Apollo's Torsten Slok: We don't want a weak dollar, we want a weaker dollar

Macroeconomic Outlook - A weaker dollar is generally beneficial for manufacturing and S&P 500 revenues, with approximately 30% of S&P 500 revenues originating from abroad [2] - A 10% depreciation of the dollar could increase inflation by roughly 05 percentage points over the next 9 months, posing a challenge given existing inflation levels [3] - The M2 money supply is growing at its fastest rate since 2022, indicating substantial liquidity seeking assets and yield [4] - The debate centers on whether recent sentiment improvements are sufficient for continued S&P 500 growth, considering headwinds from tariffs and student loan payments restarting [5] Labor Market Dynamics - The consensus expects 100,000 new jobs next Friday, which is still steady job growth [7] - Private sector job growth has slowed down in recent months, raising concerns about the labor market's health [7] - Deportations running at an annualized rate of approximately 1 million people could reduce job growth [7] - The break-even level for long-run non-farm payrolls is estimated to be around 70,000, lower than the 200,000 in 2023 and 2024 [9] Inflation and Pricing Pressures - The market is actively debating inflation, with the expectation of a 27% Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) reading next week [10] - There is an expectation of a meaningful increase in inflation over the next several months, particularly in imported goods like footwear, apparel, toys, and tools [11] - Companies are currently paying approximately $400 billion annually in tariffs, impacting either consumers through higher prices or companies through lower earnings [14] - Retailers, particularly those affected by tariffs, are expected to experience margin pressure and potentially lower sales [16]