Hunt: Global capacity under-utilization leading unemployment higher

Hoisington Management’s Fourth Quarter 2024 Review and Outlook is now available at this link. Always worth a mull. Here’s the main takeaway:

“…fundamental determinants of inflation indicate the prospects for slower price increases are even more significant than in any year since the late 1990s. In addition to the growing factory capacity glut and rising UR [unemployment rate], the percent decline in modernized world dollar liquidity (WDL) reached another record low in the fourth quarter. The accelerating decline in WDL will intensify the liquidity/money squeeze domestically and globally. We estimate the trend-adjusted real M2 declined further in the fourth quarter. Since the Fed’s first reduction in the policy rate in September, critical consumer and small business borrowing rates have remained unchanged or increased. Such considerations argue that lower inflation will lead to a surprising drop in thirty-year Treasury bond yields in 2025.”

Lacy Hunt discussed his analysis in detail with Adam Taggart this week.

Recession fears seem to have faded from the headlines, as the “no landing” scenario seems to have won out — on Wall Street at least. Attention is much more focused on a possible boost to economic growth from the policies of the new Trump administration, as well as concern that inflation could prove stickier and more stubborn to tame than the Fed hopes, resulting in higher for longer bond yields. So, were the deflationists wrong? For a true expert’s view, we have the great fortune to sit down today with one of the greatest living economists, Dr. Lacy Hunt, former Senior Economist to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, as well as several of the world’s largest global banks. Here is a direct video link.

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Invest and protect in volatile times

Live fireside chat with Danielle and Jay Martin. Here is a direct video link.

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Pent-up listings hope for spring demand

The Bank of Canada (BoC) cut interest rates by 25 bps this morning, bringing the overnight rate to 3%, 200 bps lower than when the central bank started easing in June 2024. Moreover, the BoC announced it would restart quantitative easing (Treasury buying) in March to reduce longer-term yields/interest rates and increase liquidity in the financial system.

Treasury prices are rallying, with the 5-year Canadian yield at 2.85%, down 106 basis points since last June.

Bank of Canada rate cuts were widely expected to raise Canadian real estate demand and prices. That hasn’t happened. Ongoing weakness is particularly evident in the most populous provinces of Ontario and BC. See Canadian real estate slips; Ontario sees the sharpest correction by far.As per CREA data, Ontario’s benchmark average sale price fell to $859,600 in December and remains 20.6% (-$220,800) below the March 2022 high. BC is in second place for the biggest drop, with the benchmark at $955,500, down 10.9% (-$116,100) from its 2022 high.

For-sale inventory has risen more than sales, even as frustrated sellers cancelled 1 in 5 listings (20%) without a sale in December. Many plan to relist properties in March, but those banking on strong spring demand may be disappointed.

Canadian mortgage rates are in the 4% to 6% range, depending on terms. This remains more than double the rates at the pandemic-era lows of 2020-2022 when many Canadians borrowed record amounts that come up for refinancing in 2025-2026.

Property prices remain too high unless rates fall near all-time lows or incomes jump significantly.

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