CBOE

The last time CBOE suffered an outage similar to this, it led to the NASDARK debacle and 3 hours of radio silence from the largest (and most liquid) exchange in the world:

Equity markets have to explaining to do, regardless of where you think they are heading.  As ConvesrgEx's Nick Colas notes, if bullish, riddle me this: are stocks just going to hop-skip-jump over Fed tapering, U.S. budget battles, a new Federal Reserve Chair, Syria, Greek bailout 3.0, German Elections, and other near term speedbumps?  Last time we checked "hope" still isn’t a strategy.  And for the bears: Colas asks, how has that been working out for you over the last week of boa constrictor-like squeezes higher?  Not so good. In the following note, Colas takes an out-of-the-box approach to explaining the recent rally by looking at some new academic work on the subject of stress.  As it turns out, stress is only harmful if you believe it is.  Maybe markets have 'learned' that lesson and view all these potential stomach-churning headlines as annoyances, rather than existential crises-in-waiting.

First it was BATS self-helping against NYSE Arca, now it's Nasdaq's turn to break. Joking aside, AAPL dipped below $500 literally minutes before the NASDAQ broke. We joked earlier when we said any selling is enough to break the market. Now, we are not so sure...

• SURPRISE - Goldman Sachs won a preliminary victory to limit losses from a wave of erroneous trades that roiled U.S. options markets (WSJ)
• HP’s Whitman abandons 2014 revenue growth target (FT) - just keep doing those buybacks and ignore CapEx: revenue growth estimated in 2022
• Republicans in Echo Before Big Burn Defy Affordable Care (BBG)
• China's banks to take next step in rate reform push  (Reuters)
• Berlin’s Consistency on Greece’s Rescue (FT) and lack thereof
• Summers as Obama Voice of Authority Rides Car Rescue in Fed Race (BBG)
• Cuomo in Manure Fight as New York Promotes Yogurt (BBG)
• Yellen’s Ties From London to Shanghai Bypass White House (BBG)
• Sanctions Gap Allows China to Import Iranian Oil (WSJ)

This morning's debacle in the options pit appears - just as we noted - to be due to Goldman Sachs 'erroneous' trades:

• *GOLDMAN MAY LOSE AS MUCH AS $100M ON ERRONEOUS TRADES: FT

But, as we also noted earlier, unlike Knight (which was wiped out when its market-making algos went rogue), in Goldman's case:

• *GOLDMAN SAYS 'WORKING WITH EXCHANGES' TO RESOLVE OPTIONS ISSUE

They get everything DK'ed...

As the cash equity markets opened in the US this morning, it appears a slew of options-based bearish bets were placed across a variety of stocks (starting with letters H to L). This slammed the Dow down into the red and to the all-important 15,000 Maginot Line. All was 'normal' until that critical indicator of 'wealth' finally broke 15,000 and almost instantly the exchanges went into "catastrophic error" mode which has resulted in trades from 0930ET to 0947ET on the CBOE being "busted". The exact time when the selling was under-way (so we can't have those sells being counted?). However, there is a rumor that what really drove it was Goldman losing millions on options trades (including JPM), and instead of the NYSE forcing the firm to eat its losses as it did with Knight, it decided to unwind 17 minutes of trades. These are the 'markets' in which investors are supposed to trade?

A bearish take on U.S. stocks is about as fashionable as a beehive hairdo at the moment, which makes it a decent time to think like a contrarian.  Sell-side strategists with a sense of reality are few and far-between but as ConvergEx's Nick Colas warns, the most important reason for caution currently is, obviously, valuation and complacency.  U.S. stocks currently reflect, both in price level (16x current year earnings) and implied volatility (an 11 handle VIX), an economic acceleration which has yet to fully flower.  In addition, Colas adds, domestic equities look good in part simply because everything else – Europe, Japan, emerging markets, etc... - look so bad.  Wouldn't an accelerating U.S. economy spill over to other regions?  So what is lurking around the corner for the next lucky Fed head? And what about the three main memes for why the 'bull' can keep running?

• Botulism toxin? There's an apology for that - Fonterra CEO apologizes, sees China dairy curbs lifted within days (Reuters)
• Patent troll-In-Chief strikes again: Veto of Apple Ruling Likely to Upend Big Patent Battles (WSJ)
• Because scapegoating means justice FTW - SEC Gets ‘Shot in the Arm’ With Victory in Tourre Case (BBG)
• Insider-Trading Probe Caught in a Washington Knot (WSJ)
• Miners return to hedging as gold  (FT)
• Toyota’s $37 Billion Cash Pile Means Turning Point for Abenomics (BBG)
• Inside the battle at Germany's Siemens (Reuters)
• ‘One million’ UK workers on zero hours contracts (FT)
• Wag the dog, part 1984: Iran Seen Trying New Path to a Bomb (WSJ)
• Tokyo Cheap to Hong Kong Luring Asian Bargain Hunters (BBG)

• Pimco Sees 60% Chance of Global Recession in Five Years (BBG)
• Global Tumult Grips Markets (WSJ)
• NSA Secrecy Prompts a Pushback (WSJ)
• ANA Scraps 787 Dreamliner Flight as Engine Fails to Start (BBG) - one of these days, though, it shall fly
• Kuroda’s April-Was-Enough Message Faces Markets Wanting More (BBG)
• S&P warns top US banks are still ‘too big to fail’ (FT)
• Democracy for $500 per plate (Reuters)
• Iran, the United States and 'the cup of poison' (Reuters)
• Japan grapples with lack of entrepreneurs (FT)
• Greece First Developed Market Cut to Emerging at MSCI (BBG)
• Asia's ticking time bonds; time to cut and run? (Reuters)
• Sony Outduels Microsoft in First PS4-Xbox One Skirmish (BBG)

• The deeper agenda behind "Abenomics" (Reuters)
• BoJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda promises to stabilise bond market (FT)
• Obama Sees Sunset on Sept. 11 War Powers in Drone Limits (BBG)
• Lower CPMs for everyone: FTC Begins Probe of Google's Display-Ad Business (WSJ)
• Apple’s Tax Magic Leaves Irish Bondholders Unmoved (BBG)
• Asia Goes on a Debt Binge as Much of World Sobers Up (WSJ)
• All hail Gazpromia: UK gas supply six hours from running out in March (FT)
• Spain’s banks face €10bn more provisions (FT) ... and then more, and more, and more
• Truck strike may have caused Washington state bridge collapse, officials says (Reuters)
• P&G Says A.G. Lafley Rejoins as Chairman, CEO (BBG)
• Five Key Things About the SAC Insider Case (BBG)

People always stop and stare at traffic accidents (no matter how minor) and arguing couples (no matter how unattractive); ConvergEx's Nick Colas has the same problem with the ever-moribund CBOE VIX Index, even though it’s essentially the exact opposite of the proverbial train wreck.  Even with the zombie-like march higher for US stocks, surely the uncertain state of the world would demand more than a 13-handle VIX?  Well, it doesn’t; and Nick offers up some off-the-beaten track explanations for why “13” isn’t the right answer.  Implied volatility should either be higher or…  (gulp)… much lower.  The biggest overlooked factor for both directions: the role of technology in society and commerce.

Succinctly summarizing the positive and negative news, data, and market events of the week...

• Reinhart and Rogoff: Responding to Our Critics (NYT)
• Differences with centre-right delay Italy's Letta (Reuters)
• Italy's Letta moves forward to shape government (Reuters)
• China’s leaders warn on financial risks (FT)
• Norway oil fund makes big move from bonds to stocks (FT) - worked wonders for the Bank of Israel
• Smuggling milk is the new smuggling heroin in HK: Milk Smugglers Top Heroin Courier Arrests in Hong Kong (BBG)
• RenTec's mean reversion models fail on BOJ lunacy: Yen Bets Don't Add Up for a Fund Giant (WSJ)
• From 'Fabulous Fab' to Grad Student (WSJ)
• BOJ in credibility test as divisions emerge over inflation target (Reuters)
• Boston Bombing Suspect Moved from hospital to prison (WSJ)
• Provopoulos Says ECB May Never Need to Use Bond-Buying Program (BBG) which is good because, legally, it doesn't exist