Showing posts with label QE2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label QE2. Show all posts

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Confirmation that China is now the world leading monetary power! Sunday Macro



Strategy:

Still playing it flexible - long put on commodities, spx, and long US dollar, but still small deltas despite Fridays move  - remain extremely sceptical and on the alert for November being the BIG TURNAROUND MACRO MONTH for the year, but all market held where they should; Gold 1360 - EUR and 10 yr yield - VIX is just shy of break-up but not confirmed - now everything hinges on the Ireland to use EFSF or not for the next 48 hours,

The risk being; and this is something I firmly believe in, due to cognitive behaviour, that using EFSF will be postive for less than 24 hrs.

 If rates are now higher than pre deal in May, why should deal in November help ? Europe, like the FOMC is running out of options and fast. A Break-up of Europe into two divisions are on the cards.

Reflexitivity is at work. The trend led to credit bust in 2008, then the loop-feeding led to today' new bubble in credit/bonds, now we could face the unwinding of 30 years cycle - the ever lower rates will not work, and finally as someone said this week:'When in history has higher inflation led to lower rates?' - Indeed, indeed.

Steen

A few good bites below:


http://www.cnbc.com/id/40152003

Fed Governor Issues Warning on Bank Dividends and Mortgage Put-Backs

If you were counting on the big U.S. banks to restore or increase dividends that were pared back or ended during the financial crisis, you might want to think again.


Foreclosure Sign
Getty Images

The final portions of a prepared speech by a top Federal Reserve official seemed aimed at pulling-back market expectations that the central bank would soon authorize a resumption of dividends.
The Fed has been preparing guidelines on how banks will be able to change their dividend policies in the first quarter of next year. When that news was reported last week—the Wall Street Journal's headline was "Fed to Let Banks Increase Dividend" — the stocks of several banks rose.
But Fed governor Daniel Tarullo appeared to be trying to tamper the exuberance over the new Fed guidelines.
"Although the details of these guidelines are still being finalized, I can say that our approach to considering such requests will be a conservative one," Tarullo said at a George Washington University Law School Conference on the Dodd-Frank regulatory reforms. (You can read the full speech here.)
Tarullo said that banks will need to show that they can handle risks not captured in the government's stress tests—including the risk of put-back exposure.
"We will expect firms to submit convincing capital plans that demonstrate their ability to absorb losses over the next two years under an adverse economic scenario that we will specify, and still remain amply capitalized," Tarullo said. "We also expect that firms will have a sound estimate of any significant risks that may not be captured by the stress testing, such as potential mortgage put-back exposures, and the capacity to absorb any consequent losses."
The talk about dividends seems to be directly aimed at resetting—that is, lowering—expectations when it comes to dividends. Most of the speech was about Basel III capital requirements—making the dividend discussion stand out all the more. It appears to have been tacked on with the purpose of sending the market a message that many banks may not qualify for dividend hikes.

James Grant on the US dollar: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/opinion/14grant.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

Friday, November 12, 2010

Risk of - major moves in China - our new Global Leader...


Playing the QE2 card Bernanke et al confirmed that we now need to look at China for ALL future directions. The US has no further tools to use but are at the mercy of the international lenders and capital markets.

The reaction post QE2 must be major disappointment for FOMC and Obama, but the importance now is the "reaction" function of firstly China, then Europe(Euro crisis) and then back to the US.....We know the reaction function of policy makers:  1. It's not what they say but what the do which is important 2. They will always delay any decision to last minute 3. The response is ALWAYS creating more debt and mini-max solutions.

In this lights the REACTION FUNCTION should theoretically be:

1. QE2 ==> China and EMG will hike rates aggressively - it has already started note these comments from Goldman Sach this morning on RISK OFF: Chart on QE2 reaction

KRW: Renewed speculation that concrete capital controls will be announced on Monday (1mnth high 1129.5)
PBOC asking more local banks to hike RRR.
Chatter of Chinese state-entity selling commodity futures in Shanghai (Bloomberg reporting that China sold almost all zinc on offer from state reserves at below-market prices in the latest auctions, although this was out a few days ago)
Onshore Chinese traders and brokers speculating about another interest rate hike tonight.
Lack of concrete resolutions from G20 meeting in Korea

                                                                             
2. Euro-debt story gets back into the headlines

Germany will use their VETO leverage to negosiate even tougher hair-cut rules effectively setting up the division of EUROPE into to a two-tier system by 2013/14. The ones who wants to live by the stability rules, and the 2. division for those who needs time to get their finances in order.....

Expect Ireland to tap EFSF very shortly - the risk being there is contagion spread to other PIIGS - so maybe a longer than expected delay in using EFST but more countries than Ireland tapping EFSF from the start.

3. G-20  Communique or the Ministry of Propaganda - what is farce!

In other new the G-20 communique is a total joke! The old Polit-bureau in Russia would have been proud to issue this statement: It's all BS - big time BS... using words like: comprehensive, commitment, unprecedented coooperation, concrete steps - but... there is not a single modus operandi except for including the ever useless IMF in all things possible. There are now more working groups under G-20 than there are sand in Sahara! G-20 communique - by the Ministry of Propaganda for the Politbureau of G20


Strategy:

Seems yesterday chart-book has played out for now, but remember there is now POMO for a full month - the risk will be if POMO does not help the market then we have a real issue on the downside - watch the US action tonigt if 1190-00 breaks on close, then we have top in place - and more importantly the QE2 was REAL MACRO TREND event....

Nice week-end



Thursday, November 4, 2010

Post FOMC conclusions?


Click on chart for larger version
Click on chart for larger version
Click on chart for larger version
Click on chart for larger version

It was a classic Bernanke trick - delivered slightly less in terms of per month buying (75 vs 100 bln) but extended the period from six to eight month in total 600 bln. USD - actually smaller than the GS market consensus of 1.000 but big enough to "confirm" the game of currency war, inflating of commodities, and support for the stockmarket.

Bernanke then wrote terrible op-ed in Wash Post defending his line of thinking - let me make one prediction: His Wash Post op-ed will be hybris similar to his comments on "no spill-over effect from housing" back in 2007!  (Link to Bernanke Op-ed)

This is very dangerous game - and if anyone believes Fed and the FOMC will be able to take their hands of the printing press in due time to stop the incoming inflation they know zero about history, zero about policy functions!

This is GUARANTEE for high inflation in Q2 2011 - it's also GUARANTEE that their will be major social tension not only in the US but also btw major industrial nations. (notice: how Russia fights Japan over small island, and China fights Japan over another set of islands) - this is the next step towards TARIFFS and imperfect markets but for now we need to accept there is one major buyers of all assets: FED - and that the NOMINAL DEVALUATION(the US consumer is left with impression his asset rises but their purchasing power disappear as it buys less commodities, gold, houses, travels etc) continues ...........we are now in the 8th inning... enjoy it while it last.

Stategic note:

As can be seen from the four major asset classes - my model is now long ALL ASSETS... ALL, the one risk being with QE2 out of the way we could again focus on Europe - the HISTORIC high spreads in Ireland, Portugal and how Europe with weaker US dollar is falling apart - slowly..





Wednesday, October 6, 2010

All aboard the QE train?

'Everybody's looking for safe havens. Everybody's looking for yield. Everybody's lookin', but nobody's thinking'  Russel newsletter, Oct. 5th 2010.

Let's start with some thinking then: If this "game" continues where do we end?

The QE2-train has left the station fully booked, fully loaded........What does it do for job creation in the US? 

Nothing! It boost the banking sector, it makes speculators rich, but it does not create more jobs as the low rates and asset buying benefits the already rich risk takers of the financial markets. Meanwhile in Corporate America - they look at the world through optics of demographics and growth and fairly easily reach the conclusion: The future is in Asia and Latin America.  Lets move our business closer to the customers - particulary now that funding for projects and debt expansion is EXTREMEY CHEAP - well done - the US FED is effectively removing jobs from the US now adding through theirQE (which if you look closely was also the result of QE1)


Secondly, if the outflow continues - (and it's really the globalisation issue we are discussing) all of the world savings/investments will be in Asia and part of Middle East. US and Europe will be holiday destinations at best!   Europe could be Disney-land - it's in to rename Sports Stadiums why not whole geograhic areas? This can not simply continue as they system goes bust.


Thirdly, now add the race to bottom currencies devaluations and we have entered a time with increased protectionsnism - Three of the world four biggest GDP's are now fully engaged in weakning their currency: China through peg, US through QE Japan through intervention/QE only Europe stands out - and what Europe needs right now with wide sovereigns debt spreads is a strong EURO not! 


I'm somewhat surprised at the lack of rhetoric from Europe on FX so far, I can only see it as a "deal" not to talk ahead of this week IMF meeting and G-20 Financeminster meeting next week chaired by France - the ultimate country of intervention and short-term political solutions. Europe seems to want to able to hold their heads high leading the G-20, but in doing so they, as always, stand out as being the scapegoat of the FX markets.

EUR has been caught in the middle of the globalisation game for a long time - US pursuing weak US Dollar policy through printing of money and China/Asia artificially making their currencies weaker, which has meant and means slow export from Europe (except for German cars to China)........


We discussed at length the end-game in our weekly investmeeting this Tuesday morning and we got as far as to define following conceptual rule:


  1.  It's all about creating jobs. This is on the agenda in the US and China. Fed Chicago calls fall in unemployment unacceptable(too slow falling) and China has changed their policy mix to focus on domestic consumption (the share of consumption to GDP has fallen from 45% to 35% in the last ten years) - this can only be done by creating more jobs which for an Plan economy is also both the social and economic reality.
  2. To create jobs you need at least 2.5% growth if not 3.0% - this is big task for a very deleveraged US consumer economy. Well, yes financial US is doing fine, yes, corporates have best balance sheet ever - thanks to low rates for too long, but the US consumer (70% of GDP) is still in the process of adjustment(http://twitpic.com/2v2lf1). They are showing Ricardo behavouir looking for increased tax and less disposable income. Several US states need/should ask for bail-out inside the next 12 month according to Meredith Whitney's latest report. 
So - all actions by centralbanks and politicians should be seen through this objective: We need to create jobs to keep our jobs, to stop social tension rising, and to maintain the illusion of things will be ok -  in the process the dynamics of QE escalates the imbalances of financial flow, increases need to devalue currencies, and the response is always the same: More printing of money, low rates forever.....

Was it Einstein who said: "If you keep doing the same experiment expecting a different result you are an idiot" . QE2 and the whole thinking that low rates can safe the world is the real world equivalent of a experiment. The last two weeks comments and speeches from central banker CLEARLY shows they are lost - totally lost - unfortunately the price to be paid is serious unwinding of the supposed FREE NO RISK GUARANTEED ride on stocks, gold, and everthing floating.


This fund manager will NOT fight the move to 1250-ish in S&P or 1350/1400 in Gold, but will not join either - when lost (like I was in 2007 and 2000) understanding the markets, the time is for CASH - Zero percent return could soon be attractive again...


STRATEGY:


My allocation model is long EVERYTHING - it is reducing long GOLD (weighting increased too much) back to norm allocation of 10% - otherwise long fixed income (50 pc), Emerging markets (fully loaded @ 20 pc) and none EMG-equity(fully loaded @ 15pc), Commodities (5%)..........so model says RISK ON - the risk overlay manager - me - says hang on.......there is too much divergence here....... classic fight - the odds on scenario is that we have free ride in to QE "official announcement" on Nov 3rd........


Whatever happens - keep it light, flexible, good luck...


Winston