- Focus is prone to shift from the tempo of fee hikes to their vacation spot on the upcoming Fed assembly
- Presently, the market is pricing a major quantity of fee cuts in 2023.
- This will likely come at odds with what the Fed sees.
The upcoming is prone to ship traders lots to speak about. Jay Powell has already met the market expectations for a potential downshift to 50 bps fee hikes on the December FOMC assembly. Nonetheless, after that downshift, the main focus will shift from the tempo of fee hikes to their ultimate vacation spot.
Not less than for now, the Fed Funds Futures appears content material with the Fed pushing charges to about 4.9%. That is considerably lower than what the futures had been searching for on the final Fed assembly. On November 2, the futures market noticed the speed peaking at 5.07%. On prime of that, the futures at the moment are pricing in steeper and sooner fee cuts.
Differing Opinions
After a year of rate hikes and a year of forward guidance, one would think that the Fed and the market would be at the point where everyone agreed. That is not the case. Powell and other Fed board members have notably discussed that they see rates going higher than indicated at the September FOMC meeting. The projections in September were calling for a peak terminal rate of 4.6% then. Now, the talk has been as high as 5% to 5.25%.
Instead, the Fed Funds Futures market is pricing in a peak terminal rate of 4.92% by May and pricing in rate cuts that bring the Fed Funds rate back down to 4.55% by December. This implies that there may be mispricing in the market by as much as 50 to 75 bps, which is meaningful because the rate is probably too low.
A Potential Mispricing
Not only that, but it possibly also means that the entire market is mispriced from equities to the , as the market has focused on the Fed’s overtightening and needing to cut rates sooner narrative. That potentially means that the recent weakening of the dollar has been too much, and the recent rally in the equity market has been too high.
It will put even more emphasis not on the pace of rate hikes in the future but on where the Fed sees the terminal rate versus the market. Everything from the Fed meeting onward is likely to hinge on how good of a job Powell can do with convincing the market that rates will rise to 5% and potentially be held there for all of 2023. If he can do that, there is probably a very big mispricing in the market currently, which suggests that rates go higher, the dollar strengthens, and financial conditions tighten.
Disclosure: Charts used with the permission of Bloomberg Finance LP. This report contains independent commentary to be used for informational and educational purposes only. Michael Kramer is a member and investment adviser representative with Mott Capital Management. Mr. Kramer is not affiliated with this company and does not serve on the board of any related company that issued this stock. All opinions and analyses presented by Michael Kramer in this analysis or market report are solely Michael Kramer’s views. Readers should not treat any opinion, viewpoint, or prediction expressed by Michael Kramer as a specific solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or follow a particular strategy. Michael Kramer’s analyses are based upon information and independent research that he considers reliable, but neither Michael Kramer nor Mott Capital Management guarantees its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. Michael Kramer is not under any obligation to update or correct any information presented in his analyses. Mr. Kramer’s statements, guidance, and opinions are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Past performance of an index is not an indication or guarantee of future results. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Exposure to an asset class represented by an index may be available through investable instruments based on that index. Neither Michael Kramer nor Mott Capital Management guarantees any specific outcome or profit. You should know the real risk of loss in following any strategy or investment commentary presented in this analysis. Strategies or investments discussed may fluctuate in price or value. Investments or strategies mentioned in this analysis may not be suitable for you. This material does not consider your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs and is not intended as a recommendation appropriate for you. You must make an independent decision regarding investments or strategies in this analysis. Upon request, the advisor will provide a list of all recommendations made during the past twelve months. Before acting on information in this analysis, you should consider whether it is suitable for your circumstances and strongly consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser to determine the suitability of any investment. Michael Kramer and Mott Capital received compensation for this article.
