Archive - Oct 24, 2012

The last few years have been a wild ride in the world's equity markets. None wilder than the US equity markets. The only fly in the ointment is that we've seen this kind of 'wild ride' before, the kind of unbridled nothing-can-stop-us-now, its-all-priced-in, Central-Bank-sponsored rallies that have been the bread-and-butter of every BTFD'er since March 2009. Presented with little comment - this time it's different, we really hope...

While regional independence is superior to both the failing European Union and the façade of special interest controlled democracy, one further action should taken by any jurisdictions that choose secession: Newly restored sovereign nations should repudiate their share of the illegitimate sovereign debt when they exit existing unions and nation-states. Created by distant banking elites buying national politicians and parliaments to load up on sovereign debts that can never be paid off, this massive national debt load is illegitimate and destructive to existing and new national economies. Governments have three ways to deal with debt loads of this magnitude: The first is hyperinflation designed to destroy the payoff value of the debt, second is the official repudiation of the debt or third, a combination of both options. Attempting to hold the bankers accountable is not an option. The first nations to repudiate sovereign debt will have the advantage; and as nations undertake this endeavor, they should keep this in mind: All government bureaucracies grow until contained, taxes rise until curtailed and politicians borrow and seek power until thrown out of office.

In what will likely cause riots on the streets of New York City, the Court of Appeals has upheld that strip clubs could not longer claim a tax exemption as its stage and couch dances did not merit a 'musical arts performance' exemption. As Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports: "It is not irrational for the tax tribunal to decline to extend a tax exemption to every act that declares itself a ‘dance performance,’" the Court of Appeals said in a 4-3 decision. The sticking point, apparently, was the fact that the 'private dances' were the same as those supposedly 'choreographed' on stage (which doesn't seem such a bad thing to us?) but like the Tax Tribunal we haven't observed them or have personal knowledge of such VIP-room activity entertainment. The majority said qualifying the dances as artistic performances would “allow the exemption to swallow the general tax" and one judge added "I find this particular form of dance unedifying -- indeed, I am stuffy enough to find it distasteful; I would rather read the New Yorker," noting that Hustler was insufficiently 'cultural and artistic'."

Two days ago we reported that the German Court of Auditors demanded that the German Central Bank, the Bundesbank, verify and audit its official gold holdings consisting of 3,396 tons, held mostly offshore, namely New York, London and Paris, at least according to official documents. It also called for repatriation of 150 tons in the next three years to perform a quality inspection of the tungsten gold. Today, in a surprising development, via the Telegraph we learn that none other than the same Bundesbank which is causing endless nightmares for all the other broke European nations due to its insistence for sound money, decided to voluntarily pull two thirds of its gold holdings held by the Bank of England. According to a confidential report referenced by the Telegraph, Buba reclaimed 940 tons, reducing its BOE holdings from 1,440 in 2000 to 500 in 2001 allegedly "because storage costs were too high." This is about as idiotic an excuse as the Fed cancelling its reporting of M3 in 2006 because "the costs of collecting the underlying data outweigh the benefits." So why did Buba repatriate its gold? Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has an idea...

It's been quiet, too quiet in the Pacific for the last few days, but now, as Yoimuri reports (and confirmed by Kyodo), the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency (Coastguard) issued a statement that "Chinese surveillance vessels on Thursday entered Japan's territorial waters around a group of islands claimed by China, for the first time in three weeks." Three Chinese maritime vessels moved into the waters near Minamikojima, one of the five main islands of the Japan-controlled Senkaku group in the East China Sea, around 6:30 a.m., the coast guard said. It is the first time since Oct. 3 that Chinese surveillance vessels have entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkakus, which are known as Diaoyu in China.

In a somewhat mind-blowing 'gotcha' this evening (that we saw coming from the moment the words left his lips), the Greek finance minister has been forced to admit he's a lying cheat drop claims that he had secured a two-year extension for debt repayments and an agreement with creditors over EUR13.5bn in proposed austerity measures - because HE HADN'T! As The Guardian reports, Stournaras played to stereotype perfectly (the Greeks only got in the euro thanks to off-market currency swaps to reduce debt optics off-balance sheet) by lying once again (if you lie big enough it has to stock, right?). The U-turn - which he was forced to make after Germany denied the deal (yes Zee Germans again the only ones that anyone should be listening to) - caused chaotic scenes in parliament. As we have vociferously described, and Mr. Panos confirmed, the leverage is all with the Greeks (as much as the world does not want to admit it) as one Greek official said (frighteningly honestly!):

"Even if the troika give us a negative report, what are they going to do? Are they really going to not give us the installment [to keep Greece's economy afloat] two weeks before the US elections, with everything that entails – default, bankruptcy, global market turmoil? These labour reforms will turn our country into Bangladesh. They have no fiscal benefit and will actually derail the adjustment program. The political system will collapse if we impose them. The troika is demanding that we commit suicide!"

The term 'Plutonomy' was originally coined by Citigroup analyst Ajay Kapur, who argued that in many countries, an ever larger part of economic activity was due to the the richest segments of society, as wealth disparities have increased a great deal in recent decades. Countries with especially large Gini coefficients (i.e., an especially large gap between rich and poor) were deemed to represent such 'Plutonomies' by Kapur. We would briefly comment  here that one of the main reasons why the gap between rich and poor has widened so much is the vast amount of monetary inflation that has taken place in recent decades. It is not inequality as such that is the problem. The problem is that while the rich have gained from monetary inflation, the middle class and the poor have at the same time lost out.

Him, with his big foot in his mouth

It appears once again that the behavior of a liquidity-constrained high-beta market-price is encouraging excitement among some of the world's 'smartest' media mavens. "But, but, but, 'China' at 52-week highs must mean something?" we hear. Well three things on that meme: 1) the 52-week high Hang-Seng is not reflective of 'China' fundamentals per se - instead a far faster-money inflow/outflow liquidity indicator; 2) China's Shanghai Composite remains extremely weak; and 3) the Hang-Seng has had three false (and dramatic) swings in the last three years which have all reverted painfully fast (1 bearish and 2 bullish) - do you believe this time is different? Fall 2010 and Spring 2012 both looked great - until they crashed and burned...

Nearly two years ago, and progressing to this day, we first observed (and subsequently even the mainstream media caught on) that America's labor force is slowly but surely converting itself from a full-time to part-time worker society. The reasons for this are obvious: to corporations, the benefits associated with employing part-time workers are countless: avoiding substantial benefits-related costs, evading long-term job contracts, hourly basis wages, and many others. In fact, as long as there is slack in the economy, and there will be for a long, long time as the shift in labor demand is now secular, regardless of what the Fed wants to admit, employers will have ever more leverage, while workers have less and less (and are forced to agree to any employment terms, as long as they get some paycheck at all). This much has been known. What has gotten far less prominence is that of the much trumpeted 4+ million jobs added since the trough in late 2009, virtually all the job additions have gone to (part-time) workers 55 years and over. Indeed, as the chart below shows, starting since the official NBER end of the recession in June 2009, the US has cumulatively added 2.9 million jobs. However, when broken down by age cohort, 3.5 million of these jobs have gone to US workers aged between 55 and 69. Another 729K have gone to recent college grads aged 20-24. What about those workers in their prime years: between 25 and 54 years of age? They have lost a total of 886,000 jobs since June 30, 2009!

While the media continues to push the idea that the housing market is on the mend the data really doesn't yet support such optimism.  The current percentage of the total number of housing units available that are currently occupied remains at very depressed levels. When it comes to the reality of the housing recovery the 4-panel chart (below) tells the whole story. There is another problem with the housing recovery story.  It isn't real.  The nascent recovery in the housing market, such as it has been, has been driven by the largest amount of fiscal subsidy in the history of world. The problem, however, is that for all of the financial support and programs that have been thrown at the housing market - only a very minor recovery could be mustered. With household formation at very low levels and the 25-35 cohort facing the highest levels of unemployment since the "Great Depression" it is no wonder that being a "renter" is no longer a derogatory label.

Equities slipped to their lowest close since Draghi's 'I-have-a-dream' speech and 4th red day out of the last 5. Things were choppy in a tight range before the FOMC and immediately after (aside from a little noise) but as the close approached S&P futures tested yesterday's lows, APPL slipped from its VWAP moorings (but ended green) and even FB eased lower (10% off its pre-open highs). The last hour saw selling pretty much everywhere as Treasury yields popped 2-3bps (even as stocks fell), Gold slid, Oil Slid more and the USD sold off into the close. Given the 'distance' between bonds and stocks, this compression might make some sense (thanks to a lack of anything new from Bernanke to keep the wolves from the depression door). Credit markets tracked stocks - though HYG tried to outperform, only to fade Baumgartner-like into the close. Stocks caught down to VIX's weakness from yesterday and then VIX decided to outperform flat into the close as stocks ended just 'off the lows' as CNBC would say. Only Citi remains green from post-QEtc. among the financials with Buffett's fave WFC -7.9% since 9/14.

This will learn him:

• RAJAT GUPTA GETS 24-MONTH PRISON SENTENCE FOR INSIDER TRADING
• RAJAT GUPTA FINED $5 MILLION

Moral of the story: steal $100 million (illustratively: nobody knows what the bottom line impact of the criminal activity was: could be more, could be less) -> spend two years in a minimum security country club, electric golf carts included. Look for a surge in insider trading cases with this ruling which makes risks to getting caught trading on inside information not only acceptable, but in fact welcome. The good news, for Jon Corzine at least, is that if the MF Global case ever gets to the sentencing stage (it won't), his sentence would be to fly coach class for 24-48 hours.

Presented with little comment except to note that the ebullience (pre-crisis spread levels and dramatically rising PIK Toggle issuance?) driven by flow/technicals and financial repression - even in the face of releveraging and fundamental deterioration will see an over-crowded euphoric group of investors knocking at Ben's door when this turns to dysphoria as the credit cycle inevitably does...

UPDATE: Stocks are at the day's lows now as risk is reverting lower and USD higher

The market had a small conniption immediately after the FOMC minutes were released as algos were quickly switched off but since then little has moved. The main 'theme' if any is one of a lower USD, higher Gold, and lower stocks with Treasuries and Oil flat (for now)...