Archive - Mar 2013

Following the dismal PMIs this morning, most EU equity indices were declining. From around the open of US equity markets, EURUSD began to levitate as the 'bad' news hit Cyprus Popular Bank being 'restructured', no deal with Russia, and ATM lines mounting. Of course, the machines interpreted EURUSD's rise as a positive and European equities (and US equities) got a lift into the EU close. We suspect, in reality, this EUR strength is very different and given the surge in demand for Swiss 2Y rates (now at 2 month lows), EUR-USD basis swaps, and European sovereign bond markets in the last hour, it would appear this is very much repatriation flows and not 'we love the Euro' flows. European stocks did end the day lower though - catching down to credit's earlier week weakness.

The mooted savings levy in Cyprus is a form of wealth confiscation on behalf of the EU which is making depositors throughout the Union nervous. There has been no dramatic increase in the demand for gold in recent days. However, this could be a ‘tipping point’ moment when savers realise that they are unsecured creditors of banks and their savings are not sacrosanct.

Local TV station CYBC reports that police in the Cyprus' capital are scuffling with protesters (including employees of Cyprus Popular Bank) outside the nation's parliament:

*CYPRUS POLICE CLASH WITH BANK EMPLOYEES OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT

CYBC says more protesters gathering at Parliament House

Refuting earlier comments from the regulator that Cyprus Popular Bank would not be shuttered, CYBC is reporting (following the failure to sell it to the Russians) that the bank is to be shut down, split into good-bank-bad-bank, and that deposits under EUR100,000 will be protected.

• *CYPRUS POPULAR BANK TO BE SHUT DOWN, STATE-RUN CYBC SAYS
• *CYPRUS POPULAR BANK TO BE SPLIT IN GOOD, BAD BANKS: CYBC
• *CYPRUS POPULAR BANK ASSET PROCEEDS TO BE RETURNED TO DEPOSITORS
• *CYPRUS POPULAR BANK DEPOSITS OF LESS THAN EU100,000 GUARANTEED

Of course, we await the re-refutation but for now it seems the latest news trumps the regulators 'lies' earlier.

Nat Gas kissed $4 just after 10:00 EST and then subsequently collapsed to $3.891 before rebounding all the way back.  Coupled with Fannie Mae, we're in an Efficient Market!  This time, the computers were a full 7 seconds ahead of the release, not the 400 ms we've been seeing.

Remember that infamous business school in Illinois known for its farcical and utterly ridiculous hypothesis that the market is efficient? We disagree. Exhibit A: nationalized mortgage lender, Fannie Mae, and no news.

Given the public unrest of the last few days, it would appear that the Cypriot government, having tried and failed with Plan A (wealth tax versions 1 and 2) and Plan B (beg the Russians directly), they have decided to go with Plan C (Collateralized Cypriot Obligations). The current proposal, ekathimerini reports, to theoretically be voted on in a few hours (about to be in cabinet), is that Cyprus will form an investment fund to raise the capital needed to payoff their EU overlords. This fund will be collateralized by state assets, possibly including natural gas revenues, church property, and social security fund reserves. Though some form of deposit tax was 'apparently' not ruled out, it seems the next last best hope for Cyprus is begging the Russians to extend a loan and begging the world to fund more debt from a nation about to see huge capital outflows. The approach is, it appears, a 'solidarity' approach - rather than tax the current wealth of depositors (and hand it over to Troika), 'tax' the future possibility of wealth creation and sell that to the next greater fool sovereign wealth fund (or will the ECB decide that these CCOs are acceptable collateral?)

Overly optimistic expectations are commonplace in non-recessionary periods, and confirming what we discussed here, estimates have continued to decline over the past few quarters while markets have pushed higher. In fact, as JPMorgan notes, and despite the protestations of the commission-takers, S&P 500 EPS are now forecast to be less than they were at the previous peak in 2007/2008. Of course, the multiple expansion argument comes to save them but we note that given where we are in the profit cycle with margins at their current levels (as discussed here) the majority of earnings growth moving forward must come from revenues rather than margin expansion. Revenues for the S&P 500 have historically grown in-line with nominal global GDP, so let's hope that FDX, CAT, and ORCL are all one-offs. So given indices are at all-time highs but EPS expectations are well below the previous peak - we wonder just how this market is deemed 'cheap'?

The likely outcome of the Cyprus crisis now looks to be even worse for the average Cypriot that appeared likely over the weekend. Those who think countries would be better off outside EMU rather than in, just might be able to test their hypothesis. We suspect they will be sadly surprised to learn that the only thing worse of getting in is getting out.

For a few days, the people of Cyprus were calm, quietly and orderly accepting the unreality of the levy being imposed upon them - incredulous that it was even possible. As we reach the 4th day of bank closures, amid rolling rumors and ECB threats, it appears the people have reached a tipping point as this series of images from Cyprus ATM lines indicates - the bank-jog has arrived. When will it become a full blown sprint?

Many commentators have spent a great deal of ink proclaiming China to be the next great economic power. While it is true China has seen dramatic improvements in its economy over the last 30 years, my view has been and remains that most of the “growth” of the China “miracle” is just a debt-fueled bubble built upon a loose foundation of Government corruption and fraud.

Ignore corporate margins tumbling to a three year low: the Philly Fed is here to kiss and make it all better, after surging from -12.5 to +2.0 , beating expectations of a -3 headline print. This was driven by a bounce in New Orders from -7.8 to +0.5, Inventories up from -10.0 to 0.0, and number of employees rising from 0.9 to 2.7. Curiously, the average employee workweek plunged from -1.6 to -12.9, but who needs to actually put in hours when one has a part-time job. Alas, if today's Philly Fed, which printed at levels seen last in 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009, was supposed to push the market higher, it has failed, as economic data is so "pre-QE" - now all that matters is if a central bank will inject a few trillion into the "market", and if yet another sovereign bankruptcy can be prevented at a time when the DJIA has never been higher.

The S&P 500 gained 12% in 2012 and has almost reached that level of return in 2013 YTD , delayed only by the apparent non-event in Cyprus, led, if one is to believe the talking heads and asset gatherers, not by a Fed-driven liquidity flush but by the mother's milk of stocks - earnings. A major driver of these earnings has been corporations ability to squeeze more blood out of their stones (read - layoff and automate as much as possible) and margin expansion is often cited as the catalyst for the next leg higher in stocks. The trouble with that 'anecdotal' meme, trotted out again and again, is it appears to have hit its unemployment/consumerism-driven limiting point. As JPMorgan notes, in light of the robust cost cutting experienced during the recovery, additional margin expansion remains unlikely going forward, leaving future earnings growth dependent on stronger revenues - recoupling expectations to GDP growth and we know what that means. Critically, in reality, S&P 500 profit margins have dropped rather notably in the last two quarters - now at their lowest since Q1 2010 - not exactly the 'expansion' the advisers told us would happen.

I think Bernanke is telling the greatest lie ever told.

"Markets believe that we will find a solution and that we will provide more money and this might not be the case."