Tag: United States

The Declining Value of the US Dollar

Written by IntaCapital Swiss on . Posted in News & Reports. Leave a Comment

In the past two months the US Dollar has declined 5% against major currencies (the US Dollar index currently stands at a 13 month low) suggesting that increase in the value of the dollar in the years after the Covid-19 Pandemic has come to end. Analysts suggest that this is not too surprising because the rhetoric coming out of the Federal Reserve has recently softened regarding interest rates. Indeed, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, made it plain at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium (20th  – 22nd August 2024) that inflation was, in fact, receding. Chairman Powell went on to say “Inflation is on what increasingly appears to be a sustainable path to our 2% objective”. 

The big question at the moment is not if, but by how much the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at their next meeting on September 18th, 2024, and will sustained cuts in interest rates erode the dollar haven that the United States has enjoyed for the last three years? Analysts suggest that according to bond market pricing* financial markets can expect a 0.25% reduction in interest rates at the September Federal Reserve meeting. However, there are those in the market who suggest that the Federal Reserve could indeed cut rates by a full half percentage point. 

*Correlation Between Interest Rates and Bond Prices – The relationship between interest rates and bond prices are such that when interest rates fall bond prices rise and when interest rates rise bond prices fall. Thus when existing bonds have a lower interest rate than current interest rates they are less desirable, so as the interest rate on the US Dollar falls, so bonds become more attractive and their price rises. 

What effect will the declining value of the US Dollar have on emerging markets, exporters of commodities, and the rest of the world? As the dollar declines due to interest rate cuts some analysts are questioning whether the status as global reserve currency will be affected. Experts agree that the reserve currency status will not be threatened by a declining US Dollar as the United States is still the safest place to invest with buoyant stock markets and decent yields. However funds that are domiciled in the United States may look outside its borders as investment opportunities open up in other parts of the world. 

Elsewhere, countries whose economies rely on the exports of commodities will usually reap the benefit of a falling US Dollar, as the commodity price correlation usually moves inversely to that of the US Dollar. Emerging markets that have not had the best of times in recent years should broadly benefit, especially those resource-poor markets (Inc India and China) who rely on the importation of commodities denominated in US Dollars. The US Dollar has lost ground against the  G-10 currencies, the largest of which is within the European Union and specifically the Federal Republic of Germany, where a stronger Euro will only increase the pain of weakening capital expenditure and consumer confidence.

The odds are very good for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at their September meeting. However, Chairman Powell always hedges his bets by reminding the financial community that their decisions are always data driven. He reminded us at Jackson Hole, with the upside of beating inflation against the downside of labour market concerns (which had cooled substantially with unemployment rising to 4.3%), future actions would depend on incoming data and the balance of risks.

Are Global Markets Facing a New Period of Volatility?

Written by IntaCapital Swiss on . Posted in News & Reports. Leave a Comment

On Monday 5th August 2024 trading rooms in financial centres across the world faced one of the most volatile and chaotic days in recent history. In the United States by the close of business on Monday The MSCI (Morgan Stanley Capital International) All Country World Index (ACWI) was showing 90% of stocks had fallen, in what has been termed as an indiscriminate global sell-off. In Tokyo the Nikkei was down 12%, in Seoul the Kospi was down by 9% and at the opening bell in New York the Nasdaq plunged 6% in seconds. However by the Thursday evening of that week the turmoil in the markets had been forgotten as the S&P and ACWI were both down by only 1%.

But what brought about this huge summer sell-off? Many financial experts suggest that financial markets had convinced themselves that a soft land for the US economy was a given especially after what was perceived as a successful fight against inflation, with interest rates being kept high by the Federal Reserve. However, the moves in the markets were completely off the scale in relation to what actually triggered the sell-off. Analysts suggest the touchpaper was lit when two economic updates were published in the first two days of August 2024, plus a further announcement by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) that they were raising interest rates.

The first set of data was a survey of manufacturing, which was closely followed by official data released regarding the state of the US labour market. When taken together analysts suggested that instead of a soft landing, the US economy was indeed heading for a recession, and that unlike the Bank of England and the European Central Bank (ECB), the Federal Reserve was moving too slowly on interest rate cuts. The data released on new jobs, which was by no means the worst of the year, fell short of expectations of being only 114,000 as opposed to the expected figure of 175,000.

The start of the sell-off began in the Asian markets on Monday 5th August, as a stronger yen and rising interest rates in Japan combined with the bad economic data coming out of the United States. A vast number of market players and investors have been tied up in the “Yen Carry-Trade”*, where advantage has been taken of low interest rates in Japan allowing investors to borrow cheaply in Yen and invest in overseas assets especially in large US tech stocks and Mexican bonds. A number of traders felt the Yen carry trade was the “epicentre” of the markets and the unwinding of these trade caused the shakeout that followed. 

*Yen Carry Trade – For many years cheap money has been in Japan where interest rates have held at near zero. Any investor, bank, hedge fund etc can, for a small fee, borrow Japanese Yen and buy things like US tech stocks, government bonds or the Mexican Peso which have in recent years offered solid returns. The theory to this trade is that as long as the US Dollar remains low against the Yen investors can pay back the Yen and still walk away with a good profit. 

The sell-off also hit the Tokyo Stock Exchange which recorded its sharpest fall in 40 years, whilst the VIX** also known as the “Fear Gauge” hit a high of 65 (only surpassed a few times this century having enjoyed a lifetime average of circa 19.5), implying the markets expect a swing of 4% a day over the next month in the S&P 500. Analysts announced that when trading hit its peak it was very reminiscent of the 2007 – 2009 Global Financial Crisis, but without systemic risk fears. A well-known Japanese equity strategist suggested “The breath and the depth of the sell-off appeared to be driven a lot more by extremely concentrated positioning coming up against very tight risk limits”. 

**The VIX – is a ticker symbol and the in-house or popular name for the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s (CBOE) Volatility Index. This is a popular measure of the stock market’s expectation of volatility based on S&P 500 index options.

In the last four years Yen carry trades have been very popular as Japan has been essentially offering free money keeping interest rates at almost zero to encourage economic growth whilst the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe were raising interest rates to fight inflation. For many, borrowing at next to nothing in Japan and investing in a US Treasury Bond paying 5% or Mexican Bonds paying 10% seemed like a no brainer. However, once the market fundamentals of this carry trade started moving towards negative territory the global unwinding of these trades was an inevitability.

The market makers were always in evidence throughout the sell-off, suggesting that the structure of the markets were still in place. However, experts said that the biggest moves on the VIX were driven by a tsunami of investors all moving in the same direction. As one senior executive put it “there was no yin and yang of different views”, it was just one way traffic. However, the rebound on the following Thursday just highlighted the lack of fundamental clarity where, as one expert put it “The market is so fascinated by what is the latest data point that the ties between day-to-day stock price moves and fundamentals are more disconnected than ever before”. 

There have, however, been undercurrents in the background indicating a shift in current trends, and with unnerving global politics from the United States to the Middle East plus continued rumblings from China over Taiwan, volatility in the markets is ever present. Add to this US growth trending downwards and market/investor concern over stretched valuations in the US tech market, taken together with other factors including the fourth consecutive move south in the S&P and the VIX trending higher, a negative move in the markets could have been anticipated. So, whilst the fundamentals were in place to be interpreted by market experts, it was the data points and the unwinding of the Yen carry trades that kicked off the volatility swings.

Looking back from today (Friday 16th August) it is as if the volatility and single day crash never happened, however a number of experts suggest that markets could remain volatile until the Federal Reserve interest rate decision in September. Many renown commentators have said what happens in the United States does not stay in the United States, especially as the country has been a major driver of global economic growth, so if the United States does go into recession the world as a whole would suffer. Analysts also suggest that there are further Yen carry trades to unwind which will impart volatility into the markets. In the short-term, therefore, it would appear volatility is on the menu especially with an uncertain presidential election in November. Long term volatility is difficult to predict, but the markets will now be aware that when there is consensus thinking e.g. a soft landing for the US economy and all is rosy in the garden, markets can quickly turn on their heads and bite you very badly.

Has the Federal Reserve Left it Too late?

Written by IntaCapital Swiss on . Posted in News & Reports. Leave a Comment

On the 6th of June 2024 The European Central Bank (ECB) cut their interest rates by 0.25%, the Bank of England followed suit on the 1st of August 2024 lowering their interest rates by exactly the same percentage points. However, the US Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on the 31st of July announced they were once again holding interest rates steady at 5.25% – 5.50% where they have now sat since July 2023. The last time the Federal Reserve cut interest rates was in March 2020, but all eyes are now on the FOMC meeting in September where financial markets and experts are expecting the Federal Reserve to announce a rate cut.

The mood coming out of the Federal Reserve suggests a cooling economy with data showing rising unemployment and moderating job gains. This suggests that the Federal Reserve may well indeed cut rates at their September meeting, but a weakening economy in some cases can spiral into a recession by feeding off itself. So, has the Federal Reserve left it too late to cut interest rates? Economists and financial experts alike remind us that the United States avoided a predicted recession in 2023, which may have resulted in favourable predictions that the US economy would enjoy a soft landing in 2024. 

However, the Federal Reserve may have misinterpreted data in a favourable manner due to Q2 enjoying unexpected increased growth figures of 2.8%, which was taken as evidence that the US economy was indeed in good shape. Some analysts have looked beyond this figure and suggest the economic growth has been propped up not only by government spending (which has been backed up by a sizeable deficit) but also by excessive hiring in the public sector. Warning signals such as the ISM Manufacturing New Orders Index* (a bell weather signal for past recessions) is showing signs of decline, in the week ending July 2024 jobless claims rose to an eleven month high and plethora of companies who are consumer focused recently recorded earnings figures misses. 

*ISM Manufacturing New Orders Index – This index, which is sometimes referred to as the “Purchasing Managers’ Index”, is considered a key indicator of the current state of the US Economy. It indicates the level of demand for products by measuring the amount of ordering activity at the nation’s factories. 

Other warning signals come from the New York Federal Reserve who are suggesting that there is a better than even chance of a recession appearing at some stage in Q3 and Q4. Such predictions are based on “the curve over time of bond yields”* though this has been an unreliable indicator in the past. Experts at a major New York investment bank suggest that the mean or median optimum interest rate (based on a number of monetary policy rules) should be 4%. Yet the Federal Reserve chose not to cut interest rates despite inflation in June coming close (within 0.5%) to their benchmark target of 2%.

*The curve over time of bond yields – If the yield curve is flattening , it raises fears of high inflation and recession. In the event of yield curve inversion this “EVENT” is viewed as the likelihood of the US economy slipping into recession. An inverted yield curve occurs when short-term yields on US Treasuries exceed long-term yields on US Treasuries. This occurred on June 14th, 2024, when the yield for a 10-year treasury was 4.2% and the yield for a 2-year treasury was 4.67%.

Experts suggest that an economy does not slow down in an undeviating manner and, unless checked, an economy can lose economic momentum and spiral out of control into recession. That means that any pricing by the financial markets for a soft landing can quickly go out the window. There are enough warnings out there for the Federal Reserve to take their foot off the brake on interest rate cuts, but will they lament not having cut interest rates in July when the FOMC meets in September.

Global Financial Markets Rethink

Written by IntaCapital Swiss on . Posted in Blog Article, News & Reports, Uncategorized. Leave a Comment

Expert financial analysts are suggesting that many of the presumptions that have driven the global financial markets in 2024 are quickly being rethought. Speculation that the Federal Reserve may well cut interest rates faster than predicted has given way to doubt over the economy of the United States, prompting investors to redeploy their investments in the currency and bond markets. The shift in sentiment has also been driven by a slew of disappointing results in corporate earnings, together with scepticism from shareholders that the huge investments in AI* (artificial intelligence) by tech companies may not pay off as soon as was originally expected. 

Indeed, analysts advise how investors were caught by surprise when results for Alphabet Inc (google parent) showed how much had been invested in technology, but any returns were not reflected in the revenue figures. Interestingly, while still up 12%, this year the Nasdaq 100 index has fallen circa 9% from its record high on July 10th, wiping out USD23 Trillion from its market value. Many experts have pronounced that the AI frenzy no longer looks as positive as it was before. 

*Artificial Intelligence – The bull market up to June 2024 has boosted the S&P 500 market capitalisation by USD9 Trillion (fuelled by AI stocks) since the Federal Reserve pivoted away from rate hikes in August 2023. Experts advise that performance is extremely concentrated in a few mega-cap names and could make the effect of any major decline in big tech stocks more pronounced.

Another example of the “rethink” is where investors have been borrowing in low yielding yen to invest in higher yields such as the Mexican Peso, the New Zealand Dollar, and the Australian Dollar. However, it appears that these transactions are a thing of the past as the gap between the BOJ’s (Bank of Japan) and its counterparts is set to come closer to each other.  Elsewhere, experts advise that the European and United States Equity markets in 2024 have been driven by the general agreement that inflation was slowly coming under control, however they feel that now the US economy is becoming weaker and weaker, changing the perception towards equities. 

In Sub-Saharan Africa, analysts advise that a somewhat laboured return to the international capital markets has run straight into a stop sign basically due to uncertainty over the November presidential election which has given global investors the jitters. There are 49 governments in the region and only five (Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Senegal) have managed to sell US Dollar bonds in 2024 in a combined amount of USD6.2 Billion which is much lower for the same period in 2022*. In fact those countries within emerging markets will see high yield borrowings classed as higher risk if former President Donald Trump wins the upcoming election, as experts feel he will favour fiscal expansion negating any reduction in the already high global borrowing costs.

*Sub Saharan Africa – The whole region was denied access to overseas capital for two years due to rising global interest rates and the devastation of war. 

As the US election approaches, it will be interesting to see how the different markets react, though currently there seems to be a massive “rethink” to how global markets will be driven. Whoever wins the White House, it appears that investor sentiment at least for the being is moving to safer havens.

The Petrodollar Agreement Between The USA and Saudi Arabia: Fact or Fiction?

Written by IntaCapital Swiss on . Posted in Blog Article, News & Reports, Uncategorized. Leave a Comment

In the middle of June 2024 there were a plethora of rumours regarding the collapse of the “Petrodollar Agreement” between Saudi Arabia and the United States. These rumours took off like a rocket and were exacerbated on social media platforms such as X. The purported 50 year old agreement requiring Saudi Arabia to price its crude oil exports in US Dollars had apparently expired on Sunday 16th June 2024. Many commentators on X were horrified and suggested that this would surely undermine the status of the US Dollar as the de facto global world reserve currency, leading to massive financial upheaval. As a result, according to Google Trend data, searches for the term “Petrodollar” spiked to the highest level on record, dating back to 2004.

However, mainstream media did not report this news. Indeed, a number of foreign-policy experts, plus some experts from Wall Street, announced that the agreement in itself did not exist, at least not in the way pronounced on many social media outlets. One well known chief economist advised that this was indeed fake news but did indeed confirm there was a joint agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United States on the 8th of June 1974. 

This agreement is referred to as the United States-Saudi Arabian Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation and had nothing to do with currencies, as the Saudis were already selling their oil in Sterling and continued to do so after signing the agreement. Therefore there was no formal agreement requesting the Saudis to price their oil in USD Dollars only, however, later in 1974 they actually stopped receiving Sterling as payment for oil exports. The 1973 OPEC oil embargo was the reasoning behind the June 1974 agreement and both the United States and Saudi Arabia wished to come to a formal arrangement where each got more out of the other. 

Post the 1973 OPEC oil embargo saw a spike in oil prices which greatly enhanced Saudi Arabia’s surplus of US Dollars. They wished to use to industrialise their economy, whilst the United States were keen for them to recycle these dollars back into the US Economy. This led to a further agreement in late 1974 where the United States promised military aid equipment, and in return the Saudis would invest billions of dollars in US Treasury’s. This agreement was kept under wraps until 2016 when Bloomberg News filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the National Archives. 

However, Saudi Arabia are making noises about receiving payments for oil in other currencies apart from the US Dollar. This is heightening due to their membership of BRICS*, which was due on the 1st of January 2024 but was delayed, however the South African government has since confirmed Saudi Arabia as a full member. Today, Saudi Arabia no longer has US dollar reserves and is borrowing heavily in the sovereign debt market, even selling parts of its national oil company (Saudi Aramco which has in excess of 270 billion barrels in reserve). Furthermore, whilst Saudi Arabia still owns significant reserves, some of which are tied up in US Treasury’s, data reveals that both Japan and China have more assets tied up in US debt. 

*BRICS – Is an intergovernmental agency and is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, (all joined 2009) followed by South Africa in 2010 as the original participants. Today, membership has grown to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with Thailand, and Malaysia on the cusp of joining. Russia sees BRICS as continuing its fight against western sanctions and China, through BRICS, is increasing its influence throughout Africa and wants to be the voice of the “Global South”. A number of commentators feel as the years progress BRICS will become an economic and geopolitical powerhouse and will represent a direct threat to the G7 group of nations. Currently this group represents 44% of the world’s crude oil production and the combined economies are worth in excess of USD28.5 Trillion equivalent to 28% of the global economy. 

Indeed analysts suggest that in a sense the “Petrodollar” actually died about 30 years ago. Fifty years ago Saudi Arabia’s current account surplus was in excess of 50% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) with the petrodollar reflecting this. The only reason the United States benefited was due to Saudi Arabia recycling US Dollars into the American debt market. However, between 2003 – 2008, the value of these dollars became less and less as Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations channelled these funds to improve their economy spending on items such as goods and services. In 2024, data released shows that the current account surplus of Saudi Arabia is 0.5%, with analysts suggesting that the country will fall into deficit in 2025 continuing until 2030. 

With speculation abounding that Saudi Arabia is about to move away from receiving US Dollars for oil, experts advise that the administration of Joe Biden is close to signing a security deal with Saudi Arabia. Analysts advise that this deal will also encompass efforts to solve the current Gaza conflict, making progress towards creating a Palestinian state and a civil nuclear agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Experts in foreign policy suggest that the signing of this agreement is President Joe Biden’s attempt to bring Saudi Arabia closer to the United States and mend some fences between the two countries. Furthermore these experts suggest that this agreement will also encourage Saudi Arabia to pull back from the current Sino-Saudi partnership involving security and increased diplomatic relations, thus putting an end to speculation of Saudi Arabia dumping the dollar in favour of other currencies.

The Financial Markets Got It Wrong Predicting a US Dollar Decline in 2024

Written by IntaCapital Swiss on . Posted in Blog Article, News & Reports. Leave a Comment

As 2024 started many investors, experts and analysts predicted that the US Dollar would decline. However, the greenback, thanks to a very hot US economy, and an inflation problem ensuring the Federal Reserve will not cut interest rates for the time being, means a strong dollar has returned and does not look like it is going away. Furthermore the IMF (International Monetary Fund) has predicted that growth in the United States will grow at a rate of two times that of the remaining members of the Group of Seven, and with geopolitical tensions at a height not seen for decades, the US Dollar is still viewed as the ultimate safe haven.

Many economists and other analysts are predicting that the US Dollar will continue to grow, with one well-known bank suggesting the dollar will continue to increase in value through 2025. The resurgence of the dollar has come on the back of many financial signals pointing to the US economy sidestepping a much anticipated slowdown, with manufacturing continuing to grow and the labour market remaining tight, plus as already mentioned, the forecast of interest rate cuts being put back due to inflationary problems. 

The financial markets have scaled back their bets on an early cut in US interest rates which has resulted in soaring benchmark treasury yields hitting a figure of nearly 5% which has been a major factor in the US Dollar’s appeal. The dollar has also been further driven by the demand for AI (Artificial Intelligence) resulting in massive inflows into the relevant US Stocks. One senior asset manager has been quoted as saying “The dollar is such a high yielder, if you are a global allocator and running your portfolio, what a slam dunk to improve your risk-adjusted returns: buy shorter-term US debt, unhedged.

The US Dollar during times of financial and or political instability is still recognised as the ultimate investor sanctuary, and as such with the current geopolitical turmoil investors have been seeking refuge in the greenback. This was proved last Friday 19th April, where there was a surge of US Dollar buying following Israel’s retaliatory strike on Iran. Indeed, experts suggest that whilst there has been a surge in US Dollars due to geopolitical risks, its strength will probably last well beyond the current conflict. Analysts also advise that high treasury yields coupled with American energy independence will more than likely continue to retain the greenbacks appeal to the financial markets and investors alike.

The US Federal Reserve Releases New Scenario Stress Tests for Banks 

Written by Barclay Butler on . Posted in News & Reports. Leave a Comment

On Thursday 15th March 2024 the Federal Reserve issued new annual scenarios for stress tests for banks which will check their health under extreme economic shocks. These hypothetical shocks will include a collapse of real estate prices (40% drop in commercial real estate prices), and a jobless figure of 10% and will cover 32 banks including some with as little assets as USD100 Billion. Furthermore, the largest and most complex banks will be tested under a scenario where five hedge funds collapse at the same time. These stress scenarios represent the first tests since the collapse of Signature Banks and Silicon Valley in March 2023, which also led to the collapse of Credit Suisse Ag sparking concerns regarding the banking system as a whole.

Interestingly, the Federal Reserve has advised that these hypothetical scenarios will not affect or impact any of the tested banks capital adequacy requirements, pointing out that all results will not be issued until June 2024. These tests were first put in place post 2007 – 2009 Global Financial Crisis to ensure that banks in the United States could withstand further economic shocks and would allow banks to continue to lend to businesses and households despite any on-going shocks. These tests were a result of the Dodd-Frank Act (full name The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act),  that was enacted into law on the 21st of July 2010.

These tests are also very timely as there are growing worries in the financial markets regarding the exposure to commercial real estate (CRE), by a number of lenders, indeed, in January 2024 New York Community Bank sparked a drop in their share price having reported losses on bad CRE loans. The CRE sector (data released show small banks account for nearly 75% of outstanding loans in the CRE sector), has been facing a double whammy on the financial front with falling office occupation (due to widespread adoption of remote work) and high interest rates due to the Federal Reserve’s quantitative tightening measures. Interestingly, the 23 banks that were tested last year passed the tests with flying colours showing under the stress test scenarios they would lose a combined USD541 Billion but would still have double the amount of capital required.

In November, the United States will have their Presidential election most likely between Joe Biden (Democratic incumbent), and ex-President Donald Trump (Republican candidate). If Donald Trump is the victor, financial markets should be reminded that under his reign he signed into law a bill that amazingly reduced scrutiny over banks with assets under USD250 Billion, thus removing the requirement for many regional banks to submit stress testing plus reducing the amount of cash on their balance sheet usually required to protect against financial emergencies. If indeed he tries to do this again, we can only hope that insiders and financial authorities can prevail against this sort of action, otherwise we may have another financial disaster on our hands.

Is the US Government’s Interest on Debt Spiralling out of Control?

Written by Barclay Butler on . Posted in Industry, News & Reports. Leave a Comment

In the United States the annual debt interest they pay on Treasury Bills (US Treasuries) has doubled in the last 9 months, and recent figures released shows that debt interest has passed the USD1 Trillion mark as of the end of October 2023. This figure is representative of 15.9% of the entire United States Federal budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which totalled out as USD6.272 Trillion. 

The heavy borrowing coming from Washington DC has driven up bond yields amid worsening metrics, and such borrowing was responsible for the credit agency Fitch to downgrade government debt back in August of this year. The upward shift in interest rates has put the United States government in a position of having to pay more on interest payments in the coming years than was originally calculated.             

Before the Covid-19 Pandemic no one anticipated that interest rates would go so high, and unless interest rates return to their pre-pandemic levels, interest rate debt will spiral out of control. In fact, experts predict that by 2026 the government’s net interest expense may well be 3.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which will be a new record being the highest ever recorded. 

As an example of how interest rate debt is spiralling out of control, in October 2023, data released showed that circa USD207 Billion in Treasury notes matured, these notes were issued in 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021. Calculations carried out by respected analysts show that the weighted average interest rate* was 1.2%. These notes will be replaced by newly issued debt at an average rate of 5%, and the same will happen every month, (though the amounts will differ) for many months to come. 

*Weighted Average Interest Rate – This represents the aggregate rate of interest paid on all debt in a measurement period. The formula for calculating the weighted average interest rate is,

                         Aggregate Interest Payments ÷ Aggregate Debt Outstanding 

                                              = Weighted Average Interest Rate  

However, things may be looking up for the US government as along with the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve announced on 2nd November 2003 that it would keep Overnight Federal Funds steady, which is the second consecutive meeting where rates have remained unchanged. Many operators in the financial markets believe that rates will come down in the new year, which will lighten the load on debt interest payments. However, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve warned that if inflation stops declining he reserves the right to increase rates again, thereby increasing the burden on debt interest repayments.

Head office

IntaCapital Swiss SA,
Rue du Rhône 80 - 84,
CH - 1204 Genève,
Switzerland

Other facilities

Enquire

Legal

IntaCapital Switzerland | Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved