The Mises Community
An online community for fans of Austrian economics and libertarianism, featuring forums, user blogs, and more.

Why are the stock markets rising?

rated by 0 users
This post has 11 Replies | 8 Followers

Not Ranked
Posts 23
Points 1,015
you12 Posted: Thu, Oct 1 2009 4:39 AM

When everything else is down? Stock markets are up everywhere, USA , UK , India, Japan.

 

 

 

 

  • | Post Points: 125
Top 150 Contributor
Male
Posts 237
Points 3,935

you12:
When everything else is down? Stock markets are up everywhere, USA , UK , India, Japan.

I attribute it to the low interest rates, set supposedly to stimulate us. The new credit created(to satisfy demand for credit at low interest rates) goes into malinvestments. That is, investments which look profitable under prevailing interest rates but won't remain the same once interest rates start rising(when people start reassuring their real savings-consumption ratio). Thus, the new credit shows it's effects on the stock markets, as new money flowing in to capital goods industries.

In short, the seeds for the next boom are being sowed!

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 75 Contributor
Male
Posts 516
Points 7,015
Bogart replied on Thu, Oct 1 2009 9:57 AM

One word: Inflation.  Inflation is good for equities for two reasons:

1. People move from fixed income investments: Bonds to Equities.

2. Equity prices reflect nominal earnings.  So a corporation can earn/create the same amount of real wealth but have higher nominal earnings.

 

The best performing stock market in the world is the maket in Zimbabwae.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 500 Contributor
Male
Posts 42
Points 850
justinx0r replied on Thu, Oct 1 2009 10:07 AM

Because the Fed is pumping QE money into the big financials to get them to start lending but instead they're using it to try and make money in equities. It's just a false rally, it'll all come crashing down once the Fed stops buying all these worthless assets from companies like Goldman Sachs.

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 500 Contributor
Posts 48
Points 660

Hope for profits starts to prevail - "investment psychology" - that is all - as always.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 100 Contributor
Male
Posts 370
Points 4,730
Saan replied on Thu, Oct 1 2009 10:08 AM

Wall Street gets first crack at the new dollars.

 "...The post-totalitarian system contrives to force life into its most probable states...This system serves people only to the extent necessary to ensure that people will serve it

Vaclav Havel

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 75 Contributor
Male
Posts 518
Points 8,920

you12:

When everything else is down? Stock markets are up everywhere, USA , UK , India, Japan.

The blog on Mises.org, "A View From the Trenches", covers the stock market from an insider's look, almost every day.  This image is from that blog.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 50 Contributor
Male
Posts 570
Points 8,990
meambobbo replied on Thu, Oct 1 2009 10:43 AM

Up?!?!?!!?

That's a matter of how you frame your comparison.  Up from 6 months ago, but not 1 year ago, not 2 years ago, not 3 years ago...

The S&P500 was above its current level from '97-'01 and '03-'07.

And if you look at prices compared to earnings, stocks are overpriced...

Check my blog, if you're a loser

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 100 Contributor
Posts 392
Points 5,720
Kakugo replied on Thu, Oct 1 2009 12:26 PM

Do you remember when the Fed, the ECB, the Bank of Japan etc started printing like there was no tomorrow and some people started wondering where the money went? Well, it found its way into yet another bubble, though this will be relatively short-lived compared to others because there's truly nothing behind it, except perhaps for pharmaceuticals which are thriving on the present swine flu hysteria (guess why I know that). One of the invariable laws of economics say "cheap money will generate malinvestment" . Look no further for a practical example. Ordinary people and fund managers are desperate for investment opportunities since the housing bubble evaporated (not just in the US) and are turning to stocks. It happened many times before and we all know the drill.

In the meantime gold is screaming "inflation, inflation!"...

 Yes, it's time for the Dr Goebbels show!

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 150 Contributor
Male
Posts 229
Points 4,435
Andrew replied on Thu, Oct 1 2009 1:03 PM

inflation

 

Democracy is nothing more than replacing bullets with ballots

 

If Pro is the opposite of Con. What is the opposite of Progress?

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 50 Contributor
Posts 625
Points 9,920
filc replied on Thu, Oct 1 2009 1:17 PM

I don't know the details but as a part of one of the previous bailout packages recipients of bailout money had to invest a percentage back into stocks. What we have today is a simple stock bubble and it will pop just  like it did in 2007.

Additionally, As a representation that inflation is finally kicking in my gold and silver stocks are running wild.

Statism is a religion.

  • | Post Points: 5
Not Ranked
Male
Posts 14
Points 370

     Facts are facts, and I'm not too clear what the facts are.  It is my understanding that the Fed did a lot of QE in the later part of 2008, maybe even into early 2009, but has quit.  You are spot on right that the influx of money from the Fed has not led to the lending it was hoped to induce.  So here is where my understanding breaks away from what you have laid out in your post.  You say "instead they're using it to try and make money in equities".  I thought it was going into their excess reserves accounts, and just sitting there, after all, excess reserves have ballooned enormously. Obviously, much of it is being applied to their excess reserves accounts, but maybe not all of it???  Maybe they are dividing it between reserves, and buying stocks?  If that is the case, then I'd say you are absolutely right about this rally being artificial, and will come crashing down.  I'd just like to know the facts about the flow of the QE money.
   As another point of cnfusion for me, Larry Kudlow likes to repeat the phrase that "even a banker can make money when they borrow at ~ 0 %, and lend at a higher rate".That idea makes sense too, but we just acknowledged a severe lack of lending.  So, again, what are the facts?  Just-the-fax ma'am!

  • | Post Points: 5
Page 1 of 1 (12 items) | RSS

Ludwig von Mises Institute | 518 West Magnolia Avenue | Auburn, Alabama 36832-4528

Phone: 334.321.2100 · Fax: 334.321.2119

contact@Mises.org | webmaster | AOL-IM MainMises

Mises.org sitemap