Archive - Feb 2010

I found a funny connection between the sellers of REO for HUD and the FDIC. Surprised? Nah!

With Geoffrey Batt

With everyone's attention drawn to each and every step the IMF takes, while contemplating the imminent Greek bailout, which without exception and with the grace of a drunk 3-ton bull in a China store, leaves nothing but annihilation and currency boards in its wake, is the popular opinion once again getting the Houdini treatment courtesy of the mainstream media? One thing learned over the past year is that everything is a distraction for something else, and that something else, quite usually without failure, ends up being the Marriner Eccles building on Constitution Avenue in D.C. What we refer to is disclosure from a paper written by none other than the Maestro Jr, in 2004, titled "Conducting Monetary Policy at Very Low Short-Term Interest Rates" (oddly appropriate). In this paper, Bernanke discusses not only the possibility of purchasing corporate assets (bonds and stocks), but emphasizes that one other security class which the Fed may be inclined to acquire under conditions such as those today, and has an explicit authority to do so, are foreign government bonds. After singlehandedly rescuing every Wall Street bonus in the prior year, is the Fed now the shadow backstop for the Greek economy as well?

Cutting straight to the chase, and to Bernanke's musings:

Add the Maestro to the list ...

From Fox Business News and its latest addition, Charlie Gasparino:

[Erin Callan] went to Credit Suisse and then she went on a lengthy leave of absence.  It was pretty bizarre—she was gone from the scene, until, from what I understand—I checked yesterday—December 31st she’s officially out of there.”

Note: not a single mention of this on CNBC yet. Of course, nobody gives a rat's ass about Lehman's former CFO, or this news in particular. What is interesting, are the dynamics at play now that CNBCOMASTAGANDA (49/51) is stuck without even one investigative reporter in possession of even half a rolodex. Sure, flashing wire headlines are great, but anybody can do that, even fringe bloggers. Absent Rick Santelli (and on occasion David Faber), the network does not have a single person worth unmuting the TV for. And if we want to listen to propaganda ad nauseam we are sure someone will recreate Goebbels constant radio droning on some 24/7 stream relatively soon. And this is precisely what Bloomberg TV and Fox Business are waiting to pounce on.

David Roche, former Head Of Morgan Stanley Research And Global Strategy, and currently president of Independent Strategy shares perspectives that should be read closely by any bull who believes that there is anything else to this market rally than pure liquidity driven euphoria riding on the coattails of the Fed's Quantitative Easing program. Deconstructing one by one all the myths that make up the arsenal of every pundit who appears on CNBC to talk up their book, Roche concludes "Of course, the insider game between financial institutions and the central banks can go further. But we do not want to be a part of it because it is unsustainable. It is as finite as QE." And QE is ending in one month, at about the same time when Greece will have to bailed out as its money will finally run out. About 30 days and counting.

On the heels of the surprise discount window rate hike late last week, and on the eve of Bernanke’s Congressional testimony, speculation abounds as to the when and where of the next round of tightening. We need look no further than the US Treasury press room, as it has announced today a revival of sorts for its Supplementary Financing Program (SFP).

Okay, maybe not something that would look good on a billboard- but today Toyota apologized for its safety issues- and how they handled them.

"In a volatile and ultimately difficult month for global equity markets, the Fund returned a profit of 1.2%. Going into February the Fund has increased its government bond exposure with an additional 7.5% points in the German 30yr Bund. The Fund has also added to the currency holdings with a 3% long US Dollar/short South African Rand position. The current portfolio is 25% of NAV long equity, 1.5% short equity (via Eurostoxx put options), 24% government bonds, 4.5% corporate bonds, 1.8% commodities and 29% currency." Hugh Hendry

The 4th Quarter FDIC Bank Data has been updated at www.wlmlab.com. Each quarter I eagerly anticipate the numbers and keep thinking "it can't possibly be worse than last quarter, can it?" Well, never fear, it can. First off, the total amount of loans outstanding at U.S. Regulated Depository Banks has fallen to $7.296 Trillion from $7.425 at the end of Q3 2008.

Game plan has been to play long in Gold since 1,063. However we advised taking chips off the table partially at 1,125 as the market has not validate a break-out with a daily close. We have pulled back on the 1,097/1,100 support zone today, we would be cautious here. If we break lower the market will drop to 1,076 (61.8% of recent rally, and support zone established Januray 28/29), and possibly down to 985/1,011 which cannot be violated at the risk of invalidating the bullish dynamic completely (keep in mind we are still fighting deflation in most developped economies...). On the upside we need a daily close above 1,125, and then 1,165 to confirm a rise towards new highs. Note that a drop to 1,076 followed by a rise past 1,125 would form an inverted H&S so the market would likely accelerate past 1,165 at that point. - Nic Lenoir

Just headlines for now. Headlines will turn to headaches for Goldman longs shortly. And what will really set off the migraine is the just released announcement that the European Commission will back a Tobin Tax on financial institutions. We are fairly confident that this would not be proposed without at least a preliminary nod from their counteparts across the Atlantic. We believe that the slow but certain conversion of the banking sector into a utility industry is now reality. And yes, bonuses in utilities max out at 25% of the base, not 2,500%.

We previously wrote about the possibility of a bank run in Greece following unsubstantiated reports that Greek citizens don't trust the Greek financial system all that much anymore, courtesy of the whole bailout and GDP reporting fraud thing. The rumor was not only just confirmed and also quantified: Dow Jones reports that in the past three months Greeks have moved about €8 billion out of local banks "fearing a possible new tax on bank accounts, increased government scrutiny on assets and a run on the banks if Athens is forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund." This represents over a quarter of the money held by private banks in the country. This also represents about €400 billion in total money leaving the system courtesy of fractional reserve banking and the money multiplier. Yet the worst news for Greeks: money controls are coming.

• Yields 0.895% vs. Exp. 0.88-0.90
• Bid To Cover 3.33 vs. Avg. 3.21 (Prev. 3.13)
• Indirects 53.60% vs. Avg. 42.45% (Prev. 43.22%)
• Indirect hit ratio 65%
• Allotted at high 14.79%
• Direct take down: 8.2%

The ascending channel in the ES has now been broken, with barely notable volume - just kidding. With volume spiking (remember market algo 101: volume low, buy; volume high, sell) today is not looking good for the bulls.