Last week, Bonds went to the extremes of their trading range, battling tough layers of technical resistance as they attempted to improve. Let's take a closer look, and understand the news of the week.
There was good news on the inflation front as the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure Index (PCE), indicated that inflation remained tame last month. Generally tame inflation is a good sign for Bonds - but there is still concern, as inflation is certainly coming...it's just a matter of when.
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Chart: Core Personal Consumption Expenditure Index
As part of that same report, Personal Income and Spending were both reported inline with expectations. Interestingly enough, consumer spending has now risen three months in a row. However, this needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as this boost comes on the heels of the Government's "Cash for Clunkers" program, which likely boosted spending statistics. Until the labor market stabilizes, we won't likely see a meaningful pickup in consumer spending. Speaking of the consumer, the Consumer Sentiment Index was also reported in line with expectations.
There was also more good news on the housing front last week. The Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed home prices rose for the second straight month while New Home Sales surged 9.6% in July from June's reading, signaling that the housing market is stabilizing. Adding to the positive tone of the report was a drop in inventories, which now stands at a 7.5-month supply from last month's 8.8 month reading.
Keep in mind that some of the current buyers are adding a bit of what may be an artificial boost to the housing numbers, as they normally would have purchased in 2010 but have moved up their buying decisions to take advantage of tax credits and historically low rates. Let me know if you would like more information on these time-sensitive tax credits.
It's also important to note that the revised second Quarter Gross Domestic Product Report showed that the economy has now contracted for four consecutive quarters for the first time since the Great Depression. This is another area to watch in the coming months as we gauge the pace of recovery.
Remember, positive economic news typically causes money to flow from Bonds to Stocks, causing Bonds and home loan rates to worsen. However, even with the pressure of more supply from last week's Treasury auctions, Bonds and home loan rates were able to hold on to some improvements and end the week very slightly better than where they began.
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