Who Really CONTROLS The Markets!! Her Plans REVEALED!!
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the role of the US Treasury, particularly under Secretary Janet Yellen, in controlling financial markets. It explains that while the Federal Reserve sets short-term interest rates, the Treasury influences long-term rates through the issuance of government debt. The script highlights how the Treasury's actions, such as issuing more short-term bonds, can affect market liquidity and interest rates, leading to market rallies. It also touches on the political implications of the Treasury's decisions, especially in an election year, and the potential risks of seizing Russian assets to fund Ukraine, which could impact US bond prices. The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of liquidity in markets and how the Treasury's upcoming bond buyback program and the Fed's balance sheet adjustments could inject money into the economy, potentially boosting stocks and affecting investment strategies.
Takeaways
- ποΈ The US Treasury, not just the Federal Reserve, has significant control over the markets, particularly over the last two years.
- π΅ The Treasury manages taxes, government spending, and debt issuance, and is currently overseen by Janet Yellen, a former Federal Reserve Chair.
- π The Treasury has divisions that handle both domestic and international financial affairs, including sanctions through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
- πΈ The US government finances its spending through taxes, fees, and issuing debt, which is sold as bonds to investors.
- π The price and yield of US bonds are influenced by supply and demand, with higher government spending potentially leading to lower bond prices and higher yields.
- π US bonds set the benchmark for interest rates in the economy, with riskier debts priced based on bond yields plus a credit spread.
- π US bonds are a popular form of collateral globally, with around 25% of demand coming from overseas investors.
- π The actions of the Treasury and the Fed are closely watched by investors as they signal future economic policies and can influence market liquidity.
- πΊ The dynamic between Janet Yellen and Jerome Powell, the Fed Chairman, involves a delicate balance between controlling inflation and promoting economic prosperity.
- πΌ The Treasury's open-ended mandate to promote economic prosperity and financial security can be influenced by political considerations, including upcoming elections.
- π³ The Treasury's recent announcement of a bond buyback program and the Fed's decision to buy more long-term US bonds can inject liquidity into the markets, potentially affecting asset prices.
Q & A
What is the role of the US Treasury Department in the financial system?
-The US Treasury Department is the financial arm of the US government, handling taxes, government spending, financing, and overseeing the minting and printing of physical currency. It also has divisions dedicated to international financial affairs, including sanctions on enemies of the United States.
How does the US government finance its spending when taxes and fees are insufficient?
-When taxes and fees are not enough to cover the costs, the US government issues debt, creating a deficit. This debt is sold to investors in the form of bonds, which are essentially pieces of paper promising to pay back the investors with interest in the future.
Why are US bonds an important factor in determining interest rates in the economy?
-US bonds are considered the lowest risk form of interest, and their yields set a benchmark for other interest rates. Riskier debts are priced at bond yields plus a credit spread, making bond yields a critical factor in the economy's interest rate landscape.
What is the significance of the US Treasury's actions on the global financial system?
-US bonds are used as the most popular form of collateral in the global financial system. Their assumed safety and the ability to be freely traded on the open market make them a significant factor in global liquidity and investment decisions.
How does the US Treasury's issuance of short-term bonds impact long-term interest rates?
-The issuance of short-term bonds by the Treasury can reduce the supply of long-term bonds on a relative basis. When combined with the Fed's signaling of lower short-term rates, this can cause long-term interest rates to fall, leading to a market rally.
What is the relationship between the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury in controlling the markets?
-The Federal Reserve adjusts interest rates to maintain a robust economy and moderate inflation, while the Treasury is responsible for financing government spending and promoting economic prosperity. Their actions and decisions often work in tandem, affecting the supply and demand of bonds and, consequently, market liquidity and interest rates.
Why is the US Treasury considering a bond buyback program?
-The Treasury is considering a bond buyback program to manage the risk premium that could arise from seizing Russian assets and sending them to Ukraine. This action could cause US bond prices to drop and yields to rise, prompting the Treasury to buy back its own debt to stabilize the market.
How does the Fed's balance sheet policy affect market liquidity?
-The Fed's balance sheet policy, which includes buying more US bonds each month, mainly longer-term ones, can increase market liquidity. This action can cause yields on those bonds to fall, along with interest rates, providing more funds in the market for investment.
What is the impact of the US Treasury's large cash reserve on the economy?
-The US Treasury's large cash reserve, which has ballooned to over $800 billion, can be used to stimulate the economy and the markets. A portion of this reserve is likely to be spent before the election to boost the economy and reduce the risk of a recession.
How does the Fed's overnight reverse repo facility (RRP) help in managing bond yields?
-The RRP allows investors to earn a yield similar to the short-term interest rate set by the Fed, helping to transmit its monetary policy. The Treasury can use the RRP to finance short-term bond issuance without raising yields on these bonds to attract money from other markets.
What is the potential impact of seizing Russian assets on the perception of US dollar assets?
-Seizing Russian assets and sending them to Ukraine could create a risk premium for US bonds and similar assets. This might lead to a drop in their prices and a rise in yields as investors might lose confidence in the safety of US dollar assets, potentially leading them to move towards alternative assets like gold.
Outlines
π Understanding the Treasury's Control Over the Markets
This paragraph discusses the misconception that the US Federal Reserve solely controls the markets through interest rate decisions. It suggests that the US Treasury, under Secretary Janet Yellen, has been a significant influence on market movements for at least two years. The Treasury's role in managing taxes, government spending, and debt issuance is highlighted, along with its impact on bond prices and yields. The narrative also touches on the Treasury's international financial affairs and the secretary's influence due to her previous role as the chair of the Federal Reserve.
π΅οΈββοΈ The Role of US Bonds in Determining Interest Rates
The second paragraph delves into the dynamics of US bonds and their effect on interest rates in the economy. It explains how bond prices and yields are interconnected and how the supply and demand for bonds influence these prices. The paragraph also discusses the role of US bonds as a determinant for interest rates on similar debt and as a popular form of collateral globally. It further illustrates how the Treasury, through Janet Yellen's leadership and strategic communication, has influenced market recoveries and interest rate adjustments.
π΅ Treasury's Manipulation of Bond Markets and International Affairs
This section examines how the Treasury has been controlling interest rates and, by extension, the markets, through the use of the Fed's overnight reverse repo facility (RRP). It details the Treasury's strategy of issuing short-term bonds to manage long-term interest rates without causing market disruptions. The paragraph also explores the Treasury's open-ended mandate to promote economic prosperity and financial security, which is influenced by political considerations, particularly in the context of upcoming elections. Additionally, it discusses the Treasury's international strategies, including its approach to foreign allies and foes, and the impact of geopolitical decisions on the demand for US bonds.
π¨ Treasury's Upcoming Bond Buyback Program and Its Implications
The fourth paragraph outlines the Treasury's plan for its first bond buyback program in over 20 years, which is expected to start at the end of the month. This initiative is positioned as a response to the potential risk premium created by the seizure of Russian assets. The paragraph discusses the Treasury's strategy to manage bond market volatility and how it plans to use its financial resources, including an additional $400 billion, to stimulate the economy and markets before the election. The potential effects on liquidity and asset prices are also considered.
π Potential Market Volatility and Investment Opportunities
The final paragraph discusses the potential short-term market conditions, including the possibility of sluggish price action due to the Fed's delayed balance sheet adjustments and the Treasury's upcoming bond buybacks. It mentions the end of the blackout period for stock buybacks and highlights Apple's record buyback as a significant market tailwind. The paragraph also touches on the relationship between liquidity, economic activity, and asset prices, suggesting that any capital injected into the economy by the Treasury will eventually make its way into the markets, potentially boosting them. Lastly, it briefly addresses the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and its potential impact on asset affordability.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Central Banks
π‘US Treasury
π‘Janet Yellen
π‘US Bonds
π‘Interest Rates
π‘Deficit Spending
π‘Overnight Lending
π‘Forward Guidance
π‘Liquidity
π‘RRP (Reverse Repo Facility)
π‘Bond Buybacks
Highlights
The US Treasury Department, not the Federal Reserve, has been controlling the markets for at least the last two years.
The Treasury, headed by Secretary Janet Yellen, has an in-depth knowledge of the Federal Reserve and is closely aligned with the current administration.
US government spending and the Treasury's financing methods significantly influence bond prices and yields.
US bonds are a critical determinant of interest rates on similar durations of debt in the economy due to their perceived safety.
The Treasury's actions, such as issuing debt, directly affect the supply and demand of bonds, influencing market liquidity.
Janet Yellen's past role as the chair of the Federal Reserve gives her unique insight into the dynamics between fiscal and monetary policy.
The Treasury's issuance of short-term bonds has been used to control long-term interest rates without causing market crashes.
The Treasury's use of the Fed's overnight reverse repo facility (RRP) has allowed it to manage bond issuance without significantly impacting yields.
The Treasury's mandate is open-ended, focusing on promoting economic prosperity and ensuring financial security, which can be influenced by political considerations.
International dynamics, such as the US's response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, have affected global demand for US bonds.
The Treasury is preparing to buy back its own debt, a move that could introduce volatility into the bond market.
The Treasury's bond buyback program and additional spending could inject significant liquidity into the markets before the US election.
The Fed's decision to begin buying more long-term US bonds will likely lead to a fall in yields and interest rates.
The balance between the Treasury's need to finance government spending and the Fed's goal of controlling inflation is a delicate dance.
The Treasury's actions, including potential seizures of foreign assets, could create a risk premium for US bonds, affecting their price and yield.
The Treasury's management of liquidity levels is a key factor in its ability to influence financial markets.
The Fed's balance sheet adjustments and the Treasury's financial maneuvers are expected to impact market dynamics in the coming months.
The analysis suggests that improved liquidity could lead to a rise in stock prices and a potential catch-up for cryptocurrencies later in the year.
Transcripts
over the last four years we've been
taught that central banks notably the US
Federal Reserve have been controlling
the markets with their interest rate
decisions well what if I told you that
this isn't true what did you say in fact
it appears that the US Treasury
Department has been in control for at
least the last 2 years this means that
if you want to make money in the markets
you need to know what the treasury is
doing and why that's why today we're
going to explain what the treasury is
how it's been controlling the markets
why it's been doing this and how you can
use this information to get an edge in
investing and
trading the United States Department of
the treasury whose acronym is ironically
usdt like the stable coin is basically
the financial arm of the US government
it handles everything related to taxes
government spending government financing
and even oversees the minting and
printing of physical currency more about
that rabbit hole in the description I
digress anyways the treasury doesn't
just deal with domestic financial
matters as you can see here it has two
divisions dedicated to International
financial affairs one of them includes
the infamous office of foreign assets
control or ofac which deals with
sanctions on enemies of the United
States keep this in mind for later now
the secretary of the treasury is Janet
yelen Janet is a fascinating character
because she used to be the chair of the
Federal Reserve this means that she has
an in-depth knowledge of how the Fed
works Janet is also partisan she is
closely aligned with the current
Democrat Administration this is
important to point out in part because
the treasury's influence over the
markets has its roots in government
spending you see when us politicians
vote to spend trillions of dollars on
stuff it's up to the treasury to figure
out how to finance it and it's up to
Janet to make sure this financing
happens as most of you will know there
are two ways the US government finances
its spending by collecting taxes and
fees and by issuing debt when taxes and
fees aren't enough to cover the costs
the US government will issue debt this
is called a deficit and last year the US
had a two trillion deficit in Practical
terms this means that the treasury had
to issue $2 trillion in debt now here is
where things get interesting but also a
bit complicated so pay close attention
when the treasury issues debt it
essentially sells pieces of paper to
investors containing a promise to pay
them back in the future with interest
these pieces of paper come in different
durations bills are issued for one year
or or less notes are issued for 2 to 10
years and bonds are issued for up to 30
years for the sake of Simplicity will
refer to all these pieces of paper as
bonds where we can anyhow us bonds can
be freely traded on the open market this
makes bonds interesting and that's for
three reasons the first is that the
yield on a bond depends on its price if
a Bond's price Falls its yield Rises and
VI Versa as with all assets the price of
bonds depends on supply and demand as
such the more the US government spends
the higher the supply in other words the
more the US government spends the more
bond prices fall and yields rise
assuming demand stays the same of course
and this ties into the second Reason Why
Us bonds are interesting and that's
because they determine interest rates on
similar durations of debt in the economy
this is because bond yields are seen as
the lowest risk form of Interest the
interest rates on riskier debts are
therefore priced at bond yields Plus
Credit spread this relates to the third
Reason Why Us bonds are interesting and
that's because their assumed safety
makes them the most popular form of
collateral in the Global Financial
system in plain English wealthy
individuals and institutions often use
us bonds as collateral to borrow even
more money or as Savings in other words
a large chunk of the demand for us bonds
comes from overseas around 25% in fact
obviously this demand fluctuates based
on many factors which we'll come back to
in a moment in the meantime if you've
already learned more here than your
teachers taught you in school be sure to
smash that like button to help others
learn and subscribe to the channel and
ping that notification Bell so you don't
miss the next lesson
so ma'am where exactly were you on the
night of the murder I was right here
detective all night long you got anyone
who can back that up you mean an alibi
yeah that's the one no I was all of my
lonesome and what exactly were you doing
all on your lonesome if you don't mind
me asking well keep it under your hat
detective but I was looking through the
coin bu deals page what's a coin Bureau
deals page when it's at home it's only
the place where you'll find the best
discounts and promos in all of crypto
what do you mean I mean trading fee
discounts of up to 60% and sign up
bonuses up to $60,000 on some of the
best exchanges holy smokes they got
discounts on Hardware wallets too by any
chance they sure do detective like you
wouldn't believe well that sure sounds
kind of swell lady but just you give me
one good reason why I should believe a
single word you say you don't have to
take my word for a detective take a look
at the link down below and see for
yourself she wasn't kidding those deals
really were something else turns out
that crypto ain't such a bad place after
all you just got to know your way
around okay now that we understand a bit
about the treasury Janet yelen and US
bonds we can start to unpack how and why
the treasury has been controlling the
markets over the last few years this
requires taking a closer look at the
Dynamics between the fed and the
treasury and and what drives them as all
of you will know the FED is tasked with
ensuring the US economy remains robust
and inflation stays moderate by
adjusting interest rates to be exact the
FED aims to ensure that unemployment the
percentage of people actively looking
for work stays at around 4% and that
inflation stays at around 2% for those
unaware raising interest rates causes
inflation to fall but causes
unemployment to rise as it lowers
economic activity by restricting lending
conversely lowering interest rates
causes inflation to rise and
unemployment to fall as it increases
economic activity by encouraging lending
news flash the entire economy runs on
debt but that's a topic for another time
anywh who the FED adjusts interest rates
in three ways by changing the interest
rate for overnight lending between
commercial Banks which affects
short-term interest rates by buying or
selling us bonds via the commercial
Banks which affects long-term interest
rates and through so-called forward
guidance forward guidance includes all
manner of comments and indications that
are meant to inform investors about what
the FED plans to do next the most famous
form of forward guidance is fed chairman
Jerome Powell's speeches which are given
after each interest rate decision these
are treated as gospel now this makes
sense because the markets are
forward-looking put simply the prices of
assets today reflect what investors
believe will happen tomorrow be it
related to interest rates or otherwise
by the time the Catalyst actually comes
the markets have fully priced it in
meaning it has a muted effect on markets
the thing is though that Jerome isn't
the only preacher that investors are
listening to Janet is another and she's
had just as much if not more of an
impact on the markets than Jerome for
example when markets crashed in October
2022 Janet said that Bond liquidity
needed to improve and the markets
recovered and when Banks started to
collapse in March 2023 Janet came out
and effectively said that the treasury
was ready to do whatever it takes to
bail them out the markets subsequently
recovered and in November last year when
interest rates were Rising Janet pushed
them back down with her words
specifically she made a speech saying
that interest rates were high enough and
it was about time they came down
referring directly to the FED shortly
after Jerome spoke after the fed's
meeting and announced that the central
bank was planning to cut rates a dovish
pivot signaling lower rates that duly
got priced in the treasury
simultaneously began issuing more
short-term bonds reducing the supply of
long-term bonds on a relative basis the
fed's signaling of lower short-term
rates and the treasury's issuance of
short-term bonds collectively caused
long-term interest rates to fall
resulting in a market rally on that note
the treasury had already been issuing a
large amount of short-term bonds to
ensure that long-term interest rates
didn't rise too much recall that the
deficit was two trillion dollar in
2023 such a large issuance of bonds
would have high yields to to attract
money from other markets causing them to
crash in this case however the treasury
was able to finance all this short-term
Bond issuance using the fed's overnight
reverse repo facility or
RRP now without getting too technical
the RRP allows investors to earn a yield
similar to the short-term interest rate
set by the fed this is to help transmit
its monetary policy Janet convinced the
investors in the RRP which held over 2
.2 trillion at its peak to invest most
of their Capital into the treasury's
short-term bonds which offered a similar
yield this eliminated the need for the
treasury to raise yields on these bonds
to attract money from other markets such
as stocks in some the treasury has also
been controlling interest rates and this
has been controlling the
markets so now that we understand a bit
about the Dynamics between the fed and
the treasury we can dig deeper into why
the treasury is doing what it's doing
whereas the fed's Mandate is to ensure
that unemployment and inflation remain
stable the treasury has an open-ended
mandate with no numbers according to its
website the treasury's Mandate is to be
quote responsible for promoting economic
prosperity and ensuring the Financial
Security of the United States what's
meant by economic prosperity and
Financial Security you may ask well it's
whatever it means to whoever is in power
now this is where politics comes in and
I'll kick it off with a fun factoid
according to Goldman Sachs quote
incumbent US presidents tend to win
elections except during recessions in
case you missed the memo there's going
to be an election in the US this
November and President Biden is the
incumbent given that Janet is on team
blue it's incumbent on her to ensure
that a recession does not occur before
the election in practice this means
making sure the current Administration
can spend as much as possible while
providing minimal disruption to the bond
markets namely limiting yields on bonds
at the same time though it's incumbent
on Jerome to make sure that inflation
doesn't get too high because of all this
government spending besides the fact
that it's his job to ensure that it
doesn't Jerome also seems to want to
leave a legacy he's also by the way a
republican though it's not clear if he's
partisan regardless the fact of the
matter is that the imperatives of the
treasury and the FED are at odds this
has resulted in a delicate dance that's
been LED mostly by Janet remember that
she used to run the Fed she knows which
levers Jerome needs to pull and it seems
he's been reluctantly pulling
them sorry I just accidentally
visualized Jerome and Janet
dancing in all seriousness it's easy to
forget that it's not just the domestic
issues that determine who will win an
election international issues also have
an effect I'll reiterate that the
treasury has two divisions dedicated to
International Affairs naturally one of
these deals with friends and the other
deals with foes on the friend side it's
believed that Janet has been trying to
convince countries such as China to
continue accumulating us Bonds in case
you forgot most most countries will
invest the US dollars they get from
international trade in US bonds China
and others have been reducing their bond
purchases as you've learned this
reduction of foreign bond purchases has
made it more difficult for the treasury
to issue bonds without raising yields
and raising interest rates by extension
the reason why foreign purchases of us
bonds have declined is because of what
the treasury has been doing on the foe
side when Russia invaded Ukraine in
February 2022 the US and its allies made
what many considered to be a
geopolitical mistake and that was
freezing the assets of various Russian
individuals and institutions this sent a
signal to the world that enemies of the
US and its allies could get similar
treatment in the future the result has
been that many countries have since
started moving away from us bonds and
other US dollar assets and accumulating
other internationally recognized assets
such as gold to be clear this had
already been happening prior to the
freezing of Russian assets but it seems
this accelerated the trend in any case
here's where politics and Janet come
back into the picture the Ukraine war
appears to be popular with Democrat
voters and it's geopolitically
imperative to the US regardless of what
voters think this has put pressure on
Janet to act accordingly and she may be
about to act in a big way back in
February Janet called on the US and its
allies to seize the Russian assets they
had Frozen and send them to Ukraine last
month us politicians passed a bill
giving the treasury the authority to do
this unlocking an estimated $6 billion
of Russian assets Frozen in the US
Financial system although this seizure
hasn't happened yet it's likely that it
will happen due to its popularity with
Democrats and the US government's own
geopolitical imperatives there's just
one problem and that's that this will be
an even bigger watershed moment for
anyone holding us bonds or indeed other
US dollar assets as many macro analysts
have pointed out seizing Russia's assets
and sending them to Ukraine or wherever
else would likely create a risk premium
for us bonds and similar assets put
differently it will likely cause their
prices to drop and yields to rise as
investors Run for the hills or rather to
Gold it seems the treasury is preparing
for this because it recently announced
its first Bond buyback program in over
20 years Yes you heard that right the US
government is going to buy back its own
debt these BuyBacks will start at the
end of this month so that's presumably
when we'll get bond market volatility
this brings me to the big question and
that's how you can use this information
to get an edge in investing and trading
the answer is one word liquidity that is
the amount of money in the markets the
reason why the fed and treasures actions
affect the markets is because they
change liquidity levels this is where
the fed's recent decisions come into
Focus while everyone was focused on the
fed's interest rate decision at its most
recent meeting the bigger news was the
change to its balance sheet in short it
would begin buying more us bonds each
month mainly longer term us bonds
logically this will cause the yields on
those bonds to fall along with interest
rates more importantly it will give
wiggle room for the treasury to issue
more long-term bonds at a time when the
fed's RRP is running out I'll remind you
that the RRP was where the treasury was
getting money from in recent months the
RP has flatlined at around $400 billion
meanwhile the amount of money in the
treasury general account or TGA the US
government's bank account has ballooned
to over 800 billion FYI the treasury has
historically kept around $400 billion in
the TGA for operational expenses what
this means is that the treasury has an
extra $400 billion sitting around that
it can use to juice the economy and the
markets a portion of this will likely go
towards the aforementioned Bond BuyBacks
it's not clear though where the
remainder will go but it doesn't really
matter that's because all this money
will eventually find its way into the
markets in the case of bond BuyBacks the
investors who have the bonds being
bought back will have money they can
spend elsewhere these investors will
either put their money into other assets
like stocks which will cause them to
rise or if they put the money back into
bonds instead stocks will still rise
because investing in other bonds will
cause their yields to fall which will
cause interest rates to fall and boost
economic activity this lowering in
yields will also make bonds less
attractive causing Capital outflow into
other assets with higher yields in the
case of any other spending the treasury
does into the economy this Capital will
likewise eventually find its way back
into the markets for example suppose it
gives a few billion to some Renewable
Energy company as part of the
administration's trillion dollar
ridiculously titled inflation reduction
act this will allow this Renewable
Energy company to hire workers these
workers will spend their money on goods
and services owned by publicly listed
companies these publicly listed
companies will take this capital and buy
back their own stocks or just hand the
money to their Executives who will buy
other stocks speaking of which this is
why Universal basic income or Ubi will
never work any money that's handed out
to people in need will be spent on goods
and services that means it gets funneled
right back to the top and that money
will be used by the rich to invest in
assets like real estate making said
assets ever more unaffordable but anyway
back to the topic at hand the key
takeaway here is that the treasury has
$400 billion in its back pocket that
will eventually find its way into the
markets this money will likely be spent
before the election to boost the economy
and reduce the risk of a recession
Janet's gift to Biden in the short term
However the fact that the FED isn't
lowering short-term rates and won't
begin its balance sheet Shenanigans
until June means that liquidity will
likely be neutral to negative until then
and don't forget that the treasury's
bond BuyBacks won't begin until later
this month either the consequence could
be a few weeks of sluggish price action
and some would say that we're already
seeing this the caveat though is that
the blackout period for stock BuyBacks
ended last Monday to bring you up to
speed the blackout period prevents stock
BuyBacks around weeks when quarterly
earnings come out as it so happens Apple
recently announced the largest stock
buyback in history a whopping $110
billion it's safe to say that this will
be a huge Tailwind for stocks and come
to think of it it could be why stocks
have been rallying while cryptos on the
other hand have been falling behind this
though should change as overall
liquidity improves according to macro
analyst Michael how crypto lags
liquidity by about 6 weeks which means
that it may not start to catch up until
sometime in Late July or even August
this assumes that there's no additional
liquid
coming from other sources because
someone somewhere is always printing
money and that's all for today's video
folks so if you found it informative
smash that like button to let us know if
you want to stay informed subscribe to
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Bell and if you want to help inform
others about what the treasury has been
up to be sure to share this video with
them and with all that said Thank thank
you so much for watching and I'll see
you in the next one this is guy over and
out
[Music]
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