US FED / TREASURY LIQUIDITY — WEEKLY MEMO
Week Ending 2026-05-22
Balance-sheet runoff and hawkish minutes flipped URLI negative despite a further TGA drawdown.
URLI Score
-23.50
Mild liquidity drain
Net Liquidity
-$5.7B
Small drain / near neutral
Bank Reserves
-$10.7B
Reserve drain
TGA Change
-$25.4B
Cash injection
RRP Change
+$16.3B
Cash parked
Fed Regime
Hold
3.50%-3.75%
Treasury Outlook
TGA rebuild
Liquidity risk
Market Bias
RISK OFF
Liquidity drag
Executive Conclusion
Supportive
- TGA fell another -$25.4B, still injecting cash.
- Funding markets stayed calm with no stress shock.
Restrictive
- Fed total assets fell -$14.9B and bank reserves slipped -$10.7B.
- RRP rose +$16.3B, parking cash back at the Fed.
- FOMC minutes shifted the rate path toward hike risk.
- USD and yields rose together, a restrictive combination.
Main Warning
- Hike-risk repricing plus the coming TGA rebuild made the liquidity backdrop fragile.
NEGATIVE URLI -23.50 — Mild liquidity drain.
WEEKLY LIQUIDITY MAP
Liquidity Waterline
Every node is a water tank: the solid fill is this week's level, the dashed line is last week, and the faint line is the 3-month average. Funding sources feed net liquidity, which flows through the risk gate to crypto markets. Fill colour marks liquidity effect, not raw level.
Funding Sources
TGA-$25.4BADD
Fed B/S-$14.9BWATCH
Reserves-$10.7BWATCH
RRP+$16.3BDRAIN
Net Liquidity
US Net Cash-5.7BNEUTRAL
Risk Gate
Risk AssetsURLI -23.5DRAIN
Crypto Markets
Crypto Beta$2.28TDRAIN
Meme Beta$26BDRAIN
AddDrainWatchNeutralLast week3-month avg
Liquidity tanks update weekly (Fed H.4.1 / FRED · as of May 22, 2026). Crypto & meme market cap and read use the weekly report snapshot (CoinGecko · as of Aug 5, 2026). Homepage and latest weekly memo use the same Waterline snapshot. AI-readable: JSON · Markdown.
What Changed This Week
| Item | Previous | Latest | Change | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fed total assets | $6,728.5B | $6,713.6B | -$14.9B (-0.2%) | NEGATIVE |
| Bank reserves | $3,117.4B | $3,106.7B | -$10.7B (-0.3%) | NEGATIVE |
| TGA | $807.4B | $782.0B | -$25.4B (-3.2%) | POSITIVE |
| RRP | $326.3B | $342.6B | +$16.3B (+5.0%) | NEGATIVE |
| Fed rate path | — | hold with hike risk | 3.50%-3.75% | NEGATIVE |
| Dollar / yields | — | USD and yields both spiking | NEGATIVE |
Previous week: 2026-05-15 (H.4.1 weekly levels).
Net Liquidity Calculation
Net Liquidity Change = Fed Balance Sheet Change - TGA Change - RRP Change
| Component | Weekly Change | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fed balance sheet | -$14.9B | NEGATIVE | Balance-sheet growth adds liquidity. |
| TGA | -$25.4B | POSITIVE | TGA up pulls cash into Treasury; TGA down injects it. |
| RRP | +$16.3B | NEGATIVE | RRP up parks cash at the Fed; RRP down releases it. |
| Net liquidity | -$5.7B | SMALL DRAIN / NEAR NEUTRAL | Sum of the three flows above. |
URLI — US Risk Liquidity Index
URLI = 0.35 x Net Liquidity + 0.20 x Bank Reserves + 0.15 x Fed Rate Path + 0.10 x Treasury Outlook + 0.10 x Funding Stress + 0.10 x Dollar/Yield Pressure
| Component | Weight | Score | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Liquidity | 35% | +0 | +0.00 |
| Bank Reserves | 20% | -30 | -6.00 |
| Fed Rate Path | 15% | -50 | -7.50 |
| Treasury Outlook | 10% | -50 | -5.00 |
| Funding Stress | 10% | +20 | +2.00 |
| Dollar / Yield Pressure | 10% | -70 | -7.00 |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Weekly URLI | -23.50 |
| 4-week moving average | +16.06 |
| 13-week moving average | +8.79 · 11 of 13 reconstructed (4-week MA is fully live) |
Observed URLI history
| Week | URLI | Net Liquidity | Reserves | TGA | RRP | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-22 | -23.50 | -$5.7B | -$10.7B | -$25.4B | +$16.3B | MILD LIQUIDITY DRAIN |
| 2026-05-15 | +31.25 | +$70.7B | +$65.9B | -$55.3B | +$3.7B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-05-08 | +58.50 | +$134.9B | +$132.3B | -$125.3B | -$0.0B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-05-01 | -2.00 | +$14.0B | +$4.6B | -$19.1B | -$2.4B | NEUTRAL |
| 2026-04-24 | -39.25 | -$66.3B | -$65.6B | +$82.7B | -$14.7B | NEGATIVE |
Show 44 earlier entries
| Week | URLI | Net Liquidity | Reserves | TGA | RRP | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | -51.50 | -$210.5B | -$203.3B | +$227.4B | -$5.0B | NEGATIVE |
| 2026-04-10 | +58.50 | +$119.7B | +$119.1B | -$106.5B | +$5.3B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-04-03 | +21.00 | +$46.6B | +$28.4B | -$33.9B | +$5.5B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-03-27 | +29.00 | +$36.9B | +$37.3B | -$38.4B | +$2.8B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-03-20 | -42.25 | -$66.3B | -$74.3B | +$70.0B | +$5.9B | NEGATIVE |
| 2026-03-13 | +38.25 | +$52.7B | +$59.4B | -$41.2B | +$6.0B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-03-06 | -5.00 | +$16.8B | +$9.3B | +$8.0B | -$9.7B | NEUTRAL |
| 2026-02-27 | +41.25 | +$50.4B | +$44.5B | -$49.9B | -$0.1B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-02-20 | +0.50 | +$4.0B | +$1.5B | -$21.7B | +$8.7B | NEUTRAL |
| 2026-02-13 | +12.00 | +$19.9B | +$21.0B | +$2.8B | -$6.2B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-02-06 | +38.25 | +$63.6B | +$54.6B | -$45.0B | -$0.3B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-01-30 | -36.75 | -$82.3B | -$73.6B | +$81.5B | +$3.8B | NEGATIVE |
| 2026-01-23 | -45.25 | -$96.9B | -$105.2B | +$94.1B | +$5.6B | NEGATIVE |
| 2026-01-16 | +29.00 | +$25.2B | +$38.8B | -$6.5B | -$10.5B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-01-09 | +53.00 | +$156.2B | +$169.6B | -$89.3B | -$133.9B | POSITIVE |
| 2026-01-02 | -61.00 | -$152.6B | -$127.1B | +$71.3B | +$140.7B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-12-26 | +43.75 | +$95.0B | +$46.9B | -$59.9B | -$10.7B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-12-19 | -30.00 | -$38.7B | -$40.1B | +$55.6B | +$0.7B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-12-12 | +56.00 | +$107.2B | +$95.6B | -$102.7B | -$1.0B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-12-05 | -26.00 | -$25.7B | -$19.8B | +$8.8B | +$0.2B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-11-28 | -5.50 | -$6.9B | -$19.5B | -$1.2B | +$5.1B | NEUTRAL |
| 2025-11-21 | +26.00 | +$32.2B | +$34.2B | -$42.3B | -$15.1B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-11-14 | +31.00 | +$37.4B | +$31.4B | +$0.4B | -$30.1B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-11-07 | +7.00 | +$21.8B | +$24.0B | -$41.2B | +$5.1B | NEUTRAL |
| 2025-10-31 | -55.25 | -$94.3B | -$101.7B | +$78.8B | +$13.0B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-10-24 | -42.25 | -$66.6B | -$58.6B | +$53.1B | +$6.5B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-10-17 | -24.50 | -$44.3B | -$45.7B | +$57.9B | -$7.9B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-10-10 | +38.25 | +$58.0B | +$54.3B | -$25.3B | -$28.9B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-10-03 | -34.25 | -$58.2B | -$20.1B | +$61.4B | -$24.5B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-09-26 | -12.00 | +$11.2B | -$20.7B | -$49.2B | +$37.7B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-09-19 | -51.50 | -$125.5B | -$130.6B | +$139.6B | -$11.4B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-09-12 | -2.50 | -$16.0B | -$17.0B | +$5.6B | +$14.2B | NEUTRAL |
| 2025-09-05 | -26.00 | -$43.0B | -$48.9B | +$66.1B | -$24.4B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-08-29 | -44.25 | -$78.9B | -$80.8B | +$69.7B | -$5.9B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-08-22 | -29.00 | -$32.7B | -$30.7B | +$10.6B | -$3.1B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-08-15 | +2.00 | -$4.7B | -$2.0B | +$51.2B | -$43.7B | NEUTRAL |
| 2025-08-08 | +35.00 | +$33.2B | +$30.7B | +$44.9B | -$79.8B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-08-01 | -41.25 | -$59.7B | -$58.7B | +$85.9B | -$41.3B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-07-25 | -1.50 | -$15.3B | -$16.7B | +$21.5B | -$7.7B | NEUTRAL |
| 2025-07-18 | +23.00 | +$31.4B | +$33.0B | +$1.0B | -$35.1B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-07-11 | +48.25 | +$84.9B | +$85.5B | -$61.2B | -$21.4B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-07-04 | -42.75 | -$87.3B | -$90.8B | +$37.7B | +$47.1B | NEGATIVE |
| 2025-06-27 | +24.50 | +$23.6B | +$24.3B | -$49.3B | +$6.9B | POSITIVE |
| 2025-06-20 | -53.00 | -$104.1B | -$106.7B | +$106.8B | +$1.1B | NEGATIVE |
Observed URLI history covers completed weekly runs. Historical percentile ranking uses URLI-Core: the four data-derived components (Net Liquidity, Bank Reserves, Funding Stress, Dollar/Yield Pressure), representing 75% of URLI weight, ranked against frozen weekly FRED history since 2020 and shown in the distribution gauge above. The two policy-judgment components and 13-week live average are outside this percentile lens.
Forward View
Projected URLI — 2026-05-29 estimate
| Item | Estimate | Bias |
|---|---|---|
| Projected URLI point | TBD | LEANING LIQUIDITY DRAIN |
| Backtested URLI range | -25 to -40 | RANGE |
Projection track record — current estimator
| Metric | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Scored weeks (N) | 1 | Scored since the 2026-07-21 model change |
| Directional hit rate | 1/1 | Projected regime sign matched realized |
| Range containment | 1/1 | Realized URLI inside the displayed ±band |
| Avg absolute error | 57.0 pts | Mean |projected − realized| |
| Point bias | +57.0 pts | Mean projected − realized (− = bearish skew) |
The projection model changed materially on 2026-07-21 (maturing bills are now assumed to roll rather than counted as Treasury cash outflows). The 10 earlier scored weeks are excluded above because they were produced by the previous estimator.
Model track record: last 11 completed projections hit 5/11; mean absolute URLI error 37.11.
Assumptions
- TGA rebuild pressure expected to continue into late May.
- SOMA purchases provide only partial technical offset.
Projection is a model-derived scenario with a measured historical error band, not an observed URLI value. It is replaced by actual H.4.1 / TGA / RRP data in the next weekly run.
Alerts & Warnings
| Alert | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Major injection / drain | NEUTRAL | Net liquidity -5.7B; no breach of the +/-$100B threshold. |
| Reserve shock | NEGATIVE | Bank reserves -10.7B; inside the +/-$75B shock band. |
| TGA rebuild risk | WATCH | Treasury cash-balance guidance kept the TGA rebuild toward $900B by end-June as the dominant forward drain risk. |
| RRP shock | NEUTRAL | RRP +16.3B; below the $50B shock threshold. |
| Fed rate path | NEGATIVE | May 20 FOMC minutes showed market-implied expectations of little change this year, with options pricing assigning meaningful probability to a hike by Q1 2027. |
| Funding stress | POSITIVE | Funding markets stayed calm; no emergency facility usage appeared in H.4.1. |
| Historical significance | NEGATIVE | URLI-Core (4 data components, 75% weight) = -11.00 ranks in the 36th percentile of weeks since 2020 (N=337). |
Market Transmission
| Asset | Bias | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| SPX / QQQ | HEADWIND | Mild liquidity drain; index-level liquidity does not support multiple expansion. |
| Small caps / breadth | NEGATIVE | Rate-sensitive; needs reserve support and lower yields. |
| BTC / ETH | HEADWIND | Crypto tracks net liquidity; this week's flow was -$5.7B. |
| High-beta alts | WATCH | Need both a positive URLI trend and BTC leadership to outperform. |
NEGATIVE Liquidity drag.
Bull / Base / Bear Scenarios
| Scenario | Liquidity Setup | Market Impact | Confirms / Invalidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| BULL | TGA drawdown resumes; SOMA support continues; yields cool. | Risk assets bid. | Confirms: net liquidity > +$50B. Invalidates: TGA rebuild accelerates. |
| BASE | Flat net liquidity; Treasury supply offsets SOMA. | Choppy, range-bound. | Confirms: stable reserves, calm SOFR. Invalidates: auction stress or USD breakout. |
| BEAR | TGA rebuild + bill supply + higher yields. | Risk-off. | Confirms: TGA spikes with rising yields. Invalidates: TGA drawdown and falling yields. |
Sources & Data Definitions
| Field | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Balance sheet / reserves / RRP / TGA | Federal Reserve H.4.1 | Official |
| Verification series | FRED WALCL / WRBWFRBL / WDTGAL / WLRRAL | Official |
| Fed policy / rate path | FOMC statement & minutes | Official |
| Treasury outlook | Quarterly Refunding Statement | Official |
| Funding stress score | FRED SOFR / IORB — 5-business-day avg SOFR−IORB spread (bps) | Official |
| Dollar/yield score | FRED DTWEXBGS / DGS10 — weekly Δ broad dollar (%) × Δ 10Y yield (bps) | Official |
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fed balance sheet | H.4.1 Total assets, weekly point-in-time level. |
| Bank reserves | H.4.1 Table 5 'Other deposits held by depository institutions' (weekly reserve balances). |
| TGA | U.S. Treasury, General Account. TGA down is liquidity positive. |
| RRP | Reverse repurchase agreements. RRP up parks cash at the Fed. |
| Basis | Latest week 2026-05-22; previous week 2026-05-15; H.4.1 levels in $M, displayed in $B. |