Housing Market & Interest Rates - Lowering the Fed rate might help consumers buy homes by injecting liquidity into the market, but other factors complicate the situation [1] - Mortgage rates are based on the 10-year yield, not the Fed funds rate; rate cuts don't automatically translate to cheaper mortgages [2][3] - Last year, Fed rate cuts spurred expectations for growth and inflation, pushing up the 10-year yield and hurting housing [3] - The belief that Fed cuts automatically lead to cheaper mortgages is not universally held; while it often happens, it didn't last year [4] Inflation & Monetary Policy - Higher and stickier inflation changes how the 10-year yield reacts to policy changes; bonds may not behave the same way to Fed cuts as in the past 20 years due to a different inflationary environment [5][6] - Equities are potentially a better inflation hedge than bonds, questioning bonds' role as a diversifier [6] - The labor market is showing signs of softening, which could lead to the Fed cutting rates and potentially pulling down long-term yields and inflation [8][9] Labor Market & AI Impact - 34% of CEOs surveyed by the Conference Board expect job cuts in the next 12 months, the first time those expecting cuts outnumbered those expecting to hire since COVID [8] - Companies are expected to accelerate job cuts to control costs [9] - Companies are investing in AI and training their staffs, but the timing and degree of AI's disinflationary impact are uncertain [10][11] - Companies are pressured to invest in AI, which requires upfront spending and may lead to headcount reductions to offset costs [11][12]

AI and Digital Infrastructure - The "Stargate" project, potentially valued at $500 billion, is considered a real development, involving numerous tech companies, though its full realization remains to be seen [1] - The US government views investment in digital infrastructure positively, aiming to maintain a leading position in this area, similar to having a strategic petroleum reserve, especially given the proliferation of AI [3] - The productivity improvements from AI are still in the early phases of discovery, with potential challenges for the entry-level workforce and the need for training and experience to validate AI outputs [5] - Digital infrastructure is attracting investor interest beyond chips and servers, extending to real estate and industrials providing power and cooling for data centers, all related to the AI theme [13] Geopolitics and Trade - The tariff strategy is reportedly compelling foreign-owned companies like TSMC and Foxconn to establish production in the US [6] - Nvidia views China as a significant total addressable market of $15 billion to $50 billion, emphasizing the importance of American technology maintaining a presence there [7] Monetary Policy and Economic Impact - The market anticipates a potential rate cut in September, influenced by inflation and unemployment figures [9] - The current Fed target rate of 45% feels restrictive, with a belief that a rate closer to 3% to 35% would be more appropriate in normal times [10][11] - Lower interest rates could aid cyclical companies in refinancing, benefiting industrials and real estate investment trusts [12]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the current state of the bond market, highlighting the impact of stock market performance and liquidity conditions on bond yields and investor behavior [4][7]. Group 1: Market Performance - The stock market has shown strong performance, with the Shanghai Composite Index reaching a 10-year high, breaking through 3731.69 points [7]. - The bond market is experiencing increased redemption from bond funds, indicating a shift in investor sentiment as they react to stock market movements [4][7]. Group 2: Liquidity Conditions - The liquidity in the market is tightening, with the central bank conducting a net injection of 154.5 billion yuan through reverse repos [4]. - The funding rates have slightly increased, with DR001 around 1.45% and DR007 at approximately 1.51% [5]. Group 3: Interest Rate Movements - Long-term bond yields have risen significantly, with the 10-year government bond yield increasing to around 1.76% [7]. - The highest yield observed during the day reached 1.789%, before settling back to approximately 1.77% [7]. Group 4: Investor Sentiment - There is a prevailing cautious sentiment among bond investors, as indicated by the increased redemption of bond funds amidst stock market volatility [8]. - The article suggests that the current market conditions may lead to a reallocation of investment strategies, with some bond investors considering a shift towards equities [8].

🇺🇸 UPDATE: The probability of a September rate cut is now 94.4%. https://t.co/bWzI5ayGA1 ...

🇺🇸 UPDATE: The probability of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut in September has risen to 99.8%. https://t.co/vfHn97vxPY ...

RT Horizon (@JoinHorizon_)Ray Dalio says buying and holding real estate is a bad strategy in 2025.It's more interest rate sensitive than it is inflation sensitive. It's easy to tax. It's immobile.Bitcoin solves these flaws, and with Horizon you can stack it with your home without taking on debt. https://t.co/4MHUbEvzat ...

Zambia’s central bank held its key interest rate at 14.5% for a second consecutive time https://t.co/JfTGx3y9OQ ...

The average interest rate on a common UK mortgage has dropped below 5% for the first time since former prime minister Liz Truss’ calamitous mini-budget in 2022 https://t.co/3HN4fj39sq ...

Group 1 - Japan's 10-year government bond yield increased by 1.5 basis points to 1.515% [1] - UBS's Guilin stated that China's bond market is a significant option for foreign central banks and pension funds due to its large scale and low correlation with major overseas markets, providing unique risk diversification [1] - Currently, foreign investment in China's bond market is only 2.3%, indicating substantial room for growth in foreign participation [1] Group 2 - The U.S. July CPI year-on-year is 2.7%, matching the previous value and slightly below the expected 2.8% [2] - The U.S. July core CPI year-on-year is 3.1%, above the expected 3% and higher than the previous value of 2.9% [3] - CITIC Securities predicts that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates three times this year, each by 25 basis points, due to stable inflation signals and a slower pass-through of tariff costs to consumers [3] Group 3 - The current yield spread for 10-year government bonds is around 2 basis points, with upcoming new issuances expected to influence trading dynamics [4] - The 5-10 year government bond ETF has seen a recent price of 117.15 yuan, with a year-to-date increase of 4.51% [5] - The 5-10 year government bond ETF has a total scale of 1.485 billion yuan, with recent inflows and outflows balancing out [6] Group 4 - The 5-10 year government bond ETF closely tracks the China 5-10 year government bond active index, which includes bonds with maturities of 5, 7, and 10 years [7]

President Trump saying that he is considering suing Fed Chair Jerome Pal over his horrible and grossly incompetent job in managing construction of the Federal Reserve's building. >> This seems to be another effort by the president to flood the zone, as they say, just come up with all kinds of distractions to keep people not thinking about some of the other things they don't like about his administration. There wouldn't seem to be any way to sue J.Pal for this. Uh, first of all, you'd have to have somebody w ...