The stock market keeps on sending signals of correction as the Dow Jones struggle to rebound from Monday’s 5th of February sell-off. Economic analysts began early in the week to point out to fear of high inflation due to an upward trend in workers compensation. News reports were mostly based on strong beliefs and arguments over the so-called Phillips Curve. However, instead of focusing exclusively on the weak relationship between wages and inflation, I suggest a brief look at the textbook explanation of the link between the stock market and economic activity. In this blog post, I frame the current market correction phenomenon under the arbitrage argument. If one were to consider the arbitrage argument to explain the correction, it would lead analysts to make firm conclusion not only over monetary policy but also over fiscal policy. The obvious conclusion is that Monetary Policy (Interest rates) will most likely aim at offsetting the effects of Fiscal Policy (Tax cuts).

The Arbitrage Argument (simplified):

Market sell-offs unveil a very simple investment dilemma: bonds versus stocks. In theory, investors will opt for the choice that yields higher returns. Firstly, investors look at returns yield by the interest rates, which means a safer way to make money through financial institutions. Secondly, investors look at returns yield by companies, in other words: profits. If such gains yield higher returns than saving rates, investors will choose to invest in the former. In both cases, agreements to repay the instrument will affect the contract and the financial gains, but that is the logic (Things can get messier if one includes the external sector).

The corresponding consequences are the market expectations about the economy. On the one hand, currently investors expect monetary policy to tighten. On top of jobs reports and previous announcement about rate increases, fears of inflation lead to the conclusion that the Federal Reserve Bank will most likely accelerate the pace in rising interest rates for its ten years treasury bond. Such policy will decrease the amount of circulating money, thereby making it harder for business to get funds because, following the arbitrage framework, investors will prefer to invest in safer treasury bonds. On the other hand, investors expect fiscal policy to have an impact on the economy as well. Recent corporate tax cut bolster the expectation for a higher level of profits from the stock market. Such policy may allure investors to believe that financing companies through Wall Street will yield higher returns than the bond market. Thus, sell-offs unveil the hidden expectations of investors in America.

Expectations and the Economy:

Once expectations seem formed and clear concerning declared preferences, (meaning either continuing the correction path for other indexes, or a rebound), investors begin evaluating monetary policy adjustments. They all know the Federal Reserve dual mandate as well as the Taylor Rule. The question is how the Federal Reserve would react to the market preferences based on other leading economic indicators. Will the Fed accommodate? Or will the Fed tighten? As of the first week of February, all events suggest that the Federal Reserve Bank will most likely tighten to offset and counterbalance the recent tax cut incentives and its corresponding spillovers.