Smaller companies generally spend a much higher % of their income on debt service, making them more sensitive to rising rates.
The interest coverage ratio (operating income / interest expense) for the small cap S&P 600 is 2.3 times vs. 7.6 times for the large cap sp500. Source: Charlie Bilello
Torsten Slok at Apollo is sticking to his view that there will be no US rate cut this year...
Source: Markets & Mayhem, Apollo
Interest rate cut expectations continue to scale back: Markets now see a ~38% chance of 4 interest rate cuts in 2024
Just over a month ago, the base case showed a 50%+ chance of 6 interest rate cuts in 2024. Meanwhile, odds of a March rate cut are down to 3% and odds of a May rate cut are down to 19%. For the first time in 2024, markets are close to the Fed's latest guidance of 3 cuts in 2024. Source: The Kobeissi Letter
This chart shows the market pricing of a rate cut over the next three FOMC meetings.
March probability = 5% (was 80% at the start of the year) May probability = 29% (was 100% at the start of the year) June probability = 67% (was 100% at the start of the year) Source: Bianco Research
As we are less than 24 hours away from the first Fed meeting of 2024, odds of rate cuts are pulling back
Odds of a rate cut this week are down to 2% and odds of a rate cut in March are down to ~40%. This is the lowest probability of a March rate cut since November 2023. Still, futures are pricing-in a base case of 6 rate cuts for a total of 150 bps in 2024. - All eyes will be on Fed guidance on June 30zh Source: The Kobeissi Letter
It's official: markets are no longer expecting a FED rate cut in March 2024.
There's still a ~42% chance of rate cuts beginning in March, but this is a major shift in expectations. Just two weeks ago, markets saw a 90% chance of rate cuts beginning in March. Odds of rate cuts beginning at next week's Fed meeting are now down to ~2%. We are still seeing ~150 bps of interest rate cuts priced-in to futures. But, Fed pivot hopes are slowly pulling back. Source: The Kobeissi Letter
🟥 The delinquency rate for credit card loans in 2023 has risen sharply
Which, based on historical patterns, suggests that the economy might be heading towards a recession.
On the timing of the first cut, Waller said he believes that the FOMC will be able to lower the funds rate “this year.”
Main culprits from yesterday's pullback in Wall Street were comments by Governor Waller in a speech and discussion as they raised the risk that the first cut could come slightly later than the market's expectation of March and that the pace of cuts could be quarterly from the outset, rather than the market's more aggressive forecast of three initial consecutive cuts followed by a switch to a quarterly pace. On the speed of cuts, Waller said the funds rate “can and should be lowered methodically and carefully” and that he sees “no reason to move as quickly or cut as rapidly as in the past,” when the FOMC was combating recessions. Waller also noted that next month's scheduled revisions to CPI inflation (the seasonal factors will be revised on February 9) could influence his thinking on rates cuts, especially if the revised data show a less clear deceleration recently. The result was most evident in the drop in the market's expectations for a rate-cut in March...
