China and Russia sold off substantial amounts of US debt during December – a month that saw the biggest treasuries sell-off since the collapse of Lehman’s. Market commentators entered denial mode: this was “not necessarily the start of any particular trend,” said one. “It’s too early to infer that China is shifting its diversification stance,” said another.
All this denial suggests the market is waiting for bad news – a theory backed up by volatility futures, which suggest a great deal of volatility is constantly expected roughly two months away. Whatever the date, Bad News is due in roughly two months’ time (these are VIX futures, and yes, you can buy a future on just about anything). Are these connected? Here’s one theory.
US borrowing costs have been kept artificially low for years, thanks to demand for US treasuries by world investors. The fact that the dollar is a reserve currency, and is considered safe, has kept demand for the debt high even when it is not a profitable investment. The normal laws of supply and demand are distorted. The people buying and the people selling are doing so for different reasons.
This asymmetry should be a cause for concern.
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