Operating at the Intersection of Technology and the Capital Markets
Tag: unemployment
We had a saying on the sell-side to describe companies that would continually lower guidance each quarter rather than get all of the dirt out in the wash at once (this was pre-2005 before companies mastered the art of guidance). The Federal Reserve did not get the memo. The Fed raised its policy rate by … Continue reading The Fed: Death By A Thousand Cuts
If July Core CPI comes in higher than the 5.9% figure reported for June we believe there will be a 50% probability that the Fed could raise the Fed Funds Rate in August rather than wait for the September 20-21 FOMC meeting. The Fed is nowhere near a neutral rate (as we wrote earlier this … Continue reading A Fed Hike In August?
The Fed's economic projections coming out of last week's FOMC meeting are far too optimistic. Fed's Real GDP projections for 2022, 2023 and 2024: 1.7%, 1.7% and 1.9% respectively. 2022 is going to be a zero percent to down Real GDP year in our view. 2023 will be flat with 2022 in our view. 2024 … Continue reading The Delusional Fed
We do not believe that investors fully appreciate how fragile the U.S. economy is. Our view is that the U.S. economy is in a recession and that this period will be followed by long-term muted growth given: 1.) the enormous U.S. Government debt load ($30.4 trillion), 2.) persistent price inflation, 3.) a consumption-driven economy rather … Continue reading The U.S. Economy Is Long-Term Fragile
A byproduct of the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (“PEUC”) program is the job interview "no show", which has become all too common across the Retail sector. The "no show" is where a job candidate skips the job interview because the candidate never intended to obtain a job. Rather, the candidate simply needed to show proof … Continue reading The Job Interview “No Show”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ("BLS"), publishes the Labor Participation Rate each month. The Labor Participation Rate accurately reflects the state of labor in the United States. The same government agency also publishes the Unemployment Rate each month (due Friday June 4th). We view the latter as a Government marketing metric as it significantly … Continue reading Labor Participation Outlook: June 2021Premium
We doubled down on our bet that Federal unemployment benefits will be extended beyond September 6th after listening to Joe Biden tell us that the sky is not blue. The longer these enhanced Federal unemployment benefits remain in force the longer the Labor Participation Rate will remain below 2019 levels. This will continue to impact … Continue reading Federal Unemployment Benefits Will Be Extended In September
Low wage services jobs are difficult to fill as we recently wrote (we continue to collect anecdotal data that supports our prior writing). Workers are choosing to stay home and collect Federal unemployment benefits rather than be productive. The moral hazard we warned of months ago is here. Should Biden and The Fed choose to … Continue reading Workers Choose To Collect Federal Unemployment Benefits Rather Than Work
The three-headed Hydra of low labor participation, increased debt levels and higher taxes will cripple U.S. long-term Real GDP growth for decades. Labor participation is not going back to December 2019 levels. To believe that scenario is wishful thinking. For starters, 25% of restaurants and bars are permanently closed. Those jobs are not returning. Second, … Continue reading Brace for Anemic Long-Term Real GDP Growth
Whether one measures EV/Revenue multiples, EV/EBITDA multiples, Stock Market P/E multiples or various other measures there is no doubt the market is frothy and that certain sectors are firmly in bubble territory. Two trends are troublesome. The first is that the Market Cap to GDP ratio (measured by the Wilshire 5000 index to Nominal GDP) … Continue reading Stocks Are at A High. Labor Participation Is at A Low.
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