Archive - Jun 2012

The Spanish precedent is indeed spreading, and as noted here previously a week ago, the Irish demand to get equitable treatment may be about to be granted:

• TROIKA CONSIDERS CHANGING IRISH BAILOUT TERMS, RTE SAYS

However:

• BROADCASTER RTE DOESN'T CITE SOURCES FOR BAILOUT REPORT

So most likely just a trial balloon to see the European response. But why not? What is the downside: Europe blinked and now it is up to the peripherals to demand the same. Next up: Portugal, Greece (again), and again... Spain. And so on, until the socialist utopia finally does run out of other people's money.

Relief in the markets, after the worst case scenario from the Greek elections was averted, proved to be decidedly short-lived. Although the pro-bailout New Democracy party came in first with 129 seats (with an additional 50 seat bonus) the markets still await confirmation of an actual working coalition given a caretaker government has been in place now for approximately two months. A degree of uncertainty in regards to the demands the new coalition will place on negotiating the country's bailout terms has resulted in many investors being unwilling to get their toes wet just yet. Away from the election fever, rising Spanish yields continue to spook the market with the 10yr yield breaching the 7% level, prompting aggressive re-widening of the 10yr government bond yield spreads. The move comes at a crucial time for Spain as they look to come to market tomorrow in 12 and 18 month bills followed by three shorter dated bonds to be tapped this Thursday. Meanwhile, the FX markets have reflected the shift in sentiment with EUR/USD well off its overnight highs and the USD index firmly supported by the prevailing flight to quality bid. However, the biggest currency move of the day came in the early hours after the rupee (INR) weakened substantially following the RBI's decision to leave rates on hold, this coupled with Fitch changing the country's outlook to negative from stable has kept the currency under pressure throughout the day.

Gold took a tumble for the first time in 7 sessions in Asia as Antonis Samaras, leader of the Greece's New Democracy Party (pro-bailout) was victorious.  Today, Samaras plans to form a coalition with other parties backing the bailout – meaning that Greece’s future in the euro is secure – for now.  Gold’s dip in Asia was thought to be due to profit taking and increased risk appetite after the Greek election. However, this increase in risk appetite has been quite short lived with Spanish and Italian 10 year bonds again coming under pressure resulting in record Spanish yields over 7.13% and Italian 10 year over 6% again. Initial gains in equity markets have subsided and the lessening of risk appetite is seeing gold supported. Greece’s exit from the Eurozone is no longer a short term risk however it remains a real risk as does the risk of financial contagion in the Eurozone due to insolvent banks in Spain, Italy and France.

Just read.

• Greek radical leftist SYRIZA leader Tsipras says will not join coalition government (as expected)
• Egypt Islamists claim presidency as army tightens grip (Reuters)
• French Socialists vow reforms after big poll win (Reuters)
• Greeks Back European Bailout (WSJ)
• France, Socialists Win a Solid Majority (WSJ)
• Denmark Warns over Pressure on Krone (FT)
• Obama to press Putin on Syria at G20 amid skepticism (Reuters)... Putin to smile
• China Home Prices Fall in Record No. of Cities (Bloomberg)
• Europe Gets Emerging Market Crisis Ultimatum As G-20 Meet (Bloomberg)
• Wolfgang Münchau – What Happens if Angela Merkel Does Get Her Way (FT)

With all the europhoria over Greece, some may have forgotten Spain. It is time to remind them that the real "fulcrum country" of Europe has now shifted a few thousand kilometers to the West, where as also reported on Friday the pain will come primarily from more home price declines (up to another 25% lower from here), and loan loss recognitions. How much? As Market News reports, the number may be as large as €150 billion. Of course, if that full number flows through the insolvent banking sector's bottom line, and forces a comparable FROB capital infusion via any of the bailout channels, this is €50 billion more in bond subordination (because good luck raising the capital via equity) than even the worst case Spanish bailout scenario had anticipated. It also explains why as of this morning, Spanish bonds traded at all time record lows. Because, sadly, nothing continues to be fixed in Greece, Spain, or anywhere else in Europe.

While the market is finally figuring out what was obvious about 12 hours ago, that even if, and that is a big IF because Pasok has made it clear it will not join ND outright, there is some coalition government formed it will most likely last all of a few weeks before the whole charade has to be repeated once more as the entire plan is to keep Greece without a government as its last assets are plundered via the Greek "rescue vehicle", events in Greece are once again going through their preset moves. Below, courtesy of Athens News is what is happening in the Greek capital today. Needless to say, if the headline comes that Samaras is unable to form a government, watch out below.

Below is a market recap where we find that, yes, as we expected yesterday, the half life of yesterday's Greek euphoria is shorter than even that of the Spanish bailout.

• S&P500 Futures down
• EURUSD down 0.1%
  
• Spanish 10Yr yield up 24bps to 7.12%
• Italian 10Yr yield up 12bps to 6.05%

Hopefully this is not a surprise to Zero Hedge readers, who were warned on Friday, that courtesy of the idiotic desperation press leak, we shifted to a risk/reward momentum to a Tsipras victory being the only positive Risk On catalyst as it would activate a global central bank intervention. Looks like that is now off the table.

So... now what?

What's more tiresome than a hastily rehearsed soap opera that replays the same boring plots again and again? Re-Runs of that soap opera. The Eurozone "drama" is now in re-runs and I for one am switching channels. Nothing will change until some critical part of the worm-eaten, corrupt construct of artifice and denial collapses in a heap. Until then, all we have is replays of the same boring plot lines:

Put-upon Greece: We were just minding our business here in the sunny south, living happily on borrowed billions in a thoroughly corrupt Status Quo, and suddenly we're debt-serfs squeezed by rapacious Eurozone enforcers of the banking cartel. What did we do to deserve this? It's not fair.

Put-upon Germany: We were just minding the store here, racking up 40% of our GDP in exports and raking in bank profits loaning money to our Eurozone compatriots, when suddenly everyone who's lived beyond their means demands that we refinance their debts because we're rich. Excuse us, but did anyone look at how we got rich? Hard work, cuts in spending, high taxes and a tight lid on wages. What did we do to deserve this? It's not fair.

Married couple in counseling: France and Germany: It's all his/her fault. They never bothered to understand me, etc.

"MARKET ISSUES: Greek euro exit fears are likely to ease for now, but even in this best case outcome, Greece will continue to struggle to meet programme targets and renegotiation with a possible third programme for Greece will soon have to be addressed. Moreover, this does not solve the fundamental issues weighing on Spain and Italy."

The market finds itself at another one of those junctures that have been prevalent over the past 3 years.

It is "no government" in Greece for the moment, playing chicken over the bailout terms, playing chicken over new money for Greece as their economy continues to deteriorate and as they amount they owe now, much less any new money, cannot be paid back under any scenario that anyone can concoct. The headlines may well drive the markets' reaction briefly but "watch out below" will be what takes hold as it must because that assumption is based upon facts and not hype.

In a perilous replay of the Spanish bank "bailout", the proxy for bailout sentiment, the EURUSD pair, was up 61 pips to just under 1.2700... and that's it. Naturally, if the world suddenly thought Europe was "fixed", Spain notwithstanding, one would imagine the reaction by the FX market would be just a little more invigorated than merely confirming that what is playing out (namely the lack of a definitive Greek government) has already been priced in. And yet here we are...