Archive - Jan 7, 2015

It appears Germany is indeed very concerned about a Greek bank run and its concomitant contagion possibilities across the European Union's banking system...

*GERMANY OPEN TO GREEK DEBT TALKS AFTER ELECTION, LAWMAKERS SAY

Although careful to point out that they are "not open to debt write-offs," German lawmakers (who preferred to remain anonymous) suggested "possible easing of repayment terms."

While various CNBC anchors may be willing to say that the US is "growing gangbusters" yet again confusing the liquidity-oozing equity markets with the economy, there are a couple hundred million Americans who would bet to differ (which incidentally may also explain why the Comcast channel no longer wishes to have its viewership calculated by Nielsen): the reason is that according to the latest Bankrate survey released today, more than three in five Americans don't have money in their savings accounts to cover any unexpected bills such as a $500 car repair or a $1,000 emergency room visit. In fact, only 38% of respondents said they have enough funds in their bank accounts to cover even the most mundane of spending emergencies.. Most others would need to take on debt or cut back elsewhere.

The world has habituated to the never-ending undeclared war over ownership and access to hydrocarbons. Now we are entering a new phase of asymmetric war being waged not over oil but the price of oil.

Who owns Greece's public debt? That's the 322 billion-euro question, according to the Finance Ministry's figures from the third quarter of last year. Most of the debt has changed hands since a bailout in 2010, a second in 2012 and a restructuring involving private creditors that same year. Private owners now hold only 17 percent. The secondary market has become very thin — bear that in mind when looking at 10-year bond yields. A default would have to be absorbed instead by official creditors, holding the remaining 83 percent of outstanding loans and bonds. These include euro-area governments (62 percent), the International Monetary Fund (10 percent) through its participation in the two bailouts, and the European Central Bank (8 percent), which purchased bonds in 2010 through its Securities Market Program. The remaining 3 percent are repurchase agreements and assets held by the Central Bank of Greece. It is unclear where losses on that portion would fall.

Judging by the excitement this morning across the mainstream media, one could be forgiven for assuming WTI was trading back at $100 and everything was fixed again. However, we have seen these 'dead-cat-bounces' numerous times in the past few months and there is one way to know if professionals are buying the stability-is-here-to-stay meme or not... the credit market for energy names remains practically bidless...

"Should the ECB announce EUR500bn in government bond purchases to be implemented over a one-year period, as our European Economics team expects, this programme would compare in size to the average monthly purchases of USTs by the Fed during QE3, but it would be significantly larger than the average monthly Fed purchases since the beginning of the global financial crisis. ... The ECB's stock of eligible Euro area government bonds is EUR7trn (by comparison, the stock of US government securities is about $12trn) and we estimate 2015 net government bond issuance to be around EUR90bn and gross issuance to stand at around EUR800bn (see Macro Rates Monitor, December 19, 2014). The ECB would, hence, buy about 62% of gross issuance of long-term bonds in the Euro area countries and more than five times as much as the net issuance."

 Globally, there are over $22 TRILLION worth of derivatives trades involving commodities. ALL of these were at risk of blowing up if the US Dollar rallied. And the Dollar is rallying HARD.

The Russian ruble fell a further 7% Monday. What is the “reason” cited in the Corporate media for this latest, further plunge in its “value” (i.e. exchange rate)? An “economic report” which shows that Russia’s economy is shrinking. Here we see the pattern of the economic terrorism perpetrated by the One Bankexposed.

Greek 10Y bond prices (and stocks) are tumbling, pushing the yield well north of 10% once again - the highest in 15 months - as Bild reports Germany warning of bank runs and systemic financial system collapse. Having noticed the weakness in financial assets that this caused, several European talking heads are out now trying to calm the waters with Germany's Michael Fuchs confirming "systemically [Greece] is not relevant anymore," but as one trader noted, for now, "investors seem wary of catching the falling knife."

Can the US economy ignore or even benefit from the winds of deflation blowing from offshore? With a current CAPE (Cyclically Adjusted PE) in excess of 27X, the US market is clearly answering this question in the affirmative. It is worth pausing to ponder just how much this optimism for a US de-coupling has already been reflected in prices. The Solid Ground was very bullish on global equities from 1Q 2009 to 1Q 2011, but then turned bearish, believing that QE was insufficient to prevent deflation. The failure of QE to generate ever higher inflation is now a matter of record, but very clearly US equities cheered this failure and the need for continual QE from 2011 to 2014.

Those waiting to see if the crude crash would lead to any sizable adverse impact on the US trade deficit in November, as lower production led to higher imports if only on paper, the answer is yes, but in the opposite direction: instead of increasing or dropping just marginally from October's $43.4 billion (to the $42 billion consensus estimate), the November trade deficit tumbled by 7.7% to $39 billion the lowest print since December 2013, as a result of a 2.2% drop in imports coupled with a 1% decline in exports. But it was shale crude once again that was the swing factor, which was massively produced as domestic producers scramble to offset declining prices with extra volume, because as the data showed, in November the US imported the smallest crude amount by notional since 1994, and the lowest cost crude since 2010.

With Venezuelan bonds re-collapsing as belief in a 30c recovery floor fades rapidly (and hyperinflating Venezuelan stocks soar - whether oil prices are rising or falling), the people of Maduro's socialist utopia have a new problem to contend with. After running out of toilet paper, and finding soap and shampoo hard to come by, AP reports Venezuela's more than 100 McDonald's franchises have run out of potatoes and are now serving alternatives like deep-fried arepa flatbreads or yuca, "because of the situation here; it's a total debacle."

Can Oil build a support level? What will the rising USD mean for 4th Quarter earnings

For the 4th month in a row (thanks to revisions revisions revisions), ADP Employment beat expectations. At 241k in December (above the 225k exp.) this is the highest print since June's peak (and occurs as both manufacturing and services PMIs showed faltering unemployment sub-indices). Small business appeared to add the most positions (less than 49 employees) as large businesses added the least with Services-producing firms dominant (even as Services PMI has plunged for 6 straight months). Will "good" news be bad news?

• Twelve shot dead in Paris (Reuters)
• Eurozone Consumer Prices Fall for First Time Since 2009 (NYT)
• Euro's Drop is a Turning Point for Central Banks Reserves (BBG)
• How $50 Oil Changes Almost Everything (BBG)
• Mercedes-Benz Moving U.S. Headquarters to Atlanta (WSJ)
• Greek 10-Year Bond Yields Exceed 10% for First Time Since 2013 (BBG)
• How Even Dairy Farmers Get Squeezed by Rigging in the $5.3 Trillion Currency Market (BBG)
• AirAsia jet tail found underwater, black box may be close (Reuters)
• Italy Unemployment Rises to New High (Bloomberg)