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Gross: Neutral Fed Funds rate far lower than markets believe

Apr. 30, 2014 1:46 PM ETIEF, SHY, TLT, UST, PST, SHV, IEI, TLH, BIL, SPTL, SPTI, GOVI, EDV, GSY, TBT, TYD, TMF, TMV, TYO, TUZ, TBF, TENZ, FIVZ, ZROZ, VGSH, VGIT, VGLT, UBT, LBND, SBND-OLD, SCHO, SCHR, DTUL, DTUS, DTYS, DTYL, DLBL-OLD, DLBS, TYNS, TYBS, TBZ, TBX, DFVS, DFVL, SPTS, GOVT, TTTBy: Stephen Alpher, SA News Editor5 Comments
  • "Interest rates have to be lower in a levered economy so that debtors can survive, debt can be reduced as a percentage of GDP, and economies can avoid recessions/depressions," writes Bill Gross, arguing the "neutral" fed funds rate is likely far lower than what past history would suggest. A recent Fed paper suggests the current neutral Fed Funds rate might be as low at 50 basis points currently, and would be just 1.5% if PCE inflation rises to 2% in the future.
  • Bill Dudley mused similarly in a speech in 2012, and Pimco's Saumil Parikh suggested the same one year ago.
  • "I suspect these estimates which average less than 2%, are much closer to financial reality than the average, 4% 'blue dot' estimates of Fed 'participants,' dismissed somewhat by Fed Chair Janet Yellen herself last month," says Gross.
  • Why is this so important? Forward markets have priced in a 4% policy rate around 2020. If it's closer to 2% instead, says Gross, then longer-term bonds - far from being artificially and highly priced - would actually present an attractive value right now.
  • ETFs: TBT, TLT, TMV, SHY, IEF, TBF, PST, EDV, TTT, TMF, ZROZ, SBND, TLH, IEI, DLBS, TYO, DTYS, VGLT, BIL, UST, UBT, PLW, SHV, VGIT, GOVT, TBX, VGSH, TLO, SCHO, GSY, TENZ, DTYL, ITE, SCHR, LBND, TYD, TYBS, TUZ, DTUS, DTUL, SST, TBZ, FIVZ, DFVL, DLBL, DFVS, TYNS

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