Ericsson wrote:Threat of second wave looms over markets
True.The Covid-19 second wave plus the solvency/bankruptcy crisis especially for small/medium sized businesses that arent receiving Fed bailouts that are upcoming are the biggest challenges for the Fed and the markets.
Even though states like NewYork have at least for now controlled their outbreak,other states like Texas,California,Arizona and others are still recording record high inflections.Its this threat of increased infections that resulted in massive sell off in US stocks last Thursday and almost everyone was thinking that this sell off would continue rapidly in subsequent days but I suspected the Fed would intervene in markets and on Monday Fed indicated that they would start buying individual corporate bonds especially junk bonds of zombie companies and Fed Chair Powell in this week's testimony to the Congress re-emphasized that the Fed has no limits to its money printing programs and markets have generally been on an uptrend.Just goes to show the Fed's exceptional power to manipulate markets upward.
But the subsequent weeks and months will truly test the Fed as the second wave and bankruptcy crisis unfolds.Nobody can truly tell which combatant between the Fed and covid-19 will ultimately win this struggle.I think in the long term the Fed will lose but currently Fed seems to be holding the bubble market together.Its a see saw struggle as in some periods covid-19 tanks markets then other times Fed money printing pumps up the market creating for very volatile environment everyday.Thats why I dont predict market direction as its just too mad and look at each day on its own
Contrarian Investor and Trader.Advocate of free markets,limited government interference in the economy and sound money