Archive - Feb 2, 2014

So which is it?

On one hand, the record build up of inventory in the past year and especially in the last two quarters, is the primary reason why so many economists were fooled into believing the US economy was approaching escape velocity, as can be seen in BEA data. On the other hand, the composite of the manufacturing and non-manufacturing ISMs suggest that not only did inventory accumulation halt in the second half, but with a most recent print of 47.5, imply that inventory was already being rapidly liquidated as 2013 was ending. One thing is clear: they can't both be correct.

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In a month of disturbing images from troubled countries in all parts of the developing world, the biggest threat to the global economy may have been lurking in the shadows...

As noted on Friday, the Greek soap opera, in which Europe pretends to bail out Greece when it is just bailing out its insolvent banks by not touching the status quo, and Greece pretends to reform and comply with austerity reforms, is about to enter its third act. Yesterday, Greek Kathimerini reported that the reason why the Troika has put Greece on ice and has is behind in the implementation of 153 actions demanded by its lenders, according to a timetable compiled by the Finance Ministry. "Of the outstanding actions, 57 are the responsibility of the Finance Ministry, 17 fall to the Development Ministry, another 17 to the Labor Ministry and eight to the Administrative Reform Ministry. The rest are divided among other ministries. A number of the actions have yet to be completed as the government remains in discussions with the troika about the measures. Inspectors are expected to return to Athens later this month but a date has not yet been fixed." In other words, the bulk of the conditions agreed to as part of the second bailout have yet to be met by Greece. So what happens next? Why a third Greek bailout of course.

If the Barclays Skyscraper Index, which posits bursts of skyscraper construction are a harbinger of great economic collapse and market crashes, is accurate, then the world is in for a, well, world of pain. And nowhere more so than in China

Nine Event Risks for the week ahead:  identified, discussed and assessed.

Philadelpia may have booed Santa Claus, but last night it was New York's turn to boo a not so jolly, calorie-challenged man, embattled NJ governor Chris Christie, during the ceremonial Super Bowl “handoff” at Times square. However, in the aftermath of Friday's NYT revelations that evidence exists that Christie was aware about the real reason behind the bridge closures as they happened, onlookers only had a brief 30 seconds during which to boo Christie before he promptly departed the stage on his own.