Tag

Tightening Cycle

All articles tagged with #tightening cycle

finance2 years ago

"Bridgewater CIOs: Market Enters Second Stage of Tightening"

Bridgewater Associates' co-chief investment officers believe that the market has entered the second stage of tightening, where changes in economic conditions are not the primary drivers of changes in yields and asset prices. They argue that the upward adjustment in bond yields is justified due to factors such as moderately high inflation, strong wage growth, and robust labor market conditions. They expect this new stage to result in grinding pressure on growth and for the equity market to become less competitive compared to bonds. However, they note that a substantial and sustained rise in productivity, particularly through breakthroughs in AI and large language models, could potentially restore risk premiums in equities relative to bonds.

finance2 years ago

Navigating the Elusive Quest for a Soft Landing: Insights from Fed's Powell and WSJ's Timiraos

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reaffirmed that achieving a soft landing is a primary objective for the central bank, despite acknowledging that it is not the baseline expectation. A soft landing refers to a successful tightening cycle where interest rates are raised enough to slow the economy and control inflation without causing a recession. Powell's remarks highlight the risks and challenges of intentionally hindering the economy to control inflation. The concept of a soft landing is difficult to define and historically requires a rare combination of favorable conditions and luck. The stock market reacted negatively to Powell's comments, with major indices ending the day in the red. Powell emphasized that the Fed's ultimate goal is to restore price stability and prevent prolonged economic uncertainty.

finance2 years ago

Fed's actions and inflation data impact stock market.

The stock market ended flat on Wednesday after a volatile session as investors digested the Fed's decision to leave rates on hold while signaling more tightening than expected. The Fed delivered the first pause of this tightening cycle while keeping the door open for up to two additional hikes this year, leading to a "Jekyll and Hyde" meeting, according to Jim Smigiel, chief investment officer at SEI.