Friday, January 23, 2026

The Morning Call---Is inflation stablizing at 3% instead of 2%?

 

The Morning Call

 

1/23/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Thursday in the charts.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/gold-stocks-soar-good-news-sparks-plunge-rate-cut-odds

 

Note: the S&P sustained its move to the upside but remains below its former all-time high. If it fails to close above that level (~6927) today, last week’s breakout will be negated.

 

            Although the Russell breaks out.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/russell-breaks-out-ai-heats-asia-and-gold-panics

 

            Thursday in the technical stats.

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/momentum

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/sectors/rankings

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/signals/new-recommendations

 

            Tuesday’s bullish signal.

            https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-stock-market-indicator-just-flashed-one-of-its-most-bullish-signals-since-2000-774fec6b?st=qKiMjA

 

            Garbage stocks on fire again.

            https://www.ft.com/content/a5faea0b-a9a9-4045-a5a3-fe429ae7bbab

 

Retail investors bought Tuesday’s dip. (But they haven’t been able to recapture the former all time high---at least not yet.)

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/taco-thunder-retail-investors-bought-tuesdays-dip-record-amounts

 

            Why falling bond volatility matters.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/incredible-move-why-falling-bond-volatility-mattersH

 

            Gold vol panic.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/gold-vol-panic-builds-retail-and-ctas-pile

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

November personal income rose 0.3%, in line; November personal spending was up 0.5% versus +0.1%.

https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/01/no-mini-recession-during-government.html

 

The November PCE index was up 0.2%, in line; the core PCE index was up 0.2% versus up 0.1%.

 

The January Kansas City Fed manufacturing index came in at -2 versus consensus of +5.

 

                        International

 

                          December Japanese CPI was -0.1% versus expectations of +0.2%

 

December UK retail sales grew 0.4% versus estimates of -0.2%; ex fuel, they were up 0.3% versus -0.3%; the January consumer confidence index was -16 versus -17.

                       

The January EU consumer confidence index was -12.4 versus expectations of -13.6.

 

The January Japanese flash manufacturing PMI was 51.5 versus forecasts of 50.5; the flash services PMI was 53.4 versus 51.5; the flash composite PMI was 52.8 versus 50.9; the January German flash manufacturing PMI was 48.7 versus  48.6; the flash services PMI was 53.3 versus 52.9; the flash composite PMI was 52.5 versus 52.2; the January EU flash manufacturing PMI was 49.4 versus 49.7; the flash services PMI was 54.9 versus 52.9; the flash composite PMI was 51.5 versus 52.3; the January UK flash manufacturing PMI was 51.6 versus 50.5; the flash services PMI was 54.3 versus 51.5; the flash composite PMI was 53.9 versus 51.7.

 

                        Other

 

                          November real disposable income was flat.

                          https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/01/22/real-disposable-income-per-capita-flat-november-2025

 

The housing market is broken. This video is 23 minutes long but well worth the view.

https://talkmarkets.com/content/us-markets/housing-just-broke-again?post=551983

 

PCE goods inflation has bottomed.

https://mishtalk.com/economics/pce-goods-inflation-has-bottomed-services-poised-to-explode-higher/

 

            Overnight News

 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview Thursday that the U.S. relationship with China has reached a “very good equilibrium” where disagreements are less likely to turn into full-scale economic conflict as they did last year.

 

US House passes package of FY26 funding bills in a major step towards averting government shutdown on Jan 31st, sending to Senate for final votes.

 

The EU is moving to revive its US trade deal after President Trump backed away from his tariff threat tied to Greenland.

 

            Monetary Policy

 

Trump’s spat with the Fed. I like the author’s analysis of the Fed’s shortcomings but I am confused by his Alfred Hitchcock conclusion (you think one thing is going to happen and the exact opposite occurs). The entirety of analysis of the Fed past performance suggests the need for some kind of change in operation (less power, a smaller mandate, reform)---which I agree with. Instead of offering some constructive alternative, his conclusion is that Trump’s solution is a cynical power grab---which by the way, I also agree with. But any reform rendered by politicians that takes away power from one entity will almost assuredly give it to another. In short, the author spoils a perfectly good argument for Fed reform as an excuse to bash Trump rather than offer a construction solution.

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/01/satyajit-das-president-trumps-spat-with-the-federal-reserve-is-not-about-central-bank-independence.html

 

            Fiscal Policy

 

              The cost of the past.

              https://www.kiteandkeymedia.com/videos/legacy-costs-federal-spending-social-security-medicare-debt-mandatory-discretionary/

 

            Inflation

 

              The arguments for and against higher inflation.

              https://www.ft.com/content/685ea881-657b-4741-a12c-5f027bb44d02

 

Is inflation stabilizing at 3% instead of 2%---and what that means for stocks and bonds.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/treasury-bonds-are-not-priced-trump

           

            AI

 

              More words of caution on AI.

              https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/after-ai

 

     Investing

 

            Politics and the Market.

            https://www.carsongroup.com/insights/blog/lets-talk-about-politics/

 

Stock market affordability. I am not sure about the author’ logic for ‘growth premium’; however, if applied to all stocks, it does provide a sense of relative value.

https://www.advisorperspectives.com/commentaries/2026/01/22/affordability-crisis-stock-market

 

Six lessons from Buffett.

https://www.morningstar.com/markets/warren-buffett-was-never-just-value-investor-heres-real-secret-his-investing-success

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

 

 

What I am reading today

 

           

 

 

Visit Investing for Survival’s website (http://investingforsurvival.com/home) to learn more about our Investment Strategy, Prices Disciplines and Subscriber Service.

 

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment