Friday, June 18, 2021

Low Base Last Year is Behind High Inflation and Growth...

High growth and inflation in the US and in INDIA are due to low inflation and growth base last year... According to the chain based index method... low inflation base would show high inflation relatively when it normalises or bounces back, same with the growth rate... it's because prices and growth fell last year compared to two years back when growth rate was high and this year's growth rate has a low base last year...

By the next year inflation would be lower given the high base this year, every year the base year changes according to the chain based method, low base last year shows higher inflation this year and high base last year shows low inflation this year... Time consistency of economic policies is a problem while framing polices... 

The Fed is (un)knowingly creating volatility in the markets by managing the money supply and interest rate and price or inflation expectations, though interest rate is also a price which is variable and not sticky, while price of borrowing determines all other prices... 

Otherthings remaining constant, if prices or inflation increase it cuts the value of money or debt and lower real interest rate which discourages savings and encourages spending, both investment and consumption... 

But, if the Fed increases interest rate, the above adjustment would not happen, because it would keep the real interest rate high or constant, if we assume the nominal interest rate would increase equal to inflation... 

Nonetheless, if the Fed commits a low and stable interest rate inflation or prices could help the above adjustment and reduce volatility... The Fed's policy should be consistent to increase its credibility...

Inflation reduces the real value of debt and increases spending... It cuts all the three real interest rate, real wages and real exchange rate which means more demand and spending... 

Under this scenario higher borrowing cost could disrupt supply side mechanism and employment and demand, too, further increasing prices, higher borrowing cost reinforces higher prices... 

If the central bank could commit stable interest rate, both consumption and investment spending may increase...To stabilise the current situation stability in policy is important...

The Fed shall first try to stabilise the money supply and interest rate and inflation for stable interest rate and inflation expectations which are important for spending decisions and achieve full employment...

The specter of tapering is quite a past, it has not happened and still uncertain given high unemployment in the US... Markets could rejoice...

It was a very good monetary policy as far as its effect on investors is concerned... 

It said that the timing of the tapering is still uncertain and it expects two rate hikes at the end of 2023 which should be taken with a big grain of salt... 

The US' growth outlook has been impressive and the monetary policy would remain accommodative unless success is made on the unemployment front... 

The communication was clear that for quite some time more it would continue with its accommodative stance...

It shall commit a stable monetary policy in order to stabilise expectations at the current level... Higher borrowing cost could reinforce lower supply and higher prices and expectations...

USD is the most bullish currency of the world; it is also considered a safe haven investment along with the US treasuries... The US stocks, too...

Subbarao (former RBI Guv) has said that the RBI prints money to conduct different operations... Unemployment and demand has gone down in the country, higher unemployment also means that production and supply have also gone down...

INDIA lacks a proper unemployment benefits or insurance system... This is a high time the govt reform the labour code by introducing a contingency programme for the unemployment due to lockdown... 

Like it has introduced crop insurance to handle uncertainty it may implement unemployment insurance... To fill the gap the govt may print money and provide capital for the unemployment insurance, because poor and unemployed need money for survival and subsistence... there is no doubt... as the unlock happens and supply improves...

Unemployment benefits or insurance in times of slowdown and crises would help survival and demand... and would also help flexible labour laws...

INDIA's health care infra is weak, the govt must buckle up for any probability of any third wave...The govt shall provide some compensation or unemployment benefit for subsistence, this long pending, even the flexible labour laws need, unemployment insurance...

Longer time horizon means more time for uncertainty... Analysts could make better prediction in the short run based on evidences... They must highlight the rational expectations that could prove to be self-fulfilling...

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Expectations, Money and Spending...

 Expectations model has its root as old as Adam Smith when they were meant to discuss the gains from outcome of the human behavior. Human Psychology and actions explain why the subjects would be expected to behave under different situation in life and market under certain conditions and even under uncertain conditions. 

There are a number of variables used to predict human behavior and the outcome in the economic life. People speculate on human actions and outcomes if they are given money, they can increase/decrease/hold demand/supply. 

Holding demand/supply back based on expectations increase volatility in the prices which is an ideal situation to make money in the market and also to increase consumption, but you must have money to benefit from volatility. 

If people expect that prices may fall, they may speculate and hold demand which would reinforce the lower prices through lower demand and higher supply and if they expect that prices may increase they may hold supply which may reinforce higher prices through lower supply and higher demand…

Very few people understand statistics and percent... Economists must quote the nominal figures... During the last wave people took a contraction of -24% as the negative growth when the base year was 2019, -24% meant that growth in the base year was 7%... so the mathematics is 24% of 7% which is 1.6% lower or 7 minus 1.6 equals 5.4%... we had 5.4% growth in 2020...

Real rates are in the neg- zone, inflation adjusted rates, but demand is low which is dragging the supply lower even though there is unemployment and excess capacity... Any rate cut had been saved since demand is low... The banks are sitting on their own recovery, higher market rates has not led to credit growth, though the expected growth has increased, even after the revised expected growth...

The RBI takes notice of CPI which has a high weightage of food and fuel which are also most sensitive for inflation, better supply side management has contained food prices during the current regime... Nonetheless, policy mismanagement in case of fuel and its prices, higher tax and fuel exports to other countries even when oil prices rise have become Achilles heel for the Economy...

Unemployment rate is critical for deciding the output gap which is missing from the RBI model,,,

RBI claiming that there is bubble in the stocks as if it is not backed by the central bank liquidity and inflation and higher prices... Corporate profits and earnings back the upside... Lower bond yields and higher bond prices have kept lid on the broader stock market recovery... The stock market cap to GDP ratio is still not that stretched as back in recovery from 2008 crash...

Retail investors shall pick 8-10 index funds stocks and invest on significant dips (5-7%) on market corrections and sell on profits and do it repeatedly with the same stocks having decent cashflows... This is a short-term strategy and may work...

The market cap to GDP ratio is 100 which is still lower than over 150 observed in 2008 recovery...

While tackling covid, finance for keeping the people healthy shall not be a problem... We may easily monetise the debt and deficit... We also have a heavy foreign exchange reserves... Unprecedented problems need unprecedented solutions...

Health care spending has also gone up, demand for Medicines and Medical Service would kick on the multiplier...


Economic growth around...

  Food and fuel inflation is high in INDIA... the main sources of inflation... Lower fuel taxes could help lower inflation and increase prod...