Imagine if Jay Powell said this: “Financial vulnerabilities of the U.S. financial system are notable, and asset valuation pressures are elevated.” Impossible, right? But that’s *exactly* what the Fed’s own staff told the FOMC last month.

Junk Buyers Desperate for Debt Are Pressing Companies to Borrow [Bloomberg]

 

How the Rapid Run-Up in Interest Rates Could Set Off a 10% to 15% Correction

Rising interest rates are rattling the stock market, and that could be the catalyst for a bigger sell-off, strategists say.

Here’s What’s Hiding Behind the Massive Seasonal Adjustments in January Retail Sales

In whiplash charts. For example, department store sales soared 23% “seasonally adjusted” but collapsed 42% “not seasonally adjusted.” What gives?