Friday, September 18, 2026

The Morning Call--A review of past Fed rate hiking cycles

 

The Morning Call

 

9/18/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Thursday in the charts.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/oil-slump-soothes-warsh-hangover-stocks-bonds-gold-all-soar?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTI1NDMxIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTY3NjQzNSwiZXhwIjoxNzkyMjY4NDM1LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.0MWMuK4y3ZKwv0tcCG4ZrPMtqqKIa9X4DuW9gQ273GE

 

Note: the S&P ended back above its former all-time high and its 50 DMA (negating the recent reset) but remains in a very short term downtrend.  I will continue to sit on my hands at least until it trades out of that downtrend.

 

            Thursday in the technical stats.

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

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/market-performance

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

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

 

            Stocks are trapped.

https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/stocks-are-trapped-and-pressure-building?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTI1NTAwIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTczNTA4MiwiZXhwIjoxNzkyMzI3MDgyLCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.2txevSK_jINrhmvTbPwjknX-sOyvWp6awf0q0CGQrbU

 

            But the pain trade is stocks move higher.

https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/everyone-just-turned-bearish-once-upside-now-main-pain-trade?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTI1NDg5Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTczNTQ0NywiZXhwIjoxNzkyMzI3NDQ3LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.4TidirA98HGC_grkcv1fdqiXIYrlML6zGTT3MiNRWxM

 

 

            Just not yet.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/amid-2nd-largest-opex-history-citadel-securities-chief-strategist-warns-september-weakness?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTI1NTA3Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTczNjE3OSwiZXhwIjoxNzkyMzI4MTc5LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.iDe8c17SWx-X8JCDsB7qqjmxHvurbJPahXez79sQLTM

 

Friday morning setup: US stock futures are little changed on Friday, with big tech stocks rising while sentiment is supported by another modest decline in oil prices; a near-record $7 trillion quad-witching and index rebalances add to Friday's set-up. US tariff-delay hopes, a flattening US curve and softer diesel and WTI prices ease inflation concerns, while AI bulls are back in charge. As of 8:00am ET, S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% to 7,713.25, erasing modest gains, while Nasdaq futures rise 0.3% as the market momentum after the risk-on rally yesterday holding well into today’s session with Tech continuing its leadership. In premarket trading, Mag 7 stocks are mostly higher led by GOOG/L (+2.0%); AMZN is flat after the 5% rally yesterday amid a long-term deal with Generac. Meanwhile, Brent crude traded near $104 a barrel. The dollar climbed 0.2%, while gold rose toward $4,400 an ounce. Treasuries resumed losses after a brief rebound, with the 10-year yield up three basis points to 4.97%. Overnight, the BOJ hiked by 25bps as expected, but the vote split skewed dovish as two Takaishi-appointed members dissented, which sent the yen sharply lower (USDJPY breaking above 157 for first time since early Sept) and Japanese stocks rallying (Tech > Banks). The USD is higher post BOJ decision. Oil is unchanged this morning; both precious and base metals are higher. Today’s macro data focus is on Industrial Production and Leading Index which are not expected to be market moving.

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

                          August pending home sales rose 0.3% versus consensus of +0.2%.

 

                        International

 

                          July YoY EU construction output fell 2.0% versus projections of -1.0%.

 

                          August Japanese CPI was up 0.1% versus estimates of up 0.2%.

 

                          August German PPI was up 1.1% versus predictions of +0.4%.

 

August UK retail sales increased 0.5% versus forecasts of -0.2%; ex fuel, they were up 0.6% versus -0.2%.

 

                        Other

 

Are yesterday’s housing starts/building permits numbers a significant warning sign?

                          https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/09/august-new-housing-construction-saying.html

 

            Iran

 

              Trump concedes that he must act soon.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/crude-eases-china-reportedly-presses-iran-rein-houthis

 

            Monetary Policy

 

              A review of past Fed rate hiking cycles.

  https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/why-warsh-has-hike-over-200bps-next-12-months-contain-inflation?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTI1NDIzIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTY3NTQ3MCwiZXhwIjoxNzkyMjY3NDcwLCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.9Mhoezr5GDiCMPo7pv-BPGf4lX5H_XUFPDy1OhsePgQ

 

 

              What comes next?

                          https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/business/economy/fed-interest-rates-warsh.html?unlocked_article_code=1.B1E.WQX4.YMSc7it4hzqQ&smid=url-share

 

                           The case for not raising rates.

              https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2026/09/17/warsh_just_broke_the_greenspan-bernanke_rule_and_the_us_will_pay_1206624.html

 

                          Trump can’t control bond yields.

              https://www.capitalspectator.com/trump-can-pressure-the-fed-he-cant-control-bond-yields/

 

                           After a rate pause, will the Bank of England raise in November?

              https://talkmarkets.com/article/bank-of-england-floats-a-november-rate-hike-if-energy-prices-dont-come-down

 

 

                        Inflation

 

              Forget the inflation surveys, watch the bond market.

              https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/7d3e4f8b-b80d-4eab-be42-b0a73565eb7a

 

            Recession

 

              The global economy is running out of wiggle room.

              https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/business/economy/iran-war-energy-prices.html?unlocked_article_code=1.B1E.KEYF.BC8Wc8-gcbUp&smid=url-share

 

            AI

 

Another proposed reason for limits on AI. I am getting a bit tired of reading the scare stories about the harm AI will produce.  To be sure, we have to be careful in managing its development.  But this is starting to sound like a repeat of a long series of supposedly manmade dooms day forecasts generated by our intellectual elite/ruling class that include population growth (global hunger), depletion of natural resources, climate cooling, climate change and Covid---the intellectual elite fabricating the end of mankind so the unwashed will give them the power to usurp liberty in order to solve the problem---but which in the end really involved a few tweaks to the system  So I include this not because I agree but as an illustration (in my opinion) of intellectual fear mongering. (1) the creative part of solving a mathematical problem is posing the question in the first place.  Only a human can do that. (2) what difference does it make if it takes Einstein fifteen years to solve a mathematical problem versus a computer in fifteen seconds, the point of training future mathematicians is studying how the problem was solved.

              https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/a-severe-misalignment-of-ai-in-mathematics/

 

                  Dems push for data center moratorium.

                          https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ai-fuels-global-earnings-boom-dems-push-data-center-moratoriums-could-spark-global-stock

 

House passes bill to ensure data centers provide for their own energy needs.  On the other hand, it makes sense that AI pay for its consumption of public resources. (a tweak)

              https://www.zerohedge.com/political/house-passes-bill-ensure-data-centers-cover-their-own-energy-costs

 

 

            Tariffs

 

              Why is congress about to give Trump additional tariff authority?

              https://www.cato.org/blog/why-congress-going-authorize-president-trump-raise-taxes-potentially-hundreds-billions-dollars

 

 

     Investing

 

            Long bonds are getting more attractive.

            Sheesh, Bonds! - Wealth Management - Carson Group

 

            The most crowded hedge fund positions.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/most-crowded-hedge-fund-stocks-and-themes-september-update?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTI1NDQ2Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTY3NDUxMSwiZXhwIjoxNzkyMjY2NTExLCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.88j7xOssuEEamZdnBSrHhz5ONhFqksR0xWWj3q5dnpo

 

            Oil bears have one problem.

https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/oil-bears-have-one-problem-barrels-arent-there?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTI1NDM0Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTY3NTI1MiwiZXhwIjoxNzkyMjY3MjUyLCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.ZizHkHDwQ1uCz9b-Ih2BnLytNXXUOZ4KjwhbNCre_lM

 

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

 

 

What I am reading today

 

           

 

 

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