Assessing 'Significant Upside Risks to Inflation': Insights from FOMC Minutes

'Significant upside risks to inflation' 

By Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Senior Analyst | Swissquote Bank 

FOMC minutes released yesterday showed that most Federal Reserve (Fed) officials see 'significant upside risks to inflation that may require more tightening'. Policymakers cited a range of scenarios that included the rising commodity prices that could lead to 'more persistent elevated inflation'. Two of them favoured halting rate hikes, but the minutes showed no official dissenters. The Fed economists also expect a small rise (only) in jobless rate in the US, but they warned that commercial real estate fundamentals could worsen.  

The regional banks are under a rising pressure, as a Fitch analyst warned that dozens of US bank credit ratings are at risk – just a week after the rating agency downgraded the US' credit rating, and Moody's downgraded 10 US small and mid-sized banks.  

The US 2-year yield remained little changed at around the 5% mark, while the 10-year flirts with the 4.30% level, approaching last October's peak, raising questions among investors on whether levels above 4% are a good entre point in the US 10-year papers, or could it go higher? Looking at the net speculative positions, the rising US treasury yields attract investors. Asset managers' combined treasury positions hit a record in August, but that also means that these positions could be unwound and give way to a deeper selloff. The conclusion is, even though the actual levels look appetizing for US long-dated papers – especially with the Fed's nearing the end of its tightening cycle and trouble brewing in China. risks prevail. Activity on Fed funds futures gives less than 15% chance for a September rate hike in the wake of the latest FOMC minutes. That's slightly higher than around 10% assessed to a 25bp hike before the release of the minutes yesterday. But the pricing for a potential 25bp and even 50bp hike in November meeting are in play.  

The US dollar extends gains, and the dollar index is now marching above its 200-DMA, into the overbought market territory, with little reason for investors to step back given the Fed's decided hawkish stance on its rate policy. The S&P500 extended losses below its 50-DMA yesterday and is preparing to test the 4400 support to the downside, while Nasdaq 100 closed below the 15000 level for the first time since end of June. Tesla dropped another 3% yesterday on news that it cut its car prices in China for the second time this year, and the shares closed the session at a spitting distance from the major 38.2% Fibonacci retracement, which should distinguish between the positive trend building since the beginning of this year and a bearish reversal.  

Elsewhere, Target jumped nearly 3% yesterday after beating profit expectations when it released Q2 earnings yesterday. Lower costs boosted profit margins, and gross margins jumped 27% last quarter compared to 21.5% printed a quarter earlier, net income more than quadrupled. Shiny results helped investors overcome the 11% drop in online sales – vs. 5% growth nailed by Amazon, and the slashed sales and profit outlook. Again, despite the risk that US consumers may not spend much in the next few quarters, what we see in most data is that... they continue spending – and the resilience of spending starts weighing more on Fed expectations than the risks that don't materialize.