Archive - Nov 14, 2013 - Story

Following our earlier preview, we expect the Q&A to have some potential fireworks as the politicians demand she "get to work" as soon as possible. If you are playing buzzword bingo at home - drink if she says "bubble", "depression", "data-dependent", "fiscal", or "screw you Schumer."

Or, in other words, the chart you see here...  it is just a product of your imagination.

It would appear that much of the rally yesterday (and early overnight) was driven by hope (and confirmed relief) that Fed chair nominee Yellen is not about to take on a substantially less-dovish tone in today’s testimony in an effort to garner the support of the more hawkish elements of the Senate Banking Committee. There was a great deal of confirmation bias in the market's move and interpretation but, as BofAML notes below, this may be misplaced. The more important part of today’s testimony is yet to come in the Q&A session - where we will hear likely more unscripted thoughts from the QEeen at her Senate confirmation this morning.

Despite the great shale revolution, US exports posted a $0.4 billion decline to $188.9 billion in October driven by decreases in industrial supplies and materials ($1.3 billion), other goods ($0.2 billion), consumer goods ($0.2 billion), and capital goods ($0.1 billion). This was offset by a $2.7 billion increase in imports to $230.7 billion broken down by increases in industrial supplies and materials ($0.9 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.9 billion); capital goods ($0.8 billion); and consumer goods ($0.6 billion). End result: a September trade balance of $41.8 billion, which was higher than the highest forecast of $41.6 billion among 72 economists queried by Bloomberg, and the highest deficit print in 4 months.

Following the end of the plague of system glitches last week, the Labor Department admits that 5 states estimated levels this week. The initial jobless claims print remains near 4 month-highs (adjusted to for the prior glitch unreality). At 339k vs 330k expected, this is the 6th straight week of disappointment for the 'critical real-time indicator of the economy's health' that some have called this noisy data series. Last week's 'encouraging' print was revised higher from 336 to 341k, we can't wait to see how the 5 estimates affect next week's revision.

Curious where the "hedge fund hotel" is currently located, for both most loved and hated asset classes? The following table shows both the penthouse and the basement of the most recent groupthink, which not surprisingly, indicates that hedge funds, which have simply become highly-levered momentum and beta chasers, are most bullish on the Nasdaq, and offsetting this, are most bearish on 10 Year notes. Of course, since the bulk of the very highly levered marginal cash (for those who haven't seen it, Balyasny's leverage chart is a stunning eye opener) is already deployed, all that remains now is the profit-taking, and as such anyone who wishes to take advantage of the inevitable and recurring hedge fund hotel collapse would be advised to put on a short Nasdaq, long 10Y pair on and await the unraveling.

It's deja vu time for Wal-Mart. Spot the trend:

• Q1: Wal-Mart Misses Revenue, Guides Below Expectations: Weather Among Factors Blamed
• Q2: Wal-Mart Misses, Guides Below Expectations; Blames Weak Consumer Spending, Payroll Tax, FX And Lack Of Inflation

Spot it yet? Good. Sure enough, in Q3 continuing the trend, moments ago Wal-Mart just missed revenues, and you got it: lowered guidance.

• Yellen to defend Fed's ultra-easy monetary policy (Reuters)
• Japan growth slows on global weakness (WSJ)
• Eurozone third-quarter growth falters (FT)
• Fed Debates Its Low-Rate Peg (Hilsenrath)
• Yellen: Economy Still Needs Fed Aid (WSJ)
• ‘Obamacare’ launch fiasco rouses sceptics (FT)
• DoubleLine's Gundlach says U.S. equities 'only game in town' (Reuters)
• Indian Inflation Exceeding Estimates Adds Rate-Rise Pressure (BBG)
• HUD Said to Fail in Bid to Sell $450 Million of Mortgages (BBG)
• Boeing machinists reject labor deal on 777X by 67 percent (Reuters)

Japan growth cut in half, Europe growth cut by more than half, but none of that matters: today it will be all about the coronation of QEeen Yellen, who testifies before the Senate Banking Committee at 10am. Not even Japanese finance minister Aso's return to outright currency intervention warnings (in addition to the BOJ's QE monetary base dilution), when he said that Japan must always be ready to send signal to markets to curb excessive and one sided FX moves and it is important that Japan has intervention as FX policy option, which sent the USDJPY back up to 100 for the first time since September 11 made much of an impact on futures trading which after surging early in the session following the release of Yellen's prepared remarks, have now "tapered" virtually all gains. Certainly, the follow up from Europe doing the same and also warning it too may engage in QE, has been lost. Which is odd considering the entire developed world is now on the verge of engaging in the most furious open monetization of virtually everything in history.

Following the second quarter 0.3% rise in Eurozone GDP, which ended a multi year European recession (and who can possibly forget all those "strong" PMI numbers that helped launch a thousand clickbait slideshows), the proclamations for an imminent European golden age came hot and heavy. This was before the imploding European inflation print was announced and certainly before the ECB had no choice but to cut rates and even hint at QE, shattering all hopes of European growth. And just over an hour ago, the latest validation that just as we expected Europe is on the verge of a triple dip recession, came out of Eurostat (which may or may not get back to the issue of Spanish data integrity eventually), which reported that just like in Japan, the sequential growth rate in Europe is once again not only stalling but was dangerously close to once again contracting in the third quarter when it printed by the smallest possible positive quantum of 0.1%.