Market Commentary

The markets have dropped. What now?

If you have seen or heard the news in the last few weeks, you have probably heard about the virus referred to as the Coronavirus or COVID-19. There has obviously been a lot of downward stock market volatility in the last week to say the least. The S&P 500 closed down about 8% Year to Date as of yesterday.  And, until the personal and economic effects of the virus become more certain, volatility may continue in the short term.

Repos: No, the Fed isn’t coming for your car—but it still could signal a problem

This week the Fed has had to intervene several times in the cash markets to provide liquidity where buying demand dried up, Treasuries were oversupplied and consequently rates spiked. The so-called “Repo” operation, allows primary dealers to exchange collateral for cash, up to $75 billion worth each day. In this way, the Fed can keep short-term rates within its target range—an important part of implementing its monetary policy. Depending on the reporting source, overnight rates were said to have spiked to 8-10% at one point prior to Fed intervention.