'I define a Bubble as a self-reinforcing but inevitably unsustainable inflation. Household Net Worth at 500% of GDP is not sustainable. I believe it is unsustainable because I don’t believe Total Securities at 449% of GDP is sustainable. And current securities values are unsustainable because the current financial structure is not sustainable.''Total (Debt and Equities) Securities ended 2017 at a record $88.651 TN. Total Securities surged to a record 449% of GDP, up from 429% to conclude 2016. For perspective, Total Securities to GDP peaked at 379% ($55.3TN) during Q3 2007 and 359% ($36.0TN) at cycle highs in Q1 2000. Total Securities as a percent of GDP ended 1970 at 148%, 1975 at 122%, 1980 at 128%, 1985 at 155%, 1990 at 189%, and 1995 at 262%.
Massive inflows of international finance have been integral to the U.S. securities market Bubble. Inflating securities and asset prices have inflated perceived household wealth, a dynamic fundamental to the U.S. Bubble Economy.
Household Assets jumped nominal $2.284 TN during Q4 to a record $114.395 TN, with a one-year gain of $7.760 TN and two-year rise of $13.514 TN. For the quarter, Real Estate increased $511 billion to a record $27.848 TN. Financial Assets jumped $1.699 TN in Q4 to a record $80.395 TN, with total equities up $972 billion to $26.562 TN.
With Household Liabilities up $209 billion to $15.650 TN, Household Net Worth jumped $2.076 TN during the quarter to a record $98.746 TN. Household Net Worth inflated $7.162 TN during 2017 to a record 500% of GDP. For comparison, Net Worth to GDP ended 2007 at 459% and 1999 at 445%. Net Worth to GDP ended 1970 at 357%, 1975 at 342%, 1980 at 359%, 1985 at 350%, 1990 367% and 1995 at 381%.
I define a Bubble as a self-reinforcing but inevitably unsustainable inflation. Household Net Worth at 500% of GDP is not sustainable. I believe it is unsustainable because I don’t believe Total Securities at 449% of GDP is sustainable. And current securities values are unsustainable because the current financial structure is not sustainable.
Too large a percentage of new Credit creation is financing overvalued assets (securities and real estate, in particular), leaving this source of liquidity vulnerable to asset price reversals. Too much of the new Credit is Treasury and government-related securities that are grossly mispriced in the marketplace. Moreover, enormous foreign-sourced inflows are having a major (if unappreciated) impact on marketplace liquidity. I suspect that a significant portion of these inflows are related to global QE and, somewhat less directly, to speculative leveraging (“carry trades,” etc.). These sources of liquidity are increasingly vulnerable to central bank “normalization,” higher funding costs and rising global yields.'
- Doug Noland,
Q4 2017 Z.1 Flow of Funds, March 10, 2018
Context'Deflation may actually boost output. Lower prices increase real incomes and wealth. And they may also make export goods more competitive.' - BISThe Dangerous Delusion of Price Stability - William White(Global - 2018) - '..manifestations of Monetary Disorder..'(Banking Reform - English/Dutch) '..a truly stable financial and monetary system for the twenty-first century..'