Forward Guidance
March 12, 2025

The Bottom Is In For Yields, NOT Equities | Vincent Deluard

In this episode, Vincent Deluard, Director of Global Macro at StoneX, discusses the current economic landscape, focusing on inflation, bond yields, and equity markets. Deluard provides insights into the implications of fiscal policies and market dynamics, offering a nuanced perspective on the future of yields and equities.

Inflation and Seasonal Adjustments

  • “Seasonal models work if the present is reasonably similar to the past... if we are in a different regime, whatever seasonal adjustments you have is not going to be enough.”
  • Deluard highlights the limitations of seasonal adjustments in inflation data, suggesting that current models may not accurately reflect today's economic conditions.
  • He argues that inflation is not on target, and CPI days may become less significant as the market adjusts to new inflation norms.
  • The bond market's reaction to inflation reports indicates a shift in focus from specific data points to broader economic trends.

Stagflation and Economic Slowdown

  • “Everybody now is talking stagflation... but stagflation is not recession.”
  • Deluard notes a shift in narrative towards stagflation, characterized by slowing growth and persistent inflation.
  • He emphasizes that stagflation does not equate to a recession, predicting a slowdown rather than a full-blown economic downturn.
  • State-level spending and fiscal retrenchment are key factors influencing the current economic climate.

Bond Yields and Market Dynamics

  • “My concern is that we've seen the low in yields... the underlying dynamic in the bond market is not good.”
  • Deluard suggests that recent declines in bond yields are temporary, driven by short-term liquidity sources like the Treasury General Account and primary dealers.
  • He predicts that yields will rise again as these temporary factors dissipate, with structural issues in the bond market remaining unresolved.
  • The rebalancing of target date funds could lead to increased equity purchases and rising yields in the coming months.

Key Takeaways:

  • The current economic environment is marked by stagflation, with inflationary pressures persisting despite slowing growth.
  • Bond yields have temporarily decreased due to short-term liquidity factors, but structural issues suggest they will rise again.
  • Investors should prepare for potential market shifts as target date funds rebalance, potentially impacting both equities and bond yields.

For more insights, watch the full discussion here: Link

"This episode navigates the intricate dance between global inflation trends and fiscal policy impacts, dissecting their ramifications for crypto AI investors amidst volatile bond market movements and fiscal policy shifts."

Inflation & Economic Predictions

Complex Inflation Models & Stagflation Concerns

  • Vincent Deluard, the Director of Global Macro at StoneX, discusses his December report and the accuracy of its predictions about inflation and economic trends.
  • Deluard highlights how seasonal adjustments, particularly in January, mislead inflation perceptions due to contracts reset.
  • He critically views the recent CPI print as predominantly a result of these adjustments. "Inflation is not on target," Vincent asserts, downplaying the current CPI as merely a 'nothing burger.'
  • He identifies seasonal adjustments' potential failure to capture real inflation in a regime now more befitting of a 3-4% world.
  • This conversation segues into a discussion about the bond market reaction, observing its indifference to isolated CPI data, suggesting deeper complexities at play beyond singular economic prints.

Stagflation Dynamics and Economic Growth

  • The dialogue progresses to explore current stagflation concerns and Vincent's growth predictions.
  • Deluard affirms his previous forecasts about the shift towards stagflation, citing declining new orders and surging prices.
  • Google's growing interest in stagflation underscores its emergent relevance.
  • Exploring economic deceleration, he expresses skepticism of entering a full recession, highlighting governmental fiscal stimuli as potential buffers.
  • Conversations about state-level fiscal spending, such as California's budget challenges and state tax cuts, illuminate underlying economic pressures.
  • Despite existing fiscal pulls, Deluard optimistically posits growth continuation albeit with tempered momentum, stressing a watchful eye on buffer reserves depleting across states.

Fiscal Policies, Market Reactions & AI Opportunities

Fiscal Tensions and Tariff Repercussions

  • Deluard examines fiscal retrenchments alongside the tariff landscape, implicating potential impacts from President Trump's tariff negotiations.
  • The artificial preemptive import escalations in anticipation of tariffs manifest as fiscal distortions, prompting cautious corporate decision-making and impacting broader economic dynamics.
  • This ongoing uncertainty affects investment strategies and could inadvertently spur crypto AI research into economic forecasting models to predict and adapt to such tariff-induced shocks.

Bond Market Volatility and Fixed Income Dynamics

  • In examining recent movements in the bond market, Deluard underscores the transient nature of yield reductions.
  • Attributing the yield drop to temporary liquidity injections — the Treasury General Account drawdowns and primary dealers' bond holdings — he perceives these as non-sustainable, prompting expectations for future yield rises.
  • As Vincent suggests, "The bottom in yields is in," indicating strategic adjustments for crypto AI investors to brace for forthcoming interest rate increases, which could influence portfolio durations and risk assessments.

Strategic Implications & Global Market Trends

Evaluating Bond Market Shifts

  • Deluard's analysis of primary dealer activities and the Treasury's balance sheet causes consideration of bond market structural shifts for long-term investors.
  • These highlight liquidity impact on treasuries, suggesting that preservation of cash reserves and cautious engagement in long-duration exposures could prove advantageous, especially amidst upcoming fiscal and policy reevaluations.

European and Japanese Economic Strategies

  • Mirroring U.S. fiscal challenges, European and Japanese economic policy directions reverberate through global markets.
  • Surging yields in these regions indicate fiscal policy shifts and national capital mobilization, resonating with Deluard's observations about changing savings patterns and investment flows.
  • Investors might leverage AI-driven models to decode these geopolitical monetary trends, enhancing predictive capabilities regarding future yield trajectories and equity market performance.

Capital Flows and Global Strategic Balancing

  • The anticipated recalibration of global capital flows, with potential U.S. yield increases, underscores strategic reallocation prospects for crypto AI investments.
  • Monitoring Japan and Europe's fiscal realignments might untangle emerging capital mobility patterns, offering rich insights into potential investment avenues.
  • The encryption of these patterns alongside AI could uncover profitable deployment strategies within targeted equity markets, exploiting regional disparities and fiscal dynamics.

Reflective and Strategic Conclusion

  • This episode underscores the criticality of comprehending fiscal and economic shifts within AI and crypto investment strategies.
  • As inflation dynamics pivot and global capital flows recalibrate, investors need to decipher these movements not just through traditional economic lenses but augmented by AI-driven analytics.
  • Strategic anticipation of policy shifts and emerging markets, while assessing infrastructural impacts, provides a tactical advantage in navigating the evolving macroeconomic landscape.

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