FTSD News and Press, Franklin Liberty Short Duration U.S. Government From 04/19/24

2024-04-19 03:05:00 ET Summary The only aspect of consistency in the market’s outlook for rate cuts lately has been pushing the expected date forward. Recent history falls in line with this trend and September is now seen as the earliest date for policy easing. Fed fund...

2024-04-19 02:15:00 ET Summary The March CPI release was, in retrospect, the one that apparently convinced the Fed and the market that "disinflation has stalled." "Higher for longer" is now the interest rate mantra that is driving the market; it's made people nervous, so an equity...

2024-04-18 06:00:00 ET Summary Bowing to recent data, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday conceded that inflation progress has stalled and the case for rate cuts has weakened. The Treasury market has been effectively making the same case for weeks, but when the top c...

2024-04-17 04:00:00 ET Summary The FOMC has been using a varied set of targets for monetary policy, but the relevance of these data points is questioned. The FOMC has shifted away from specific metrics and adopted a more ambiguous strategy, focusing on caution and confidence. ...

2024-04-16 03:39:00 ET Summary Remarkably strong retail sales numbers for March contradict somewhat weaker survey and credit card spending evidence. But with jobs, inflation, and activity all beating expectations, the Federal Reserve is in no position to carry through with interes...

2024-04-15 12:40:00 ET Summary As Q1 earnings season starts, we eye signs of earnings growth broadening beyond tech stocks to industrials and others. We stay overweight U.S. equities. Crude oil prices rose, partly on heightened tensions in the Middle East. We are monitoring the ri...

2024-04-13 14:40:00 ET Summary The US is growing strongly; it’s adding jobs in significant numbers while inflation continues to run too hot for comfort. We will need to see a rapid change of fortune to trigger a rate cut in the next month or two. We still think a slowdo...

2024-04-12 20:50:00 ET Summary Stubbornly strong economic data has led to significant shifts in market expectations for when, and how quickly, the Federal Reserve will begin cutting policy rates. Our own forecast is now for the first rate reduction to come in September, but the co...

2024-04-12 06:25:00 ET Summary On a monthly basis, US headline and core Consumer Price Index topped expectations - both rising 0.4%. Although shelter inflation ticked marginally lower, the pace of disinflation remains painfully slow. While energy services have slowed since the...

2024-04-12 05:00:00 ET Summary The Producer Price Index data got a lot of attention today because it didn’t increase as sharply as a month ago. The seasonal adjustments in March were far larger than in the Marches during the years before the pandemic. The PPI, not seaso...