Pro Perspectives 3/10/25

 

 

 

 

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March 10, 2025

We've been watching this trendline in the Nasdaq.  It traded into the line on Friday (precisely on the number) and bounced 500 points. 
 
Today it gave way …
 
 
So, now we've broken this key trendline that represents the AI-theme — a trend that was catalyzed by the launch of ChatGPT back in November of 2022.
 
And we have a similar trend in the S&P 500 that has broken down — this line, representing the rise in the anticipation of a Fed easing cycle. 
 
 
With this S&P chart in mind, remember, back in October of 2023 the Fed had stubbornly held rates well above 5% (the orange line in the chart below), while inflation was on a consistent path lower (blue line). 
 
 
As you can see in the chart, the longer the Fed held rates steady, the tighter policy became, as inflation continued to fall.  And it was the bond market that ultimately forced the Fed's hand. 
 
The Fed finally folded when the 10-year yield hit 5% (the danger zone for financial stability) and stocks were in an 11% correction.  They walked back on a final rate hike they were telegraphing and began to start telegraphing the easing cycle. 
 
Yields fell. Stocks began this 50% climb (the S&P chart above).
 
Staying with this S&P chart, you can see the path of rate cuts along the way. 
 
December was the Fed's last cut.  And remember what came with it — a hawkish policy adjustment (at least in the form of "guidance").
 
With that December cut, the Fed showed its bias on Trump policies in their Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), proactively revising UP their view on growth AND inflation.  And they took two projected rate cuts off of the table.
 
Then they hit pause on the easing cycle in late January.
 
And with that, and the influence of Fed rhetoric, as of one month ago the market had priced in a small chance of ZERO rate cuts this year.
 
So, this was a big swing in interest rate expectations, for the roughly six weeks following the December Fed meeting.
 
Meanwhile, two developments have countered the Fed's December outlook: 1) early indications from the Trump trade war suggest disinflationary pressures, as tariffs are dampening global sentiment, and 2) Nvidia's recent earnings, as a key barometer of the tech revolution, confirm that manufacturing capacity constraints are throttling the speed of innovation.
 
Add to this, the coming labor market shock from the DOGE belt-tightening should meet the Fed's condition of "unexpected weakness" in jobs, which is a stated condition (by the Fed) for a "reaction" (i.e. easing). 
 
With all of the above in mind, both the bond market (chart below), and the stock market (charts above), seem to be telling us, the Fed pause was a mistake.   
 
 
 

Pro Perspectives 3/6/25

 

 
 

 

 

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March 06, 2025

We get the February jobs report tomorrow.

Remember, the BLS numbers cover up to just the 12th of the prior month, so most of the DOGE job cuts thus far should show up on the next report, in early April.

That said, against the market expectations of 150k-160k jobs added and a 4.0% unemployment rate (both of which are right on the average of the past year), it sets up for a negative surprise.

And we’ve had some clues from the private jobs reports this week.

On Wednesday, the ADP report for February came in at 77k jobs added, about half of what was expected.

And this morning a report from the recruitment firm Challenger, Gray showed the biggest layoffs in February since the covid lockdown era, and the depths of the global financial crisis.

So, clearly a labor market shock is coming.

How much will come tomorrow?

If we look back at just the January report, of the 143k jobs added, 38k were government.  But then there was 22k added in “social assistance” and 44k added in healthcare.  Government directly funds about 70% of social assistance programs, and about half of national healthcare.

The rough math suggests at least half of the jobs added in January were government related.  So, for February, we add in a combination of some degree of government job cuts and a hiring freeze, and we should expect a number that undershoots the consensus view.

And remember, the Fed is highly sensitive to a deterioration in the labor market.  In fact, they’ve been telling us for the past year that signs of “cracks” would be a condition to “react” (i.e. rate cuts).

And as we’ve discussed in my daily notes, history suggests the Fed is more comfortable doing clean up and rescue, than proactive fine tuning.

So, they will wait until they see it.  And they may get a “crack” tomorrow, with a bigger chasm coming next month.

With that, the market has been stepping up bets on a May rate cut (now about a coin flips chance).  But they continue to underprice the probability of a cut at the March 19th meeting — especially given the deteriorating stock market.

With that, we go into tomorrow’s job number with the S&P having already broken this very significant trendline that represents the anticipation of a Fed easing cycle. 

   

And the Nasdaq looks likely to test this big trendline we’ve been watching, which was induced by the “ChatGPT moment.”

A test of this line would represent a 12% correction in the Nasdaq.

What would be a relief valve for stocks?  A Fed “reaction” to cracks in the job market.  If not a March cut, then at least communication to markets that they are ready to act, to do more, and earlier than the market has priced in.

 

Pro Perspectives 3/5/25

 

 

 

 

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March 5, 2025

We talked yesterday about the fiscal spending spree in Europe.
 
It's bigger now.
 
In coordination with the European Commission's 800 billion euro "defense funding" plan, the German government has announced a 500 billion euro plan to contribute to the euro-wide defense funding AND to fund infrastructure.
 
So, this is a debt deluge in Europe, and it comes only a little more than a decade removed from a sovereign debt crisis in Europe.
 
As we discussed yesterday, what averted the debt crisis from becoming a cascade of debt defaults and ultimately a collapse of the monetary union (the euro), was intervention by the European Central Bank.  
 
Back in the summer of 2012, Mario Draghi (ECB President) vowed to do "whatever it takes" to save the euro.  He threatened to buy unlimited bonds of the weak euro zone countries, to ward of speculators and bring down the unsustainably high government borrowing rates (particularly of Italy and Spain).
 
Now we have the new leader of the German government invoking the same words when it comes to fiscal spending to defend the continent: "whatever it takes."
 
Is this reorientation in Europe around "whatever it takes" fiscal policy to 1) catch up in AI, and 2) build independence in defense capabilities, a greenlight to buy all things Europe? 
 
Or is it a catalyst for a bond market shock, given the flaws exposed in the monetary union from the global financial crisis?
 
So far, the signals are mixed.
 
The euro has rallied.  German stocks are hanging around record highs. 
 
But the yield on the German 30-year bund had the biggest spike today since 1990.  And the spike in the German 10-year yield (the absolute basis point move) is only matched two other times in the past 13 years, one of which was in late 2011 when Greece was teetering on the edge of default.      
 
 
Keep in mind, Germany is the most rigid fiscal conservative in the euro zone, and the economic engine of Europe. 
 
If relaxing deficit spending constraints for a country with 62% debt-to-GDP and a tiny budget deficit results in a 35-year-event-like bond market penalty, then what does that mean for the French bond market, a fiscally profligate country running a 6% budget deficit with debt well in excess of 100% of GDP?
 
 
As you can see in the chart above, the move in the French 10-year yield today was on par with the Silicon Valley bank crisis period, and the days surrounding the European and UK bond market stress in 2022.  And it's probably just getting started. 
 
With that, this "whatever it takes" fiscal response in Europe looks less like a greenlight to buy Europe, and more like a European sovereign debt crisis (2.0) risk.  
 

Pro Perspectives 3/4/25

 

 

 

 

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March 4, 2025

Over the past few weeks, Europe has been working up plans for a massive fiscal spending spree.
 
It started last month with a pledge of 50 billion euros for AI infrastructure, in a plan that included 150 billion euros of private investment (likely to be supported by cheap liquidity from the European Central Bank). 
 
And this past weekend, European leaders held emergency meetings to devise a gameplan to backstop Ukraine, if Trump were to end U.S. funding.
 
What's the gameplan?
 
They want to spend 800 billion euros to "rearm" Europe.   
 
To do so, they want to relax the budget deficit limits imposed on member states through Europe's Growth and Stability Pact — allowing them to ramp up defense spending.
 
So, more deficit spending.  More debt. 
 
They think this will get them 650 billion of the 800 billion euros.  And then the European Commission will plug the remaining 150 billion euro gap with loans to member states. 
 
And guess who provides the financial guarantees that allow the European Commission to borrow? 
 
The member states. 
 
So, this is just off-balance sheet borrowing, which effectively compounds the debt burden of member states. 
 
That all said, Europe has its fiscally weak spots, namely Italy and Spain.  And both were on default watch in 2012, only to be saved by a central bank rescue — which, to this point, appears to have become a permanent feature.  
 
What's the point? 
 
For this 800 billion euro funding plan to work, without triggering another European sovereign debt crisis, the ECB will be back in action — more central bank backstops (at least verbal, if not more QE), to tame the bond yields of the fiscally vulnerable countries. 
 
That's bearish for the euro, bullish for gold. 
  

Pro Perspectives 3/3/24

 

 

 

 

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March 3, 2025

Nvidia is down 13% since earnings day.
 
And going into that earnings report we talked about the likelihood that it would serve as a catalyst for some broader stock market weakness (a correction).
 
It looks like we're getting it. 
 
As we discussed, for Nvidia shares, a retracement to the day of the stock-split-announcement (May 22, 2024) would be about $95.  It closed today at $114. 
 
As for the AI-theme-heavy Nasdaq, here's the chart we looked at last week.  Remember, a test of this big trendline that represents the doubling of the Nasdaq, driven by the "ChatGPT moment," would be an 11%-12% correction.  It's down 8% so far.     
 
 
And this all comes as the interest rate market has been flashing warning signals, with the 55 basis point collapse in the 10-year bond yield over just a three week period.  
 
And it's reflected in this chart we look at on Thursday.  This gauge of inflation expectations has plunged. 
 
 
So, just as Wall Street and the Fed have been handwringing about a reacceleration in inflation, the bond market, and now stock market, may be telling us that disinflationary pressures are stronger. 
 
Remember, the Fed is still holding rates 180 basis points above the rate of inflation (PCE), which means they are putting downward pressure on prices and the economy. 
 
With that, the latest two readings on the Atlanta Fed's GDP model have the economy tracking at a 2.8% contraction in the first quarter (the green line).
 
Add to this, we get the February jobs report on Friday.  The BLS numbers cover up to just the 12th of the prior month, so most of the government job cuts thus far should show up in the next report, in early April. 
 
But a labor market shock is coming, and it will be (if it isn't already) a drag on growth and price pressures (i.e. disinflationary).
 
Who is on high alert to "unexpected weakness" in the labor market? 
 
The Fed. 
 
That said, the market is now pricing in a rate cut for June, a cut for September and a chance of a third by year end. 
 
Given the dynamic we've discussed above, the market seems to be underestimating the chance of a cut this month (March 19).

Pro Perspectives 2/27/25

 

 
 

 

 

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February 27, 2025

Going into Nvidia earnings, we talked about the set up for a negative reaction for stocks.

It looks like we’re getting it — and maybe a correction in what has been a very hot run for the stocks of the companies leading the AI revolution.

With that, we end the day with the (tech heavy) S&P 500 sitting on this very significant trendline.

This trendline originates from October 2023, when the Fed signaled the end of the tightening cycle. And they did so because the bond market forced their hand.  The 10-year yield was sitting at 5%, which was the danger zone for financial stability — and stocks were in an 11% correction.

The Fed flinched. Yields fell. Stocks rallied.

Now this big trendline is testing, vulnerable to a break (down).

And it’s happening as yields have just fallen like a stone — down 44 basis points in 11 days.  That’s happened just two other times in the past year, one of which was driven by the carry-trade unwind event in early August of last year.

What’s going on this time?

If we look at this bond market gauge of inflation expectations (next chart), we can see it’s falling sharply (far right of the chart).

Of course, this can happen in this metric when benchmark bond yields take a sharp fall (for a variety of reasons).  On the “variety of reasons” note, if we step back through the chart, we can see the sharp moves lower share the feature of significant events, and subsequent central bank action.

Moving left to right, we had the June 2022 stress in the European sovereign debt market. The ECB had to restart QE (QE by a new name, the “Transmission Protection Instrument”) to stabilize bond markets of the weak euro zone countries.

In September of 2022, it was bond market stress in the UK.  The Bank of England had to intervene, to avert a financial crisis (which would have been global).

And in August of last year, the Bank of Japan took another step toward exiting emergency level policies, announcing plans to exit its role as the global liquidity provider — it induced a liquidity shock for global markets (including an unwind of the carry trade).  And the Bank of Japan was forced to quickly walk it back (verbal intervention, if not actual intervention/asset purchases).

What’s going on this time?

Maybe its the shock to the labor market that’s coming, given the DOGE agenda.

And it will come with a Fed that’s still holding real rates (Fed funds rate minus PCE) at an historically tight level.

The Fed should be communicating to markets that it stands ready to act (ready to ease).

 

 

Pro Perspectives 2/26/25

 

 

 

 

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February 26, 2025

Nvidia reported this afternoon.
 
The data center business is now 90% of Nvidia. 
 
And as we've discussed, the growth in data center revenue has been on a rhythm of about $4 billion a quarter since the second half of 2023.
 
That said, they reported a bump higher in data center revenue in today's report. But, they guided A LOT lower for next quarter.  Did they pull forward some sales to boost the overall data center picture today?  Maybe. 
 
Here's a look at the past six quarters, plus the guidance for next quarter …
 
 
It is indeed the $4 billion drumbeat.
 
Again, while the speed of innovation in AI seems lightning fast, it's being constrained by Nvidia's inability to fulfill at a level that satisfies global demand.  And it's because Taiwan Semiconductor, Nvidia's manufacturing partner, is clearly maxed out (operating at capacity). 
 
With this all in mind, Jensen always delivers a glimpse into the future on his earnings calls. 
 
What did he say? 
 
He said we are just at the beginning of the age of AI – and he said it several times.
 
And just as some have thought the massive capex spending by the tech giants would be slowing down, Jensen implied that there would be endless building of computing capacity. 
 
He said, "going forward, data centers will dedicate most of CapEx to accelerated computing and AI. Data centers will increasingly become AI factories and every company will have one, either renting or self-operated."
 
Surely a bottomless pit of computing demand can't solely be supplied from one company in Taiwan.  This makes the case for a war-time like effort to build advanced-chip making capacity in the U.S.  
 
 
 
 

Pro Perspectives 2/25/25

 

 

 

 

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February 25, 2025

The big Nvidia earnings are due tomorrow after the market close.
 
And as we discussed in my note yesterday, Nvidia's quarterly growth capacity seems to have hit a wall (constrained by manufacturing capacity).  The market seems to have recognized it, based on the behavior of the stock after last November's earnings release.
 
With that, and given some of the risk-off behavior in markets today, the set of outcomes looks skewed toward negative for Nvidia shares from tomorrow's earnings.  And that would set up as a catalyst for some broader stock market weakness (a correction).
 
With that, let's look at a few charts …
 
 
Above is the chart on Nasdaq futures.  You can see the influence of the "ChatGPT moment" (as coined by Jensen Huang).   A move down to this trendline would represent an 11% correction. 
 
Next, is Nvidia. 
 
A move back to this trendline in Nvidia would be in the low $80s.  A retracement to the day of the stock-split-announcement (May 22, 2024) would be about $95. 
 
 
This next chart would argue:  If we are in the midst of a correction in the American AI-theme, the movement of capital into Chinese AI—where substantial value opportunities exist—confirms the investor confidence in the AI theme. It's an opportunistic shift towards value, not a retreat from the theme.
 
 
And as I said in my note yesterday, the AI revolution is real and well intact. And a correction in the AI-theme would be a welcome buying opportunity. 
 

Pro Perspectives 2/24/25

 

 
 

 

 

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February 24, 2025

Nvidia reports on Wednesday.

We head into this report with some perceived gaps having been exposed in the Nvidia armor in the past month.

The “DeepSeek moment” revealed that the large language models can be improved upon, advancing the capabilities of generative AI, without requiring more computing capacity.  So, maybe AI leadership isn’t determined by who gets access to the most Nvidia GPUs?

If that were the case, the hyperscalers (Amazon, Meta, Google, Tesla, Apple) would have flinched.

We heard from them all earlier this month.

They didn’t flinch.

Instead, they are all pressing the accelerator.  If we combine the planned capex spending for 2025, guided by Microsoft, Meta, Google, Tesla, Apple and Amazon — it’s over $300 billion.  It’s huge growth in spend from 2024 — about $100 billion more.

But as we’ve discussed for many quarters now, it’s not a demand issue for Nvidia, it’s a supply issue.

And the clues have been in the Nvidia datacenter revenue growth.  It’s a $4 billion drumbeat.

You can see it here (quarter-to-quarter change within the green box) …

If they maintain the $4 billion quarterly growth through 2025, and deliver everything to the American hyperscalers they still fall short of demand by $100 billion. 

And stable new revenue dollars every quarter means the growth rate trajectory for Nvidia is down. 

At $4 billion a quarter, the  year-over-year growth rate falls to under 50% by the second half of 2025. 

 

Now, a little less than 50% growth is still a big number, but the market has already begun to reconsider the valuation.

As you can see in this next chart, the stock put in a top after Q3 earnings last November.  The largest company in the world then proceeded to whipsaw in an 8% range that day (a $300 billion valuation swing).

And then a new top was just barely printed early last month after Jensen’s keynote at the CES conference in Las Vegas.  And then we had this gap lower on the DeepSeek news.  The gap has since filled, heading into Wednesday’s earnings. 

Assuming neither Nvidia nor Taiwan Semiconductor has identified new manufacturing capacity, this chart looks likely to resolve in the direction of this January gap, lower.

That said, the AI revolution is real and well intact. And a correction in the AI-theme would be a welcome buying opportunity. 

 

Pro Perspectives 2/20/25

 

 

 

 

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February 20, 2025

As we discussed last month, policymaking has been intentionally globally synchronized in the post-pandemic era (even much of the post-Global Financial Crisis era).  That includes monetary, fiscal, climate, social, and public health policy. 
 
But that global synchronization has broken, with the "populist" political shakeup in the U.S.
 
And the new, more nationalist policy path taken by the U.S. has almost immediately been reflected in this chart of business sentiment (U.S. relative to Germany) … 

 
 
This divergence is about pro-sovereignty, pro-growth and deregulation vs. diluted sovereignty, slow-to-no growth and excessive regulation.  
 
It's about optimism versus pessimism.
 
And with that, we talked about the prospects of a populist political shakeup spreading, globally (with Trump-like candidates/policies).
 
It's brewing in Europe. 
 
And with a big snap election this Sunday in Germany, the populist (AfD) candidate is polling around 14 points behind the favored CDU candidate, but has been effective in galvanizing pushback against the government overreach and policy failures of the incumbent regime.
 
Let's take a look at German stocks as we head into this weekend's election.
 
Despite the gloomy German business sentiment we observed in the first chart, and despite posting a second consecutive year of contracting economic growth, German stocks have been on a tear, making new record highs, almost by the day, since late December. 
 
But the DAX put in a bearish technical reversal signal yesterday (an outside day).