like Hotmail and others which use the Proofpoint gatekeeper are blocking Liquidity Trader emails completely. I have been unable to get them to stop. Please notify them to “Let my emails go!”

If you continue to have issues receiving Liquidity Trader emails, just check here daily at 9 AM ET for the latest posts.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Primary Dealers Are Maxed Out Again

The dealers have gone to an extreme of leverage against their bond positions for the second time since last July.  Back then, the extreme lasted for about a month, and it coincided with an intermediate top in stock prices and an accelerated decline in bond prices and the necessary inverse rise in yields.  Non-subscribers, click here for access.

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This report shows the pictures that tell the story, and that tells us what to do about it.

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KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

Weekly Bank Data and Fed Balance Sheet Say the End is Nigh

Attention New Subscribers! Please check your spam folder for your subscription welcome messages and post notifications and whitelist Liquiditytrader.com. Some email providers like Hotmail and others which use the Proofpoint gatekeeper are blocking Liquidity Trader emails completely. I have been unable to get them to stop. Please notify them to “Let my emails go!”

If you continue to have issues receiving Liquidity Trader emails, just check here daily at 9 AM ET for the latest posts.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Bank deposits, repo borrowing, and the Fed’s RRP facility have been the fuels for the rally. There are strong correlations between them and stock prices. In the past two weeks they’ve reached an inflection point. Depending on how they break, we should get a signal on the most likely intermediate term direction of stock prices. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

However, liquidity only establishes market context. Technical analysis of price trends shows action and timing. Context helps us to better understand the timing indicators when they are ambiguous. I cover that in the Technical Trader reports. Non-subscribers, click here for access.

Subscribers, click here to download the report.

Subscription Plans

KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, before the Street does, read Lee Adler’s Liquidity Trader risk free for 90 days! Act on real-time reality! 

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