Archive - May 2014

May 29th

Tyler Durden's picture

Third Tailing Treasury Auction Concludes This Week's Bond Issuance





Moments ago, the Treasury department concluded its auction activity for the week with the issuance of $29 billion in 7 Year Notes (Cusip WN6), which in keeping with the prior two - 2 and 5 Year - auctions earlier in the week, also had a modest tail: the bond priced at a 2.010% yield (73.9% allocation) compared to a When Issued of 2.009%. Then again, considering the big drop in yield from April, when the same auction priced at 2.32% this is perhaps not too surprising.  Notably, this was the first 7 Year auction tail since December, and is once again notable considering the overall strength of the secondary bond market.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Over A Thousand Soldiers Killed As Ukraine Fighting Escalates, Russian Media Reports





According to RIA, quoting Slaviansk people's mayor Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, about 1,200 Ukrainian army soldiers have been killed during a special operation in Slaviansk, and eight helicopters and 15 armored vehicles were destroyed. Supposedly this includes the 1 helicopter whose crash was reported previously. "According to our information, the Ukrainian army has the following losses and damages: 1,200-1,300 people were killed, eight helicopters, 15 armored transport vehicles, and three [artillery] weapons destroyed. They are suffering huge losses. I’m speaking only about Slaviansk," Ponomaryov said in an interview with the Latvian radio station Baltkom.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Peter Schiff Slams PikettyMania





There can be little doubt that Thomas Piketty's new book Capital in the 21st Century has struck a nerve globally. In fact, the Piketty phenomenon (the economic equivalent to Beatlemania) has in some ways become a bigger story than the ideas themselves. However, the book's popularity is not at all surprising when you consider that its central premise: how radical wealth redistribution will create a better society, has always had its enthusiastic champions (many of whom instigated revolts and revolutions). What is surprising, however, is that the absurd ideas contained in the book could captivate so many supposedly intelligent people

 

EconMatters's picture

The Bond Market Explained Part II





Since so many people are still slightly confused about how all the pieces come together in this move lower in yields, we feel the need to add some follow-up commentary. 

 

 

 

Tyler Durden's picture

10Y Treasury Yield Hits 2.40%





It seems shorts keep covering and the Chinese keep buying (through Belgium of course - as they sell CNY, buy USD, and grab the extra yield on Treasuries). Despite stocks relative stability, 10Y yields have just hit 2.40% for the first time in over 11 months (as USDJPY broke down). It seems this morning's dismal GDP print was just enough to confirm the growth/inflation slowing meme (in bond investors' minds) and the yield curve is flattening even further...

 

GoldCore's picture

Gold To See “Massive Shortages” and “Typical Investor” Will Not Be Able To Get Bullion - Rickards





Financial expert, Pentagon insider and bestselling author James Rickards has warned that “typical investors” may not be able to acquire physical gold when prices begin to surge hundreds of dollars a day as “massive shortages” will take place. In another fascinating interview,, Rickards said that gold will become the preserve of the “big guy” in the form of sovereign wealth funds and central banks.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Someone Is Dead Wrong About The Economy





Bottom line: someone is dead wrong on the economy, but we are glad that the weathermen formerly known as economists are putting all these timestamps out there in the public domain. Because we eagerly look forward to seeing just what the scapegoat will be when Q2 GDP mysteriously fails to soar to 4%. And judging by what the bond market is doing, the only place that may see 4% growth in Q2 is China (net of all the fabricated data of course).

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Texas VA Run Like A "Crime Syndicate" Claims Whistleblower





"For lack of a better term, you’ve got an organized crime syndicate," a whistleblower who works in the Texas VA told The Daily Beast. "People up on top are suddenly afraid they may actually be prosecuted and they’re pressuring the little guys down below to cover it all up." What’s worse, the documents show the wrongdoing going unpunished for years...

 

Tyler Durden's picture

"Pent-Up" Pending Home Sales Demand Missing; Down 9.4% YoY





But it's the weather... nope... NAR blames excess inventory as giving people too much choice and slowing their purchasing decisions for the notable miss on both MoM and YoY sales. This is the 7th month in a row of declining YoY sales. The 0.4% rise MoM missed expectations of 1.0% as the pent-up demand from a cold winter appears to be missing in action. Of Course NAR is optimistic (but even they are cautious), "an uptrend in closed sales is expected, although some months will encounter a modest setback."

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Consumer Comfort Plunges To 6-Month Lows





Despite record highs in stock markets and talking-heads explaining that a terrible Q1 GDP print is nothing to worry about, Bloomberg's Consumer Comfort index collapsed to its lowest level in 6 months as 'Buying Climate' collapsed and economic expectations plunged from 48 to 42.5 (7-month lows). Those earning over $100k are happy and comfort soared but the comfort of those earning under $40k plunged to new cycle lows. The Fed won't be happy... need S&P 2,200 for animal spirits to come back again...

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Goldman Boosts Q2 GDP Forecast Due To Weaker Than Expected Q1 GDP





Today is the day when economists weathermen everywhere jump the shark. Here's Goldman's Jan Hatzius: "Because of weaker inventory investment in Q1, we increased our Q2 GDP tracking estimate by two-tenths to 3.9%."

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Excluding Obamacare, US Economy Contracted By 2% In The First Quarter





As if the official news that the US economy is just one quarter away from an official recession (and with just one month left in the second quarter that inventory restocking better be progressing at an epic pace) but don't worry - supposedly harsh weather somehow managed to wipe out $100 billion in economic growth from the initial forecast for Q1 GDP - here is some even worse news: if one excludes the artificial stimulus to the US economy generated from the Obamacare Q1 taxpayer-subsidized scramble, which resulted in a record surge in Healthcare services spending of $40 billion in the quarter, Q1 GDP would have contracted not by 1% but by 2%!

 

Tyler Durden's picture

S&P 500 Pushes To All Time Highs On First Economic Contraction In Three Years





What do you do when GDP prints twice as bad as expected... buy stawks! And so it is that -1.0% GDP print for Q1 has been greeted with a buying drive in S&P 500 futures to lift it back near all-time record highs this morning. Gold, silver, and the USD are also rising.. and bond yields are rising very modestly.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

US Economy Shrank By 1% In The First Quarter: First Contraction Since 2011





Bottom line: for whatever reason, in Q1 the US economy contracted not only for the first time in three years, but at the fastest pace since Q1 of 2011. It probably snowed then too.

 
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