Lots of stuff going on this week! Top of the list is how hard-line Republican Hawks in Washington have reset Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. Don’t make him angry… We also have the UK doing a deal with Europe. And, Mark Blyth gives a masterclass in how we should think about inflation.
The fact the US is almost certain to be plunged into a unresolvable recession by the summer, doesn’t mean Trump will be pressured into recanting his economic heresies. Maga voters look likely to double down on him! Meaning an even deeper problems for US firms trying to retain the illusion of their current inflated valuations.
The yield on Sovereign Bonds is the “risk-free” rate from which relative risk in any economy is priced. There is a crisis across all developed nations in the quantum of debt they now face servicing in a global economy where risks are rising and there is a significant threat of stagflation. It’s time for nations to get aggressive about Liability Management of their outstanding debt.
Yesterday’s UK’s 15-year Gilt deal was a 15 times oversubscribed blowout success, demonstrating global investors have confidence in the UK’s competence, stability and markets. However, Ray Dalio is writing another book about why countries go bust, and reckons the UK is caught in a debt-death spiral. I doubt it.
The bond bear market looks set to deepen as rising energy prices threaten to keep inflation sticky. The way bonds impact the economy is more complex than most understand – it’s not just interest rates, but how inflation, and growth limit policy choices.
The UK economy feels like Gormenghast. Labour wants to balance the books – but will just keep running to get no-where fast. We need an honest appraisal of the problem; a root and branch creative destruction of the bureaucracy of state. The Civil Service needs to learn to be agile and fail fast.
I admit to being surprised by the Fed’s 50 bp ease last night. It makes sense though: it will ease economic tensions significantly and support the “good” economy in its current stable growth grove. Naturally Trump supporters will be furious: Jay Powell has confirmed the USA is in a good place.
The global economy is reaching a nexus point as multiple cycles and challenges coincide – successful nations will recognise and exploit the new opportunities as they emerge. In the UK, it’s time for the new Labour government to stop trying to be marginally better tories than the Tories were, and embrace debt solutions!
This is not just about recession or tech stock valuations – it’s a wider everything, including the kitchen-sink, confidence slough of market instability and uncertainty that’l hurt. Next few days might get interesting… Move along now… nothing to see here…
This week will be about listening to Central Banks. Meanwhile, the US Bitcoin Conference in Nashville over the weekend was an eyeopener – could Crypto be the issue that wins the election for Trump? The conference might has pressed the Bitcoin reset upside button.












