The rally in asset markets in Q4 has evolved into a new bull market for equities, but not for bonds, which remain in a bear phase, facing problems with both demand and supply. As such the greatest short term uncertainty and medium term risk for asset prices remains another mishap in the fixed income markets, similar to the funding crisis of last September or the distressed selling feedback loop of SVB last March. US monetary authorities are monitoring this closely. Meanwhile, politics is likely to cloud the narrative over the next few quarters with the prospect of some changes to both energy policy and foreign policy having knock on implications for markets/

Bond markets are changing their views on Fed policy based on the high frequency data, seemingly unaware that the major variable the Fed is watching is the bond markets themselves. After the funding panic of last September and the regional bank wobble last March, the twin architects of US monetary policy (the Fed is now joined by the Treasury) are focussing on Bond Market stability as their primary aim. Politicians meanwhile, having seen how the bond markets ended the administration of UK Premier Liz Truss in September 2022 are keenly aware that it is not just "the Economy stupid", but the Economy and the markets that they need to manage the narrative for both voters and markets. They all need a form of Goldilocks - either good or bad, but not so good or so bad as to trigger either the markets to sell off or the authorities to react. Investors, meanwhile, conscious of the precarious balancing act Goldilocks requires, are increasingly looking at Gold.

The recent spike in Gold has baffled many, but brings together medium term risk management concerns by Central Banks to move away from the $ and investor concerns over the inflationary aspects and oversupply of Treasuries associated with US Fiscal Policy. Gold, and cash are the new risk off assets. The proximate near term cause may be an apparent move by US Banks to get exemption to fund a lucrative carry trade in Treasuries, but this back Door QE is making macro traders nervous and looks to be linking Bitcoin enthusiasts with fellow $ catastrophists in the Gold market - offering BOLD, a new blend of Bitcoin and Gold as the new 60;40 fund.

The popularity of the 'neither of the above' candidate RFK jnr raises an intriguing possibility of a contingent Election in the US, with the new House of Representatives picking the President. Smart analysts like Dr Pippa Malmgrem are starting to talk about it, while the betting markets are also starting to move. The financial markets? Not yet.

Today in the Alps it is -2 at the top of the mountain and 4 degrees in town. So what is the actual temperature in Chamonix? The reason for this post is that on Wednesday it will apparently reach 20 degrees in town, having been 1 degree in the morning, while still being below freezing up where they are skiing. This degree of variation in a single town on a single day gives lie to the idea that we can measure the average temperature of the whole world to within 0.1 degree, not only today, but over thousands of years and predict it into the future. On such false precision we are making huge economic decisions...