Bear Mountain Bull

The dollar has been on a tear lately, but in Frank Barbera’s opinion, it isn’t going to be a long-lasting move:

At this juncture, it seems clear that the US Government has set itself upon a course of unlimited damage control. Institutions will continue to fail in the coming year, and Uncle Sam appears ready to step up with his giant tube of crazy glue, intent on making sure that nothing falls apart. It is likely a self-defeating course of action, as bail-out after bail-out will require a steady stream of new digital money. Monetary inflation is the likely end game result.

In the process, confidence is likely to steadily erode and with it, the purchasing power of the Dollar. While many are currently proclaiming a new Dollar bull, we see nothing in the current fundamental monetary climate that would justify such an outcome. While all markets are given to periodic recovery swings and regular counter-trend movements, in order for a secular trend to alter course, there needs to be a solid fundamental under-pinning, which in the case of the Dollar is entirely absent. For the Dollar, large Current account deficits remain, and now, the Federal Deficit is once again running out of control, poised to hit records in the years ahead. It is likely, ultimately, this concern about the ability of the US government to fund its many obligations which will start trouble in the Current Account and a more aggressive period of foreign Dollar diversification.

I’d have to agree. Fundamentally, something is going to have to change before long-term strength can return to the dollar. And despite the big move up in the last few weeks, the longer term downtrend remains in place.