Yuan

With just nine days until The Fed - which has prepared the world, apparently - will raise rates for the first time in years (and potentialy suck up to $800 billion of liquidity from the global collateral chains of shadow stability), it appears China is doing its best to start some destabilizing efforts (which worked last time). None of this is helped by the collapse in China trade (with imports down YoY for a record 13th month, and exports falling for 5 straight months).

While EM sovereigns as a group may be in better shape now in terms of “original sin” (i.e borrowing heavily in foreign currencies) than they were during say, the Asian Currency Crisis, the confluence of factors outlined above means no one is truly “safe” in the current environment as moving from liquidation back to accumulation will entail a sharp reversal in commodity prices and a pickup in the pace of global growth and trade.

China burned through some $40 billion in FX reserves in November in support of the yuan while the headline drawdown came in at a whopping $87 billion inclusive of valuation effects. It was the third largest decline in history and suggests that despite a misleading $11 billion increase in October, capital flight continues unabated.

A terrible deterioration.

“The new levy raised the estimated cumulative income tax on Wal-Mart Puerto Rico Inc. to an astonishing and unsustainable 91.5% of its net income!”

Until pro-growth, low taxation and less regulation policy changes are enacted, we don’t foresee any changes to central bank policy nor the unsustainable market divergences and asset price distortions. Expect more media propaganda on how great the economy is while the reality is another story. Early signs are that retail sales this holiday season are poor. Nobody can predict when reality will set in and equity markets revert back to pre QE levels in 2008/09. The longer this charade continues, the lower equity markets will eventually go, and in the short-term so will commodities. Then the super cycle in commodities will begin anew. Much this will hinge on next fall’s election cycle.

For about three weeks, beginning on August 11, just about all anyone wanted to talk about were EM FX reserves, and for good reason. But because the market has a short memory, the global EM FX reserve liquidation story has been largely forgotten even as commodity prices remain in the doldrums and even as a laundry list of idiosyncratic factors are still weighing on the world’s most important emerging economies from Brasilia to Ankara to Beijing to Kuala Lumpur.

"You can't 'comply' because there is no rule of law. The best thing you can do is establish processes for who is likely to be taken away, and how to make sure they aren't disappeared forever."

• The Jobs Report Probably Won't Change the Fed's Mind on Liftoff (BBG)
• U.S. authorities look for militant links to shooters in California mass slaying (Reuters)
• Neighbors, Acquaintances Shocked That Couple Are San Bernardino Shooting Suspects (WSJ)
• ECB Fumbles the Stimulus-Baton Hand-off, Mussing Up Fed’s Plans (WSJ)
• OPEC Heads for Status Quo as Members Clash Over Crude Output Cut (BBG)
• Foreigners drawn in as fear and loathing grip China's finance industry (Reuters)

• Mario Draghi Is About to Become the World's Market Risk Manager (BBG)
• Five Things to Ask Mario Draghi From Negative Rates to QE (BBG)
• Leaving behind baby and bombs, couple sows panic in California (Reuters)
• Couple's motive in California rampage a mystery for police, family (Reuters)
• In Grim Ritual, Barack Obama Again Calls for Stricter Gun Control After Mass Shooting (WSJ)
• Islamic State Defeat Impossible Without Ground Force, Kerry Says (BBG)
• OPEC States Push for Output Cuts in Face of Saudi Opposition (BBG)

Again, the globalists at the BIS and the IMF require a diminished U.S. dollar, greatly reduced U.S. living standards and a much smaller U.S. geopolitical footprint before they can establish and finalize a single publicly accepted global elitist oligarchy. If you cannot understand why it seems that the Federal Reserve and U.S. government appear hell-bent on self-destruction, then perhaps you should consider the facts and motivations at hand. Then, you’ll realize it is THEIR JOB to destroy America, not save America. When you are finally willing to accept this reality, every disastrous development since the inception of the Fed a century ago, as well as all that is about to happen in the next few years, makes perfect sense. As the U.S. destabilizes, we are not escaping the clutches of the Federal Reserve system, only trading out one totalitarian management model for another.

Just like Chinese Manufacturing, the Services PMI surveys from official sources and Caixin contradict each other. Providng hope for every bull, bear, and greater fool, official government data suggests the services economy is doing great and stimulus is working as it jumps to 4-month highs. However, Caixin's Services PMI shows a sudden drop near 2015 lows suggesting the need for moar stimulus now... take your pick, it's all farce!

"Emerging economies’ growth prospects look damaged in several respects. The central fact facing EM is the negative external shock that results from weak global trade growth and the collapse of Chinese import growth. This brings to an irreversible end the period of rapid, investment-led Chinese growth and strong global trade growth which had supplied EM with a once-in-a-generation positive external shock during the years between 2002 and 2013."

• Yellen, in back-to-back appearances, could close out era of zero rates (Reuters)
• ECB stimulus hopes keep Europe stocks at three-month high (Reuters)
• ECB to Test the Limits of Its Bond-Buying Program (WSJ)
• Watch for U.S. recession, zero interest rates in China next year, Citi says (Reuters)
• Euro’s Loss Being Yen’s Gain May Be Headache for BOJ (BBG)
• Yahoo Board to Weigh Sale of Internet Business (WSJ)
• Islamic State Prevents Civilians From Fleeing Iraqi City of Ramadi (WSJ)

• Global Stocks Edge Higher on Expected ECB Stimulus (WSJ)
• Moment of truth as Puerto Rico faces crucial debt payment (Reuters)
• Obama urges Turkey to reduce tensions with Russia, stresses support (Reuters)
• Russian Media Takes Aim at Turkey (WSJ)
• Support Grows for U.S. Commando Raids to Fight Islamic State (BBG)
• Yuan Drops as SDR Approval Seen Prompting PBOC to Reduce Support (BBG)