Category: Cryptocurrency

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Cass Freight Shipments Index Plunges

Key Points

  • Economic activity is contracting. The Cass Freight Shipments index signals a recession.
  • Bitcoin warns of a sharp contraction in financial market liquidity, which is likely to affect stock prices.

The Cass Freight Shipments (seasonally adjusted) Index declined to 0.984, a level typically associated with recession.

Cass Freight Index - Shipments (SA)

The decline confirms the earlier signal from our leading indicator.

A year-on-year decline of more than 2.0% in the 12-month moving average of the unadjusted Cass Freight Shipments Index provides a leading indicator of recessions.

Cass Freight Index - Shipments (NSA)

Financial Markets

Bitcoin continues to decline, warning of a sharp contraction in financial market liquidity that will likely affect stock prices.

Bitcoin (BTC)

The secured overnight funding rate (SOFR) increased to the Fed’s standing repo facility rate (blue dashes below), which is now 4.0%. The higher SOFR rate indicates that the repo market is having to pay a premium over the rate paid on reserve balances (pink) to attract sufficient funding from commercial banks.

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), Interest on Reserve Balance (IORB) & Standing Repo Facility (SFR)

When monetary conditions are looser, the repo market is primarily funded by money market funds, which are prepared to accept a lower rate than the IORB, only offered by the Fed to commercial banks.

Stocks

The S&P 500 rallied after a gap down at the open, but was unable to hold onto gains.

S&P 500

Treasury Markets

10-year Treasury yields shot up to 4.15%, suggesting that the prospects of a December rate cut are again fading.

10-Year Treasury Yield

Rising long-term rates caused a pull-back in gold and silver. We expect gold to retest support between $3,900 and $4,000 per ounce, but respect will likely indicate another test of $4,400.

Spot Gold

Silver is similarly retracing to test support between 50 and 46.

Spot Silver

Conclusion

The Cass Freight Index recession signal reinforces last week’s warning from the Freightwaves CEO of a crisis in the long-haul freight industry.

The sharp contraction in financial market liquidity risks a correction in stock prices.

Gold and silver pulled back on a rally in long-term interest rates, but we remain bullish on their long-term prospects.

Acknowledgments

Posted on

Stocks fall, gold rises

Key Points

  • Bitcoin broke support at 100K, signaling that financial market liquidity is contracting.
  • Major stock indices and ETFs declined as Fed officials hosed down prospects of a December rate cut.
  • Copper and uranium miners are falling, indicating doubts over the AI infrastructure buildout.
  • Gold rallied to $4,200 per ounce, signaling a flight to safety.

Bitcoin broke long-term support at $100,000, signaling a financial market contraction.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Repo markets continue to signal stress, with the secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) above the rate paid on reserve balances.

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) & Interest on Reserve Balance (IORB)

The $7 trillion in money market funds is already tapped out, attracted by the sizable premium of the SOFR above the overnight reverse repo rate offered by the Fed.

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) & Overnight Reverse Repo Rate

In 2023, the Fed lowered the overnight reverse repo rate (pink above) to encourage money market funds to shift their investments to the repo market. The $2.3 trillion outflow into the repo market helped offset the effects of the Fed’s securities sales (QT), creating the illusion of monetary tightening without actual tightening.

Fed Reverse Repo (RRP) Liabilities

Stocks

The Nasdaq QQQ ETF fell more than 2.0%. The lower Trend Index peak above zero indicates secondary selling pressure, which will likely test support at 590.

Invesco Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ)

Demand for copper and uranium is expected to increase, with AI hyperscalers projected to invest an estimated $5 trillion in data centers and related infrastructure. Copper is required for both electrical and cooling purposes, so hesitation in the Sprott Copper Miners ETF (COPP) suggests growing doubts over the AI buildout. A breach of support at 28 would be a bearish sign for the AI-heavy tech sector.

Sprott Copper Miners ETF (COPP)

Demand for uranium is also projected to grow, with the IEA forecasting that global electricity demand from data centers will more than double by 2030 to approximately 945 terawatt-hours (TWh). However, declining Trend Index peaks on the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM) warn of rising selling pressure.

Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM)

Gold

Gold rallied to test resistance at $4,200 per ounce as financial markets shifted to a risk-off stance. A breakout above $4,400 would offer a target of $5,000.

Spot Gold

Conclusion

Financial markets are signaling tighter liquidity, which will likely cause a secondary correction in stocks.

We are overweight in gold and gold miners, and underweight in high-multiple technology stocks.

We see long-term growth in copper and uranium, but are wary of a correction in the short-term.

Acknowledgments

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How the SRF could blow up the Treasury market

Key Points

  • The Fed’s Standing Repo Facility (SRF) is designed to provide backup funding to the repo market during periods of liquidity stress.
  • The $12 trillion repo market is secured by government securities, normally USTs, and has largely replaced unsecured interbank lending.
  • However, hedge funds are taking advantage of the SRF to finance highly leveraged basis trades.

Unsecured interbank lending has largely been replaced by repo financing after the breakdown of trust in the global financial crisis of 2008.

A repo is short for repurchase agreement, where the borrower sells government securities, typically US Treasuries, with an agreement to repurchase them at a slight discount the following day. The repo (discount) rate, formally known as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), has increased in importance as the repo market has grown to almost $12 trillion, overshadowing the widely known Fed Funds Rate (FFR). Both the SOFR and FFR are managed by the Fed through its open market operations.

A sharp spike in the repo rate in 2008 threatened to collapse the entire financial system. The Achilles heel of the banking system, and the reason for the Fed’s existence, is maturity mismatch. Borrowers take advantage of low interest rates in the short-term market and invest in long-term assets, capturing the wide spread. That works well until the yield curve inverts. Short-term rates spike upward as available credit contracts, causing a fire sale of long-term assets as borrowers scramble to raise cash to repay loans. A spike in the repo rate effectively serves as a margin call on long-term assets.

The first instance occurred during the 2008 subprime crisis, when the repo market ceased functioning, leading to a panicked sale of assets. Then, in 2019, repo rates spiked after the Fed’s QT had lowered bank reserves, reducing the supply of bank credit available to fund repos. The spike led to the famous Powell pivot, where the Fed abruptly ended QT and expanded its balance sheet (QE) to inject liquidity into financial markets.

Again in March 2020, repo rates spiked during the COVID pandemic, causing a sell-off of US Treasuries financed through highly leveraged basis trades.

The chart below shows the spread between the repo rate (SOFR) and the fed funds rate (FFR) in 2019 and 2020.

SOFR-FFR

The Fed responded by establishing the Standing Repo Facility (SRF), through which borrowers can obtain repo finance directly from the Fed when there is a shortage in the repo markets. The SRF acts as a market stabilizer, limiting increases in the SOFR and preventing a repeat of earlier repo market collapses. The underlying purpose is to avoid a fire sale of US Treasuries if the repo market ceases to function.

Hedge funds have increasingly tapped the repo market to finance highly-leveraged basis trades, which take advantage of the spread between repo rates and the implied discount on Treasury futures. The SRF has encouraged these trades by limiting the downside risk. Hedge funds pocket the spread when repo rates are low, and rely on the SRF to save them if rates rise.

We suspect that the size of leverage investment in US Treasuries is greater than commonly believed. Over the past decade, offshore investment in US Treasuries has swung from foreign central banks to private sector investment, primarily through offshore financial centers favored by hedge funds.

Basis trades are likely to continue growing as long as the Fed maintains a standing repo facility to stabilize the repo market. The SRF enables hedge funds to enter profitable leveraged trades on US Treasuries with limited downside risk.

As Charlie Munger said, “Show me the incentive and I’ll tell you the outcome.”

Stocks

The S&P 500 remains tentative after last week’s contraction in financial market liquidity.

S&P 500

A contraction in the ADP’s four-week moving average of private sector job creation to -11,250 has not helped.

ADP Private Sector Jobs - NER Pulse

Financial Markets

The secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) remains above the rate paid to banks on reserve balances (IORB), indicating financial market stress.

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) & Interest on Reserve Balance (IORB)

Bitcoin is re-testing support at 100K, warning that liquidity remains tight.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Dollar & Gold

The dollar is weakening as prospects for a December rate cut improve.

Dollar Index

Silver rallied to test its previous high at $54 per ounce.

Spot Silver

Gold followed, with a rise to $4,230 per ounce. A breakout above the resistance level at $4,400 would offer a target of $5,000.

Spot Gold

Conclusion

Basis trades funded through repo markets are expanding as the Fed’s standing repo facility (SRF) enables hedge funds to profit with limited downside risk while the Fed acts as a backstop.

Basis trades increase the vulnerability of US Treasury markets as hedge funds are highly leveraged short-term holders of USTs. In the past, unwinding basis trades have caused a sharp rise in Treasury yields when repo rates spike. The SRF may prevent a repeat of past spikes but provides an incentive for hedge funds to take on greater risk, expanding the size of their basis trades and increasing Treasury market vulnerability.

Financial markets remain unsettled, with Bitcoin testing long-term support at 100K. Gold and silver rallied, and breakout to new highs would offer targets of $5,000 and $62 per ounce, respectively.

Acknowledgments

Posted on

Gold bear trap & the AI illusion

Key Points

  • Gold recovered above $4,100 per ounce, signaling another test of $4,400.
  • Silver similarly recovered above $50 per ounce.
  • Bitcoin at 106K indicates improving liquidity.
  • The S&P 500 also completed a bear trap, indicating another rally.
  • A recent Stanford study suggests that the adoption of generative AI has had a minimal impact on employment levels.

Gold recovered above $4,100 per ounce, completing a bear trap with a target of $4,400.

Spot Gold

Silver similarly recovered above $50 per ounce, offering a target of $54.

Spot Silver

Bitcoin, our real-time indicator of financial market liquidity, rallied to 106K. Respect of long-term support at 100K offers a target of 116K, indicating the liquidity squeeze is fading.

Bitcoin (BTC)

The S&P 500 completed a similar bear trap at 6750, suggesting a rally to test 7000. Follow-through above 6900 would confirm.

S&P 500

41 AI-related stocks dominate the market capitalization of the S&P 500. Investors have gone all-in on AI and its ability to generate future earnings.

S&P 500 AI-Related Stocks

Jonathan Levin argues in Bloomberg that, excluding the AI-related Tesla and Amazon, consumer-facing sectors of the S&P 500 are in recession.

S&P 500 Consumer Staples & Discretionary

A recent Stanford study on ChatGPT adoption indicates significant increases in productivity in fields with high adoption rates. However, it notes that the improved productivity has, so far, led to increased wage rates rather than reduced employment levels.

Treasury Markets

10-year Treasury yields are consolidating around 4.10%, with resumed BLS inflation readings likely to provide further direction.

10-Year Treasury Yield

Trump-appointee Fed Governor Stephen Miran on Monday repeated his call for a half-percentage-point cut at the FOMC December 9-10 meeting. (Reuters)

Consumer perceptions of long-term inflation remain elevated, with the University of Michigan survey indicating that perceptions of 5-year inflation have averaged 3.7% over the past three months.

University of Michigan: 5-Year Inflation Expectations

Dollar & Gold

The dollar has weakened following high private sector layoffs in October, with financial market pricing indicating a 63% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut in December. (Reuters)

Dollar Index

JP Morgan estimates that the labor market added 52K jobs in September but lost 35K in October, increasing the likelihood of another rate cut in December.

JP Morgan Estimated Labor Market Growth

Conclusion

We expect further rate cuts to weaken the dollar and boost prices of gold and silver.

S&P 500 performance depends on projected AI productivity gains, driving a massive increase in earnings for AI-related corporations. However, there is currently limited evidence to support this conclusion.

Acknowledgments

Posted on

Better Buckle Up

Key Points

  • Bitcoin broke through the band of support at 110K, warning of a correction.
  • The secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) spiked above the interest rate paid on reserve balances at the Fed, warning of a sharp contraction in liquidity in financial markets.

Better buckle up. Bitcoin serves as the canary in the coal mine for financial markets.

A breach of the band of support between 108K and 110K warns of a correction that is likely to spread to major stock indices such as the Nasdaq and S&P 500.

Bitcoin (BTC)

The S&P 1500 Regional Banks Index fell sharply this week as markets were spooked by three large defaults, which appear to involve fraudulent disclosure. A peak below the 50-day weighted moving average and a Trend Index peak below zero both warn of selling pressure.

S&P 1500 Regional Banks Index

This week everyone is beared up on regional banks (again). Zions lost $50mn on a loan. A loan equal to 0.08% of their loan book. Yes, less than 0.1%. There have been a series of fraudulent loans uncovered and investors are worried these are signs of a bigger problem. The cockroach metaphor.

Yes, it’s scary for 3 fraudulent loans to come up all at once (Tricolor, First Brands and the Zions loan), but rather than it being a systemic problem is it possible that after the Tricolor loan went bad, every bank immediately began scrubbing every loan for irregularities and that is why these disclosures are coming up so quickly? On a practical basis it’s hard to have a systemically high level of loans be fraudulent. Possible, but hard. Bank loan underwriting has been around for a long time, and it’s pretty stringent, which is why private credit is doing so well. If you have an irregular profile and want a risky loan, go to a private credit fund, not a super regulated regional bank. (YWR)

Financial Markets

The secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) spiked to 15 basis points above the rate paid to commercial banks on their reserve balances at the Fed (IORB), indicating that large banks are reluctant to lend in the repo market despite the collateralized security.

Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) & Interest on Reserve Balance (IORB)

SOFR is the rate charged by banks on overnight borrowing secured by Treasury securities as collateral (repo).

Banks usually are comfortable lending in the repo market, and the SOFR typically trades at a discount to IORB because of the preference for high-quality UST collateral. The SOFR spike above the IORB warns that the financial markets are under stress, with a sharp contraction in liquidity as lending dries up.

The Fed will likely intervene, injecting liquidity to calm the markets, and a rate cut at the next FOMC meeting on October 28-29 is now almost inevitable.

Gold

Gold hesitated at $4,300 per ounce and will likely retrace to test support. A correction that respects support at $4,000 would signal a fresh advance with a target of $4,600.

Spot Gold

Conclusion

Be prepared for a volatile week ahead.

The Bitcoin breach of support at 110K and a spike in the secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) warn of a sharp contraction in liquidity. We expect a sharp fall in stocks unless the Fed intervenes to inject liquidity before markets open on Monday.

Acknowledgments

Posted on

Xi pulls the rug on Trump

Key Points

  • China increased export controls on critical materials where it has a dominant share of production, two weeks ahead of a scheduled face-to-face meeting between leader Xi Jinping and President Trump.
  • The US President has threatened retaliation, including 100% tariffs on Chinese imports.
  • The S&P 500 plunged on Friday, and gold recovered above $4,000 per ounce as investors fear an escalating trade war.

In an escalation of the ongoing trade war between the US and China, China expanded export controls over a range of critical materials just two weeks ahead of a face-to-face meeting scheduled between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Trump, at APEC, in South Korea.

BEIJING, Oct 9 (Reuters) – China dramatically expanded its rare earths export controls on Thursday, adding five new elements and extra scrutiny for semiconductor users as Beijing tightens control over the sector ahead of talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The world’s largest rare earths producer also added dozens of pieces of refining technology to its control list and announced rules that will require compliance from foreign rare earth producers who use Chinese materials.

In a Truth social post, President Trump said the Chinese move was a “real surprise” and questioned whether the scheduled meeting should proceed.

NEW YORK, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Stocks fell sharply on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq suffering their biggest one-day percentage declines since April 10, while Treasury yields dropped and the U.S. dollar weakened as comments by President Donald Trump reignited worries over a U.S.-China trade war. After markets closed on Friday, Trump said he was raising tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. to 100% and imposing export controls on “any and all critical software” in a reprisal against recently announced export limits by China on rare earth minerals critical to tech and other manufacturing.

Stocks

The S&P 500 plunged through short-term support at 6700 on fears of an escalating trade war. A follow-through below 6500 would offer a target of 6350 for the correction.

S&P 500

Financial Markets

Financial market conditions support high stock prices, with the Chicago Fed NFCI Index declining to -0.546 on October 3.

Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index

Bitcoin — our canary in the coal mine — retreated sharply to test support at 110K. Follow-through below 108K would warn of a significant contraction in financial market liquidity.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Treasury Markets

10-year Treasury yields are headed for another test of long-term support at 4.0%, shown on the weekly chart below.

10-Year Treasury Yield

Bond market guru Jim Bianco maintains that, with inflation “sticky” at 3.0%, a healthy yield curve would require the Fed to keep short-term rates 100 basis points higher at 4.0%, leaving little room for further cuts. He also warns that the 10-year should be another 100 basis points higher, at 5.0%.

The current trade war escalation will likely ensure the Fed cuts below 4.0%, raising the specter of a steep rise in inflation.

Consumers

The University of Michigan survey reports declining consumer sentiment in October, reaching lows not seen since the pandemic.

University of Michigan: Consumer Sentiment

Perceptions of current economic conditions are lower than when President Biden left office, leaving the GOP House majority at risk in the 2026 midterms.

University of Michigan: Current Economic Conditions

Consumer expectations have plunged to similar lows.

University of Michigan: Consumer Expectations

Expected price increases have moderated in recent months, but remain high at 4.6% p.a.

University of Michigan: 1-Year Inflation Expectations

Long-term expectations, likewise, are a high 3.7%, well above the Fed’s 2.0% target.

University of Michigan: 5-Year Inflation Expectations

Dollar & Gold

The US Dollar Index continues to test long-term support at 98, as shown in the weekly chart below. A breach would confirm our long-term target of 90.

Dollar Index

Gold retraced to test its new support level after reaching our target of $4,000 per ounce almost three months ahead of schedule. Escalating trade tensions with China sparked another rally, and follow-through above recent highs would signal a fresh advance, with a target of $4,250.

Spot Gold

Silver is more volatile, and tall shadows at $50 per ounce signal profit-taking and increase the likelihood of a correction.

Spot Silver

Energy

Nymex WTI Light Crude broke support at $60 per barrel in response to trade war fears.

Nymex WTI Crude

Crude prices below $60 per barrel squeeze shale producers’ margins and threaten US crude production as unproductive wells are closed. The Baker Hughes US oil rig count slipped to 418 from 422 last week.

Baker Hughes US Oil Rig Count

Base Metals

The Dow Jones Industrial Metals index ($BIM) fell sharply on the weekly chart below, warning of a correction in copper, aluminum, and other base metals, anticipating a fall in demand as the US-China trade war escalates.

Dow Jones Industrial Metals Index ($BIM)

Conclusion

Escalating geopolitical and trade tensions threaten to destabilize an already fragile global economy, with precarious fiscal debt levels and stubborn inflation. We anticipate low growth and high inflation and maintain our overweight position in gold and defensive stocks. We are underweight high-multiple technology stocks and avoid exposure to long-term bonds.

The US and China are caught in what is now known as a Thucydides trap. Ancient Greek historian Thucydides recorded the collision of an established hegemon, Athens, and a rising challenger, Sparta, and concluded that war was inevitable. Nowadays, with nuclear-armed adversaries, war seems unlikely. Instead, we will likely see a trade war with the two flexing their economic muscle to secure a dominant position in the global economic order. The US still has a strong military advantage, but China enjoys a similar advantage in industrial capacity. China presently has the upper hand because its leadership is more strategic, while President Trump is more transactional. However, the eventual outcome is uncertain, and we recommend a strong defensive posture to weather the fallout.

We expect increased fiscal spending, suppression of interest rates, and high inflation as the inevitable consequences of war.

The rise of gold and decline of US Treasuries as the global reserve asset will likely continue as tensions escalate in the decades ahead.

Acknowledgments

Posted on

A government shutdown + declining consumer confidence

Key Points

  • The US government shut down most operations on Wednesday as Congress failed to reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling.
  • Government shutdowns do not usually have a lasting effect on financial markets, but the fiercely divided House threatens a bitter standoff.
  • Declining consumer confidence and further signs of a weakening labor market will likely contribute to a slowing economy.

The Conference Board’s measure of consumer confidence declined to 94.2, remaining at 2020 pandemic levels since a steep plunge in April 2025.

Conference Board: Consumer Confidence

Labor Market

Signs of a weakening jobs market are growing, with unemployment rising above job openings in August, for the first time since April 2021.

Job Openings

Temporary employment declined to 2.5 million. Low temporary hires indicate declining employer confidence in the economic outlook.

Temporary Employment

Declining average weekly hours worked warn of increased layoffs in the months ahead.

Average Weekly Hours

A low quit rate of 1.9% reflects declining employee confidence in the job market.

Quit Rate

Stocks

The S&P 500 continues to test resistance at 6700 despite concerns over the government shutdown. A breakout would offer a medium-term target of 6900.

S&P 500

Financial Markets

High-yield spreads remain at a low 7.5%, indicating credit is readily available in financial markets.

Junk Bond Spreads

Bitcoin is more tentative, having twice tested support at 110K. A breach of the support level would warn of a sharp contraction in financial market liquidity.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Treasury Markets

10-year Treasury yields will likely retest resistance at 4.2% in the next few days, driven by uncertainty from the government shutdown. A breakout above 4.2% would offer a medium-term target of 4.4%.

10-Year Treasury Yield

Dollar & Gold

The US Dollar Index retreated below support at 98, but the outlook for lower interest rates remains uncertain.

Dollar Index

Gold climbed to $3,868 per ounce, demand fueled by the increased uncertainty. A breakout above $3,900 would signal a test of our year-end target of $4,000.

Spot Gold

Silver ripped through our target of $45 per ounce, with rising Trend Index troughs signaling strong buying pressure. A breakout above resistance at $47 would offer a target of $50.

Spot Silver

Platinum has re-joined the party, with a breakout above $1,500 offering a target of $1,700.

Platinum

Conclusion

Uncertainty over the US government shutdown has boosted demand for precious metals. Resolving partisan differences over government funding and extending healthcare benefits will likely prove difficult.

Consumer confidence is low, and a weakening labor market warns of a slowing economy. An extended shutdown would further undermine spending, pushing the economy closer to a recession.

Strong financial market liquidity supports high stock prices, but a Bitcoin retreat below 110K would warn of a contraction that would hurt equity markets.

Acknowledgments

Posted on

Bond yields and the dollar fall as gold reaches a new high

Key Points

  • Long-term Treasury yields are falling steeply in anticipation of more Fed rate cuts as the economy slows.
  • The S&P 500 is retracing to test short-term support at 6500.
  • Financial market liquidity remains strong, supporting stocks.
  • The dollar is weakening, and gold and silver soared to new highs.

10-year Treasury yields fell to 4.046% testing the long-term band of support between 4.0% and 4.1%.

10-Year Treasury Yield

Expectations of steeper Fed rate cuts grow as more evidence emerges of a slowing economy. The Cass Freight Index is in a strong downtrend, and a fall below 1.0 would signal a recession. A useful barometer of economic activity, the index measures the number and cost of freight shipments across North America based on data from hundreds of large shippers.

Cass Freight Index

The current turmoil over tariffs — after the US Appeals court overruled Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs and his earlier “fentanyl” tariffs against China, Canada, and Mexico — will likely cause a sharp contraction in capital investment due to the uncertainty, almost guaranteeing a recession. Trump has lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, but a decision is unlikely before next year. Unless he can get a stay on the lower court’s ruling, Treasury will be forced to fund the billions of dollars in tariffs collected.

While some believe that overturning the tariffs would cause a blowout in the fiscal deficit, we believe that the promise of a boost in revenue from tariffs was more spin than substance. There are no free lunches in economics; when something looks too good to be true, it usually is. Most of the cost of tariffs is currently borne by US corporations, but will likely be pushed onto consumers through price increases over the next year.

Goldman Sachs: Estimated Incidence of Tariff Costs

Where corporations do not pass on tariffs to customers, their profits and corporate tax paid to the Treasury will decline. Falling profits also hurt stock prices, reducing capital gains taxes. US consumers and corporations will directly or indirectly pay for the tariffs, and the impact on net Treasury receipts will likely be marginal.

Our biggest concern is not the loss of tax revenues, but the economic impact of policy uncertainty.

Stocks

The S&P 500 is retracing to test its latest support level at 6500, but rising Trend Index troughs indicate buying pressure, and respect of support will likely signal a further advance.

S&P 500

The equal-weighted S&P 500 ($IQX), more representative of large caps than the headline index, tests similar support at 7600. Rising Trend Index troughs again indicate buying support and likely continuation of the uptrend.

S&P 500 Equal-Weighted Index

Financial Markets

High-yield bond spreads are declining, indicating the return of loose financial conditions supporting high stock prices.

Junk Bond Spreads

Bitcoin (BTC) respected support at 110K, further indicating easing financial conditions — a bullish sign for stocks.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Dollar & Gold

The dollar is weakening in line with the outlook for interest rates. A US Dollar index breach of the long-term band of support between 96.5 and 97 would strengthen our long-term target of 90.

Dollar Index

Gold closed at a new high of $3,645 per ounce, while rising Trend Index troughs signal buying pressure. Expect a retracement to test support between $3,500 and $3,600, but respect will likely confirm an advance to $4,000 by the end of the year, as the dollar weakens.

Spot Gold

Silver is testing resistance at $41.50 per ounce. Again, we expect a retracement followed by a further advance, with a target of $44.

Spot Silver

Energy

Brent crude held steady at close to $66 per barrel after the OPEC+ meeting on the weekend decided on a smaller-than-expected initial increase in production of 137,000 barrels per day, in a phased unwinding of the 1.66 million barrels per day post-COVID production cut.

Brent Crude

Conclusion

Cyclical pressures are driving long-term yields lower, with a slowing economy likely to cause steeper-than-expected Fed rate cuts. Added uncertainty over tariffs increases the risk of a recession.

Loose financial conditions, boosted by falling Treasury yields, support stock prices, but a slowing economy would be bearish for earnings.

The dollar is weakening in response to the expected fall in interest rates, and a US Dollar Index breach of support between 96.5 and 97 would strengthen our long-term target of 90.

We expect gold and silver to rise as the dollar weakens, with respective targets of $4,000 and $44 per ounce by the end of the year.

 

Acknowledgments

Posted on

Gold breaks to a new high

Key Points

  • Gold broke through resistance at $3,500 per ounce, reaching a new high of $3,546.
  • Silver is testing resistance at $41 per ounce.
  • Sovereign debt is losing favor, with the UK 30-year gilt yield above 5.7% for the first time in 27 years.

After its recent breakout, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has retraced to test support at 45K. Respect is likely, but a breach would raise questions about the validity of the Dow’s recent bull market signal.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

September is also the worst month of the year for stock performance, most likely due to investment managers cleaning up their portfolios before the financial year-end.

Stock Market Performance by Calendar Month

While September has the worst average return, we are also wary of October, which has delivered some of the most severe crashes in memory, including October 1929 and 1987.

Financial Markets

Bitcoin is testing support at 110K, warning that investors’ risk appetite is shrinking. A follow-through below the recent low would be a strong bear signal for stocks.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Treasury Markets

10-year Treasury yields are consolidating in a narrow band above support at 4.2%, anticipating a Fed rate cut in September, causing a decline in long-term yields.

10-Year Treasury Yield

However, long-term yields are in a secular uptrend, with the US 30-year testing resistance at 5.0%.

30-Year US Treasury Yield

Global investors are increasingly shunning long-term sovereign debt. The UK 30-year Gilt rose above 5.70% for the first time since April 1998.

30-Year UK Gilt Yield

Japan’s 30-year JGB yields are climbing steeply due to the Bank of Japan tightening monetary policy.

30-Year JGB Yield

The 30-year German Bund is on a similar path.

30-Year German Bund Yield

A secular bear market in bonds will also likely be bearish for stocks.

Dollar & Gold

The US Dollar Index continues in a bearish narrow consolidation above support at 97. Trend Index peaks below zero warn of long-term selling pressure, and a breach of support at 97 would strengthen our long-term target of 90.

Dollar Index

Gold broke through resistance at $3,500 per ounce, reaching a new high of $3,546. A higher Trend Index trough signals buying pressure. Expect retracement to test the band of support between $3,400 and $3,500, but respect will likely confirm another advance, further strengthening our target of $4,000 by the end of the year.

Spot Gold

Silver made a similar breakout above $40 per ounce. Again, we expect retracement to test the new band of support between $39 and $40, but respect will likely confirm another advance. Our year-end target is $44.

Spot Silver

ISM Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector continues to signal a contraction, but the rate of decline slowed, with the ISM Manufacturing PMI rising to 48.7%.

ISM Manufacturing PMI

The outlook improved, with forward orders rising to 51.4%.

ISM Manufacturing New Orders

However, employment prospects remain low, with the employment sub-index at 43.8%.

ISM Manufacturing Employment

Input prices are still rising, but the prices sub-index surprisingly improved to 63.7%. A similar improvement in Services next week would indicate that inflationary pressures are easing, increasing the likelihood of a Fed rate cut.

ISM Manufacturing Prices

Conclusion

Long-term government bonds are in a secular bear market, which will likely be bearish for stocks.

Gold reached a new high above resistance at $3,500 per ounce, reflecting investor caution towards sovereign debt. A retracement that respects the latest support level would confirm our year-end target of $4,000.

Acknowledgments

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