ColinTwiggs, Author at the patient investor

April 24, 2013

The Grave Evil of Unemployment, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty

Bryan Caplan makes the case for a fresh approach from free-market economists:

At the level of high theory, free-market economists love market-clearing models. If there’s surplus wheat, the price of wheat will fall to clear the market. If there’s surplus labor, similarly, the wage will fall to eliminate unemployment. What about nominal wage rigidity? Most free-market economists concede that nominal wage rigidity exists to some degree, but think the problem is mild and short-lived……..The high theory’s wrong: Nominal wage rigidity is both strong and durable.

Rather than treat unemployment as a necessary but temporary affliction, Caplan suggests that free-market economists should be attacking the “vast array of employment-destroying regulations” imposed by government — and tight monetary policy by central banks, where they should be advocating nominal GDP targeting as an alternative.

April 24, 2013

TheMoneyIllusion

TheMoneyIllusion highlights this common mistake by central banks:

Despite the fact that our mainstream textbooks tell us that low rates don’t mean easy money, most central bankers cannot shake the suspicion that low rates do mean easy money, and that the current relatively low rates are a danger to the economy. This irrational bias is driving policy failure in much of the world. Even central banks at the zero bound (like the Fed) are inhibited in their push for unconventional stimulus by this cognitive illusion.

Debunking austerity claims makes no difference to Europe’s monks and zealots | Telegraph Blogs

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard attacks euro-zone austerity:

Britain’s public debt was 260pc of GDP in 1816 at the end of near perma-wars: Seven Years War, American War of Independence, and the Napoleonic Wars. This was whittled down to 24pc over the next century by the magical compound effects of economic growth. The debt reached 220pc in 1945, the price for defeating fascism. This was certainly a drag on the post-War recovery, but it did not stop debt falling to 36pc by the mid-1990s.

Britain twice recovered from massive debt through a combination of growth and inflation — not necessarily in that order — but they had control of their own currency. The states of Europe are strait-jacketed by a currency dominated by the austerity-minded Bundesbank.

April 24, 2013

Paul Krugman: Hot Money Blues | NYTimes.com

Paul Krugman argues for a return of capital controls:

In the last decade America, too, experienced a huge housing bubble fed by foreign money, followed by a nasty hangover after the bubble burst. The damage was mitigated by the fact that we borrowed in our own currency, but it’s still our worst crisis since the 1930s.

Japan and China amassed more than $2 trillion in US Treasuries in their attempt to halt, or at least slow, appreciation of their currencies against the Dollar. US manufacturers suffered, both in domestic and export markets, laboring at a huge competitive disadvantage because of the artificial exchange rate.

Trade agreements should cap capital flows between countries, setting a limit on the net capital in/outflow in any one year and offsetting measures to be taken if the cap is exceeded.

Read more at Hot Money Blues – NYTimes.com.

April 24, 2013April 16, 2018

PIMCO’s Gross: Investing may be more difficult in years ahead

Charles Stein and Alexis Leondis at Bloomberg quote Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer at PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Co) about the outlook for the next decade:

Recently, Gross has become more reflective in his monthly online commentaries. In the April outlook, called “A Man in the Mirror,” he suggested that the careers of the great investors of the past three or four decades were fueled by an expansion of credit that may be coming to an end, and that investing may become more difficult in years ahead.

“All of us, even the old guys like Buffett, Soros, Fuss, yeah — me too, have cut our teeth during perhaps a most advantageous period of time, the most attractive epoch, that an investor could experience,” he wrote. “Perhaps it was the epoch that made the man.”

Central banks have at last awoken to the dangers of rapid credit expansion and are unlikely to allow a repeat of the credit-fueled growth of the last thirty years. Bull markets of the future are therefore likely to be a lot more sedate.
Read more at Pimco’s Rising Stars Pull in Money for Future After Gross – Bloomberg.

April 24, 2013

ASX 200 correction over

The ASX 200 rallied strongly after breaking resistance at 5020. Breach of the March high at 5150 is likely and would signal an advance to 5400*. A 21-day Twiggs Money Flow peak below zero would warn of strong selling pressure.
ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 5150 + ( 5150 – 4900 ) = 5400

The monthly chart offers a long-term target of 6000*.
ASX 50 Index

* Target calculation: 5000 + ( 5000 – 4000 ) = 6000

April 23, 2013

Nikkei and ASX 200 rally, while China & Europe weaken

Respect of support at 1540 and the bottom trend channel indicates a S&P 500 rally to test 1600 and the upper channel line. Failure to break resistance at 1600 would warn of a correction as signaled by mild bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow.

S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1350 + ( 1350 – 1100 ) = 1600

The FTSE 100 also respected support, at 6220, but a tall shadow on Monday warns of selling pressure. Reversal of 21-day Twiggs Money Flow below zero would strengthen the signal and breach of support (6220) would signal a test of the primary trendline at 6000.
FTSE 100 Index

* Target calculation: 6220 – ( 6420 – 6220 ) = 6020

Germany’s DAX broke medium-term support at 7500. A 21-day Twiggs Money Flow peak at zero warns of selling pressure. Follow-through below 7400 would signal a test of primary support at 7000. Recovery above 7600 is unlikely, but would test the descending trendline at 7700.
DAX Index

* Target calculation: 7500 – ( 8000 – 7500 ) = 7000

India’s Sensex broke resistance at 19000. Respect of support at 18000 and the rising trendline indicates the primary trend is intact. Mild bullish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow signals buying pressure. Expect consolidation or short retracement, but follow-through above the descending trendline at 19200 would indicate an advance to 20000.
BSE Sensex Index

* Target calculation: 19000 + ( 19000 – 18000 ) = 20000

China’s Shanghai Composite is testing medium-term resistance at 2250. Breakout would penetrate the descending trendline, indicating the correction is over.
Shanghai Composite Index
Unfortunately the Dow Jones Shanghai Index respected the descending trendline Tuesday, indicating another down-swing to the lower trend channel.
DJ Shanghai Index

Japan’s Nikkei 225 is the star performer, when measured in Yen. Sharp rallies, with frequent gaps, followed by short retracements indicates a strong up-trend. As does 21-day Twiggs Money Flow oscillating clear above the zero line.
Nikkei 225 Index

The ASX 200 met some resistance at 5020, but rising 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates buying pressure and breakout would signal a test of 5150.
ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 5025 + ( 5025 – 4900 ) = 5150

April 23, 2013

Gold Bulls Hit

Grant Williams at Mauldin Economics quotes a friend in Hong Kong in his latest article on gold:

I’ve been taking this opportunity to stock up on some yellow metal. Went to Hang Seng bullion counter yesterday. The line was out the door. It took an hour wait to see a teller. When I asked if people were buying in the dip or selling in panic, she told me that they haven’t had one ounce of gold sold back to them all day. She told me they have sold more gold in 24 hrs than they normally do in 3 months.

While the price in futures market has fallen sharply, physical sales of gold have surged.

Read more at Things That Make You Go Hmmmm..

April 22, 2013

Fed Watch: Monetary Policy and Financial Stability

Tim Duty quotes Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Narayana Kocherlakota, speaking at the 22nd Annual Hyman P. Minsky conference:

….unusually low real interest rates should be expected to be linked with inflated asset prices, high asset return volatility and heightened merger activity. All of these financial market outcomes are often interpreted as signifying financial market instability. And this observation brings me to a key conclusion. I’ve suggested that it is likely that, for a number of years to come, the FOMC will only achieve its dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability if it keeps real interest rates unusually low. I’ve also argued that when real interest rates are low, we are likely to see financial market outcomes that signify instability. It follows that, for a considerable period of time, the FOMC may only be to achieve its macroeconomic objectives in association with signs of instability in financial markets.

Unusually low interest rates will only cause an asset price bubble when they encourage excessive borrowing by consumers. In the current environment where increased savings are being channeled into repaying debt, the risks of excessive credit growth are low. But the Fed has to maintain a fine balancing act, reacting quickly to any increase in asset prices which would encourage speculative demand for credit — and raising interest rates in order to discourage this.