Federal Government Outlays Rising: Positive for Economy
Investing Environment Review and Outlook – Volume 85
Last month, we discussed the implications of a Fed policy shift and the ease in bank lending standards. September 18th marked the long-anticipated Fed policy shift with an initial Fed Funds target cut of 0.50%. This month, we cut our bond rating to a bearish 2 due to the extreme moves of bonds ahead of the Fed shift, combined with preliminary reversals in some of our leading economic indicators like copper and crude oil. Our economic and inflation outlook indicators remain neutral. Investor positioning shifted to long overall with 6 of 8 investor groups above their norm and 4 of 8 at extreme levels.
Federal Government Outlays Rising: Positive for Economy
Federal government spending peaked at 33% of GDP in August 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic. After reversing lower to 22% in 2022, it has since reversed higher to 24.2% since the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The spending offers support for the economy, and indirectly higher bond yields, which respond to a stronger economy. We have not found a good predictor of Federal spending, but during an election year there is certainly incentive to spend more. The question remains if government spending will reverse next year after the election, and operate as a brake on the economy instead. We continue to monitor economic and market conditions and analyze their impact to asset classes. Thank you for your support and please contact us with any questions.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES
This review and outlook report (this “Report”) is for informational, illustration and discussion purposes only and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, financial, legal, tax or investment advice, of Brenton Point Wealth Advisors LLC or any of its affiliates (“Brenton Point”). This Report does not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation, restrictions, particular needs or financial, legal or tax situation of any particular person and should not be viewed as addressing any recipient’s particular investment needs. Recipients should consider the information contained in this Report as only a single factor in making an investment decision and should not rely solely on investment recommendations contained herein, if any, as a substitution for the exercise of independent judgment of the merits and risks of investments.
This material is based upon information obtained from various sources that Brenton Point believes to be reliable, but Brenton Point makes no representation or warranty with respect to the accuracy or completeness of such information. Views expressed herein are current only as of the date indicated and are subject to change without notice.
This Report contains certain forward looking statements opinions, estimates, projections, assessments and other views (collectively “Statements”). These Statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward looking statements and projections. Brenton Point makes no representations as to the reasonableness of such assumptions or the likelihood that such assumptions will coincide with actual events and this information should not be relied upon for that purpose. Changes in such assumptions could produce materially different results. Past performance is not a guarantee or indication of future results, and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding future performance of any financial instrument mentioned in this Report.
Any benchmark shown herein is shown for illustrative purposes only. No index benchmark is available for direct investment. It may not be possible to replicate the returns of any index, as the index may not include any trading commissions and costs or fees, may assume the reinvestment of income, and may have investment objectives, use trading strategies, or have other materials characteristics, such as credit exposure or volatility, that do not make it suitable for a particular person. This is not an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security, investment, or other product and should not be construed as such. References to specific financial instruments and to certain indices are for illustrative purposes only and provided for the purpose of making general market data available as a point of reference only; they are not intended to be, and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities. Investing in securities and other financial products entails certain risks, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested, as the value of investment can go down as well as up. You should obtain advice from your tax, financial, legal, and other advisors and only make investment decisions on the basis of your own objectives, experience, and resources.
Brenton Point accepts no liability for any loss (whether direct, indirect or consequential) occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material contained in or derived from this Report, except to the extent (but only to the extent) that such liability may not be waived, modified or limited under applicable law.
This Report may provide addresses of, or contain hyperlinks to, Internet websites. Brenton Point has not reviewed the linked Internet website of any third party and takes no responsibility for the contents thereof. Each such address or hyperlink is provided solely for your convenience and information, and the content of linked third party websites is not in any way incorporated herein. Recipients who choose to access such third-party websites or follow such hyperlinks do so at their own risk.
All marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. This Report is licensed for non-commercial use only, and may not be reproduced, distributed, forwarded, posted, published, transmitted, uploaded or otherwise made available to others for commercial purposes, including to individuals within an institution, without written authorization from Brenton Point.
Source of data and performance statistics: Bloomberg L.P. and Factset Research Systems Inc.
©Brenton Point Wealth Advisors LLC 2024
Michael Schaus
Director of Market Research
Michael Schaus is the Director of Market Research for Brenton Point Wealth Advisors and Zweig-DiMenna. Since joining Zweig-DiMenna in 1992, his focus has been on macroeconomic research, the analysis of…
READ MORERead Next:
Sign up!
Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get the lastest news and research from our esteemed advisors here at Brenton point. Right into your inbox!