It is difficult to change a 10-year trend.

Long-term expectations do not change as frequently as daily market fluctuations would make it seem.

A quick update on Treasury rates through the lens of the DKW model

*As of Dec. 31*

1/

In previous threads, I made the distinction between long-term secular trends in growth and inflation and shorter-term (2-6 quarters) trends in nGDP growth

https://t.co/0jBvHOWuHw

2/
Right now, the long-term trends are unaltered because long-term trends just don't change that fast but we have a very strong cyclical upturn in the economy, centered primarily on the shift to goods consumption bolstering the manufacturing sector and industrial commodities.

3/
As long as the industrial sector continues to roar, TSY rates will have an upward bias as rates generally follow the trend in nGDP growth

A 10yr TSY has longterm expectations embedded in the rate so several qrters, while important, won't necessarily change the longterm trend

4/
This is confirmed by the Dec update to the DKW model which breaks down *actual* inflation expectations, the expected real short-term rate (real growth), term premium, liquidity premium etc.

The DKW model is one of many models that is useful but has many limitations.

5/
As of Dec 31, according to the DKW model, inflation expectations are directionally rising, in line with the industrial upturn, but have only increase ~12bps from the summer low.

It is hard to alter a long-term trend with just a couple of quarters.

6/
Real growth expectations remain on the floor in the DKW model as (again) a transitory upturn in growth won't alter the 10-year average rate of growth all that much.

7/
So what is causing the bulk of the move in Treasury rates?

The real term premium.

Expectations for massive fiscal spending rightfully won't alter the economy's long-term growth prospects but do place extra risk on duration in the near term.

8/
Adding actual inflation expectations and the real ST rate expectations gives what I call the "fundamental" drivers of TSY rates which have increased cumulatively about 14bps since the summer.

This makes sense with the trend in nGDP growth.

9/
In short, the long-term trends that have caused TSY rates to decline for decades are still in place.

Weaker growth and lower inflation over the long-run will depress the risk-free rate.

In the short-term (2-6 quarters), you have to follow the direction in nGDP growth.

10/
Once this manufacturing upturn starts to fade (no signs yet) TSYs will be a great buy again as the next cyclical downturn in the economy will push the long-end to the zero-bound.

11/11
@R_Perli has more timely updates on this model and can perhaps shed some light on the January move in rates so far.

More from Trading

You May Also Like

1/12

RT-PCR corona (test) scam

Symptomatic people are tested for one and only one respiratory virus. This means that other acute respiratory infections are reclassified as


2/12

It is tested exquisitely with a hypersensitive non-specific RT-PCR test / Ct >35 (>30 is nonsense, >35 is madness), without considering Ct and clinical context. This means that more acute respiratory infections are reclassified as


3/12

The Drosten RT-PCR test is fabricated in a way that each country and laboratory perform it differently at too high Ct and that the high rate of false positives increases massively due to cross-reaction with other (corona) viruses in the "flu


4/12

Even asymptomatic, previously called healthy, people are tested (en masse) in this way, although there is no epidemiologically relevant asymptomatic transmission. This means that even healthy people are declared as COVID


5/12

Deaths within 28 days after a positive RT-PCR test from whatever cause are designated as deaths WITH COVID. This means that other causes of death are reclassified as