Government
Fixed income outlook – From despair to hope
In the US, reflation on the back of fiscal stimulus and the exit from lockdowns should lead to modestly higher inflation expectations and nominal bond yields. A renewed ‘taper tantrum’ looks unlikely as excess capacity and high unemployment rates…
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In the US, reflation on the back of fiscal stimulus and the exit from lockdowns should lead to modestly higher inflation expectations and nominal bond yields. A renewed ‘taper tantrum’ looks unlikely as excess capacity and high unemployment rates will prevent inflation from reaching a level that would prompt the US Federal Reserve to signal a change in monetary policy. Corporate credit spreads are tight, but a robust US economic recovery this year should permit positive returns from carry.
The fortunes of financial markets continue to be driven by COVID-19 infection rates, virus mutations, vaccine development and rollouts, lockdowns, and the fiscal and monetary policy responses.
The near-term hurdles should eventually be overcome, however, and we believe the arrival of the eagerly awaited post-pandemic world has only been temporarily delayed. Another reason for optimism is further fiscal stimulus in the US. The Federal Reserve is leading central banks in accommodating fiscal stimulus by buying enough government bonds to keep real yields from rising. These factors should enable an accelerated recovery in US economic growth in the second half of the year.
US Treasuries and inflation
The COVID-19 vaccines are game-changers as long as they can be distributed quickly enough and prove to be robust against emerging strains of the coronavirus. Global deployment of vaccines would mean most public health restrictions could be removed, possibly in the second quarter of 2021, lifting the aggregate supply side of the economy.
Monetary policy, however, has largely exhausted its options for providing stimulus. At this point, its role is to accommodate fiscal stimulus by purchasing the amount of Treasury issuance required to prevent real yields rising. Only fiscal policy can now provide a significant impulse to growth. In this context, the Democrats’ sweep of the White House and Congress sets the scene for a highly expansionary fiscal stance that should support aggregate demand.
The budget resolution approved recently authorises a USD 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. This substantial fiscal package could be passed quickly and without much change if the Biden administration chooses to proceed by the reconciliation process. A bipartisan bill, which would require at least 10 Republican Senators supporting it, would likely be much smaller, but still significant in historical terms.
We expect unprecedented coordination between fiscal and monetary policy, i.e. the administration and the Fed. This means monetary policy will only be tightened once the economy is at full employment. Given the Fed’s Flexible Average Inflation Targeting (FAIT) framework, a tapering of asset purchases and eventual interest rate increases should be some way off – but not as far off as would have been the case without the Georgia Senate seat wins. If it is to be credible, an AIT framework should keep real yields low and push breakeven inflation (BEI) wider (see Exhibit 1).
Real yields to stay low
While we expect much higher Treasury bond issuance, the impact of this additional supply on real yields should be limited. The Fed will buy a large proportion of the net supply. We believe that the Fed would react to an increase in real yields that threatened the recovery and/or equity markets. Instead of worrying about supply, we think the bigger concern for duration positions is that the Fed may taper its asset purchases earlier if the economy returns to full employment faster. We see a modest further bear steepening of the real yield curve as warranted as investors reassess the fiscal and growth outlook.
At the same time, the combination of fewer supply constraints, the injection of fiscal stimulus, the boost to confidence from vaccines and a supportive monetary policy ought to be highly supportive of risk assets and commodity markets. The impact on inflation will likely be modest in the near term, but the prospect of the economy returning to full employment at a fast clip ought to generate price pressures in due course, especially if the Fed delays any monetary tightening until actual evidence of higher inflation emerges.
Doubts about Fed’s commitment
The Fed’s commitment to its Flexible Average Inflation Targeting framework, however, is not assured, and policymakers will need to build their inflation-boosting credentials. The Fed chose to adopt the weakest form of AIT, and has not followed up with a more forceful policy stance, so we are left to conclude that the consequences of the framework change will only be observable when the economy does return to full employment and inflation pressures emerge.
Given the Fed’s history of under-delivery, some investors can be expected to be reluctant to buy BEIs simply because of a change to the policy framework. This can provide an opportunity if it becomes clear that the Fed is serious about tolerating inflation overshoots, or if it becomes clear that the output gap will close more quickly than anticipated.
While a significant output gap is now putting downward pressure on underlying inflation, the prospect of a rapid reopening of the economy in the context of a highly expansionary fiscal and monetary policy mix means that we are now more constructive on the near and medium-term prospects for underlying inflation in the US.
The wall of structural disinflation
Longer term, the Biden administration’s focus on reducing inequality is likely to mean legislation that supports unionisation, increased worker benefits, and higher minimum wages. A protectionist stance on China would reverse some of the disinflationary impact of globalisation. A Fed focused on fulfilling its average inflation goal would help.
It is not clear whether these factors will overwhelm the structurally disinflationary forces of technology, but we believe the odds of a pick-up in inflation are higher today than they were before the pandemic.
This is an excerpt from our quarterly outlook for fixed income ‘From Despair to Hope’; click here to access the full version.
Any views expressed here are those of the author as of the date of publication, are based on available information, and are subject to change without notice. Individual portfolio management teams may hold different views and may take different investment decisions for different clients. This document does not constitute investment advice.
The value of investments and the income they generate may go down as well as up and it is possible that investors will not recover their initial outlay. Past performance is no guarantee for future returns.
Investing in emerging markets, or specialised or restricted sectors is likely to be subject to a higher-than-average volatility due to a high degree of concentration, greater uncertainty because less information is available, there is less liquidity or due to greater sensitivity to changes in market conditions (social, political and economic conditions).
Some emerging markets offer less security than the majority of international developed markets. For this reason, services for portfolio transactions, liquidation and conservation on behalf of funds invested in emerging markets may carry greater risk.
Writen by Daniel Morris. The post Fixed income outlook – From despair to hope appeared first on Investors' Corner - The official blog of BNP Paribas Asset Management.
unemployment pandemic coronavirus covid-19 economic recovery stimulus economic growth reopening bonds yield curve government bonds us treasuries emerging markets monetary policy fed federal reserve white house congress senate vaccine recovery stimulus commodity markets china
Government
Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study
Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study
Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
People with inadequate…
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Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
People with inadequate iron levels in their blood due to a COVID-19 infection could be at greater risk of long COVID.
A new study indicates that problems with iron levels in the bloodstream likely trigger chronic inflammation and other conditions associated with the post-COVID phenomenon. The findings, published on March 1 in Nature Immunology, could offer new ways to treat or prevent the condition.
Long COVID Patients Have Low Iron Levels
Researchers at the University of Cambridge pinpointed low iron as a potential link to long-COVID symptoms thanks to a study they initiated shortly after the start of the pandemic. They recruited people who tested positive for the virus to provide blood samples for analysis over a year, which allowed the researchers to look for post-infection changes in the blood. The researchers looked at 214 samples and found that 45 percent of patients reported symptoms of long COVID that lasted between three and 10 months.
In analyzing the blood samples, the research team noticed that people experiencing long COVID had low iron levels, contributing to anemia and low red blood cell production, just two weeks after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. This was true for patients regardless of age, sex, or the initial severity of their infection.
According to one of the study co-authors, the removal of iron from the bloodstream is a natural process and defense mechanism of the body.
But it can jeopardize a person’s recovery.
“When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly. It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert,” University of Oxford professor Hal Drakesmith said in a press release. “However, if this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly. The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem.”
The research team believes that consistently low iron levels could explain why individuals with long COVID continue to experience fatigue and difficulty exercising. As such, the researchers suggested iron supplementation to help regulate and prevent the often debilitating symptoms associated with long COVID.
“It isn’t necessarily the case that individuals don’t have enough iron in their body, it’s just that it’s trapped in the wrong place,” Aimee Hanson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge who worked on the study, said in the press release. “What we need is a way to remobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells.”
The research team pointed out that iron supplementation isn’t always straightforward. Achieving the right level of iron varies from person to person. Too much iron can cause stomach issues, ranging from constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain to gastritis and gastric lesions.
1 in 5 Still Affected by Long COVID
COVID-19 has affected nearly 40 percent of Americans, with one in five of those still suffering from symptoms of long COVID, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Long COVID is marked by health issues that continue at least four weeks after an individual was initially diagnosed with COVID-19. Symptoms can last for days, weeks, months, or years and may include fatigue, cough or chest pain, headache, brain fog, depression or anxiety, digestive issues, and joint or muscle pain.
Government
Walmart joins Costco in sharing key pricing news
The massive retailers have both shared information that some retailers keep very close to the vest.
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As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters.
The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.
The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.
Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing
It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.
You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.
Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.
However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.
Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Walmart sees lower prices
McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.
During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.
"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.
He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.
"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."
McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.
"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.
Costco sees almost no inflation impact
McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco (COST) Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.
The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.
"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.
Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.
"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.
bankruptcy pandemic trumpGovernment
Walmart has really good news for shoppers (and Joe Biden)
The giant retailer joins Costco in making a statement that has political overtones, even if that’s not the intent.
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As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters.
The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.
The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.
Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing
It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.
You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.
Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.
However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.
Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Walmart sees lower prices
McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.
During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.
"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.
He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.
"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."
McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.
"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.
Costco sees almost no inflation impact
McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco (COST) Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.
The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.
"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.
Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.
"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.
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