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Author: Lee Adler

I’ve been publishing The Wall Street Examiner and its predecessor since October 2000. I also publish LiquidityTrader.com, and was lead analyst for Sure Money Investor, of blessed memory. I developed David Stockman’s Contra Corner for Mr. Stockman. I’ve had a wide variety of finance related jobs since 1972, including a stint on Wall Street in both sales, analytical, and trading capacities. Prior to starting the Wall Street Examiner I was a commercial real estate appraiser in Florida for 15 years. I was considered an expert in the analysis of failed properties that ended up in the hands of bank REO divisions, the FDIC, and the RTC. Remember those guys? I also worked in the residential mortgage and real estate businesses in parts of the 1970s and 80s. I have been charting stocks and markets and doing analytical work since I was a teenager. I’m not some Ivory Tower academic, Wall Street guy. My perspective comes from having my boots on the ground and in the trenches, as a real estate broker, mortgage broker, trader, account rep, and analyst. I’ve watched most of the games these Wall Street wiseguys play from right up close. I know the drill from my 55 years of paying attention. And I’m happy to share that experience with you, right here.

Fed QE for August 21

The Fed buys the paper from Primary Dealers. The dealers act as middlemen or straw men, acting on behalf of the Fed. The dealers purchase newly issued bills notes or bonds from the US Treasury. They in turn sell that paper to the Fed with a markup. That markup is their skim. 

The money that the Fed deposits in payment is then their cash to use for trading whatever they want. Usually that includes a big slug of equities, in addition to Treasuries and whatever else they make markets in. 

Here’s what they did yesterday.