Morning Report 9/13/12

Vital Statistics:

  Last Change Percent
S&P Futures  1437.0 -2.5 -0.17%
Eurostoxx Index 2546.8 -18.0 -0.70%
Oil (WTI) 97.32 0.3 0.32%
LIBOR 0.389 -0.006 -1.40%
US Dollar Index (DXY) 79.67 -0.071 -0.09%
10 Year Govt Bond Yield 1.73% -0.02%  
RPX Composite Real Estate Index 193.4 0.3  

Markets are lower this morning after initial jobless claims ticked up to 382k and the Producer Price Index showed inflation in check. All eyes turn to the FOMC decision scheduled for 12:30 est. Here is the summary of what to look for. Bonds and MBS are both stronger.

Fannie Mae’s latest issue of Housing Insights does a deep dive into the latest employment statistics. While average weekly earnings have rebounded from the recession, aggregate weekly earnings have not. What did Keynes say about “sticky wages?”  What this means is that wages have recovered for the people that have jobs, but is you add up everyone’s salaries, that number has not. Which pretty much tells us what we already know – wages are flattish and unemployment is high. They blame the construction sector for the weakness.  As I have said before, we have under-built housing for the past 10 years. Tight credit and temporarily depressed housing formation has masked the effect on housing demand. That won’t last forever.

Census points out that median income fell 1.5% in the last two years. Interestingly 2010 was the peak of average or median wages and they have been falling ever since. The two reports do disagree somewhat – Fannie has average wages up about 2% since the recession began, while census shows them 8.1% lower. Both adjust for inflation, and I cannot imagine the difference between median and average would be that great, so I am not sure what is going on there.  Census also notes the income gap is widening, so expect the study to be political fodder.

Rob Chrisman dissects the recent G-fee increase and its effect on the mortgage market. RTWT.

Is the rental boom reaching the end of the line? Maybe in Manhattan.

97 Responses

  1. Rental boom should continue in TX cities:

    http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/state-tax-collections-soar-setting-up-chance-for-2456805.html?printArticle=y

    Growth continues here with the influx of people from all over. That the state has gone from fiscal crisis to surplus is a big plus. The folks who come here looking for work and finding it are more often renters, first.

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  2. What did Keynes say about “sticky wages?”

    Wages are definitely far less sticky than they used to be. Just ask any former steelworker now working as a Walmart greeter.

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  3. Housing still sucks here in Tampa:

    Foreclosures continue to bruise Tampa Bay’s limping housing market, with foreclosure starts, auctions and repossessions last month growing 25 percent over August 2011.

    Tampa Bay saw more than 2,000 foreclosure starts, nearly 300 more than the previous August, new data from RealtyTrac shows. Nearly 1,000 Tampa Bay homes were repossessed, twice as many as August 2011.

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  4. “yellojkt, on September 13, 2012 at 8:59 am said:

    What did Keynes say about “sticky wages?”

    Wages are definitely far less sticky than they used to be. Just ask any former steelworker now working as a Walmart greeter.”

    My observation is that companies will prefer lay off staff and redistribute work to the remaining people rather than do across the board pay reductions for everyone. Among other things, salary costs are a lower percentage of the total cost of the employee than they used to be given the cost of their health insurance plans, so there’s a greater overall cost savings from layoffs versus trying to get the same reduction from salary adjustments.

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  5. Time to place your bets.

    I’m going with low interest rates until at least 2014 (or even 2015) and instead of bond buying, charging the banks for their excess reserves.

    Anybody else want to wager their first born on the Fed?

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  6. “Time to Bail Out on Treasurys?”

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/48894332

    We’ll know in about 45 minutes or so

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  7. “The California Man Behind the Anti-Islam Film”

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/49016321

    Looks like in a few days, they’re be burning down Copt neighborhoods as this information works it’s way to Egypt.

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  8. I thought everybody was expecting more QE and low interest rates through 2014 and rainbows?

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  9. Nobody?

    This is it folks. Other than FP blowups, this is the election right here. Not that the Fed is going to make Obama win or lose, but this is the last potential game changer in the election going forward.

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  10. should have said “economic game changer”

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  11. The excess reserves change could be a big signal that the Fed will do whatever it takes. I am expecting more of the same. – Op Twist, QE, extension of ZIRP.

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  12. Lots of gold puts being bought today, indicating that investors aren’t expecting a big show.

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  13. 2015 and bond buying 40 billlion a month

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  14. all MBS, no termination date

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    • I wonder how classic liquidity preference will play out. For me, it is obvious that Rosanne and I will have to buy rental property as bonds mature. Forcing pension investors into riskier stocks [DJ had a term of art for this the other day] seems like another result. What else? I guess we could also buy in seller financed mortgages at a discount.

      Addendum: Where will the insurers put their money?

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  15. Stock market euphoria short lived. 10 year getting clocked…

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  16. “Pour Some Sugar On Me”

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  17. Mark

    High beta.

    You can’t go wrong with rental real estate in a college town like Austin I would guess, unless you’re a softy who doesn’t get a big deposit.

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  18. Big pick up in foreclosures in August, that’s good for the housing market.

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  19. The verdict is in, the market has spoken:

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  20. Ezra on today’s Fed announcement:

    “If you’re an investor or a business owner trying to decide what the market is going to look like next year, you just got a lot more optimistic.”

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/13/ben-bernanke-the-economys-tough-older-friend/

    For myself, not so much.

    Like

    • Won’t the equities market [tend to] respond positively because bonds won’t be paying [much]?

      The CPAs are afraid that one of the proposed tax reforms is removing the tax exemption for munies. That would also [tend to] pump equities, would it not?

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  21. Ezra doesn’t know a whole lot about being either.

    However as discussed previously, if you held on to those assets sensitive to the Fed, you can eat at Olive Garden tonight instead of McDonalds.

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  22. Sounds like whining to me.

    But frustration is building behind the scenes, egged on by a conservative media and Twitter conversation that has blamed the media for accusing Romney of a premature response to the crises in Libya and Egypt.

    The adviser, granted anonymity to criticize a press corps the campaign still relies on every day, went on to blame a “green room, green zone kind of divide,” saying the national press, most of whom live in New York or DC, “pockets of prosperity,” are isolated from the realities of the harsh economy — and therefore, unable to grasp Romney’s message.

    {snip}

    [Another advisor] singled out New York Times polling blogger Nate Silver — whose predictive model currently Obama an 80 percent change of re-election — as a left-leaning journalist who is churning out questionable analysis with partisan motives

    Clearly they don’t know Nate’s work very well. Darn those facts and their liberal bias!

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  23. “unable to grasp Romney’s message.”

    Romney’s message consists of being the generic Republican alternative to Obama.

    However, I expect that recent events will benefit President Obama given Romney’s knee jerk reaction to a news event. I suspect that the conclusion that independent voters will take away is that there are worse things than four more years of gridlock and slowly declining unemployment. As long as the economy doesn’t get any worse than it currently is, I expect that President Obama will be reelected.

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    • JNC, am I correct in having suggested that both you and I are votes lost to BHO for Johnson? I am not at all sure he will pull more potential WMR votes unless Ron Paul endorses him.

      Without a Paul endorsement, I think Johnson’s vote in NM is more taken from BHO, and NM is not a sure thing for anyone.

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  24. Nate Silver has New Mexico as going to Obama with 96% certainty. Where Johnson and Goode could really hurt Obama Romney is in Virginia. They could be the Nader in Florida of this election.

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  25. Yello:

    Don’t you think they’re more likely to pull conservative votes than liberal ones?

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  26. Clearly they don’t know Nate’s work very well. Darn those facts and their liberal bias!

    Clearly, this advisor is not a baseball stathead either or s/he would know Nate’s not a journalist.

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  27. “The CPAs are afraid that one of the proposed tax reforms is removing the tax exemption for munies.”

    Never in a million years would that happen.

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  28. “markinaustin, on September 13, 2012 at 1:04 pm said:

    JNC, am I correct in having suggested that both you and I are votes lost to BHO for Johnson? “

    Absent Johnson running, I would probably not vote for a candidate for President at all, however if you are referring to my vote in 2008 it was for Obama. Even had a yard sign.

    If Ron Paul is going to endorse him, he should do so before the debates. The primary value of Johnson’s candidacy, besides advancing the long term project of building up the libertarian party as an actual viable entity, is to inject a different perspective into the Presidential debates.

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  29. Don’t you think they’re more likely to pull conservative votes than liberal ones?

    Aaargh! I keep doing that. Of course they draw more from Romney. They will have their biggest draw in safe red states where a protest vote is fairly safe. It’s Ohio and Virginia where they will do the most damage to Mitt.

    I always feel third party candidates over-poll before the election but I was way wrong about Perot.

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  30. Clearly, this advisor is not a baseball stathead either

    And even I knew that was how Nate got into the prediction business!

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  31. george:

    He was making the distinction that the current new Egyptian government has not committed to us, nor are they likely too, but I agree that he should be more careful.

    Our allies and enemies are often dictators, not nations of people unfortunarely, so cue the next Middle Eastern strong man to emerge.

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  32. “yellojkt, on September 13, 2012 at 1:23 pm said:

    I always feel third party candidates over-poll before the election but I was way wrong about Perot.”

    Imagine if Perot hadn’t dropped out first citing Republican conspiracies to sabotage his daughter’s wedding. Or if he was running this year for the first time.

    Like

  33. Johnson must be in the debates or they will be talking points, only.

    No way Romney lets him get an invite. Doesn’t he have to poll over 5% nationally to qualify?

    Like

  34. They will have their biggest draw in safe red states where a protest vote is fairly safe.

    Like UT. . .

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  35. Banned,

    Mmm hmm. No need for the clarification/walk back. Purely superfluous.

    Like

  36. george:

    Did I miss the time limit? I typed as fast as I could.

    Like

  37. “yellojkt, on September 13, 2012 at 1:28 pm said:

    Johnson must be in the debates or they will be talking points, only.

    No way Romney lets him get an invite. Doesn’t he have to poll over 5% nationally to qualify?”

    Yes. The only scenario I see that happening, absent a major Super PAC backed ad campaign or Romney LSD meltdown is via a Ron Paul endorsement.

    Like

  38. McWing:

    From your first link:

    That comment had Egypt watchers scratching their heads, especially since technically, Egypt was designated as a Major Non-NATO Ally in 1989 when Congress first passed the law creating that status, which gives them special privileges in cooperating with the United States, especially in the security and technology areanas.

    I’m not even an Egypt watcher, and I have to admit I was scratching my head over the wording of the President’s comment about Egypt not being an ally. Just goes to show that even The One isn’t perfect.

    Like

  39. Troll:

    It’s almost as if the President “shoots first and aims later.

    I think BHO was sending a signal, not putting his foot in his mouth like WMR did.

    Like

    • Seemed a rebuff to Egypt for Egypt neither condemning the Cairo incident nor providing more security. Libya was very apologetic and promised more local help. Apparently there were NO MARINES in the temporary Libyan compound. Apparently this had been planned for 9-11 by the bad guys.
      Apparently the Libyan cops did help a lot, and finally were able to clear the premises.

      So HRC and BHO praise Libya and are silent about Egypt. I think JNC’s rule might work for Egypt, but we give Libya some rope.

      Like

  40. It was a Kinsley gaffe.

    Like

  41. Courtesy of Shrink on PL:

    “Fiddling at the Fire
    Nouriel Roubini
    Sep. 13, 2012 ”

    http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/fiddling-at-the-fire-by-nouriel-roubini

    Like

  42. I don’t think Goode or Johnson will have much of an impact. it’s NoVa — and to a lesser extent — norfolk turnout.

    http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/states/president/virginia.html

    check out Fairfax. Obama beat McCain by more than 100k votes. almost 50k in Arlington. The keys for GOP statewide wins it to not get crushed up north.

    Like

  43. I think BHO was sending a signal,
    It was a Kinsley gaffe.

    Perhaps a bit of both. I said yesterday that there must be some armtwisting going on with foreign aid to make the Egyptian military crack down on the mobs. This may have just been a smoke signal that went too public.

    Like

  44. How to idiot proof your finances

    The investments I have for my daughters have consistently outperformed my own mainly because I only buy them real estate and commodities on the downturns and then forget about them the rest of the time.

    You’d think that I would learn from this, but unfortunately there’s always those one or two stocks that look like great opportunities to me at any given time and then that I lose faith in on another day. If I only had internet one day a month, I tihnk I would be a rich as Harry Reid even without the government salary!

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  45. *Cough* Facebook *Cough*

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  46. jnc:

    You and shrink are always the little rays of sunshine, aren’t you?!

    Ineffective governments with weak leadership are at the root of the problem. In democracies, repeated elections lead to short-term policy choices. In autocracies like China and Russia, leaders resist the radical reforms that would reduce the power of entrenched lobbies and interests, thereby fueling social unrest as resentment against corruption and rent-seeking boils over into protest.

    But, as everyone kicks the can down the road, the can is getting heavier and, in the major emerging markets and advanced economies alike, is approaching a brick wall. Policymakers can either crash into that wall, or they can show the leadership and vision needed to dismantle it safely.

    In other words, maybe the Mayans were right, after all.

    Like

  47. not yet, be like Sean Connery in The Hunt For Red October, talk about vacations when the torpedo is closing on you.

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  48. Are you thinking of this scene?

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    • One minute Republicans are criticizing Obama for being too friendly, sympathetic and apologetic to Muslims. When he makes a comment saying saying a Muslim nation is not an ally they …. well I’m sure you can figure out what happens then.

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  49. McWing, I think we addressed that up thread. . . or is there another point that I’m missing here?

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  50. michi:

    Yes I confused that with another scene where he was talking with Sam Neiil about Montana though.

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  51. george

    yes poorly said.

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  52. poor sam neill. got shot before he could live the libertarian dream of moving to Montana with his RV and many wives.

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  53. nova:

    He was too far behind in guns anyway. It would’ve taken all his rubles to catch up.

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  54. We should all be happy today. The debtors won a clear victory over the creditors. I’m guessing that we all are on the winning team for the most part.

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  55. Don Juan/Nova:

    One of my all-time favorite movies; I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen it.

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  56. A short but very good read:

    “Three Things Fed Did Today It’s Never Done Before”

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/49022934

    Like

  57. Michi — my dad and I have running joke about “one ping only please.” it’s been going of for, (I just checked) 22 years. Ugh. I was 12 when we saw it in the theater.

    Also, the “Personally, I’d give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?”

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  58. “One minute Republicans are criticizing Obama for being too friendly, sympathetic and apologetic to Muslims. When he makes a comment saying saying a Muslim nation is not an ally they …. well I’m sure you can figure out what happens then.”

    I'd like to figure out what's going to happen to the State Department person who said this: "Asked about Egypt's status, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed Thursday that the administration still considers it a major non-NATO ally of the United States."

    Anybody else curious what happens to her?

    Like

  59. You’re only 34? Wow that seems impossibly young.

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  60. “”Ryan, be careful what you shoot at. Some things in here don’t react well to bullets.” Yeah, like me!”

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  61. DJ:

    From your link:

    Notice that the Fed is saying it will keep its LSAPs until the outlook for labor improves “substantially.” This sets up a new baseline for Fed policy: quantitative easing will continue until the jobs market is much better than it is today. Policy is now biased in favor of quantitative easing. The burden of proof is not on those who want asset buying—its on those who want to halt quantitative easing.

    So how will they (that nebulous “they”) decide what the UE level should be to cease the LSAP? I think that the historical figure for “0” unemployment is 4%, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that that’s considered an unrealistic goal nowadays.

    John Carney seems to be an excellent financial writer, btw.

    Like

  62. “novahockey, on September 13, 2012 at 2:27 pm said:

    Michi — my dad and I have running joke about “one ping only please.” it’s been going of for, (I just checked) 22 years. Ugh. I was 12 when we saw it in the theater.

    Also, the “Personally, I’d give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?””

    Best is:

    “Adm. Painter: What’s his plan?
    Jack Ryan: His plan?
    Adm. Painter: Russians don’t take a dump, son, without a plan.”

    as delivered by Fred Thompson.

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099810/quotes?qt0458304

    Like

  63. I suppose this is appropriate given the Fed’s action:

    “A great day comrades, we sail into history!”

    Like

    • I suppose this is appropriate given the Fed’s action:

      “A great day comrades, we sail into history!”

      Or inappropriate because it was said (I think, I was only 11 when I saw it in a theater in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan) as a group of Russians were sailing towards a glorious, economically fruitful and free future and I’m guessing you think we’re headed in the opposite direction.

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      • “as a group of Russians were sailing towards a glorious, economically fruitful and free future and I’m guessing you think we’re headed in the opposite direction.”

        For the officers anyway. They never had any intention of bringing along the 99% crew

        Like

  64. To juxtapose two topics:

    “And the Fed will grant each trader new hope”

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099810/quotes?qt0458292

    Like

  65. also, who’s going to pull their DVD* off the shelf tonight? be honest.

    Like

  66. “novahockey, on September 13, 2012 at 2:50 pm said:

    I suppose this is appropriate given the Fed’s action:

    “A great day comrades, we sail into history!””

    Or:

    “This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it. ”

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099810/quotes?qt0458293

    Like

  67. “novahockey, on September 13, 2012 at 2:51 pm said:

    also, who’s going to pull their DVD* off the shelf tonight? be honest.”

    I have after work drinks scheduled followed by the hot tub, so not tonight.

    Like

  68. “The hard part of playing chicken is knowing when to flinch.”

    Like

  69. also, who’s going to pull their DVD* off the shelf tonight? be honest

    Netflix, baby!!

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  70. “You arrogant ass. You’ve killed *us*! “

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  71. also, who’s going to pull their DVD* off the shelf tonight? be honest.

    Bears-Packers tonight, with a side helping of USF-Rutgers …

    Like

  72. netflex and Plex. the way to go. expect it means i don’t have cable to watch bear-packers.

    http://plexapp.com/

    catch you all tomorrow

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  73. Bears-Packers tonight, with a side helping of USF-Rutgers

    How in the world could I have forgotten about Thursday night football (because all day long I’ve kept thinking it was Wednesday, that’s how!)? Thanks for the reminder, Mike

    Like

  74. NoVA:

    In case you drop back in, check out wiziwig. They carry all of the pro games (and most of the college ones) and you can stream them. Just ignore the ads at the beginning of the stream telling you to download the player and you can close the ad after about 10 – 20 seconds.

    Like

  75. When the hell did Rutgers get a football team?

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  76. yello:

    When the hell did Rutgers get a football team?

    Dunno. But it was long enough ago that the Buccaneers hired away their head coach.

    Like

  77. BTW, ashot, when do we get an updated avatar with ashot v2.0?

    Like

    • Michi,

      I actually tried to do change my phot the other day, but I couldn’t find a more recent photo on my work laptop which is odd because I have a great one as my background. So anyway…soon.

      Like

      • WTF? Market looks a whole lot different this morning than it did yesterday afternoon.

        Like

        • How does the market look different and why is oil pushing up toward $100 again?

          edit: I assume mkt change is reaction to Fed, but hasn’t this action been previously assumed by the mkt?

          Like

        • Yesterday on the fed announcement, 10yr bonds sold off, out to a yield of about 1.81%, but then spend the rest of the afternoon settling back in to where it started the day, around 1.72%. I come in this morning and it is up to 1.83% (now about 1.82%). Not sure why. Rumors of Chinese selling going on, but nothing for sure.

          Plus swap spreads have tightened considerably. 10yr spreads down to 5.5 bps, the lowest we have seen since March. A lot of pressure on spreads from mortgages and insurers, trying to grab yield in the long end I guess.

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  78. I believe that Rutgers played in the first college football game ever. So they have been around.

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  79. Mark:

    The saying goes that you can’t fight the Fed, and everyone believes it to a more or less degree.

    Like

  80. I should get a t-shirt made up that says

    PROFESSIONAL INVESTOR

    (If you see me running from Treasuries, try to keep up)

    Like

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