Maybe Merkel is behind the whole thing, this dude wanted to raise borrowing costs for the EU region sooner rather than later, that could bankrupt an additional country or 2 which she would have to bailout
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2011/02/09/483331/the-inflation-disconnect-charted/ "Fed rate hikes are âalways a day awayâ for the market. Just not for the actual Fed."
As I have speculated last year, Fed Futures seems inherently uncalibrated as to whether the Fed would raise rates at any given level of inflation, iexpectations and unemployment. That seems to happen because of term and risk premia but the bottom line is that it explains the 'free lunches' I keep seeing from time to time
Looking at the long term chart of iexpectations, one can see that the 2008 inflation scare barely affected expectations. I see very little reason why iexpectations would unanchor to the upside in 2011 http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=USGGBE10:IND
No doubt that Merkel gave up Axel to win a concession on some other EU-wide issue. I'm sure a cushy "retirement" has been arranged at DB or elsewhere ...
Warsh resigns http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/other/other20110210a1.pdf Guess he thinks its about time to make a killing in the private sector
I'm sure the first question Obama will ask the substitute will be 'so when you do think it will be appropriate to exit the loose money policies'
Anti-Inflation Stance Warsh staked out an anti-inflation stance on monetary policy in September 2009, when he published a Wall Street Journal op-ed and gave a speech saying the Fed may need to raise interest rates with âgreater forceâ than it has in the past. In June, he said any decision to expand the $2.3 trillion balance sheet must be subject to âstrict scrutiny.â http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a3iqhmt.q__o&pos=1 Guess its good for me that he is out, Obama will now appoint someone who probably never saw a rate cut he didn't like