BREAKING: The US budget deficit hit a massive $711 BILLION for the first 3 months of Fiscal Year 2025.
This is ~$200 billion, or 39%, higher than in the same period last year. The deficit reached $2.0 TRILLION for the full calendar year 2024, up $248 billion YoY. Also, deficit spending rose from 6.4% to 6.9% GDP in 2024. Such a high percentage has never been seen outside of wars or major economic crises. Source: The Kobeissi Letter
Donald Trump's new SEC to begin overhauling the agency's crypto policies "as early as next week" 👀
Source: Reuters
And the Winner is…
Source: Michael A. Arouet
Mortgage demand is collapsing:
US mortgage applications for single-family homes fell 3.7% last week, marking their 4th consecutive weekly decline. As a result, the mortgage demand index has fallen to the lowest since February 2024 and its 3rd lowest level in nearly 30 years. The index has now fallen a whopping -63% over the last 4 years. This comes as home financing costs have rapidly surged while prices remain at all-time highs. Since mid-September, 30-year fixed mortgage rates have risen ~110 basis points and are back above 7%. Mortgage demand is at 1990s levels. Source: The Kobeissi Letter, MBA Purchase index
US Small-Business Optimism Hits Highest Since 2018 Post Election
- Bloomberg thru Christophe Barraud on X
Good news are coming... while US Q4 earnings season is off to a strong start thanks to banks beating estimates, US inflation numbers came in somewhat cooler than expected:
Core CPI slows to 3.2% in December from 3.3% in November. Analysts had expected the rate to remain unchanged at 3.3%. Overall CPI is unchanged at 2.9% as forecasted. Headline CPI inflation is up for 3 straight months, but core inflation is falling again. It seems enough to please investors: S&P 500 futures are surging over +85 points - the equivalent of a $750B market cap gain - as 10y US bond yields are tumbling by 10 basis points. The dollar is easing, gold is shining and cryptos is surging with bitcoin back to $99K. Alles gut... Source: Bloomberg
The first quarter of FY 2025 produced a deficit of $710.9 Billion.
That’s $200B more than the first quarter of fiscal 2024, or a 39% increase YoY. The US is now running a ~$3 TRILLION annual deficit...
Inflation expectations have almost perfectly bottomed exactly when the Fed started to cut rates.
10-year breakeven rates are now at its highest level since October 2023. As highlighted by Tavi Costa, this is a reminder that when debt limits a monetary authorities actions, inflation becomes the path of least resistance. Source: Tavi Costa, Bloomberg
