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Another Look At Inflation: Cotton Up 44% YTD - One Percent Per Day

Tyler Durden's picture




Earlier, we got the January PPI number telling us that things are still somewhat under control on the inflationary front. Perhaps. Perhaps not. Cotton begs to differ. In a month and a half, cotton has risen 44%: since there have been about 44 days in 2011, that means about a 1% a day. Since our first warning back in September, when the world's most worn commodity passed $1, cotton is up 95%. Annualized, the YTD move in cotton is 1,512%. We are confident clothing makers and retailers have extensive hedges in place to counteract a move that will send margins negative shortly unless there is an appropriate hedge offset, or corresponding jump in prices. Either way, BTFD.




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Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:15 | Link to Comment hedgeless_horseman
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Our parents survived double-digit inflation under Carter by wearing polyester.

Leisure suits, bitchezzz!!!

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:17 | Link to Comment SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

Polyester camo leisure suits! All the rage for late spring/early summer food riots and bank runs.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:28 | Link to Comment Thomas
Thomas's picture

That's more disturbing than thinking about them having sex.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:23 | Link to Comment Sudden Debt
Sudden Debt's picture

sex?! AND WHERE DOES THE STORK FIT IN?!!

 

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:16 | Link to Comment NOPOMO
NOPOMO's picture

Ben says he does not see any inflation.  Boy if he gets one wiff of inflation he can shut it down in 15 minutes flat.

Ben is nothing but a fake and a liar.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:59 | Link to Comment Agent P
Agent P's picture

In his defense (did I just say that?), "can" and "would" are two very different things.

Fun Fact: US paper currency is comprised of roughly 75% cotton...QE2 is getting more expensive by the day.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:51 | Link to Comment h3m1ngw4y
h3m1ngw4y's picture

+14 trillion

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:16 | Link to Comment SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

Chocolate covered cotton balls anyone?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 13:08 | Link to Comment robobbob
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catch 22?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 15:18 | Link to Comment SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

Wheres my parachute? Theyve all been confiscated, you get ONE share in 'the company' in its place!

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:18 | Link to Comment Misean
Misean's picture

A 1512% increase is good, right?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:17 | Link to Comment jus_lite_reading
jus_lite_reading's picture

As I said, everyone wins. Every man, woman and child has a castle. That is Dr. Deficit's plan.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:19 | Link to Comment Quintus
Quintus's picture

For the last time - There is no inflation!  Ben says so, and I'll believe him before I believe any of your stupid empirical facts.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:21 | Link to Comment SheepDog-One
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Theres no other woman in bed with me sweetie, after all who are you going to believe your lyin eyes or ME?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:19 | Link to Comment unwashedmass
unwashedmass's picture

 

um, excuse me guys, but, um...there is NO inflation.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:20 | Link to Comment Jason T
Jason T's picture

hyperinflation

 http://freemarketstudies.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/weimar-mark-graph1.jpg

 

America made a deal with the devil allowing the printing of money.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:33 | Link to Comment LawsofPhysics
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slight modification;  America made a deal with the devil by allowing a private banking cartel to print their money for them.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:53 | Link to Comment h3m1ngw4y
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sometimes the devil of my devil is also my devil O_o

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 14:07 | Link to Comment faustian bargain
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My ears are burning

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 15:02 | Link to Comment hedgeless_horseman
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Are your boots heavy?

Jonathan Moulton 18th century Brigadier General of the New Hampshire Militia, alleged to have sold his soul to the devil to have his boots filled with gold coins when hung by the fireplace every month.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:23 | Link to Comment hambone
hambone's picture

FYI - largest sportswear companies have no hedges in place...just reeling margins.  Co-worker and I were just discussing this...price increases coming daily on materials, labor, rubber, leather, you name it.  Ouch.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:21 | Link to Comment youngman
youngman's picture

Why has there not been any companies coming out and saying margins are shrinking.....fast...changing their forcasts...this stock bubble is about to pop I think.  Any guesses on how many companies MISS expectations next quarter????  I am thinking 80%.  If they are not passing on these costs..and they say they aren´t....then it has to hit somewhere.....

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:19 | Link to Comment lincolnsteffens
lincolnsteffens's picture

No, no, no! L. Birinyi just on Boomberg said we have two more years to go for this BULL market. Made predictions for the market with confidence.  I know he is right because in two years I know what I'll be eating for lunch on Feb. 16th 2013 and how much I'll weigh to the oz. SMART GUY!!!!! I'm putting all my money on Citi, not.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:03 | Link to Comment topcallingtroll
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productivity is likely to be extraordinary.  80 percent miss is a doomsday scenario.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:21 | Link to Comment monopoly
monopoly's picture

But flat panel TVs are down in price again. Don't we buy at least one of those every week. Much more important than food, oil, clothes. come on guys, BTFD>

 

lol

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:22 | Link to Comment Shameful
Shameful's picture

So summer fashions will be light on material?

Do you patriotic duty to fight inflation and go nude?  Topless Fridays at the office?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:23 | Link to Comment topcallingtroll
topcallingtroll's picture

Omg as a kid I remember polyester leisure suits! The.shirts often had a printed scene on them such as a panorama. Please dont bring those back! Next thing you know will be the gold plated neck chains for guys ( guys wear chains, not necklaces). We will also have to dig out the blow dryers and part our hair in the middle and feather it. Dear god, noooo!

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 20:11 | Link to Comment StychoKiller
StychoKiller's picture

Already got 10 grams of 24kt around my neck -- you?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:28 | Link to Comment ElvisDog
ElvisDog's picture

I am the world's biggest doofus. I invested in the one commodity - natural gas - that has not gone up in the recent commodity boomfest. Who would have thought cotton would be the speculator's darling?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:31 | Link to Comment Thomas
Thomas's picture

Hang tough, Elvis. You are early, not wrong. I have a very chunky natural gas position and am totally sanguine that I have simply beat the street to the target.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:33 | Link to Comment youngman
youngman's picture

I agree with you...you are early....

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:01 | Link to Comment topcallingtroll
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you guys give me hope!

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:37 | Link to Comment LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

Hey, don't feel bad.  My wife convinced me to only grow 14 acres of cotton last summer.  We did well, but could have done better.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:00 | Link to Comment topcallingtroll
topcallingtroll's picture

Yeah I got in at 5.47 or something like that.  UNG has been great for me the last couple of times i bought at 5.60 or below.  I am hanging on though.  I think we got one more round in this game.  Margin just makes it more exciting.  asshole pucker factor beginning to diminish a bit.  Riding the storm out.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:29 | Link to Comment The Alarmist
The Alarmist's picture

Gee, looks like cotton is getting to the price where it no longer makes sense to be so capital-intensive in its production, especially with so much spare labor capacity idle.  Time to bring back the plantation.

 

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:51 | Link to Comment antisoshal
antisoshal's picture

America heavily subsidizes its cotton industry, and we are the largest exporter. Perhaps maybe we should cut the subsidy and just enjoy the inflow of cash for one of the few crops we produce that appears to now be worth the effort?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 15:42 | Link to Comment painequalschange
painequalschange's picture

+1000

For everything we export...

And here's the kicker -

We should only accept GOLD in return!

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:01 | Link to Comment ivana
ivana's picture

looks like emerging markets consumers decided to double wearing shirts, panties , coats etc since july 2010 ... hahaha

wherever whichever "globalized" market starts lack of liquidity, volume etc ... when humans buy side dissapears >> utility puppeteers are stepping in and hiking it to the moon.

same game as S&P but in that case they are only cautiously "bullish"

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:01 | Link to Comment Sizzurp
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Isn't the dollar itself made from cotton.  Hmmm this might be more serious than I thought.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:06 | Link to Comment Overflow-admin
Overflow-admin's picture

TD, be careful with the maths:

44% in 44 days doesn't mean +1% per day. With +1% per day incremental you have around +53% in 44 days. +0.8% per day sounds better.

 

*fixed*

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:47 | Link to Comment SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

Actually your math is off worse, TRADING days not total days, so actually its up well over 1% per trading day.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:14 | Link to Comment Sausagemaker
Sausagemaker's picture

Could it be increased demand for new underwear because Uncle Ben has everyone shitting their pants?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:45 | Link to Comment lincolnsteffens
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precious! This site is better than Sat. Night Live.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:15 | Link to Comment sawyer
sawyer's picture

This cotton market will crash and burn by the spring...

1. too much hoarding by suppliers in China, India, and Pakistan

2. unlike other soft or grain commodities, cotton quality can decline over time, thus reducing value

3. retailers will lower ordered quantities as they know their clients have a set budget to spend on cloths. For sure "for the home" retailers will suffer the most as raw material represents a higher percentage of good's cost 

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:16 | Link to Comment LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

Who cares, I sold my crop and made great money, let them hoard.  People still need to eat so we plant a different set of crops.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:24 | Link to Comment bob_dabolina
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Well there have only been 34 trading days so cotton is really up 44% in 34 days.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:26 | Link to Comment gwar5
gwar5's picture

I think I bought everything I need already, still thinking... more Socks?

 

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:51 | Link to Comment ivana
ivana's picture

:-)
i did same. doubled socks. socks are important due to global sweating and care for family member noses.
now only have to wear all of it as less as possible. right now naked 68%... wait wait will also rest my hat down to make it round 90% naked

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:57 | Link to Comment topcallingtroll
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Pics please?

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:54 | Link to Comment lincolnsteffens
lincolnsteffens's picture

I got in early and filled the drawer last year with major socks investment. If you hurry you can probably still pick up jeans at a big discount at all the discount stores. Forget the business suits 'cause you wont need 'em. 

You have to get in early on this stuff! I'm waiting for lumber and labor to crash before putting an addition on my house or chucking the whole thing and scour N. Zealand for big discounts to start sprouting when the carry traders are forced to cash out.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:43 | Link to Comment The Axe
The Axe's picture

Long socks,,,,,PLEASE cotton is like OJ (not the the killer) but orange juice! When prices go crazy you can sub in cherry or apple or many other choices until prices retreat . Cotton is being horded and cotton does breakdown after being stored to long..When all these dopes start selling the buyers will move out of the way...to determine the really market price....not this crazy shit.....

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:51 | Link to Comment 99er
Wed, 02/16/2011 - 13:27 | Link to Comment Goldbugger
Goldbugger's picture

Hey There's no inflation. It's beningn like the tumor on bernanke's a$$.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 14:11 | Link to Comment wawawiwaa
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You short this on April 15 your will be minting money...

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 17:13 | Link to Comment The Axe
The Axe's picture

Not inflation   worlds greatest short squezze..  check out forward months....

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