Liquidity Improvement Upgraded Again: Bonds, Gold, and Bitcoin Rise Simultaneously. Why Do Tech Stocks Continue to Fall?
On August 25th, US financial markets exhibited an unusual pattern: US Treasury bonds, gold, and Bitcoin rose simultaneously, the dollar remained strong, crude oil prices declined, and tech stocks continued to fall.
The core drivers were two policy signals from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. First, reports suggested the Treasury might use cash from its General Account (TGA) at the Fed to fund an expansion of long-term bond buybacks. Second, the US policy focus on Iran appeared to shift toward economic sanctions rather than further military escalation. These developments collectively lowered long-term Treasury yields and oil prices, while supporting gold and crypto assets. However, US equities did not broadly rally, with AI and semiconductor stocks continuing to weigh on the Nasdaq.
The potential use of TGA cash, estimated at $80-$200 billion, was seen as a stronger tool to stabilize the long-end of the bond market by improving liquidity and altering the supply structure of tradable bonds. This led to a flatter yield curve. However, analysts from Goldman Sachs and others argue such buybacks may not address the fundamental pressures on long-term yields stemming from fiscal deficits, debt supply, sticky inflation, and term premiums.
Regarding Iran, the US emphasis on "economic D-Day" sanctions against entities facilitating Iranian oil trade was interpreted as a de-escalation of immediate military risks, leading to a pullback in oil's geopolitical risk premium. However, risks remain for refined products due to transport bottlenecks and global refining capacity constraints.
Despite the decline in interest rates, tech stocks, led by semiconductors and AI-related names like Nvidia, extended their losses. This suggests the AI trade is transitioning from a liquidity-driven phase to one focused on validating earnings, valuations, and returns on capital expenditure. Market volatility increased at the index level but decreased for individual stocks, indicating concerns are centered on systemic macro and sector risks rather than company-specific events.
In summary, the day's moves reflected a complex mix of factors: improved bond market liquidity expectations, a temporary downgrade of Iran-related oil risks, and support for alternative assets from lower real rates. Tech stocks' divergence highlights a shift toward fundamental scrutiny amid ongoing macro policy uncertainty.
marsbit08/25 07:09