Just here to offer my periodic pontifications on the markets.
Since interest rates are the cost of money and since if you have any sort decent business model at all, you should be able to get returns that are multiples of the current applicable interest rate. Do you think Elon or the Zuck have ever gotten 'moist' over say 20% or 30% returns? Get out my face poser.
The question those guys are concerned with relate mainly to their cost of capital and if their projected returns will come in before their "burn rate" turns into a fire sale.
And this is where the average retail investor's tendency to oversimplify becomes obvious. By that I mean, they hear 'higher rates' and they immediately transform into dopesick whores who are quite sure that somewhere in this trap house rug there's gotta be enough for a bump. That's all I'm looking for dude, just a little bump. Ya feel me?
Sorry, but I needed to wax gibbous a tad.
Anyway, as long as the inflation component of rates is more or less nominal, small increments in rates is actually healthy. For the past 10+ years we've seen what happens when interest rates effectively go to zero. Sure it's great for business because it means they can probably get a positive return from whatever they decide to invest in. But on the other side of that equation are millions of risk averse investors who now, from their point of view at least, have to choose between trying to maintain their lifestyle BUT without dipping into their savings. Yeah. How'd that work out for you?
So let me offer some perspective. True or False - The fed wants to see zero or near zero inflation.
False as Madonna's titties. They do have a target though and it's anything that steadily buzzes around 2%. Why? sigh. That's not easily explained so let's assume that I'm not lying to you - for now. And while they'll never admit it publicly, they are rapturously happy that at long fucking last we're starting to see that there really is such a thing as 'inflation.'
The only problem is, that like the honey badger, the economy doesn't give a shit about what you want. But we're finally at a point in our economic development where we really can work miracles with just monetary policy (as compared to fiscal).
But then you get these 'black swan' events like covid that come along and seem to find all manner of ways to fuck with your shit. And those black swans can breed at a rate faster than rabbits could even dream of. So, introducing . . . tada - the supply chain. Say what? Exactly.
Now add on top of all that, ridonkulous amounts of fiscal spending not seen since Coesus Croesus minted his first gold coin.
To the moon you fucking apes, to the moooonnn