Must-Read: May I please have a theory from the Federal Reserve–I am not asking for much: just a theory–as to why they continue to be confident that their models are a better guide to likely futures than financial markets, and as to why they continue to regard the lower tail of outcomes as something that can be handled if and when it happens rather than something they need to be desperately clawing away from as fast as they can?
: Treasury Yields Hit Record Lows: “The 10-year Treasury yield is down 7 basis points to 1.39 per cent…
…earlier touching 1.377 per cent, its most meagre offering on record. The 30-year Treasury yield also hit an all-time low of 2.14 per cent. Equivalent maturity German Bunds and UK gilts are down 3bp to minus 0.17 per cent and off 4bp to 0.80 per cent, respectively — also flirting with record lows. The Bank of England has already said it is likely to loosen policy further in coming months, and governor Mark Carney on Tuesday said banks could stop building up rainy-day funds in an attempt to support lending. Shares in real estate companies, life insurers and housebuilders are leading declines in London, following the Standard Life news. Miners are under pressure too, as the ‘risk off’ mood batters commodities, with base metals lower and Brent crude down 3.6 per cent to $48.31 a barrel.