Wednesday, January 20, 2021

The Morning Call--Yellen says 'go big'

 

The Morning Call

 

1/20/21

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Tuesday in the charts.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/yellens-go-big-narrative-sparks-big-tech-bond-bullion-bitcoin-gains

 

            Signs of exuberance.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/signs-exuberance-warn-correction

 

            Madness of the crowds.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/c0k5-m8yah

                       

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

Weekly mortgage applications fell 1.9% while purchase applications were up 7.2%.

 

                        International

 

December German PPI was +0.8% versus estimates of +0.3%; UK CPI was +0.3% versus +0.2%, core CPI was +0.3% versus +0.2%; EU CPI was +0.3%, in line.

 

                        Other

        

                          The economy’s growth obsession.

                          https://americanconsequences.com/the-economys-growth-obsession-kim-iskyan/

 

                          Consistency about elasticities.

                          https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2021/01/consistency-about-elasticities.html

 

         Fiscal Policy

 

           Yellen to congress: go big.  As you know, one of my thesis for lo these many years is that passed a certain level (Rogoff and Reinhart says 90%) the national debt/GDP ratio has proven to inhibit economic growth.  The reason is simple---we have to spend so much money servicing the debt that it limits the amount that can be used to invest in increased productivity (i.e., economic growth).  Well, the US is will beyond the 90% level and it appears that with the ‘go big’ agenda it is only going to get higher; and, therefore, pose an even greater burden on the economy.  To be fair, whatever portion of the new ‘go big’ program is for infrastructure (productivity enhancing projects) that is a positive for growth.  But as I read the list of proposed expenditures, productivity enhancing projects are in woefully short supply.  The bottom line being while a new infusion of cash into the economy may get investors jiggy in the short term, longer term it just provides further support for the thesis of higher debt = lower growth.

           https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/watch-live-janet-go-big-yellen-cheerleads-biden-fiscal-largesse-nomination-hearings

 

           Problems with the pandemic relief bill.

           https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/01/joe-bidens-pandemic-relief-bill-is-a-mess/

 

           Increasing income tax progressivity may increase growth.

           http://econbrowser.com/archives/2021/01/guest-contribution-increasing-income-tax-progressivity-trickle-up-not-trickle-down-economics

 

         Bottom line.  Be cautious with small cap stocks.

            https://www.advisorperspectives.com/commentaries/2021/01/19/nfib-survey-sends-a-strong-warning-about-small-cap-stocks

 

           An actual bubble is unmissable.

           https://mylesudland.substack.com/p/spac-ev-bubble-2021

 

           Where Wall Street thinks the biggest bubbles are.

           https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/where-wall-street-thinks-biggest-bubble

 

           Know your risk management.

           https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/c0zgvnno0j

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) declares $0.28/share quarterly dividend, 12% increase from prior dividend of $0.25.

 

What I am reading today

 

            Deconstructing bitcoin.

            https://integratinginvestor.com/deconstructing-bitcoins-zeal-into-investible-theses/

           

            The monopoly power of Facebook and Google.

            https://promarket.org/2021/01/18/facebook-whatsapp-terms-of-service-ads-data-privacy/

 

            Wednesday morning humor.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/fire-crotch-gwyneth-paltrows-vagina-scented-candle-explodes-sets-uk-home-ablaze

 

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