RE: Bond market9 Aug 2019 00:44
John, no problem.
The best way to think about bond market, is if the long end (10 years+) is yielding the same or less than short dated bonds, it is generally a bad omen. Because it means people are willing to pay up for rubbish yields in safer assets, which ultimately means a downturn is coming. Because, why else would you pay up for a rubbish yield?
But actually, many enonomists say the yield curve isn't a great indicator of recessions anymore, because the yields are "false"... i.e. they are artificially low at the long end because of QE (quantitative easing basically was central banks buying shed loads of govvie bonds, forcing their yields down... and forcing investors to kick start equities and the economy).
So the Fed are stuck with rates topping out at 2.50%, with inflation below target and low economic growth, a protectionist president and an economy that could falter, if rates are played incorrectly.