Ben’s Choices

(1) Door #1, #2, or #3. (2) Press conference pressure. (3) Will Bernanke discipline the dissenters or cave? (4) Good excuse to taper QE: Federal deficit is shrinking. (5) Hail Mary pass. (6) Old normal bond yields would be a shock for sure. (7) Big outflow from bond funds last week. (8) EM stocks and bonds are submerging. (9) QE chatter is depressing inflationary expectations and boosting TIPS yield. (10) Retail sales a plus for Q2’s GDP, while discrediting recession forecast. (11) Lowering S&P 500 Retailing to market weight.