The Debasement Index

OVERVIEW
The Debasement Index measures asset prices relative to monetary debasement, providing a currency-neutral view of underlying economic fundamentals. Unlike traditional inflation metrics, it captures the sole impact of money supply expansion on asset valuations across different monetary regimes.
Key Innovation: Divides any asset by the ratio of Broad Money Supply (M2/M3) to Real GDP, reducing the impact of excess money creation on asset prices.

HOW IT WORKS
• Input 1: Select any symbol/asset for analysis (default: close price)
• Region: Choose country/currency for debasement calculation
• Display: Purple line overlay on main chart
Formula: Asset Price ÷ Debasement Index
i.e.
Formula: Asset Price ÷ (Money Supply / Real Output / last result (to rebased the index))
The indicator calculates neutralised security prices for each supported region:
• Numerator: M2/M3 money supply data
• Denominator: Real GDP (inflation-adjusted economic output)
• Number: rebases the index to the last updated value of the selected security
Supported Regions: US, UK etc. (regions may change based on availability)

DATA SOURCES
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), TradingView Economics data feeds

INTERPRETATION
Rising Ratio: Asset outperforming monetary debasement (genuine value creation)
Falling Ratio: Asset underperforming relative to currency dilution (fundamental value loss)
Trend Analysis: Long-term slopes reveal whether assets maintain purchasing power against monetary expansion
The purple line represents the performance of the selected security after filtering out monetary noise, exposing fundamental economic trends that raw prices often obscure.

Take special note that most indices do not provide the total return, and the total return is necessary to understand actual value gains and losses.

APPLICATIONS
• Asset Allocation: Compare real returns across different monetary environments
• Cross-Country Analysis: Evaluate assets in countries with varying monetary policies
• Regime Identification: Spot asset price transitions that raw price measurements might obfuscate
• Value Assessment: Distinguish between monetary-driven and fundamental price movements

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION
Inspired by Anna Schwartz's monetary framework, the index attempts to measure currency dilution and remove that impact on the selected asset prices. It is a systematic attempt to filter out ‘monetary noise’ from financial data. The index addresses limitations of traditional inflation measures by:
1. Using real GDP (not nominal) to avoid circular causation of money creation
2. Capturing asset price effects beyond goods and services
3. Providing regime-aware analysis across monetary systems

LIMITATIONS
• Requires reliable M2/M3 and GDP data (scope and quality vary by country)
• Rebasing factors need periodic adjustment
• Most effective for medium to long-term analysis
• Not suitable for short-term trading signals
Note: This indicator reveals trends rather than providing entry/exit signals. Combining debasement-adjusted indices with comprehensive fundamental analysis can reframe and enhance your insights, providing a more complete understanding of price developments over time.