Archive - Jul 15, 2015

If low oil pries are great for America "unequivocally," then the continued surge in Energy costs (+2.4% MoM in June) must be [fill in the blank]? PPI Final Demand rose 0.4% MoM - near the fatest pace in 3 years (beating expectations of a 0.2% rise) but fell 0.7% YoY. The huge gap between core and headline PPI continues to grow with PPI Ex Food and Energy rising 0.8% YoY, its first acceleration in 2015.

This is the most absurd global financial situation we can remember. There may have been wilder outbreaks of mass fatuous behaviour – as Adam Smith could easily have said, there’s a great deal of absurdity in a market. But we have long held that if you don’t understand the rules of the game, best not to play the game. Doing anything in markets today involves making a macro market call that is fundamentally impossible. All markets have become speculative arenas courtesy of central bank activity.

Key highlights from the first day of Janet Yellen's testimony before Congress: " If the economy evolves as we expect, economic conditions likely would make it appropriate at some point this year to raise the federal funds rate target, thereby beginning to normalize the stance of monetary policy. Indeed, most participants in June projected that an increase in the federal funds target range would likely become appropriate before year-end. But let me emphasize again that these are projections based on the anticipated path of the economy, not statements of intent to raise rates at any particular time."

After printing negative for the last 3 months and falling to the lowest since Jan 2013, Empire Manufacturing jumped to 3.86 (beating expectations of a 3.0 print for the first time since Jan). While some will celebrate (and others fear good news is bad news), both New Orders and Number of Employees fell in July, as inventories plunged. The main driver of the jump in the headline index was "hope" once again, rising for the first time since March.

The EU Commission has submitted a formal request to tap the mothballed EFSM for a bridge loan to Greece. The UK may look to block the proposal, but fortunately, Europe has a creative "soultion". 

• Tsipras Braves Parliament on Aid as Greek Outlook Worsens (BBG)
• European markets rise before Yellen speech, Greek vote (Reuters)
• China’s Growth Beats Economists’ Forecast as Stimulus Kicks In (BBG)
• China stocks drop again, positive data shrugged off (Reuters)
• Yellen intensifies Republican outreach amid Fed probe, Senate bill (Reuters)
• Iran deal holds both promise and peril for Hillary Clinton (Reuters)
• Iranians Party Into the Night as Khamenei Backs Accord (BBG)

If yesterday's JPM results were largely a story of contracting trading revenues offset by a decline in expenses, then in many ways today's Bank of America results mimicked what Jamie Dimon did in the second quarter. Moments ago BofA reported that in a quarter in which it repurchased $775 million in stock, it generated $5.3 billion in net income, or $0.45 per share, above the $0.36 declining consensus estimate as a result of a $1.9 billion drop in non-interest expenses, even as FICC trading revenue tumbled just as it did for JPM and Jefferies, sliding 9% Y/Y, offset by a rise in equity trading courtesy of China.

The high debt to GDP and the gross financing needs resulting from this analysis point to serious concerns regarding the sustainability of Greece's public debt. A very substantial re-profiling, such as a long extension of maturities of existing and new loans, interest deferral, and financing at AAA rates would allow to cater for these concerns from a gross financing requirements perspective, though they would still leave Greece with very high debt-to-GDP levels for an extended period.

Just when the Chinese plunge protection team (and "arrest shortie" task force) seemed to be finally getting "malicious selling" under control, first we saw a crack yesterday when the composite broke the surge of the past three days as a result of yet another spike in margin debt funded purchases, but it was last night's reminder that "good news is bad news" that really confused the stock trading farmers and grandmas, which goalseeked Chinese economic "data" beat across the board, with Q2 GDP coming solidly above expectations at 7.0%, and retail sales and industrial production both beating, but in the process raising doubts that the PBOC will continue supporting stocks.

To all appearances, at least “a new Day has dawned” for Greece, the nations of the Rest of the World, and any other members/victims of the Corrupt West also seeking to reclaim their sovereignty, and find economic salvation for their people. Let’s hope that the reality which follows reflects these hopes for a better world.