Archive - Jun 2015

Speaking at Russell Napier’s Library of Mistakes in Edinburgh earlier this month, Jim Grant of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer was asked what financial mistakes we’re making today that future generations will regard as the most ridiculous. If you’re familiar with Grant’s writing the short answer won’t surprise you...

Presented with little comment aside to ask if someone is off-script?

NOONAN: THE CRISIS HAS COMMENCED
SCHAEUBLE SAYS `HELLISH DIFFICULT TASK' ON GREECE
NOONAN: I HAVE SYMPATHY FOR THE GREEK PEOPLE

But always remember, "Greece doesn't matter," which as Mohamed El-Erian explains, is somewhat true, since European leaders have two other existential issues to contend with also...

The Confederate Flag flying over South Carolina's Capitol building has been removed (temporarily)... not by congressional decree, but by the hands of spider-man-like Bree Newsome who scaled the 30-foot flagpole. However, shortly after her arrest by State Capitol police, the flag was raised again...

One of America's most notorious bank robbers, Willie Sutton (1901-80), is said to have remarked that he robbed banks "because that's where the money is." In a strange twist, the banks themselves are now beginning literally to rob their own customers.

The fact that Moody's and Fitch are beginning to reevaluate student loan ABS is indicative of an underlying shift in the market. Between the proliferation of IBR and the Department of Education's recent move to open the door for debt forgiveness in the wake of the Corinthian collapse, financial markets are beginning to see the writing on the wall. Perhaps Bill Ackman said it best: "there's no way students are going to pay it all back."

Here's how it plays out... "no one gets out of this alive"

It is clear from the EU Finance Ministers' template-like comments to the press what the real worry is in Europe (and the world). It's not The Greeks (Schaeuble: "No other decision was possible, no problem with Greek referendum... need to see what happens next"), it's something else:

*SCHAEUBLE SAYS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVERT MARKET UNEASE
*DIJSSELBLOEM: OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE PREPARED TO TAKE ANY ACTION

And then there's this utter rubbish: ITALY'S PADOAN: "EURO AREA IS VERY STRONG."

"A possible Greek default on debt due to the International Monetary Fund next week would trigger cross- default clauses on 130.9 billion euros that Greece owes the euro area’s temporary rescue facility, a European Union official says."

Despite all the talk of "containment" and "Greece doesn't matter," not only are we told by anonymous EU officials that some banks may not open Monday but now, a Greek SEC Official has warned...

*GREEK BOURSE MAY NOT TRADE MON IF NO ELA EXTENDED: SEC OFFICIAL

Greeks just got CYNK'd (or Hanergy'd).

Bad breadth is everywhere in US equity markets...

People are already freaking out that Greece is just days away from defaulting on a $1.72 billion loan payment.  Just wait till the margin call on the $370 billion margin debt in China's stock markets. 

When you party naked...

Politicians have always labored under the entirely mistaken impression that one can keep people from doing what they actually want to do, or that markets can be suppressed by outlawing them. It turns out that kids don’t like to be told how their food should be prepared either. In fact, they absolutely hate it. Congress just received an update on the “unintended consequences” of Michelle Obama’s school lunch rules. Apparently the stuff she wanted to push on children just tastes really crappy and now a black market in salt, pepper and sugar has developed...

As Jerome Dijsselbloem fearmongers all the worst parts of the bible that are about to befall Greece, Yanis Varoufakis is explainiing the Greek decision:

*VAROUFAKIS: CREDITOR OFFER LACKED HOPE FOR INVESTORS, CONSUMERS
*VAROUFAKIS SAYS GREECE FIND ITSELF AT `HISTORIC MOMENT'

Adding that the decision by the Eurogroup (ex-Greece) to veto the program extension damages Europe overall, Varoufakis defiantly concluded, "Greek aid programs have been clear failures" and the Greek government has no mandate to accept a "recessionary" aid offer.