Archive - Feb 14, 2014 - Story

Everyone knows that without the German export-driven growth dynamo, the European economy would quickly wither and disappear into nothingness. Which is why today's report that the German economy grew by just 0.4% last year, its worst performance since the global financial crisis in 2009, with strong domestic demand only partially offsetting the continued negative impact of the euro crisis, should be reason for significant concern to all especially since all the artificial, goalseeked GDP readings from the periphery are just that, and are completely meaningless in the grand scheme of things - should Germany's growth falter, as it clearly has been over the past two years, may as well put the lights out.

While modestly better than expected, Import Prices fell 1.5% year-over-year, down from a 1.3% year-over-year drop for December. This is the sixth month in a row of year-over-year drops in import prices and perhaps even more notably, the last 20 months have seen only 2 months of year-over-year price gains as the Japanese deflation ogre spreads around the world.

The percentage of investors who describe themselves as "neutral" is at its highest in over 11 years as a modest 5% retracement in stocks has bulls running for the hills and individual investors extremely uncertain once again. As Bloomberg notes, "everyone is sitting in the middle of the canoe waiting for something to happen." Will it be Birinyi's 1,900 surge, Tom Lee's 2,100 spike, or DeMark's 1929 crash analog?

Recall what we said first thing this week when we remarked the latest surge in Chinese physical gold buying: "As we have said before: keep an eye on the "gold holdings" of the GLD and other US paper gold ETFs, whose drop in holdings for now has offset Chinese accumulation on the margin. Once GLD gold holdings solidly resume their climb higher, that will be the key upward gold price inflection point." Perhaps it is a testament to the power of paper of physical gold (if only for now), that while yes, we were correct, and gold is now indeed soaring, having finally broken above its 200 DMA as we reported yesterday, all it took was the predicted rebound in gold ETP holdings which have finally ended their liquidation cycle. As Bloomberg reports "Assets in the SPDR Gold Trust expanded 1.2 percent to 806.35 metric tons, the highest since Dec. 20. The biggest ETP backed by gold, which shrank 41 percent last year, is up 1.2 percent this week, headed for a third weekly advance."

• Euro-Area Growth Eases Pressure on Draghi for Stimulus (BBG)
• Germany Beats Growth Estimates With France Amid Recovery (BBG)
• Argentina revises ‘bogus’ inflation figures (FT)
• Wells Fargo edges back into subprime as U.S. mortgage market thaws (Reuters)
• China Banks’ Bad Loans Reach Highest Since Financial Crisis (BBG)
• Time Warner Cable Deal to Test Comcast CEO's Washington Clout (WSJ)
• Risky Loans in Europe Banks’ Dark Corners to Be Exposed  (BBG) - yeah, right... sure
• Gold Extends Climb Above $1,300 as Investors Boost SPDR Holdings (BBG)
• SEC Takes Steps to Stem Courtroom Defeats (WSJ)

So far the overnight session has been a replica of yesterday, with the all important carry trade once again fizzling overnight during Japan trading hours, and dipping as low at 101.60 before staging a modest rebound to the 101.8 level. We expect the "invisible" 102.000 USDJPY tractor beam to be again engaged shortly and provide market support and/or levitate stocks higher as the now standard selling in Japan, buying in the US trade pattern repeats. On the other hand, US equity futures appear to have decoupled from the pure carry trade, and instead latched on to USD weakness and EUR strength following European Q4 GDP data, which came at 0.3% on expectations of 0.2%, up from 0.1%. Considering the constant adjustments to the European definition of GDP, at this point Mongolia would have been able to demonstrate growth if it was in Europe (but apparently not Greece which once again missed GDP expectations with Q4 GDP of -2.6% vs Exp. -2.0%). Expect ES and USDJPY to recouple shortly, as they always do - the only question if the recoupling will take place lower or higher.