GLOBAL M2 LIQUIDITY & CREDIT — WEEKLY MEMO
Week Ending 2026-09-18
US plumbing drained hard: the September refunding settled alongside the quarterly tax date, lifting the TGA +$148.0B and pulling net liquidity -$116.2B with reserves back below $3T. The Fed hiked 25bp to 3.75%-4.00% in the same week, though it simultaneously ended balance-sheet runoff.
GMLCI Score
+18.50
Mild global liquidity support
Global M2 Momentum
+50
Broad money trend
USD-Adjusted M2
+20
FX-adjusted research proxy
Central Bank Liquidity
+0
Fed / ECB / BOJ / PBOC / BOE
Credit Impulse
+0
Quantity, breadth, pricing
Funding / Dollar
-30
HY OAS 2.68%
Risk Transmission
+25
BTC 4.6% wk
Gold (USD/oz)
$4,348
-0.9% weekly
Executive Conclusion
Supportive
- US M2 5.4% YoY (2026-07); Euro area M3 3.4% YoY (2026-07).
- China M2 CNY 356.81T, 7.5% YoY (2026-08).
- US HY spreads at 2.68% with a 3bp weekly move.
Restrictive
- China August M2 356.81T CNY (+7.5% YoY, down from 7.7% in July); cumulative aggregate financing over the first eight months ran 2.64T CNY below the same period last year, so the credit impulse stays negative. The outstanding TSF stock YoY was not published in any reachable source and is not quoted rather than carried forward as refreshed.
- Broad USD index moved 1.1% over the weekly window.
- BTC changed 4.6% and gold -0.9% over the week.
Main Warning
- The Fed tightened on price while easing on quantity — a unanimous hike paired with full reinvestment of Treasury and agency principal into bills. With reserves at $2.92T the reinvestment language may matter more than the quarter-point; watch whether SOFR-IORB holds its widened -5bp cushion.
POSITIVE GMLCI +18.50 — Mild global liquidity support.
GMLCI — Global M2 Liquidity & Credit Index
GMLCI = 0.30 x Global M2 Momentum + 0.20 x USD-Adjusted M2 + 0.15 x Central Bank Liquidity + 0.15 x Credit Impulse + 0.10 x Funding/Dollar Stress + 0.10 x Risk Transmission
| Component | Weight | Score | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global M2 Momentum | 30% | +50 | +15.00 |
| USD-Adjusted M2 | 20% | +20 | +4.00 |
| Central Bank Liquidity | 15% | +0 | +0.00 |
| Credit Impulse | 15% | +0 | +0.00 |
| Funding / Dollar Stress | 10% | -30 | -3.00 |
| Risk Transmission | 10% | +25 | +2.50 |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Weekly GMLCI | +18.50 |
| 4-week moving average | +18.88 |
| 13-week moving average | +20.33 |
GMLCI history (release-aware)
| Week | GMLCI | Global M2 | USD-Adj | Credit | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-18 | +18.50 | +50 | +20 | +0 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-09-11 | +19.00 | +50 | +20 | +0 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-09-04 | +19.00 | +50 | +20 | +0 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-08-28 | +19.00 | +50 | +20 | +0 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-08-21 | +24.00 | +50 | +20 | +0 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
Show 61 earlier entries
| Week | GMLCI | Global M2 | USD-Adj | Credit | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-14 | +19.00 | +50 | +20 | +0 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-08-07 | +27.00 | +50 | +20 | +10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-07-31 | +18.25 | +50 | +20 | +5 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-07-24 | +21.25 | +50 | +20 | +10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-07-17 | +18.25 | +50 | +20 | +5 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-07-10 | +23.75 | +50 | +20 | +5 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-07-03 | +25.25 | +50 | +20 | +10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-06-26 | +12.00 | +50 | +20 | +10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-06-19 | +22.00 | +50 | +20 | +10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-06-12 | +8.50 | +50 | +10 | -20 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-06-05 | +14.50 | +50 | +40 | -10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-05-29 | +22.50 | +60 | +30 | -10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-05-22 | +11.00 | +50 | +10 | -20 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-05-15 | +23.00 | +50 | +20 | +10 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORT |
| 2026-05-08 | +7.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-05-01 | +0.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-04-24 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-04-17 | +7.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-04-10 | +7.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-04-03 | -3.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-03-27 | +0.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-03-20 | -7.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-03-13 | -6.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-03-06 | -3.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-02-27 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-02-20 | +0.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-02-13 | -0.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-02-06 | -14.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | MILD GLOBAL LIQUIDITY DRAG |
| 2026-01-30 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-01-23 | -0.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-01-16 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-01-09 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2026-01-02 | +0.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-12-26 | +7.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-12-19 | -7.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-12-12 | +0.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-12-05 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-11-28 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-11-21 | -10.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-11-14 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-11-07 | -10.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-10-31 | +5.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-10-24 | +0.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-10-17 | -10.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-10-10 | -3.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-10-03 | +2.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-09-26 | -6.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-09-19 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-09-12 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-09-05 | -3.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-08-29 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-08-22 | -6.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-08-15 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-08-08 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-08-01 | -3.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-07-25 | +5.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-07-18 | -3.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-07-11 | +2.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-07-04 | +7.50 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-06-27 | +5.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
| 2025-06-20 | +0.00 | +0 | +0 | +0 | NEUTRAL / MIXED |
Each weekly score uses only releases public by that week ending; history is not rewritten when later data arrives. The gauge ranks only the FRED-derived 20% market tier — Funding/Dollar Stress plus Risk Transmission — versus frozen 2020+ history. The four judgment components are outside this lens; the full GMLCI is not percentile-ranked.
Market-Stress Alert
| Alert | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Market-Stress percentile (20% tier) | NEGATIVE | Market-Stress (20% tier) = -0.50 ranks in the 35th percentile of weeks since 2020 (N=155). This ranks only Funding/Dollar Stress and Risk Transmission; the full GMLCI is not percentile-ranked. |
Global Liquidity Dashboard
Broad money (release-aware)
| Bloc | Level | Growth | Reference Month | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US M2 | $23.22T | 5.4% YoY | 2026-07 | POSITIVE |
| Euro area M3 | — | 3.4% YoY | 2026-07 | POSITIVE |
| China M2 | CNY 356.81T | 7.5% YoY | 2026-08 | POSITIVE |
| Japan M2 | JPY 1296.4T | 2.0% YoY | 2026-08 | POSITIVE |
| UK M4ex | — | 4.3% YoY / -£10.1B flow MoM | 2026-07 | NEUTRAL |
Market transmission (weekly)
| Series | Latest | Weekly Change | As Of | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broad USD index | 119.51 | 1.1% | 2026-09-18 | NEGATIVE |
| US HY OAS | 2.68% | 3bp | 2026-09-18 | NEUTRAL |
| S&P 500 | 7,650.50 | -0.1% | 2026-09-18 | NEGATIVE |
| Nasdaq Composite | 26,522.55 | 0.7% | 2026-09-18 | POSITIVE |
| Bitcoin | $80,844 | 4.6% | 2026-09-18 | POSITIVE |
| Gold (USD/oz) | $4,348.15 | -0.9% | 2026-09-18 | NEGATIVE |
Monthly releases are carried forward until a new official release is public. Market series use the latest observation available by the report week. Funding/Dollar Stress and Risk Transmission scores are FRED-derived from the market inputs shown above. Gold is a tracked confirmation layer, not an independently scored GMLCI component.
Central Bank Liquidity
| Central Bank | Latest Input | Read | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve | US URLI memo (companion report) | NEUTRAL | See the US memo for reserves, TGA, RRP, and net-liquidity plumbing. |
| ECB | EUR 5,911.2B / -0.9B wk | NEGATIVE | Policy-purpose securities changed -1.6B (statement 2026-09-11). |
| BOJ | M2 2.0% YoY | POSITIVE | Money-stock reference month: 2026-08. |
| PBOC | M2 7.5% YoY | NEUTRAL | China August M2 356.81T CNY (+7.5% YoY, down from 7.7% in July); cumulative aggregate financing over the first eight months ran 2.64T CNY below the same period last year, so the credit impulse stays negative. The outstanding TSF stock YoY was not published in any reachable source and is not quoted rather than carried forward as refreshed. |
| BOE | M4ex 4.3% YoY | NEUTRAL | Reference month: 2026-07. |
Global Credit Map
| Credit Layer | Latest | Read | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US bank credit (H.8) | $19,866.7B / +31.2B wk | POSITIVE | Released 2026-09-18; observation covers 2026-09-09. |
| C&I loans | $2,968.0B / +2.7B | POSITIVE | Business-credit channel. |
| Real-estate loans | $5,832.4B / +2.4B | POSITIVE | Credit-breadth channel. |
| Consumer loans | $1,924.3B / +10.1B | POSITIVE | Household channel. |
| China TSF / RMB loans | Release-aware read | NEUTRAL | China August M2 356.81T CNY (+7.5% YoY, down from 7.7% in July); cumulative aggregate financing over the first eight months ran 2.64T CNY below the same period last year, so the credit impulse stays negative. The outstanding TSF stock YoY was not published in any reachable source and is not quoted rather than carried forward as refreshed. |
| BIS cross-border / FX credit | Quarterly context layer | NEUTRAL | BIS total credit and Global Liquidity Indicators; not a weekly datapoint. |
| Credit pricing | HY OAS 2.68% (3bp) | NEUTRAL | Market-pricing confirmation layer. |
NEUTRAL Credit is scored as a layered transmission check, not a single headline datapoint.
Next Week Watchlist
Scheduled / probable focus
- Watch September 30 quarter-end as the first test of the new 3.90% IORB floor, the BOE August M4ex release (Sep 24), October borrowing plans now the TGA sits ~$42B above its September target, and the October 27-28 FOMC.
- Monitor broad USD, HY spreads, and gold for confirmation or invalidation.
- Compare the companion URLI memo: global money can stay supportive while US plumbing drains risk liquidity.
Bull / Base / Bear Scenarios
| Scenario | Setup | Market Impact | Confirms / Invalidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| BULL | USD-adjusted M2 strengthens; China credit broadens; HY spreads stay tight. | Supports equities, EM, BTC, high beta. | Confirms: GMLCI > +40. Invalidates: USD spike or spread widening. |
| BASE | Broad money grows but credit transmission stays mixed. | Selective risk support. | Confirms: GMLCI +10 to +39. Invalidates: China credit weakens further. |
| BEAR | USD-adjusted M2 contracts; credit and funding stress worsen. | Risk-off, high-beta pressure. | Confirms: GMLCI < -40. Invalidates: USD weakens and credit broadens. |
Sources & Data Definitions
| Field | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|
| US M2 | Federal Reserve H.6 / FRED M2SL | Official |
| Euro M3 / loans | ECB monetary developments | Official |
| ECB balance sheet | ECB weekly financial statement | Official |
| China M2 / TSF | PBOC releases | Official |
| Japan M2 | BOJ money stock | Official |
| UK M4ex | BOE money and credit | Official |
| US bank credit | Federal Reserve H.8 | Official |
| USD / HY / equities / BTC | FRED DTWEXBGS, BAMLH0A0HYM2, SP500, NASDAQCOM, CBBTCUSD | Market |
| Gold (USD/oz) | Public XAU/USD spot snapshots; LBMA Gold Price PM from 2026-09-11 | Market (secondary) |
| Cross-border credit | BIS Global Liquidity Indicators | Official (quarterly) |
Funding/Dollar Stress and Risk Transmission are FRED-derived at week creation. Global M2 Momentum, USD-Adjusted M2, Central Bank Liquidity, and Credit Impulse remain documented research/judgment components until complete keyless feeds are available.