Saturday, December 22, 2018

Fed Kills Stock Market


The Federal Reserve has increased the interest rate they charge to banks 7 times since 1/1/17. Trump was elected. Obama had crashed the economy, but was gone. The Federal Reserve joined in to do what they could to crash Trump’s economic recovery.

The seventh time was a charm.

2017 & 2018 Fed Funds Interest Rates

3/16/17     1.0%
6/15/17   1.25%
12/14/17   1.5%

3/22/18   1.75%
6/14/18     2.0%
9/27/18   2.25%
12/19/18   2.5%

2019         2.8% planned


On 12/19/18, the Fed killed the Bull Market we have seen since the 2008 Mortgage Meltdown when the Dow collapsed to 6,726.02.

Interest rates will increase by 0.25%, so all loans tied to the Prime Rate will go up.  Mortgage rates are 4.5% on 30 year loans.

On 11/11/16, the Dow stood at 18,847.66. 
On 9/20/18 the Dow hit its peak at 26,656.98.
By 12/12/18 the Dow had dropped to 24,682 on rumors of a Fed Rate hike.

The Fed rate hike was announced on 12/19/18.
On 12/19/18 the Dow closed at 23,323.66.
On 12/20/18 the Dow closed at 22,853.02.
On 12/21/18 the Dow closed at 22,445.37.

The Dow is at 22,445.34 and is down 4,211.61 points from its peak of 26,656.98 on 9/20/18.

It looks like the bottom for the Dow is 22,000 and the top is 27,000.  Companies could scuttle their expansion plans and buy back their stock and wait to see where the global market is going. What countries and companies should do now is increase their productivity and that requires capital.

The economic fundamentals in the US are still good and this stock market stunt is the market’s reaction to the endless increases in the Fed funds rates.


Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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