Archive for July, 2008

Some Opening Comments July 08 2008

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Prices of Treasury coupon securities are posting modest gains in overnight trading. Economic data released in Europe this morning supports the view that the global economy is in the grip of a deep malaise. German Industrial Production declined (unexpectedly) by 2.4 percent in May. Economists had been forecasting an increase ...

Vacation

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

I will miss the histrionics today as I am heading down to Virginia to visit my lovely daughter. (Lest there be accusations of favoritism, my non Virginia daughter is wonderful,too.) Enjoy the weekend and I will return on Monday. Thanks. JJJ

Miscellany

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

The breakeven spread on 10 year TIPS has finally broken out. Previously, it had been unable to muster a close above 255/256 basis points. I was just perusing the public Bloomberg and that spread is 260 basis points currently. I think this is significant for the Fed as they fret about ...

Closing Comments July 02 2008

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Prices of Treasury coupon securities rallied today as the equity market crumbled and spread product melted. The yield on the benchmark 2 year note has slipped into the 2.50s and is closing 6 basis points lower today at 2.59 percent. The yield on the 5 year note has dropped 5 ...

Agency Close

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Agency spreads are 2basis points to 3 basis points wider across the yield curve. Federal Home Loan Bank priced $4billion 3 year notes and $1billion 10 year notes today. The 10 year tranche was a reopening of an existing issue. The 3year priced at 104 basis points over the 2 ...

Corporate Bonds

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Corporate bonds opened with a firm bid and a jocular tone. The bids quickly faded and jocularity morphed to angst. The IG 10 opened around 140 and traded as tight as 138. It is closing around 145.Why did the tone shift? Meredith Whitney offered her opinion on Merrill Lynch and ...

Hot Off the Press

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

2) BN 8:58 *MERRILL 2009 PROFIT ESTIMATE CUT 30% BY OPPENHEIMER'S WHITNEY 3) BN 8:58 *MERRILL MAY REPORT 2Q WRITEDOWN OF OVER $5.8B, WHITNEY SAYS 4) BN 8:58 *OPPENHEIMER'S WHITNEY SEES MERRILL 2Q WRITEDOWNS ABOUT $5.8B 5) BN 8:57 *OPPENHEIMER'S WHITNEY SAYS MERRILL SHARES 'EXPENSIVE':MER US 6) BN 8:56 *OPPENHEIMER'S WHITNEY EXPECTS MERRILL TO RAISE CAPITAL :MER US

Some Overnight Treasury Flow

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Some overnight Treasury flow:Central Bank selling 10s. End user buying 5s. Japanese real money selling 20 years. Specs short covering in 10 year. Asian end users buying 30s. Japanese bank buying 5s.

Opening Comments July 02 2008

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Prices of Treasury coupon securities are sliding in European trading as European equity markets recover and as the pace of inflation quickens in the Eurozone. European equity markets posted gains as financial fears receded. UBS and DeutshcheBank each reported that they would not be seeking infusions of capital. Comments by ...

Anniversary

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

It was exactly six months ago today that I launched this blog. I would like to thank all of you who read and comment as you have made the exercise worthwhile and rewarding. I would be remiss if I did not thank several other bloggers whose early and continued support has been instrumnetal ...