Just three weeks ago, the FOMC left the Fed Funds rate at a “range
of 0.00% to 0.25%” for the 83rd straight month. A week earlier, the
PBOC “unexpectedly” reduced its own benchmark rate; and, as discussed in “the
peak of monetary lunacy? You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Mario Draghi
suggested the ECB is ready to use “all available tools” to meet its objective
of “returning to price stability over the (ever-ambiguous)
medium-term.” These Central bank actions, combined with similar policy
adjustments the world round – like the Reserve Bank of India cutting rates after
the Rupee had already hit an all-time low – suggest the “final currency
war” I warned of three years ago is in full-swing, on the verge of going nuclear.
That said, without question, the FOMC clearly decided that, as the de
facto Central bank “leader”
– i.e., the institution more responsible for destroying the world than any
other – its window for replacing its “recovery” jawboning with action was
rapidly closing. After which, any remaining shred of “credibility” it
still had would be gone. Consequently, it launched the last, and most
intense, salvo of its 2½ year propaganda/market manipulation war – in
suggesting it might, on a “data dependent” basis, of course – raise
rates at its December 19th meeting; in what I subsequently deemed a “December
rate hike or bust” campaign, and I do mean bust.
Consequently, its kindergarten-worded “policy statement” was altered to
give the impression of increased economic confidence – even if it not only
made little
sense, but had more qualifiers than a pharmaceutical infomercial.
To wit, for the 11th straight month, the FOMC deemed the plunge in oil and
other import prices “transitory.” And incredibly, omitted “recent
global economic and financial developments may restrain economic activity
somewhat, and are likely to put further downward pressure on inflation in the
near-term” –just one month after putting it in, despite not a
shred of evidence suggesting such worries have abated. Last but not
least, it changed the prior months’ (as in, eleven months’) “in
determining how long to maintain the zero to 0.25% Fed funds target range”
to “in determining whether it will be appropriate to raise the target
range at its next meeting.”
The latter, from an institution that in the past year has suggested
imminent rate cuts with a variety of similar “word cloud” changes; each time,
trumpeted by its MSM “partners” at the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and
the like. Which, without fail, never panned out; from the the
ballyhooed replacement of “considerable time” in December 2014 with “patient”
– which supposedly meant the Fed was getting ready for a March 2015 rate
hike. To, in March 2015, removing “patient” – in lieu of “the Committee
judges that an increase in the target range for the Federal Funds rate
remains unlikely at the April FOMC meeting.” In other words, suggesting
a rate hike was possible shortly thereafter – which of course, didn’t
happen. And equally comically, when April arrived, they simply took
out all reference to specific meetings, by adopting a temporary, unofficial
policy of ignoring timelines entirely.
Not that an infinitesimal “rate hike” would have the slightest impact on
global economic activity; and certainly not Precious
Metals – from a fundamental perspective. However, the desperation
to portray a semblance of control – instead of the “ten
ring circus of Keystone Kops” Central banking activity has been
increasingly viewed as – was clearly atop the Fed’s agenda, irrespective of
the fact that since the September meeting, global economic activity had clearly
deteriorated. To wit, in its infinite wisdom, the Fed believed that
since their PPT partners had been able to engineer a ridiculous, 1,700 point
“Dow
Jones Propaganda Average” rally – ironically, commencing the day of the
abysmal October 2nd NFP employment report (enabling it to temporarily reclaim
its 200 day moving average of roughly 17,600) – it had enough “cushion” to
jawbone of “recovery” and “imminent rate hikes.” And thus, buy a bit
more “credibility time” – whilst, of course, qualifying such optimism with
the standard “in determining whether it will be appropriate to raise the
Fed Funds rate, the Committee will take into account a wide range of
information – including measures of labor market conditions, indicators of
inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and readings on financial and
international developments.” In other words, it will be, as always, “data
dependent.” And man, has the ensuing “data” been bad!
Since that fateful day, every imaginable piece of economic news – on a worldwide
basis – has deteriorated, and dramatically so. That is, except the blatantly
fraudulent “sixth sigma” beat of the October NFP employment report;
which, as usual, was far worse than expected once one actually reads
it. And oh yeah, the “Chicago PMI Index” – which is so comically
volatile and useless as an economic indicator, I last year wrote an entire article about
it – was similarly “much better than expected.” And this, in a city
that was recently downgraded to junk status, within a state that technically
defaulted on its debt this summer.
In the U.S. alone, the following economically reports – all upwardly
goosed, I might add – were either worse than expected, or outright negative…3Q
GDP; the Bloomberg Consumer Confidence Index, the National Association of
Realtors’ Pending Home Sale Index (-2.3%); personal income and consumer
spending; Consumer Sentiment; the ISM Manufacturing Index; September Factory
Orders (-1.0%); the October ADP employment report – which completely
contradicted NFP; the Challenger Layoff Report; September Retail sales
(+0.1%, atop a downwardly revised August figure); the Empire State
Manufacturing Survey (-10.7); October industrial production (-0.2%); the
October PPI
(-0.4%, versus an expected +0.2%); the National Association of
Homebuilders’ housing index; and as I write Wednesday morning, October
Housing Starts – which “unexpectedly” plunged 12%. And don’t forget,
the myriad negative September data points will only serve to push the BLS’
initial estimate of 3Q GDP “growth” of 1.5% – i.e., one of the lowest GDP
prints in years – lower; potentially to less than zero before all is said and
done.
Not to mention, one of the few “positive” indicators to emerge (not
positive, as in good; but simply, above zero) was yesterday’s
October CPI reading of +0.2%; which, in true economy-killing “need versus want”
fashion, featured declines in discretionary items like apparel, but
large increases in non-discretionary items like healthcare (the biggest
component of said “GDP growth”); and “shelter,” as the cost of renting hit an
all-time high. Regarding the former, nearly all Americans – myself
included – were informed in early November that their health insurance
premiums would skyrocket
in 2016, putting a dramatic dent in an already moribund retail sector –
as evidenced by catastrophic earnings reports, since October 28th,
from bellwethers like Macy’s, Nordstrom, and JC Penney.
However, that’s the “good news,” compared to what’s going on elsewhere; as
since October 28th, every imaginable measure of global trade has
plunged to either its 2008-09 financial crisis lows, or lower. I
mean, you name it, and it’s collapsed – from China’s containerized freight index; to U.S. trucking, railroad, and port activity; to the U.S. sales-to-inventory ratio. And of course, the
“grand-daddy” of all global trade indicators, the Baltic Dry Index, which yesterday
crashed to within a hair’s breadth of its all-time low – comprising 30 yearsof data. And this, before we’ve even
reached the seasonally weakest first quarter of the year!
And oh yeah, the CRB Commodity Index is in FREE FALL, under the weight of
the greatest oversupply in history; the result, as I have long-written,
of two decades of maniacal Central bank money printing and Wall Street
financial engineering. Commodities – i.e., the world’s top revenue
source, for corporations, municipalities, and sovereign nations alike – are
now, on average, at or near all-time lows; with the CRB Index, at 183 as I
write, trading below the 40-year low of 185 it first attempted to
breach in late August. Led into the abyss by, OH NO, copper and zinc; the
two commodities Glencore relies on to survive. Consequently, most
commodity currencies – i.e., most currencies – have plunged anew, in nearly
all cases to, or near to, all-time lows. In some cases, such as dying “BRICS”
like Brazil, to the point of economic collapse, social
revolution, and/or political coup. Which of course, means the “dollar
index” has exploded
higher, to not only the chagrin of “final currency war” participants on
Main Street, Wall Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue, but the Fed itself
– as none other than Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer admits. And don’t forget the Chinese, whose record
string of daily Yuan devaluations, following horrifying trade data released after
the October 28th FOMC meeting – suggests the “cataclysmic
financial big bang to end all big bangs” I predicted to the day back in
August – i.e, a significant Yuan devaluation – is just getting
started.
As for the granddaddy of global revenue producers, crude oil, it’s
“transitory” decline has extended by an additional 10% since the October 28th
FOMC meeting – with WTI crude having plunged from $45/bbl to $41/bbl as I
write, following another massive Cushing build last night, but Saudi Arabia
raising its selling discount to its highest level since…drum roll
please…crude’s financial crisis low in early 2009. And as for the “unspeakable
horrors crashing oil prices portend” – which I warned of 13 months ago –
does it surprise anyone that Europe is facing an historic “migrant crisis”
from collapsing Middle Eastern nations? Culminating in, last weekend,
the worst Western terrorist attack since 9/11? Or that – again, since
the October 28th FOMC meeting – Obama officially authorized “boots
on the ground” in Syria; joining long-time arch rival Russia; and as of this
week, France; as clearly, the makings of World War III are in place.
Socially speaking, the secession movement in Catalonia,
Spain – where 25% of Spain’s GDP emanates from – took a giant
Parliamentary step forward last week; following the prior week’s historic
political coup in fellow “PIIG” Portugal, and expanding unrest in Greece. And given what occurred
in Paris, undoubtedly the burgeoning secession movements – from the European
Union and/or Euro currency – in France, Italy, and the UK will take giant
steps forward as well. Not to mention, in the de facto European leader
Germany; which, whilst still reeling from the historic Volkswagen “Diesel-Gate”
scandal,” sits on the cusp of social chaos, given Angela Merkel’s insistence on
accepting a million Muslim emigrants into the country.
In other words, since the Fed’s October 28th meeting, a mere three
weeks ago, global “horrible
headlines have gone parabolic, as Economic Mother Nature nears all-out
victory.” Which is probably why any sentient being with a pulse and
an uncompromised agenda knows that not only is the Fed’s supposed “agenda”
for raising rates (which has been altered countless times already) has not
only decidedly NOT been met; but to the contrary, the case for “NIRP”
and “QE to Infinity” – both of which must inevitably happen – has
never been stronger. Which is why I’m so intrigued as to what today’s
(doctored) October 28th FOMC “minutes” will say. Which, sadly, is more
likely a function of how successful the PPT is at supporting the stock market
than all the aforementioned factors combined.
“The Committee anticipates that it will be appropriate to raise the
target range for the federal funds rate when it has seen some further
improvement in the labor market and is reasonably confident that inflation
will move back to its 2% objective over the medium-term.”
Back in July, I wrote that the “only
difference between late 2008 and today” was historically manipulated “last to go” markets like
the “Dow
Jones Propaganda Average” and paper gold and silver. Well, that’s nothing
compared to today; as not only has global economic activity dramatically
weakened – and Central bank money printing proportionately increased; but
unprecedented market manipulation has caused a complete and utter break from
fundamentals. To wit, globalPPT
efforts have (temporarily) rescued stocks from their well justified August
lows – even as commodities, currencies, and bonds have plunged below those
lows. And as for Precious Metals, even I have not seen anything
like this in my 13½ years in the sector – with prices now down by a record 17
days in a row or so; “coincidentally,” commencing the second the
FOMC’s October 28th policy statement was released. Which, equally
“coincidentally,” was exactly the moment both metals had finally exceeded
their 200 day moving averages, following five months of vicious Cartel
resistance. Which, in silver’s case yielded the worst retail industry
shortage since the 2008 financial crisis.
And as this has occurred, data from around the world – from East to West – has revealed record PM demand and plunging inventories; whilst gold
and silver mine production has been confirmed to have fallen in 2015, en
route to what I anticipate will be catastrophic declines for years to come.
In other words, on all imaginable fronts, “since the Fed’s October 28th
meeting,” the impetus to not raise, but lower rates has expanded
dramatically. As have the fundamental reasons to own Precious Metals,
and not financial assets like stocks. To which, I can only reiterate for the
umpteenth time, that “Economic
Mother Nature” always wins. And this time, given the unprecedented
manipulative efforts to usurp her, her inevitable “victory” will be more spectacular
than ever.
