Here's to a Return of Normal!

 Popular Economics Weekly

FREDretailsales

Is it possible after years of pandemic and post-pandemic vicissitudes, the US economy is returning to normal growth, and Americans can breathe easier about the future?

By that I mean consumers are shopping as they did before the pandemic, industries are producing enough to keep inflation in check, and supply-chains fully stocked, even if the Fed won’t begin to drop interest rates until next year.

I believe so, and July’s retail sales are confirming that consumers are healthy and behaving more normally now that the tax season is over.

It surprised some economists that advanced sales for retail and food services jumped 0.7 percent in July, and 3.2 percent over July 2022, as reported by the Census Bureau. But 3 to 6 percent annual sales’ growth has been the norm going back years, seasonally adjusted but not for inflation, per the FRED graph.

Dining out and travel were the biggest beneficiaries of consumers’ largesse. Sales rose a sharp 1.4 percent at bars and restaurants, a sign that they are happy. Internet sales have risen 10.3 percent over the past year, more than double the rate of inflation.

In fact, the so-called ‘new normal’ of post-pandemic activity is looking more and more like the old normal. Unemployment should stay low for the rest of this year, at least. There are still nine million open job vacancies and wages are now rising faster than overall inflation, which should keep economic growth above 2 percent, the average longer-term US growth rate.

Why is inflation slowing so quickly without rising employment? Many economists believed higher unemployment and job losses were needed to slow consumers spending sufficiently to bring down the inflation rate.

Economists such as Paul Krugman believe that might have occurred if inflation expectations had become imbedded—i.e., in the belief that inflation would continue higher for an extended period.

But economies have recovered much more quickly, thanks in large part to the $trillions spent on the pandemic recovery—the ‘new’ New Deal I’ve been talking about.

So, there wasn’t enough time for inflation to become ‘embedded’ (an economic term) in the minds and expectations of Americans. Other countries haven’t invested as much in their recoveries, so are experiencing higher inflation.

A report just out by the NY Fed confirms that inflation expectations are subsiding. The median inflation expectation fell to 3.5 percent in July from 3.8 percent the previous month, and is the lowest reading since April 2021, the report said.

Consumers also expect home-price growth to slow slightly, said the NY Fed. They also see the cost of gas, food, medical care, college, and rent fall in the year ahead. Expectations for food inflation are at the lowest level since September 2020 (5.2 percent).

Why shouldn’t consumers feel better about their future, and act accordingly?

Harlan Green © 2023

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

What’s Happening To Interest Rates?

Popular Economics Weekly

StLouisFRED

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.4 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis after being unchanged in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.8 percent before seasonal adjustment.

There is still no inflation to worry about, in other words. This is why the Fed hasn’t succeeded in pushing inflation higher to combat deflationary expectations with its interest rate cuts. Prices are barely rising for everything but the daily fluctuations of energy prices—gasoline, in this case.

The energy index increased 2.7 percent in October after recent monthly declines and accounted for more than half of the increase in the seasonally adjusted all items index. The gasoline index in particular rose 3.7 percent in October and the other major energy component indexes also increased. 

So don’t look for increasing interest rates anytime soon, even though the 10-year benchmark Treasury yield has topped 1.9 percent, up from its 1.55 percent recent bottom. It's only happened because market investors are selling safe-haven bonds and buying stocks at present, in anticipation of a tariff agreement with China.

But Trump just announced that he hasn’t agreed to reducing or eliminating any tariffs just yet, though they “are close” to a deal.

This tells you just how uncertain are predictions of a phase I tariff reduction agreement. It seems both sides are playing to the press rather than coming up with anything substantial. Why else would talks be dragging on with all the starts and stops along the way? It says to me that nothing substantial will be achieved until after the 2020 election, when China can be more certain which administration they will be dealing with.

There’s also more we can read into today’s inflation data. Fed Chairman Powell just announced no more Fed rate cuts are contemplated at present. This has to be because the Fed is now fearful that record low short term rates have pushed stock prices to record highs, thus causing a potential asset bubble.

And Americans just endured a Great Recession because of a busted housing asset bubble.

We mentioned last week that irrational exuberance seems to be creeping back into the stock market with price-to-earnings ratios above historical norms—usually a sign that stock buyers are counting on stocks continuing to rise; yet corporate profits are declining from their recent highs.

I quoted a Forbes Magazine article thusly: “On a cautionary note related to the earnings skid,” says Forbes, “the S&P 500’s price-to-earnings ratio has been on the rise and now stands near 18 times projected earnings over the next 12 months. That’s way above the 14 level where we started the year, and it exceeds the long-term average of around 16. Remember, it’s harder to grow the “P” side of that equation when the “E” side is on the decline.”

Although consumer spending is keeping economic growth from falling too far below 2 percent (Q3 GDP initially estimated up 1.9 percent), consumers are also saving more for a rainy day with a personal savings rate of +8 percent.

It is a sign that many consumers are sitting on the fence, waiting to see which way the political winds will blow next year. Consumers will keep spending as long as interest rates remain this low.

Federal Reserve Chair Powell in his latest report to Congress worried about future growth:

“…However, noteworthy risks to this outlook remain. In particular, sluggish growth abroad and trade developments have weighed on the economy and pose ongoing risks. Moreover, inflation pressures remain muted, and indicators of longer-term inflation expectations are at the lower end of their historical ranges. Persistent below-target inflation could lead to an unwelcome downward slide in longer-term inflation expectations. We will continue to monitor these developments and assess their implications for U.S. economic activity and inflation.”

And the 30-year conforming fixed rate mortgage rate is still below 3.50 percent for the most credit-worthy borrowers, which is keeping residential construction and sales at their current highs. The Mortgage Bankers Association just reported November 8 week applications jumped 13.0 percent for refinancing and 5.0 percent for the purchases, with purchase applications up 15 percent in a year.

Low inflation and low interest rates are good news for housing, given the endemic under supply of affordable housing, and growing homeless population. But it isn’t good news for overall economic growth, if it leads to falling prices—i.e. actual deflation and another recession.

Harlan Green © 2019

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Why No Inflation??

Financial FAQs

Econoday

There is almost no inflation, and markets love it, as both stock and bond prices are rallying on the news today. The Consumer Price Index rose just 1.5 percent in February, and its core without more volatile food and energy prices was up just 2.1 percent. The Fed has even stopped raising their short term rates, in an attempt to boost inflation higher, but no dice. It won’t move up at all, but is falling.

So where’s the inflation that should normally be rising that was close to 3 percent through most of 2017 as the graph shows? The Republican tax cuts gave artificial stimulus to economic growth, so much so that Q2 2017 GDP soared to a 4.2 percent growth rate.

But corporations and rich folk who benefited most from the cuts pocketed it, so growth slowed to 2.6 percent in Q4 and is predicted to be less than one percent in the first quarter of 2019. All that largesse wasn’t invested in much that was productive, in other words; what economists call capital expenditures; and corporations did not pass on its benefits to their employees in higher wages or benefits.

Growth fell because it didn’t affect the other 99 percent of income earners, whose incomes are slowly increasing, but not fast enough to push up their spending. In fact, retail sales are miserable at present, up just 0.2 percent in January, after declining a minus 1.6 percent in December, which puzzled many economists.

Econoday

Stocks plunged in December as well, until the Fed reversed course and decided to be “patient” before raising their short term rates further, which had pushed the Prime lending rate to 5.5 percent, on which credit card and installment debt base their rates. Consumers then apparently decided to park their shopping carts rather than splurge during the holidays.

“But when excluding autos, where sales were very weak in January, the latest month shows a very strong 0.9 percent gain that hits the top of Econoday's consensus range,” said Econoday. “The report's two core readings -- less autos & gas and the control group -- also show outstanding gains, of 1.2 and 1.1 percent respectively that reverse tremendous weakness in December at revised losses at 1.6 percent and 2.3 percent.”

So what do we make of what is  really disinflation, the economic term for falling inflation, that the Fed fears most of all because it signals consumers are buying less? It means consumers that make up two-thirds of economic activity are saving more with their personal savings rate more than double since the last recession. Could it mean consumers also fear another downturn; even another serious recession? Maybe the shock of the Great Recession hasn’t worn off, since most consumers have yet to benefit from the now 10-year recovery.

Harlan Green © 2019

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Q4 Real GDP Growth Still Good

Popular Economics Weekly

BEA.gov

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018 (table 1), according to the "initial" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 3.4 percent. Due to the recent partial government shutdown, this initial report for the fourth quarter and annual GDP for 2018 replaces the release of the "advance" estimate originally scheduled for January 30th and the "second" estimate originally scheduled for February 28th. See the Technical Note for details.

The fourth-quarter GDP estimate surprised many analysts. Consumer spending rose 2.8 percent, despite the sharp drop in December retail sales, which is down from outsized rates of 3.5 and 3.8 percent in the prior two quarters but still good.

So why do jittery stock and bond investors keep waiting for the ‘other’ shoe to drop with growth so good? We know a major reason for the record low interest rates is the huge amount of excess liquidity not being invested in productive assets, but chasing inflated stock values, which makes buying long term sovereign debt in particular such a safe investment.

It’s called running for cover when the geopolitical situation worsening and a US administration that cannot live without drama, ballooning trade wars and massive federal debt now predicted to reach 100 percent of GDP per the Congressional Budget Office by 2023.

The flight to quality syndrome keeps investors buying up sovereign government debt in particular, thereby keeping interest rates in line with the very low inflation rate, which is a good time to invest in public education, infrastructure, and the general welfare.

In fact, the 10-year Treasury yield has not been this low since the 1950s, when money was plentiful and U.S. economic growth was phenomenal, reaching 6 and 7 percent GDP growth rates after WWII, as I said in my last blog.

This is the reverse of conditions that led to the housing bubble bust. Housing prices became inflated in the early 2000s because inflation was rising faster than interest rates that Fed Chair Alan Greenspan kept reducing to pay for GW’s wars on terror.

What more drama can happen this time? There was little damage to date from the record 35-day government shutdown and loss of business activity, though the BEA says it kept the annual growth rate at 2.9 percent rather than 3 percent. But we can’t see yet how much this will affect 2019 growth.

Let’s hope we find a better way to invest the excess liquidity, if we want to maintain full employment and rising wages in 2019. January’s 304,000 new payroll jobs is a good start. The US has to be investing much more in productive enterprises, as I’ve said.

Business investment rose 6.2 percent for nonresidential fixed investment in Q4, back near the high single-digit increases of the first half of last year when the corporate tax cut was driving spending. Residential investment, however, was weak, down 3.5 percent for the fourth straight quarterly decline that offers definitive evidence of how weak the housing sector has become.

However, former chief economic advisor Jason Furman isn’t so optimistic about 2019 growth. “I’m not seeing a sustained supply-side expansion in the wake of the (2017) tax cuts,” he says.

That means productive investments haven’t been increased enough, and probably won’t, unless there’s more agreement on Capitol Hill about what’s really needed to keep this virtuous business cycle, and the financial markets, from collapsing in 2019.

Harlan Green © 2019

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Where Have All the Profits Gone?

Popular Economics Weekly

I first wrote about the reasons for the huge stock selloff in early February when the DOW plunged more than 1,000 points in one day. It seems to be repeating itself this week, with the DOW losing almost as much over the past 2 days when the economic news was good—GDP growth averaged 2.3 percent in 2017, and both the manufacturing and service sectors are booming. Then why the selloff with new tax cuts that will put more money into people’s (and corporate) pockets as well?

The short answer is investors fear inflation and higher interest rates will kick in later this year with continued growth and a very tight labor market. But the longer answer is that investors are looking at the wrong economic model, if they believe inflation is about to rise even when it isn’t. Nor are interest rates rising, which is another indicator of incipient inflation with the 10-year Treasury security yield declining of late and still below 3 percent.

Graph: Econoday

Core inflation with the PCE consumption index did rise 0.3 percent in January, but not enough to lift the year-on-year rate which holds at an as-expected 1.5 percent. Total prices, reflecting a rise in gas, rose 0.4 percent with this year-on-year rate also unchanged, at 1.7 percent. 

That is barely a hint of inflation, folks, and certainly no reason for the Fed to move up its interest rate forecast, even with the good economic news. Then why the inflation fears? It’s really the Fed Governors, which are usually bankers, which means they listen mostly to business economists.

Whereas, they should be listening to macroeconomists such as Nobelist Paul Krugman or the IMF’s Olivier Blanchard, that study what is behind the larger picture of national and international economic growth.

Macroeconomists look at aggregate demand to predict economic growth, which is the sum of activity in the private and public sectors. And they see weak demand, because average household incomes haven’t risen faster than inflation over the past 30 years.

In other words, average real household incomes have literally not grown at all when inflation is factored in. This has been happening since the 1980s when trickle-down economics came into vogue, which said that the owners of capital and industry should receive the lion’s share of national income (via lower taxes and regulations), and that would create more jobs and growth for everyone.

This is also when labor laws were weakened that has resulted in 25 red states having right to work laws that mean members of a union don’t have to pay union dues, if they don’t like their policies. Yet they enjoy the benefits. This has weakened the bargaining power of ordinary workers, needless to say. Several states like Wisconsin even ban most public service employees of the state from collective bargaining. So their salaries have actually declined, rather than grown.

Therefore, better-paying jobs and higher growth never materialized. This is something conservative economists don’t want to believe, because it means government regulations are needed to tame the greed of corporate and hedge fund managers who do little to boost aggregate demand, so that very little trickles down to the 80 percent of our workforce that earns wages and salaries. And that 80 percent are the drivers of real economic growth.

Shouldn’t the new Republican tax bill that repatriates overseas profits and lowers the corporate tax rate be helpful? Not really, because history shows most of those increased profits buy back stock to enrich their shareholders and corporate CEOs, rather than ‘trickle down’ to substantial pay raises.

The New York Times reported that historically, American companies had paid out profits with a quarterly check, known as a dividend. But after the S.E.C. changed its rule in 1982, companies started using more of their profits to buy their own shares, in the process giving their shareholders a bigger piece of the company.

“Buybacks soon soared,” reported the Times. “That was about 5 percent less than those companies spent on new plants, research and development and other investments. By contrast, 20 years ago, companies spent four times as much on such investments as they did on buybacks.”

And hedge fund managers are still taxed at the lower capital gains tax for carried trades on the 20 percent they earn from any profits their hedge funds earn, rather than at the higher personal income tax rate.

Unfortunately, this means the siphoning of profits to nonproductive uses will continue, and stagnation of household incomes will depress any potential for higher growth and wages.

Harlan Green © 2018

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Dear Federal Reserve--Please Don't Raise Interest Rates!

Popular Economics Weekly

The Federal Reserve FOMC meeting this week is expected to conclude with another 0.25 percent rate hike; but it’s happening at the wrong time.  This is the rate that controls credit card interest and the Prime Lending Rate that banks use on short term loans.

Few follow the trajectory of the so-called Treasury yield curve which graphs the difference between short and long term interest rates. The curve is flattening at present—not a good sign for future growth. Instead, it’s historically a sign of slowing growth.

Graph: FRED

Why? Short term rates are the cost of money to banks, and longer term interest rates are what they earn on loans. When the difference narrows, bank profits plunge and they lend less to businesses, which shrinks available credit.

So, Fed Governors, please don’t vote to raise your overnight Fed Funds rate at today’s conclusion of the FOMC meeting.

Now is not the time to be shrinking the credit, when we are in the ninth year of this very long-toothed recovery. Especially when the new Republican tax reform bill would increase taxes for anyone earning less than $70,000 per year by 2027, according to the CBO, non-partisan The Tax Policy Center and Joint Committee on Taxation—and this is most of us; more than 80 percent of consumers earning wages and salaries rather than ‘rents’ (i.e. passive income from investments).

Graph: TPC

The Fed’s Board of Governors must be focusing on the proposed corporate tax rate cut from 35 to 20 percent, which the Fed predicts will flood the markets with more cheap cash, thus raising the specter of inflation.

But what inflation? The 10-year Treasury is yielding less than 2.4 percent today, as it has been for at least the last three years; still a record low. And that means bond traders see no inflation is even on the horizon, since bond holders look at least 6 months’ ahead for any inflation tendencies.

In fact, Fed  Chair Janet Yellen once said she was more worried about disinflation, because they haven’t been able to goose the inflation rate above 2 percent since the end of the Great Recession, when it has been 3 to 4 percent when growth rates were at historical averages.

The Personal Consumption Expenditure Index (PCI) is the Fed’s preferred inflation indicator and still too low to increase demand. It came in at 1.4 percent in October, which is a sign of insufficient demand, even though corporations already are hoarding more than $4 trillion in excess cash and liquid investments.

The culprit is incomes of the 80 percent that are wage earners. Their average incomes have remained at $37,000 per year for decades with inflation factored in; which means they will continue to shop for bargains. That won’t push prices or inflation any higher.

Harlan Green © 2017

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

No More Inflation?

Popular Economics Weekly

San Francisco Fed President John Williams has said something that most bankers won’t say. He believes the current low inflation, low growth economy could continue indefinitely, if something isn’t done differently.

He writes in the FRBSF’s latest Economic Letter, “In the post-financial crisis world, however, new realities pose significant challenges for the conduct of monetary policy. Foremost is the significant decline in the natural rate of interest, or r* (r-star), over the past quarter-century to historically low levels.”

Graph: SF Fed

In his words, “battling low inflation and stagnation via unconventional monetary policy actions like quantitative easing and near-zero or even negative interest rates” isn’t working any longer. Because central bank interest rates have already declined to negative rates in many EU countries. It means the savers have to pay to keep their money in central banks, rather than central banks paying the savers.

Worldwide interest rates have been falling since 1980, dropping to zero inflation in the US in 2015. It means economic stagnation, as savers would rather pay to keep from using their savings, instead of investing said savings. This is surely not a sustainable state of affairs.

What is the answer? The Fed should firstly stop focusing over excessively on inflation targets, something I’ve been advocating in past columns. Their target rate of 2 percent is too low, since any significant economic growth requires higher than 2 percent inflation—more like 3 to 4 percent. The Bill Clinton era had inflation rates of 4 percent plus, that helped to give US 4 years of budget surpluses. Even retro-Reagan Prez GW Bush had to have 3 percent plus inflation to grow enough to pay for his wars and tax cuts.

Why do we need higher inflation? There isn’t enough demand being generated for new products and services that would generate higher growth and job formation. Governments, as well as wealthy individuals are hoarding their cash, rather than taking the risk of making new investments. It’s in part a prolonged reaction to excessive risk-taking that brought on the Great Recession.

“The underlying determinants for these declines are related to the global supply and demand for funds, including shifting demographics, slower trend productivity and economic growth, emerging markets seeking large reserves of safe assets, and a more general global savings glut (Council of Economic Advisers 2015, International Monetary Fund 2014, Rachel and Smith 2015, Caballero, Farhi, and Gourinchas 2016),” says Fed President Williams. “The key takeaway from these global trends is that interest rates are going to stay lower than we’ve come to expect in the past.”

One of his prescriptions for remedying this malaise of low inflation and economic stagnation in order to create longer-run growth and prosperity is what leading macro economists like Paul Krugman and Larry Summers have been pounding the pavement over for years--greater long-term investments in education, public and private capital, and research and development.

“Despite growing skepticism and endless column inches questioning whether college is worth the cost, the return on investment in post-secondary education is as high as ever (Autor 2014, Daly and Cao 2015). Likewise, returns on infrastructure and research and development investment are very high on average (Jones and Williams 1998, 2000, Fernald 1999),” says Williams

It means also a return to a Keynesian mode of thought and policies. Ways have to be found to entice this hoarded wealth back into circulation, as the New Deal policies of FDR did in the 1930s, and that created the modern infrastructure and standard of living we Americans experience today.

Let us hope more Central Bankers and US Fed Governors think as does Dr. Williams.

Harlan Green © 2016

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Still Not Enough Jobs!

The economy produced 292,000 jobs in the final month of 2015, the Labor Department said Friday. Pundits had predicted a 200,000 plus increase in nonfarm jobs. And because job creation exceeded their predictions, those pundits and some economists will say the Fed has to continue to raise their rates this year. But in spite of the good jobs numbers over the past 3 months—some 2.7 million jobs were created in 2015—there are still more than 7 million job seekers that can only find part time work or no work.

Employment gains in November and October were also considerably stronger, Labor Department revisions show. Some 252,000 new jobs were created in November instead of 211,000. October’s gain was raised to 307,000 from 298,000, marking the biggest increase of 2015.

Graph: Marketwatch

But continuing to raise interest rates will only hurt economic growth, when real GDP growth is still in the 2 percent range. In fact, annual GDP growth has averaged just 2.21 percent since 2010, and been declining since 2000.

Why the slow growth? A major reason is the decline in household incomes since the 1970s that have barely kept up with inflation. Hourly pay has risen just 2.5 percent in the past 12 months, matching a six-and-a-half-year high—which isn’t very high. And that has hurt personal consumption—i.e., consumer spending—which hasn’t been able to rise enough to offset the other factors holding back growth—such as almost no government investment in R&D, and public infrastructure, seriously hurting economic productivity.

That’s because most jobs were created in the lower-paying service sector, while millions of higher-paying manufacturing jobs have migrated overseas. So most workers aren’t getting big bumps in their paychecks. Hourly pay usually rises at a 3 percent to 4 percent annual pace when the economy is really humming.

And that is the ‘real’ reason we have had almost non-existent inflation. It is the hourly pay of the 80 percent of non-supervisory workers that contribute two-thirds of product costs, and it is the direction of product costs that determine whether prices are rising (or falling).

In fact, the Fed should be signaling it wants inflation to rise to the 3 to 4 percent range, a sign that wages are finally rising beyond inflation.  Because that would raise market interest rates that savers are calling for, without the Fed having to intervene.

Harlan Green © 2016

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Iran Agreement Means Low Inflation, Higher Growth

Financial FAQs

Although economists haven’t yet begun to crunch the numbers, Iran’s agreement not to produce atomic weapons or weapon-grade plutonium for at least 10 years will result in much lower oil prices, thus keeping inflation in check and interest rates at their current lows for some time to come, if not years.

This is if Congress approves the deal, of course. But lifting the economic sanctions will enable Iran to begin to sell its oil internationally sometime next year, into a world already flooded with oil products, though there is some uncertainty when this will happen.

Barron's, for instance, believes it will happen slowly, which might not affect oil prices in the short term, at least. When and if sanctions are lifted, Iran's oil production has to be ramped up, facilities upgraded, so that its products will only gradually reach international markets.

Graph: TradingEconomics

This is when retail inflation via the Consumer Price Index is already zero—i.e., retail prices aren’t rising at all. So it will give Janet Yellen’s Federal Reserve room to keep interest rates lower longer, thus boosting consumer spending and housing, which is beginning to show more robust growth with builder confidence at its highest level since 2005.

It will also boost consumer incomes, which are already profiting from the low interest rate environment that has reduced borrowing costs for consumers. Real (after inflation) consumer incomes are now rising at 4 percent.

Graph: Econoday

Wages & salaries rose 0.5 percent in the month. Both proprietors' income and rental income show especially strong gains. Spending was higher for durables, especially to autos, and also strong gains for non-durables, partly because of higher gas prices.

This in turn is boosting consumer spirits, with both the Conference Board and U. of Michigan surveys now at pre-recession levels.

Graph: Econoday

Optimism in the closely watched consumer sentiment report from the University of Michigan is as strong as it can get, according to Econoday. The overall index is up sharply this month and well beyond Econoday's high-end forecast. The report's expectations component, reflecting strong optimism for the jobs market, is an absolute standout at 97.8 for a 12-year high and a 13.6 point surge from May. The 13.6 point spread is the largest monthly gain since March 1991 (that's right, 1991).

There is a downside to the agreement, of course. Russia and China will benefit from doing more business with Iran, and Iran could backslide on the agreement. But there is general agreement that Iran's nuclear weapons ban will boost growth throughout developed countries with consumer-driven economies that require low inflation and cheap energy to maintain sustainable economic growth.

Harlan Green © 2015

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Still No Signs of Inflation, Or Higher Growth

Financial FAQs

We still see no signs of inflation, in spite of the oil price hikes. The latest sign is the wholesale Producer Price Index (PPI) of wholesale goods. It is down and continuing to fall, in a word. Producer prices for total final demand fell 0.4 percent in April which is far below the Econoday low estimate for minus 0.1 percent. And this isn’t a good omen for higher growth this year.

Graph: Econoday

It also means the Fed may be in no hurry to raise interest rates this year at all. Or, or to sell any of the $4 trillion in securities it has purchased to keep more $$$ in circulation. Unfortunately, these $$$ are going nowhere, since they end up with those that need money the least, the top one percent income earners. The savings rate of the wealthiest is now above 50 percent, whereas that of the poorest 20 percent Quintile among US is basically down to 0 percent—that’s right, they are unable to save at all.

Graph: Business Insider

So now we know why the easy money Fed policies haven’t had more effect on boosting our GDP growth rate above 2 percent. In the last two decades, like that of many other developed nations, US growth rates have been decreasing. In the 50’s and 60’s the average growth rate was above 4 percent, in the 70’s and 80’s dropped to around 3 percent. In the last ten years, the average rate has been below 2 percent, in large part because household incomes have declined for most Americans that now spend more than they save to even maintain their current standard of living.

Graph: Trading Economics

Excluding food & energy, PPI producer prices fell 0.2 percent which is below the low estimate for no change. The overall year-on-year reading is at a record low of minus 1.3 percent. So there is little US demand for the raw materials that make up PPI components, including oil and gas, at the moment. So called Final energy demand fell a steep 2.9 percent in April with the year-on-year rate at minus 24.0 percent. Gasoline prices fell 4.7 percent in the month.

Final demand for food extended its long negative run, at minus 0.9 percent with the year-on-year rate at minus 4.2 percent. Final demand for services is down 0.1 percent with the year-on-year rate one of the few readings in the plus column, at 0.9 percent which nevertheless is well below the Fed's general inflation target of 2.0 percent.

Is this just from the winter freeze and tornadoes that have hit the South and Midwest? Or, will it be necessary to find other ways to put some of those savings to work to repair our ageing infrastructure that would boost our growth rate, and keep government solvent?

Harlan Green © 2015

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

5.4 Percent Unemployment--223,000 New Jobs in April

Popular Economics Weekly

Today’s unemployment report is gangbusters, as I predicted, with employment returning to pre-recession levels. The U.S. churned out 223,000 new nonfarm payroll jobs in April, which means the US economy’s winter deepfreeze was temporary, but we are still not out of the Great Recession woods.

This is because rising inflation will become a factor as business activity picks up, and that will call for a premature rise in interest rates that Chairwoman Yellen and her Fed Governors have to resist. For history shows that a sustained and historic GDP growth rate of 3 percent and higher can only be achieved with inflation above 2 percent, the Fed’s target inflation rate. The “target rate” is a rather meaningless term, since it merely means the Fed has to begin to consider when it may have to raise interest rates as a hedge against future inflation.

Why do we need 3 percent GDP growth? It has been just 2 percent on average really since 2000. We can’t even approach full employment; much less raise wages enough to bring back some semblance of a middle class, otherwise. In fact, there is very little of the middle class left in terms of earning power, with average household incomes still stuck at 1970’s levels when inflation is accounted for.

Graph: Marketwatch

Most major segments of the economy except for the energy industry added workers last month, with government finally beginning to hire back some of the 600,000 jobs lost during the Great Recession. The unemployment rate sank to 5.4 percent from 5.5 percent, the lowest level since mid-2008.

And stocks are rallying with the DOW up more than 200 points, so fears of slowing growth from last month’s ultra-low job creation numbers were overstated. What’s more, the number of people who entered the labor force in search of work also rose, a sign jobs are easier to find. The Labor Department’s separate JOLTS report also showed 5.13 million job openings in February, an all-time high.

American workers hourly pay barely rose above inflation, however. The average pay of employees rose 0.1 percent in April to $24.87 an hour, and rose 2.2 percent over the past 12 months. But this still isn’t enough to boost GDP growth higher. Wages and salaries have to rise to 3 percent annually to bring back a historical growth rate of 3 percent plus that economists are predicting for the rest of 2015.

Graph: Trading Economics

The CPI inflation Rate in the United States averaged 3.33 percent from 1914 until 2015, says Trading Economics, reaching an all-time high of 23.70 percent in June of 1920 and a record low of -15.80 percent in June of 1921. And it has to reach the historical average to bring back historical growth.

That is most crucial. For it will take a very accommodative Fed policy under Chairwoman Yellen to make that happen. It also means the inflation rate itself will have to rise to at least 3 percent for wages to rise faster. And the bond vigilantes will begin to scream as soon as inflation even reaches 2 percent.

So Yellen and the Fed Governors must continue to maintain low enough interest rates to allow for a higher inflation rate. The greatest fear from the current slow growth seems to be that of small businesses that comprise some 50 percent of private sector jobs, as reported by the National Federation of Independent Business.

“Overall the economy will keep moving forward, but more like a turtle than a hare. Bad weather was certainly depressing and Washington politics remains focused on issues that have little bearing on the current economy,” said Bill Dunkelberg, NFIB Chief Economist

The bottom line is there are more available job openings than ever, and wages and salaries are beginning to grow above the inflation rate. This is a sure sign of a virtuous circle. But policy makers have to allow prices to rise enough to increase business profits above and beyond the inflation rate. This is how economies growth, as I said in our last column.

Harlan Green © 2015

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New Home Sales Surging

The Mortgage Corner

New U.S. homes sold at an annual rate of 539,000 in February to mark the best month of sales in seven years, the government reported Tuesday. The pace of sales for January was also revised up sharply to 500,000. It's the first time annualized sales have hit 500,000 or more for two straight months since early 2008.

Graph: Calculated Risk

“This is 7.8 percent above the revised January rate of 500,000 and is 24.8 percent above the February 2014 estimate of 432,000," said the Census Bureau. And it reduced the for sale inventory to a 4.7 month supply, which is low considering the pent up demand for housing sales sure to grow this year, with low inflation and rising employment.

Low inflation should be a factor in housing sales this year, if oil prices stabilize, since it boosts householders’ take home pay. Price rises moderated last year. The Federal Housing Finance Authority just reported that same-home prices of homes with conforming loans rose 5.1 percent in January, down slightly from 5.4 percent in December. But we are in mid-winter, so look for more price rises as the spring selling season kicks in.

Graph: Econoday

Overall CPI inflation was unchanged in February, which is better than the negative -0.1 percent drop in January. Oil prices have stabilized around $50/barrel for Brent Crude at the moment, but who knows what this year will bring with so much unrest with major oil producers in the Middle East, and even Russia?

Graph: Trading Economics

CNBC’s Diana Olick reports that lack of existing-home inventory is the real problem. “Lack of supply of existing homes is pushing prices again, up 7.5 percent year over year to a median sale price of $202,600 in February, according to the NAR, that reported slower February existing home sales,” she says. “And don’t blame it on the weather, according to NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

“He calls this reacceleration of price gains, "unhealthy," per Olick. “Affordability had been helping the housing recovery inch along, but now it is weakening and fast becoming a roadblock to homeownership. Still-rising rents are contributing to the problem, keeping first-time buyers from being able to save for a down payment.”

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 1.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.88 million in February from 4.82 million in January. Sales are 4.7 percent higher than a year ago and above year-over-year totals for the fifth consecutive month.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says although February sales showed modest improvement, there’s been some stagnation in the market in recent months. “Insufficient supply appears to be hampering prospective buyers in several areas of the country and is hiking prices to near unsuitable levels,” he said. “Stronger price growth is a boon for homeowners looking to build additional equity, but it continues to be an obstacle for current buyers looking to close before rates rise.”

The median existing-home price for all housing types in February was $202,600, which is 7.5 percent above February 2014. This marks the 36^th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains and the largest since last February (8.8 percent).

Hence those rising prices and low inventories should spur more new-home construction this year.  But housing construction is barely in recovery mode, and has a long way to go to approach the 800,000 to 1 million unit per year average of past decades.

Harlan Green © 2015

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

The Economic Ruination of Greece

Popular Economics Weekly

It is now beyond a reasonable doubt that Germany and its austerity cohorts want to drive Greece out of the Eurozone by insisting that it adhere to its agreement to pass most of its meager budget surplus to service its foreign debt, rather than invest it back into the Greek economy. It is insisting that Greece cut government spending enough so that it carries what is called a huge ‘primary’ budget surplus of 4.5 percent (a surplus before its bills are paid—ie, largely interest to its creditors).

The EU, led by Germany, had crafted several agreements that gave Greece large loans to service that debt, while forcing it to submit to severe austerity and wage cuts.

“The results have been catastrophic, said the Guardian in a 2013 article: “cumulative economic contraction approaching 25 percent, adult unemployment at nearly 30 percent, youth unemployment close to 65 percent, unprecedented poverty, destruction of the welfare state and humanitarian crisis in the urban centres. Greek debt, meanwhile, is currently higher than in 2010, standing at €321bn and, since the economy has collapsed, its ratio to GDP approaches an exorbitant 180 percent. This is the background to the current debate.”

But to do so would in effect drive Greece even further into its depression, since it means lower tax revenues, which means even more debt. The consequence is the layoff of more workers and further reduction of average household incomes. Paul Krugman put up a graph of the cutbacks in spending that in turn have made Greece’s debt burden worse, compared to other countries that agreed to the EU’s austerity terms.

 

Greece has already paid the piper, in other words, while Germany now has the largest budget surplus of all western countries. “Greece has done a lot more austerity than those countries cited as supposed success stories,” says Krugman, “(which is another issue — success being defined as “not total collapse, and slight recovery after years of horror” — but that’s a different story).”

Graph: Trading Economics

So Greece has little choice but to exit the euro currency, unless some last minute compromise with the EU is possible. Its unemployment rate is currently 25.8 percent, the worst in the Eurozone (slightly more than Spain’s 23.7 percent), as it has been in a deflationary spiral, further depressing its economic activity.

Graph: Trading Economics

Although Greece mostly lived up to the terms of the bailout, the promised growth never materialized. As Greek Prime Minister recently said: "We are not negotiating the bailout; it was cancelled by its own failure.” Calculated Risk tabulated the difference between the forecasted results of its austerity cutbacks and the actual result.

Greece: Annual GDP, Forecast and Actual

Year Promised      Actual

· 2009 -2.0            -4.4

· 2010 -4.0            -5.4

· 2011 -2.6             -8.9

· 2012 +1.1             -6.6

· 2013 +2.1             -3.9

The only choices are to allow Greece to run a smaller primary surplus (currently 1.5 percent), leaving more of its revenues to benefit its own citizens, or for Greece to leave the Eurozone and default on all their debt. What will it be?

Harlan Green © 2015

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Low Inflation Everywhere Is Shrinking Growth

Popular Economics Weekly

Deflation is a rising risk for the U.S. economy based on import and export price data where contraction is at its most severe since the 2008-2009 recession, as well as for the rest of the world. U.S. import prices fell 2.8 percent in January alone for year-on-year contraction of 8.0 percent. And it's much more than just the impact of the strong dollar as export prices are also in contraction, at minus 2.0 percent for the month and minus 5.4 percent on the year, reports Econoday.

Graph: Econoday

Another sign of deflationary tendencies is that U.S. consumer spending barely rose in January as households cut back on purchases of a range of goods, suggesting the economy started the first quarter on a softer note. Sluggish spending came despite cheap gasoline and a buoyant labor market, leaving economists to speculate that consumers were using the extra income to pay down debt and boost savings.

 

Graph: Thomson-Reuters

The Commerce Department said retail sales excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services edged up 0.1 percent last month. But overall retail sales slipped 0.8 percent in January, declining for a second straight month as falling gasoline prices undercut sales at service stations. This is after consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, expanded at its quickest pace since 2006 in the fourth quarter.

Graph: Trading Economics

But even falling gas prices are a sign of deflation, as it means there is lower demand for energy products everywhere in the world, as I said. In fact, consumer prices are already falling in the Eurozone, -0.2 and -0.6 percent, respectively, in the past 2 quarters, signaling an outright recession. Paul Krugman has even said the Eurozone is now in their Second Great Depression.

Graph: Calculated Risk

So why are consumers paying down debt with their extra pocket money? The preliminary University of Michigan consumer sentiment index for February was at 93.6, down from 98.1 in January. Higher gasoline prices are probably the reason for the decline in February, and that’s enough to make consumers more cautious with their spending.

Harlan Green © 2015

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Europe on Verge of Recession

Popular Economics Weekly

Oil prices are plunging below $50 per barrel, and the European Central Bank is about to announce whether it will begin its own Quantitative Easing program, similar to the Fed’s purchase of government securities that is designed to pump more money into Europe’s lagging economies. So economists are wondering whether this will have a net plus effect on growth, since the oil industry and countries like Norway that depend on oil revenues will lose profits, while the EU is slipping into outright recession.

A Saudi oil Prince has said oil prices will stay down for a long period—years, of necessary to support their market share. “If supply stays where it is, and demand remains weak, you better believe [the price of oil] is gonna go down more. But if some supply is taken off the market, and there’s some growth in demand, prices may go up. But I’m sure we’re never going to see $100 anymore,” said Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the billionaire Saudi businessman, in an interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business News published in USA Today.

The initial result seems to be that U.S. consumer confidence is soaring as gas prices have fallen more than $1 per gallon in a year, even below $2 per gallon in many regions. But other prices are falling as well, which is worrying economists, who see it as a sign of weakening demand. Weak demand may be elsewhere in the world, such as Europe, but it affects the U.S. economy as well.

Graph: Econoday

Such weakness is difficult to reverse as the Japan’s two decade example of outright deflation proved. It knocked them down from second to fourth largest world economy.

Europe is having the same problem, mainly due to its austerity policies that have cut back government spending, and so demand for its goods and services. Switzerland just rang the alarm bells when it very suddenly removed its 1.2 euros to Swiss Franc exchange rate cap, thus causing the SF value to skyrocket. Why did it take the cap off? There is lots of conjecture. The Swiss had been protecting their currency exchange value from rising too rapidly by buying euros, in order to protect their export industry.

But allowing the Swiss Franc to rise as much as 20 percent against the euro also raised the danger of a deflationary spiral such as happened in Japan. Why? A more expensive SF will counteract the upcoming QE purchases of the European Central Bank that are designed to put more euros into circulation in order to ease credit conditions! .

Nobelist Paul Krugman said in a recent blog, “By throwing in the towel on the peg to the euro, the SNB (Swiss National Bank) immediately convinced markets that its previous apparent commitment to do whatever it takes to avoid deflation is null and void. And this expectations effect trumped the concrete, immediate policy of drastically negative interest rates on reserves. It will continue to feed the deflationary trap Europe is falling into.”

European deflation is happening in a big way. Eurozone annual inflation rate was recorded at -0.2 percent in December, matching preliminary estimates. It is the first fall in consumer prices since September of 2009, due to a drop in energy costs.

Graph: Trading Economics

In December 2014, negative annual rates were observed in sixteen Member States. The lowest annual rates were registered in Greece (-2.5 percent), Bulgaria (-2.0 percent), Spain (-1.1 percent) and Cyprus (-1.0 percent). The highest annual rates were recorded in Romania (1.0 percent), Austria (0.8 percent) and Finland (0.6 percent). Compared with November 2014, annual inflation fell in twenty-six Member States, remained stable in Sweden and rose in Estonia.

The U.S. inflation rate is still 1.3 percent, but this month’s Consumer Price Index for retail prices was unchanged, which is hovering very close to deflation. Oil prices are the main culprit here as well.

There is a counterbalancing effect from lower energy costs, of course. Consumers have more to spend and production costs are reduced. So prices could begin to rise again as more jobs are created. But that means no more austerity that has damaged growth in the U.S. as well, and congressional opposition to spending measures that will create more jobs. Who is willing to bet that will happen?

Paul Krugman had the last word yesterday. “So the (EU) market is saying both that there are very few good investment opportunities out there — few enough that paying the German government to protect the real value of your wealth is a good move — and that inflation over the next five years will be around 0.4 percent, not the target of 2 percent.”

Look out below for more falling prices and slowing growth, if Draghi and the ECB can’t stimulate some EU growth with its upcoming QE purchases of sovereign debt.

Harlan Green © 2015

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Fed’s Yellen—No Inflation In 2015?

Popular Economics Weekly

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has given us a very good holiday gift. that boosted stock and bond prices.  She announced at her post-FOMC meeting press conference that Fed Governor’s see little or no inflation next year. In fact, if falling prices continue in the rest of the world, the Fed may be tempted to not raise interest rates at all next year.

That is a startling conclusion, but she made particular mention of the effects of falling oil prices. They will of course help consumer spending in the developed countries, but the oil exporting countries will be hurt. And lower oil prices also mean less oil is being used, so there is less worldwide demand for energy-based products and services, which means less business activity in general.

“At this point we think it unlikely that it will be appropriate that we will see conditions for at least the next couple of meetings that will make it appropriate for us to decide to begin normalization,” Yellen said at the press conference. The bank’s policymakers meet next in late January again in mid-March, and at the end of April. Most pundits and forecasters say the Fed isn’t likely to change policies until their April meeting, at the earliest.

Graph: Econoday

Consumer price inflation turned down in November on sharply lower gasoline prices plus dips in some core subcomponents. Overall consumer price inflation fell 0.3 percent after no change in October. Energy dropped 3.8 percent, following a 1.9 percent decline the month before. Gasoline plunged 6.6 percent in November after a 3.0 drop in October.

Excluding food and energy, consumer price inflation posted at 0.1 percent in November easing from 0.2 percent in October. The Fed’s own target inflation rates were lowered to 1.0 to 1.6 percent in 2015. Within the core, the shelter index rose 0.3 percent, and the indexes for medical care, airline fares, and alcoholic beverages also rose. In contrast, the indexes for apparel, used cars and trucks, recreation, household furnishings and operations, personal care, and new vehicles all declined in November.

There are others of the same opinion that rates may not rise at all next year. Nobelist Paul Krugman, for instance, has said, “Basically, while (U.S) growth and job creation have finally been pretty good lately, there is so far no sign whatever that the economy is overheating. Core inflation remains below the Fed’s target (the Fed focuses on a different measure that usually runs lower than the CPI, so this report is actually fairly far below target.)

“Add to this troubles abroad — the direct spillover from Russia or even Europe is fairly small, but the rising dollar means that good news on manufacturing may not last — and there is a real risk that any rate hike will turn out to have been a mistake. And it’s a mistake that would be very costly, because it could all too easily set the stage for a Japan/Europe style long-term low-inflation trap (yes, at this point I think we can put the euro area in the same category).”

We also have record high consumer sentiment, which is boosting retail sales, for one.  The expectations component that offers an indication on confidence in the outlook for jobs and income, is up 3 tenths from mid-month and up a very strong 6.5 points from final November. Inflation expectations are very soft reflecting the downdraft underway in oil prices with both the 1-year and 5-year outlooks at 2.8 percent. Today's report will be especially pleasant reading for the nation's retailers.

That should also mean longer term mortgage rates could remain low next year, bringing even more buyers into the housing market (read younger millennial buyers currently renters) and so contributing to the housing recovery.

Harlan Green © 2014

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Retail Sales Portend +4 Percent GDP in 2015

Popular Economics Weekly

We have said that the prospect of higher interest rates next year may spur some extraordinary growth over the next few quarters, and just out holiday retail sales seem to be fulfilling that prophecy.  Consumer spending is returning to pre-recession levels, and this is without the boost from housing refinance that drove the housing bubble.

Retail sales are soaring even with lower gasoline prices (since retail prices not adjusted for inflation), up 5.1 percent YoY. This put sales back to pre-recession levels. Sales in November posted a 0.7 percent boost after rebounding 0.5 percent in October. Autos in particular jumped a huge 1.7 percent after gaining 0.8 percent in October. And retail sales ex-plunging gasoline prices increased by 6.0 percent on a YoY basis.

Graph: Calculated Risk

Couple that with the highest U. of Michigan consumer sentiment since before the Great Recession, and we can see why consumers are spending more. It can’t be only falling gasoline prices creating more optimism. Payroll jobs are now increasing some 300,000 per month, which heartens householders’ future financial prospects.

Graph: Calculated Risk

Sentiment surged to 93.8 for the mid-month December reading vs an already strong 88.8 in final November and 89.4 in mid-month November. This is the strongest reading since January 2007. The current conditions component is up 3.0 points from final November to 105.7 in a gain that signals month-to-month strength in consumer activity this month. The expectations component, though lagging at 86.1, is up a very sharp 6.2 points to signal rising confidence in the outlook for income and jobs, as we said.

Graph: Econoday

The prospects for faster growth over the next 2 quarters at least may also have to be due to the possibility of higher interest rates next year, as we have been saying. But we still have severe price-cutting in many retail areas, and wholesale prices have been flat for several months.

And the Fed is worried about falling prices at both the wholesale and retail levels, rather than inflation at the moment, so don’t look for Janet Yellen’s Fed to begin to raise their short term rates, until prices have firmed and begin to climb again.

Harlan Green © 2014

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Existing-Home Sales Highest in Year

The Mortgage Corner

The National Association of Realtors reports total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 2.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.17 million in September from 5.05 million in August. Sales are now at their highest pace of 2014, but still remain 1.7 percent below the 5.26 million-unit level from last September.

Graph: Calculated Risk

That has to be partly due to falling interest rates, with conforming 30-year fixed rates dropping as low as 3.625 percent for a 1 point origination fee in California. But also rents are soaring, up more than 10 percent year-over-year in five large rental markets -- San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, Denver, and Miami.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the improved demand for buying seen since the spring has carried into the fall. “Low interest rates and price gains holding steady led to September’s healthy increase, even with investor activity remaining on par with last month’s marked decline,” he said. “Traditional buyers are entering a less competitive market with fewer investors searching for available homes, but may also face a slight decline in choices due to the fact that inventory generally falls heading into the winter.”

Graph: Calculated Risk

Total housing inventory at the end of September (blue line in graph) fell 1.3 percent to 2.30 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 5.3-month supply (red line) at the current sales pace. This is far too few homes available for sale, which means a greater demand for new home construction. Despite fewer homes for sale in September, unsold inventory is still 6.0 percent higher than a year ago, when there were 2.17 million existing homes available for sale.

And housing prices continue to rise, though more slowly than last year. The median existing-home price for all housing types in September was $209,700, which is 5.6 percent above September 2013. This marks the 31^st consecutive month of year-over-year price gains.

Why the falling interest rates? Worries of slower worldwide growth are worrying stock prices. The 10-year Treasury note yield dropped below 2 percent for the first time in 16 months. This has even caused Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer to voice fears that the slowdown in the Eurozone in particular could slow U.S. growth. Why? Because it lowers the demand for U.S. goods and services.

Fischer said in a speech recently that, “if foreign growth is weaker than anticipated, the consequences for the U.S. economy could lead the Fed to remove accommodation more slowly than otherwise.”

Lawrence Yun added, “Economic instability overseas is leading to volatility in the stock market and is causing investors to seek safer bets, which will likely keep interest rates in upcoming weeks hovering near or below where they are now,” said  Yun. “This is welcoming news for consumers looking to buy, although they could temporarily become more cautious by less certain economic conditions.”

Of interest are all-cash sales, which tell us whether the mortgage markets are functioning better, or worse. Fewer all-cash sales generally mean banks are easing their credit standards. All-cash sales were 24 percent of transactions in September, said the NAR, up slightly from August (23 percent) but down from 33 percent in September of last year. Individual investors, who account for many cash sales, purchased 14 percent of homes in September, up from 12 percent last month but below September 2013 (19 percent). Sixty-three percent of investors paid cash in September. 

Distressed homes – foreclosures and short sales – increased slightly in September to 10 percent from 8 percent in August, but are down from 14 percent a year ago, another reason there are fewer all-cash purchases. Seven percent of September sales were foreclosures and 3 percent were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 14 percent below market value in September (same as in August), while short sales were discounted 14 percent (10 percent in August). 

Harlan Green © 2014

Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen