Archive - Jan 23, 2012 - Story

• IMF begging ECB for cash, ECB begging Germany for cash... all is well: Lagarde Says Europe Must Boost Firewall (WSJ)
• More rumors of inflation targeting: Bernanke near inflation target prize, but jobs a concern (Reuters)
• A Sears Wager Stings at Goldman (WSJ)
• Draghi Makes Euro Favorite for Most-Profitable Carry Trades With Rate Cuts (Bloomberg)
• Euro zone finance ministers to rule on Greek debt talks (Reuters)
• "Reserve Currency" - Iran Said to Seek Yen Oil Payments From India Amid Sanctions (Bloomberg)
• Hackers-for-Hire Are Easy to Find (WSJ)
• Florida’s Republican Primary Pits Romney Money Against Gingrich Momentum (Bloomberg)
• YouTube hits 4 billion daily video views (Reuters)
• Carnival CEO Lies Low After Wreck (WSJ)
• Fed Forecasts Could Awaken Treasurys (WSJ)

As of a few hours ago, Goldman's Francesco Garzarelli has officially told the firm's clients to go ahead and short 10 Year Treasurys via March 2012 futures, with a 126-00 target. While Garzarelli is hardly Stolper (and we will have more on the latest Stolpering out in a second), the fact that Goldman is now openly buying Treasurys two days ahead of this week's FOMC statement makes us wonder just how much of a rates positive statement will the Fed make on Wednesday at 2:15 pm. From Goldman: "Since the end of last August, we have argued that 10-yr US Treasury yields would not be able to sustain levels much below 2% in this cycle. Yields have traded in a tight range around an average 2% since September, including so far into 2012. We are now of the view that a break to the upside, to 2.25-2.50%, is likely and recommend going tactically short. Using Mar-12 futures contracts, which closed on Friday at 130-08, we would aim for a target of 126-00 and stops on a close above 132-00." As a reminder, don't do what Goldman says, do what it does, especially when one looks the firm's Top 6 trades for 2012, of which 5 are losing money, and 2 have been stopped out less than a month into the year.

When we predicted on Thursday that the most recent record number of EUR shorts would take the EURUSD over 1.30 on Friday following a spurious rumor that the IIF and Greece had reached a deal, it turns out we were one work day off. As it happens, the EURUSD has just taken out 1.3000 following an FT Deutschland report that Greece and the IIF have reached a broad agreement. It would be funny if only it wasn't so predictable. The source- unidentified government officials. Either way, it appears this will be the on again, off again rumor that drives risk today, since there are no fundamental economic news. Per Bloomberg, banks and EU, IMF, ECB still trying to agree on coupons, so it actually is not a deal but hey, who cares. Coupon for the new, long-term debt after the voluntary haircut should be somewhere above 4%. Troika still pushing for a 4% ceiling. Deal may be concluded in next few hours. Top level talks were interrupted Saturday, continued Sunday by “experts”. Troika experts want to calculate today if Greece can still meet the goal of cutting total debt to 120% of GDP by 2020. And so on. Of course, since just one hold out hoping for "legal arbitrage" and par recoveries, will force the retroactive implementation of CACs, which in turn will trigger CDS, which in turn will force a subordination of debt claims, all of this is moot.