The Week in Markets - Benchmark treasury yield at 4.46% is competition for stocks

The 10 year treasury yield at 4.46% shows the market is not convinced that the inflation fight is done. The dollar likes higher yields, it also likes the fact that Germany’s preliminary September manufacturing PMI is at 39.8, the lowest since the pandemic mobility restrictions of 2020. At 148.4 to the dollar, the yen is it’s lowest since 1990. Bank of Japan Governor Ueda said on Friday "We have yet to foresee inflation stably and sustainably achieve our price target. That's why we must patiently maintain ultra-loose monetary policy". Yet core inflation in Japan is 4.3%, and has been above the 2% price target since May. The fourth quarter is typically the best quarter of the year for the S&P 500 index, with an average return of 3.6%. In years when it rose 10% or more in the first three quarters of the year, the fourth quarter return was on average 4.6%. There are still five days to go before the third quarter ends, but so far this year, the S&P is up 12.5%.