View original document

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

Financial Market
Turmoil and Recession:
What’s Next?
James Bullard
President and CEO
May 12, 2009
Indiana University

Any opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Open Market Committee members.

Measuring Uncertainty: Real GDP Growth
Percent

7
5

Real GDP Growth
Top 10 Blue Chip Forecasts (As of 5/10)
Bottom 10 Blue Chip Forecasts (As of 5/10)

3
1
-1 2008

2009

2010

-3
-5
-7

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis and Blue Chip Economic Indicators.

Growth Rate in Real GDP, SAAR, Percent
2008:Q4, 2009:Q1

Canada
-3.4, -6.0
U.S.
-6.3, -6.1

Russia
-1.5, -22.2

U.K.
-6.1, -7.3 EU

-6.3, -7.9

China
1.3, 6.4

India
0.4, 6.0

Japan
-12.1, -19.3

Latin America
-8.3, -5.9
South Africa
-1.8, -2.7

Australia
-2.1, 0.4

Source: Barclays Capital Global Economic Weekly.

Tracking the Global Recession: United States

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, http://research.stlouisfed.org/recession/.

Measures of Financial Market Stress

Debt Pricing: Bond Spreads to 10-Yr Treasury
(Monthly data. Last Observation: April 2009)

BBB

AA
AAA

Source: Federal Reserve.

Cost of Credit Protection
(Weekly Data. Last Observation: May 5, 2009)

Basis Points

Basis Points
1000

2500

900

JPM

800

GS

2000

700
600

C

500

BAC

400

WFC

1500
1000

300
200

MS (Right Scale)

500

100
0
0
Jan-07 Apr-07 Jul-07 Oct-07 Jan-08 Apr-08 Jul-08 Oct-08 Jan-09 Apr-09
Source: Bloomberg.

Stock Market Indexes
(Weekly Data. Last Observation: May 8, 2009)
Index
Jan. 2007 =100
120

Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
100
80
60

S&P Financial Stock Market Index

40
20
0
Jan-07

Apr-07

Jul-07

Oct-07

Jan-08

Apr-08

Jul-08

Oct-08

Jan-09

Apr-09

Source: Standard and Poor’s and Wall Street Journal.

Housing Markets

Mortgage Market
Mortgage Rates: Fannie Mae Commitment
Rates 30-Yr Fixed.

MBA Mortgage Applications Index.
3/16/1990 = 100

(11/2/02007 – 5/5/2009)

(1/5/2007 – 5/5/2009)

Percent
6.5

Index
1400
1200

6.0

1000
5.5

5.0

800
600
400

4.5

4.0
Nov-07 Jan-08 Mar-08May-08 Jul-08 Sep-08 Nov-08 Jan-09 Mar-09

200
0
Jan-07 Apr-07 Jul-07 Oct-07 Jan-08 Apr-08 Jul-08 Oct-08 Jan-09

Sources: Federal Reserve, Bloomberg.

New and Existing Home Sales
(Monthly Data. Last Observation: March, 2009)
Thousands

Thousands

9000
1500

Existing Homes

7000

1250
1000

5000

750
500

3000

New Homes (Right Scale)
250

1000
1999

0
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Regulatory Reform

The Clamor For Regulatory Reform
Historically, important crises have resulted in regulatory
reform.
 The Panic of 1907 led to the founding of the Federal Reserve.
 The Depression led to the enactment of Glass-Steagall in 1933,
creating the FDIC, and separating commercial from investment
banking.
 The Thrift Crisis in the late 1980s led to the enactment of
FDICIA and “prompt corrective action.”
 The collapse of Enron and Worldcom led to the enactment of
Sarbanes-Oaxley.

Portions of the Regulatory System Work Well

Bank regulation outside the largest financial institutions has
worked well during the crisis.
We do not see the small bank panic that characterized the
Depression, even though this is a big crisis.
The system of deposit insurance, prudential regulation, and a
credible resolution regime solves that problem.

Less Successful Regulation
The key problem areas in this crisis have been with large banks and
large non-bank financial firms.
These are often global enterprises.
As a result, it has been difficult to discern how these firms were
coping with the crisis.
In addition, the resolution regime is unclear.
These firms are often considered “too big to fail” because of the market
disruption that might be caused.
The correct phrase is “too big to fail ... quickly.”

The Fed’s Role in Regulation
The Fed is the nation’s lender of last resort.
If the Fed may be lending to institutions, it will need to have
a role in regulating those institutions.
The Fed also runs the monetary policy of the nation.
To perform this function effectively, the Fed needs to know
the condition of the financial system.

The Fed and Systemic Risk
Three important systemic calls by the Fed:
 William Poole on GSEs.*
 Gary Stern on “Too Big to Fail.”**
 Ned Gramlich on subprime.***

* William Poole, “Financial Stability,” 2002; “Housing in the Macroeconomy,” 2003; and “Reputation and the Non-Prime Mortgage
Market,” 2007.
** Gary H. Stern, Ron J. Feldman, Too Big To Fail: The Hazards of Bank Bailouts, Brookings Institution Press, 2004.
*** Edward M. Gramlich, Subprime Mortgages: America’s Latest Boom and Bust, Urban Institute Press, 2007.

Inflation Risks

May-09

Apr-09

Feb-09
Mar-09

Jan-09

4

Dec-08

Nov-08

Oct-08

Sep-08

Aug-08

2

Jul-08

3

Jun-08

May-08

Apr-08

Mar-08

1

Feb-08

Jan-08

Dec-07

Nov-07

Oct-07

Sep-07

Aug-07

Jul-07

World Policy Rates

(Daily data as of May 8, 2009)
Rate (%)

6

5

U.K.

Euro Area

Canada

U.S.

Japan

0

Implied 5-Year Spot Inflation Rates
(Weekly data. Last Observation: May 8, 2009)

3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
Jan-07 Apr-07 Jul-07

Oct-07 Jan-08 Apr-08 Jul-08

Oct-08 Jan-09 Apr-09

Source: Federal Reserve.

$2000

$1500

Lehman Fails

$2500

Year End 2007

Billions

Bear bought by JP

Federal Reserve Credit: Component Size and Cumulative
Total (Weekly, 10/3/2007 to 5/6/2009)
TALF: $6, $2062
Agency Debt and Agency MBS: $437,$2056
Institutional Support: $108, $1618
Short-term Liquidity Facilities: $602, $1511
$1000

FX Swaps: $249, $909
$500

Treasuries and Traditional Lending$660,$660
$0
Source: Federal Reserve.

Federal Reserve Credit
(Weekly Data. Last Observation: May 6, 2009, and Projected Values.)
Billions of Dollars
3,000
2,500
2,000

Short-Term Lending to
Financial Firms and Markets
Rescue Operations
Operations Focused on LongerTerm Credit Conditions
Treasury Portfolio

1,500
1,000
500
0
Jan-07 Apr-07 Jul-07 Oct-07 Jan-08 Apr-08 Jul-08 Oct-08 Jan-09 Apr-09 Jul-09 Oct-09
Sources: Federal Reserve.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
stlouisfed.org

Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)
research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/

James Bullard
research.stlouisfed.org/econ/bullard/