Inflation Is Real As Fed’s Hawkish Signals End Of Ultra-Low Interest Rates
Inflation is real. Consumers are getting hit at the pump, in the grocery store, and beyond. Don’t be fooled, inflation will not magically go away any time soon. The reality is that the Ukrainian-Russian war will keep oil high as well as, some other key commodities. China and South Korea are in lock-down due to a surge in cases that will add more disruption to the global supply chain. Pile on the other disruptions over the last year and it seems virtually impossible that inflation will cool anytime soon. The Fed will continue to act as it has moved its focus from Wall Street to Main Street. With employment next to full and inflation anywhere from 5% – 8% (and probably going higher), there is a minimal political will to keep interest rates low. Although equity and real estate investors love low-interest rates, Fed inaction has caused inflation to become embedded in the economy. As a result, inflation will be harder to tame. I was happy to hear the Fed admit some error with inflation and offer a stance on rate hikes and balance sheet tightening. The old saying of “don’t fight the Fed” applies not only when interest rates fall, but also when those same rates rise. Be careful of more volatile markets as the Fed raises rates and all investments become re-rated based on higher discount rates. This will lower the present value of all investments.
Mortgage rates are up dramatically. The 30 year fixed rate touched a low of about 2.500% during the pandemic. That same rate is now near 4.000%, which is a 60% rise. This impacts the demand for housing and the pool of available refinances. The one wild card is the low level of new and existing inventory (which I have spoken about) as a natural floor to prices dropping by much, even in the face of higher interest rates. Nonetheless, higher rates will hurt economic growth as everything from home loans, to corporate, auto, and personal loans will come with higher interest rates. This will limit the amount of money available to consumers to buy other goods and services. Luckily, our office is still seeing strong demand for purchase money loans, a sign that the higher rates have not cooled the market just yet. We are witnessing savvy buyers negotiate better prices.
The overall global market remains very hard to handicap. There remain several headwinds that could create a “flight to quality” scenario into U.S. Treasuries including escalation by Putin, a new variant of COVID, or shutdowns in China and throughout Asia. This could further complicate Treasury yields. The world is also experiencing geopolitical tensions at a level not seen since the Cold War. I am keeping an eye on the flattening yield curve as a recessionary signal, as well as the VIX index as a sign of bullish/bearish sentiment as the equity markets work through varying degrees of concern. I will also be monitoring consumer sentiment and housing demand in the coming months.