The Daily Spark

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  • Weekend Reading

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    Two cheers for the Fed
    https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/two-cheers-for-the-fed/

    Central banks can tighten by doing nothing
    https://www.omfif.org/2022/04/central-banks-can-tighten-by-doing-nothing/

    “The New Fama Puzzle”
    http://econbrowser.com/archives/2022/04/the-new-fama-puzzle

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • High Wage Growth for Job Switchers

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    Wage growth continues to accelerate in particular for job switchers, see chart below. The labor market is overheating and the Fed is trying to cool down the economy by raising rates and doing QT.

    Chart showing robust wage growth for job switchers
    Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Apollo Chief Economist

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Outlook for markets and alternatives

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    My latest outlook presentation is available here.

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Fed Withdrawing Liquidity

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    QE had a positive impact on the stock market and QT will have the opposite effect see chart below.

    Chart showing the Fed's removal of liquidity is hurting the stock market
    Source: Bloomberg, Apollo Chief Economist. Note: US reserve balance forecast generated by regressing reserve balances on Fed Funds target rate and Fed balance sheet.

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Bankruptcy Filings Starting to Move Higher

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    The weekly data for bankruptcy filings have shown a modest uptick in recent weeks see chart below. This data is for companies with more than $50mn in liabilities. With the Fed keen on slowing down inflation investors must monitor high-frequency data for any sign of monetary policy beginning to cool down the economy.

    Chart showing an uptick in companies filing for bankruptcy
    Source: Bloomberg, Apollo Chief Economist. Note: Filings are for companies with more than $50mn in liabilities

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Yield Levels in Public Markets Still Very Low

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    Yes, interest rates have increased, but 61% of all bonds in the world still trade at less than 3%. See chart below.

    Chart showing that 61% of global bonds still have a yield less than 3%
    Source: Bloomberg, Apollo Chief Economist

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Video: Outlook for the Economy and Markets

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    I had a 45-minute conversation with Nic Millikan at CAIS about the outlook for markets and asset allocation including for alternatives:

    https://www.caisgroup.com/videos/cxo-or-podcast?video=s2e7-apollo-global-management-inflation-interest-rates-divergent-macroeconomic

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Equity Investors Too Optimistic?

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    The chart below shows consensus expectations for GDP growth and consensus expectations for earnings growth over the coming quarters. Economists see growth slowing as we go through 2022. Equity investors see a rebound. This is not consistent. Either equity investors are too optimistic or economic forecasters are too pessimistic.

    Chart showing conflicting forecasts for earnings growth and GDP
    Source: Bloomberg, Apollo Chief Economist

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Mortgage Rates Rising

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    When mortgage rates go up, home prices rise. This may sound counter-intuitive, but the logic is simply that when growth is strong and incomes go up, the housing market also tends to be strong, leading to a more hawkish Fed and higher rates.

    The chart below shows that episodes with a positive correlation between rising rates and rising home prices typically last several years. For more see also our US housing outlook.

    Chart showing that periods of rising interest rates is tied to rising home prices
    Source: FRED, Apollo Chief Economist

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


  • Airline Ticket Prices Rising

    Torsten Sløk

    Apollo Chief Economist

    Airfares increased 10% month over month in March bringing the annual increase in ticket prices to 24%, see chart below.

    Chart showing strong increases in airfare prices
    Source: BLS, Apollo Chief Economist

    See important disclaimers at the bottom of the page.


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