As you know, we watch credit markets closely. In an economy completely dependent upon credit growth to keep from falling into a recession, a credit slowdown is not good news. Here is the latest data:
Amazon Goes Organic
So, today Amazon announced it is buying Whole Foods for $13 billion. What’s supposed to happen in a deal like this is the acquirer’s stock (Amazon) goes down and other food company stocks go up in anticipation that more takeovers will follow.
It’s All About Math
I am often asked why I think that central banks can’t prevent a collapse in the financial system. Surely they can keep the game going, most people think. Just keep interest rates low and print lots of money.
The May Jobs Number
By now you probably know that the US government’s May jobs report released last Friday hugely missed expectations. Only 138,000 jobs were added in May while the previously reported March and April estimates were revised lower by 66,000.
An American Car Bomb
March and April auto sales data were very poor, as reported here. Would we see a bounce back in May? Not a chance. Auto sales declined for the fifth straight month with domestic light vehicles annualizing 12.59 million vehicles, the lowest sales number going back more than three years, despite record incentives and discounts to rental and other fleet customers. Even worse, inventories continued to grow.
Do Cars Drive the Market?
You may think me a little strange but I am a car nut. I have owned many of the world’s most extravagant automobiles at one time or another and I enjoy following the market. As I do my research, I sometimes discover some odd things. It seems that the used car market may tell us a lot about the stock market.
Bonds Don’t Believe (and Neither Do I)
Well, the equity bubble continues. The senior US indices all made new highs last week. The advance was narrow…a very few, very large stocks drove most of the gains. Here’s the proof. This chart shows the ratio of the equal weighted S&P500 to the market cap weighted version you usually see. The equal weighted index values each company equally, whatever its size. As you can see, the trend in this ratio is down, indicating that smaller stocks are underperforming. Probably it’s all those index ETFs buying the same stocks.
Bubble Updates
We have been reporting on the collapsing bubbles in the auto industry and public employee pensions. You may not be aware of these unfolding crises because the main stream media is reporting 24/7 on the Russia-Trump connection, a total non-story if ever I heard one. Let’s look at some real news.
Trump Tremors Shake the Markets
Yesterday (Wednesday) we got a hint of just how fragile equity markets are. The Nasdaq led the rout with a decline of 2.8%, closing on its lows. That’s because market performance is not based on a firm foundation of a strong economy and rising earnings. The markets are hanging on to current elevated levels based solely on a wounded President’s promises, promises of tax cuts and infrastructure spending that we said were a fantasy back when he was elected.
Follow the Money (Shrinkage)
My sources tell me that Commercial and Industrial (C&I) lending has collapsed Banks have essentially stopped making C&I loans. It’s not because of tightened credit conditions. Demand for credit has collapsed. For an economy totally dependent on credit, this is not good news.