Get Out of Bonds -- Fast!

By Ron Coby Oct 27, 2009 8:40 am
They're simply another financial bubble that's about to pop.
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The next big shoe to drop and giant bubble to pop is the US bond market. The explosive run up into December 2008 was an absolute Christmas present for bond bears willing to short the panic top. The 2008 fear-related spike in bonds was the equivalent to NASDAQ in 2000 or real estate in 2004. However, this explosive move up was primarily driven by global fear, where the other two bubbles were driven by greed.

Another opportunity to get short in bonds is upon us. Using technical analysis, it appears that the run up in bonds last December was the head of a giant head-and-shoulders top on the weekly charts. I wouldn't advise anyone to short bond weakness but instead to short failed rallies into resistance. Bonds don’t end their seasonally strongest period until late November, and there seem to be plenty of eager buyers around at auction time. In spite of this fact, I do expect bonds to complete this huge head-and-shoulders top between now and Thanksgiving. The long secular bull market in bonds ended in December 2008 and a new secular bear market in bonds has only just begun.

As the US government continues to waste money bailing out failed enterprises, failed business practices, and Wall Street investment banks, they're rapidly adding to an enormous mountain of debt. The government is flooding the market with a record monthly supply of new Treasuries to fund our irresponsible ways as a nation. Surprisingly, central banks continue to aggressively buy a record amount of bonds at what I perceive to be the top, just as they sold record amounts of gold at its bottom, now nearly a decade ago. Central banks buying bonds today will be a regretful act comparable to that of central banks selling gold at $250-$350 per ounce.

There's a growing confidence that the Fed will continue to purchase bonds with an unending bid coupled with the promise of keeping short-term rates low for the foreseeable future. Individual investors have pumped record amounts of cash into bond mutual funds this year, just like they did in stock funds in 1999. I believe that with the first rumor of a failed Treasury auction, investors will finally flee bonds in droves. The monthly record supply of bonds and the coming decline in demand is all that's needed to spell disaster for the bond market. (The TBT ETF is a great way to play the coming bear market in bonds.)

Inflate or Deflate?

As the Federal Reserve prints money and monetizes our debt, they're giving politicians in Washington a green light to spend our country into financial ruin. In my opinion, Ben Bernanke will be treated by history just as his predecessor Alan Greenspan will be treated. Ultimately, both will be totally discredited after having been praised as heroes for saving the world from economic collapse. Until Mr. Bernanke stops monetizing US debt, and hikes rates to protect the US dollar, he's literally sending this message to every bond trader: "Sell us bonds now."

Bond traders are responding to this message in 2009 by selling the long end of the yield curve with growing confidence, believing that there will continue to be enormous volume of bonds issued with increasing rates. In my recently published book, Discover the Upside of Down, I describe in detail how Ben Bernanke, along with his boss, the Congress of the United States, will cause interest rates to rise, and the country to enter into a new era of stagflation.
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(16)
2009-10-27 10:30:38
Short term bonds ??
Do the short term bonds offer any shelter from this potential burst? I have really liked FPNIX, PFIUX, VBISX for reasons that you stated. Thanks!
RAE
2009-10-27 13:14:27
TLT - Time to go bull until 105
Hi Ron,

I follow bond using TLT (20 year tresury ETF- currently near $94)). Based on the recent technical anlysis, I believe in short term TLT will go to $105. It has multiple resistance at $105 (upper band of the channel and 50% retracement level from all time high). Sometime by mid next year will be a good time to go SHORT on Bonds as interest rates will start to go up

my humble opinion.

thank you!
KT
2009-10-27 13:16:11
Bonds and the Dollar
Dear Sir,

Isn't the fate of the Dollar and bonds tied to growth outside the US rather than to domestic issues like the deficit. If Europe and China end up showing no growth at all because of the US crisis, how much can the dollar loose its value if the Euro, Yuan, other currencies loose it faster?
2009-10-27 14:22:59
Mr. Bond
Ron,
Great article. Regarding,"Mr. Bernanke is going to have to make a decision soon between sacrificing the stock market or the bond market." Very true:
The bond market could get saved by a rising US savings rate (it rose rapidly in March, and has fallen back down now), and a falling stock market. But right now "helicopter Ben" is pushing people into riskier assets and encouraging a dollar carry trade with zero rates. How high can you push the P/E?
I'm not sure rates need to rise a lot in order to put an end to the carry trade. Throw in a market correction and the "flight to safety" trade could be right back in again.
I'm also concerned with municipal bond defaults.
2009-10-27 14:35:59
On April 15th 2010, the IRS should send a "special tax" bill to each person for the amount of $344,000 that the debt clock says each citizen owes.

PROBLEM SOLVED. Every just pays what they owe, and the debt goes to zero!

We just need to get those billing statements out by April 15th.
2009-10-27 14:37:36
Get out of ($US) bonds
All roads lead to default +/or inflation.

AMEN

RIP
2009-10-27 16:09:56
TLT - Time to go bull until 105
98 to 100 looks like some resistance on TLT to me. Above 100.31 on a close and bonds are going higher on another fear trade. However, fed 300 billion monetazion plan ends this week and supply will continue to be enormous.
2009-10-27 16:14:10
Get out of ($US) bonds
That's how I see it....
2009-10-27 16:20:05
Bonds and the Dollar
99% bears in the dollar with individual investors and 97% bears with traders so yes, we are close at or near a short term bottom in the dollar. However, it will be the final rally before the dollars comes apart. This could be one heck of a short covering rally before that happens however.
If China tanks and they stop buying our bonds, then look out below. God forbid they start selling our bonds.
2009-10-27 22:19:29
Bonds and the Dollar
it is unlikely that the US will default without many other countries defaulting first. that may not give you the consequences you are expecting. furthermore, bubbles are characterized by optimism, so I hardly think this is a "bubble"...
2009-10-28 00:41:36
choosing a market : stocks or bonds -
ron, re : "Mr. Bernanke is going to have to make a decision soon between sacrificing the stock market or the bond market...." -

i would hope by now, the larger of the two, and the one that'd help the most people, would be "saved" -

bonds and regular americans...

the election of 2010....

2009-10-28 00:48:31
Bonds and the Dollar
Investors are pouring record amounts of money into Bonds and bonds funds. Yes, its based a lot on fear vs. greed but when rates go to 10%, it will be looked upon as a propped up bubble by the Fed. At least that's how I see it.
2009-10-28 07:14:36
Reasons for buying and selling
Central banks and governments do not buy and sell Sovereign bonds and Commodities for the sole purpose of trading, except maybe the Russians - who were very good at gold trading back in the old USSR days.

Individuals looking to save money for retirement in a "safe" asset class and earn some income also do not trade, as a rule.

Speculators looking to cash-in on basis point moves are the ones concerned about the potential of significant rises in the Treasury rates as their holdings are for very short-terms as a rule.

Are bond markets going to deteriorate? Absolutely! Will those Bonds continue to pay their coupons, most assuredly unless they go Bankrupt and that can happen to any AAA rated company, very quickly, as well as to any CCC company.

The solutions for income oriented investors is either Bond Ladders or Bond Funds that are actively managed.

Scaring people straight does not work. Education on the basics may help but most believe they are smarter than everyone else and it wont happen to them.

Yeah right, as I gather my proofs of claim.
2009-10-28 20:13:11
interest rates
Bill Gross at pimco.com has an excellent monthly column that should give you more insight.
2009-10-29 10:12:03
bubbles out of greed alone?
hardly. I agree with Ron, this bubble is brought to you by fear.

Add to it mass investors, baby boomers who were set at 55 are now on life-lines by now, 65, piling into bond funds.

helicopter Ben cannot support everyone...nor please everyone....

pick your poision
2009-11-05 10:10:46
what about long term investment in bonds?
I know nearly nothing about the bond market and only slightly more about the stock market. My question is this: Are treasury bonds still a safe haven for 401k funds? I fear a collapse of the stock market in the spring of 2010 and am seeking a safe place for my 401k pittance. Any advice?
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