Archive - Dec 2011

Below are select knee jerk responses by Wall Street analysts, which as warned repeatedly, are broadly skeptical for one simple reason: by delaying much needed ECB intervention, which is the only "bazooka" in this case, the solvency crisis in Europe's financial core will continue to escalate until the next time around it will require far greater stop gap measures. Bottom line - this solves nothing.

The fact of the matter is that there is a very fundamental, and sparsely recognized reason for overbuilt retail commercial real estate to take a tumble - in addition to the more recognized massive headwinds.

UPDATE 1: Broad risk assets leaking lower now after initial positive reaction

UPDATE 2: BTPs now 25bps wider than early morning tights

With expectations around EUR300bn, the EUR489bn print is well above expectations.

• *ECB ALLOTS EU 29.7BLN IN 98 DAY REFINANCING TENDER
• *ECB AWARDS EU489 BLN IN THREE-YEAR LOANS VS EST EU293 BLN
• *ECB SAYS 523 BANKS ASKED FOR THREE-YEAR LOANS

The initial reaction seems to be risk on as EUR is rallying. Gold and Silver are also rallying. Stocks and CONTEXT rallying but BTPs not reacting aggressively yet.

The over-expectations print suggests more a safety net against short-term debt maturities than new borrowing for the carry trade (banks have been actively derisking in the last few months and we would be surprised if new borrowings were used to relever). Furthermore, the 'over' print makes one wonder how much more pickup there will be at future offerings thus suggesting the leaking wider in BTPs (for example) reflects the market's selling the news (or discounting of the flow expectations).

We assume the major peripheral banks were the most active in taking up this cheap money.

As overnight markets leg higher once again, with all risk assets correlating higher, UBS provides a Japanese perspective on the problem of European bank under-capitalization and the impact of the 3Y LTRO. Obviously the relative take-up of the 'bailout' will decide just how much 'free-money' the banks can potentially reap (were they 'ultimately' all-in enough to do the carry trade) before the EBA's capitalization deadlines, but it is clear that even in an extremely large take-up scenario (and extended deadline) - the earnings will not come close to covering bank (capitalization) needs. The Japanese rear-view mirror perspective on this is hardly supportive as the Europeans follow the same 'short-term-solutions-and-zombification-via-capital-needs-extensions' strategy which will inevitable require the investment (read bailout) of public funds (as it did in Japan in both 1998 and again in 2003). UBS recommends buying JGBs on any selling outcome from the current market's perceptions - and given the shifts in TSYs in the last two days, we can't help but want to grab some of that knife.

As strange as it may seem, the current market environment of highly correlated risk assets and surge/plunge movements in prices does indeed lend itself to the contrarian view that Citigroup's credit research group has to 'do what feels wrong' in 2012. This has proved very profitable in the last few months and they warn that the consensus view that 'its okay to miss the first leg of the rally, I'll catch the second' may be a losing proposition as the current chase we are seeing in the last few days (and saw on 11/30 for example) exemplifies the rapid one-way shifts in credit, equity, and in fact every asset class at the merest hint of solution (or problem). Citi lays out five scenarios for 2012's credit market (and the concomitant equity markets) basing their opinion on market (VIX and rate level and vol movements) as well as fundamental (the economic surprise index we have been extensively discussing), and technical (issuance and trading volumes) and see spread compensation for default as negligible and mostly prone to systemic risk which should disappear in the low probability 'very bullish' scenario. The highest probability scenario is continued sovereign stress, which we agree with, and a very range-bound trading market as systemic risk remains high (though not cataclysmic) with the floor on secular spreads notably higher than pre-crisis levels. We do wonder though when we see spreads 'switch' regimes from reflective of systemic risk to reflective of fundamental (recessionary slowdown) cyclical risk.

But don't worry ... you can trust Obama!

At all levels: preparations for the collapse of the Eurozone. Even the public is now encouraged to prepare for it.

"Gold again proves it is not the safe haven many had hoped for, breaking the 200-day moving average, the first time since 2009 and signaling that prices may drop to US$1400/ounce." So begins a post by a "market strategist" from Roubini Global Economics as of less than a week ago. Well, since as the chart below shows gold just took out the 200-DMA, this time in the opposite direction upside, having proven the recent drop was nothing but a buying opportunity as was suggested by the non-Ph.D. community, we assume that using the author's logic, gold has proven that it is in fact a safe haven, and that since it is not going to $1400 it can only go to infinity.... Or is that us taking liberties with our lack of an economics Ph.D. a little too far?

Here’s a quick crash course in how the intelligence business works these days. Despite the Hollywood mystique of suave, womanizing, pun-dropping men of mystery flitting around the world, it’s much more mundane. In reality, government operatives from a host of three-letter agencies are working to develop large networks of informants. These are mostly folks who deal with other people and are in the know– the bartender in Beirut, the luxury car dealer in Bogota, the money changer in Riyadh, the hotel manager in Shanghai, etc. These assets are constantly being pumped for information– who did you see, what were they buying, where did they go next, who were they with, what were they discussing, etc. And in exchange, informants typically get paid. In the United States, there are a number of laws on the books which are theoretically supposed to prevent the three letter agencies from spying on US citizens. Naturally, the government dispenses with such inconvenient formalities in its sole discretion, and Congress frequently passes legislative exceptions (USA PATRIOT Act, NDAA, etc.) There’s a little known division of the Treasury Department called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) whose mission is to “to enhance U.S. national security, deter and detect criminal activity, and safeguard financial systems from abuse by promoting transparency in the U.S. and international financial systems.”

Once again we seem to have a discrepancy between what “credit” people think and what “equity” and “FX” people think.  The broad market rallied strongly today, at least in part because of the LTRO. On one thing, everyone agrees, the take up rate will be high.  There will be strong demand for the LTRO.  What differs is the impact that will have on the market. At one end is a belief that banks will be borrowing this money so they can purchase new assets.  The allure of carry will be too much to pass up, and with government encouragement, they will rush to purchase new sovereign debt and maybe even lend more.  That will turn the tide in the European debt crisis since there will be buyers for every new issue, and the market can move on to “strong” economic data in the US. The other end of the spectrum is that the banks will use this facility to plug up existing holes in their borrowing.  They won’t have to rely on the wholesale market or repo market as much as they can tap this facility.  It will take some pressure off of the “money market” as banks won’t be scrambling for as much money every day, or over year end, but it won’t lead to new asset purchases by the banks.  Banks need to deleverage and that hasn’t changed.  The bonds can have a 0% risk weighting, but that doesn’t mean anyone, including the banks, believe it.  The road to hell is paved with carry.  That is an old adage and likely applies here. 

Once again, the momo and retail "traders" gets ripped off by the whales who take advantage of vacuum tube inspired momentum and retail bag holders praying for a few days that will make their year. From Goldman EOD market commentary: "Up, up, and away for stocks today. Europe gets the party going, and the music keeps playing for the US. The flow on our cash desk actually skewed to better selling – decent long-only selling (consumer staples and information technology) vs. small hedge fund buying (info tech and energy). ETF desk was better to buy, but only moderately so. SPX 1260 (200d) still the level to watch above – held twice in June, sliced through in August, been a consistent top in October, November, and December. SPX closes up 36 at 1241 (+2.98%)." And incidetnally as was noted here minutes ago, "Strange to see EURUSD and SPX decouple so sharply, but year-end brings funny things." Translation: thank you dumb money stock investors - without you the Putnams of the world would have nobody to sell to.

While there is nothing quite like using correlation to imply causation, or predicting the future by observing self-fulfilling prophecies which work until they wipe everyone who blindly follows them, investors do enjoy observing technical patterns that lead to at least some incremental and tranistory beta. Especially in this day and age of centrally planned alpha disintegration. And while many have noted historical phenomena which used to work in the old days, such as the "Merger Monday" effect, this was before the Obama administration decided it would be the best and last arbiter of what transactions should and shouldn't work. As a result, Merger Monday were promptly forgotten. Also promptly forgotten were POMO days (at least for now), as every Fed bond purchase, has an equal and offsetting bond sale (inverse POMO). Granted once the Fed starts monetizing Italian bonds this will quickly change. But what about now? Well, as a trading desk advises us, using 2011 statistica data, "Torrid Tuesdays" just may be the new "Merger Monday."

UPDATE: ORCL missed. $8.8bn Rev vs $9.23bn exp., 54c EPS vs 57c exp. - Stock -9% AH

With ES (the e-mini S&P futures contract) managing to pull over 40 points off overnight lows (bringing back memories of the 11/30 global bailout rampfest), we saw correlated risk assets disconnect one by one as the day proceeded. First to leave the party was FX carry (or more simply the USD) just before Europe closed. Then Gold stabilized and stopped accelerating and credit markets also went only gently higher/stable in the afternoon. Oil kept on lifting with stocks - helping Energy stocks lead the way (up over 4% on the day) - but even Oil went flat within an hour or so of the close. The only other asset that seemed to be correlating and self-reinforcing was the Treasury complex - most specifically the 10Y and the 2s10s30s butterfly but it was the former that had the highest correlation overall and kept going right to the end. Volume did die away towards the end but surged right at the close as average trade size picked up and ES started to roll over a little - pros selling into the close? Who knows but there was little else supporting ES up here on the day and with the 'news' ahead on LTRO take-up - maybe better safe than sorry.