The Fed has been buying assets since 2008 - what's wrong with selling some of them? For example, the Fed bought Trillions in mortgages in 2008 - I should hope that they've sold off most of that portfolio. The Fed bought a shit ton of US Treasuries as part of QE and it's other liquidity programs. Again - they rightly should sell some of it in order to somewhat balance their holdings. It would make sense.
The Repo markets uses US Sovereign Debt as collateral. It would make sense that making more available on the primary and secondary markets would help the Repo markets. The last thing an economy needs is scarce collateral.
The Fed Desk is extremely active in the markets. Has been for quite some time. For example - the Fed rolls coupons all the time. Think of it as re-financing at a lower rate (that's somewhat of an oversimplification, but the OP Seeking Alpha article is astonishingly doltish and hyperbolic).
The Repo markets uses US Sovereign Debt as collateral. It would make sense that making more available on the primary and secondary markets would help the Repo markets. The last thing an economy needs is scarce collateral.
The Fed Desk is extremely active in the markets. Has been for quite some time. For example - the Fed rolls coupons all the time. Think of it as re-financing at a lower rate (that's somewhat of an oversimplification, but the OP Seeking Alpha article is astonishingly doltish and hyperbolic).
So now the Fed is SELLING bonds into the Repo markets... soaking up the liquidity they created with QE by acting as a counterparty to repo offers.
Fed up to their usual tricks... this move basically amounts to a taper. Now they can announce no change in policy at the June meeting.
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Fed Repo Desk Gone Haywire: Taper Coming
May 30, 2021 2:12 PM ETAWTM, BAPR, BAUG...39 Comments
Summary
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4432134-fed-repo-desk-gone-haywire-taper-coming
- The Fed has not changed its messaging since the pandemic hit.
- But the GDP is at 10%, and inflation's latest data annualized is also at 10%. Uh, you think it's time for a change?
- The repo market may force the Fed's hand. The Fed has lost control with the huge demand to borrow from it at zero percent and put the money in risk assets.
- Offsetting its $100B monthly purchases, the Fed just sold $500B in the last 2 weeks because of this whacked-out repo desk.
- This was a prelude to the 2018 tightening