“I expect a hard default definitely before March, maybe this year, and it could come with this program review,” said a senior IMF economist who is keeping close tabs on the situation. “The chances for a second program are slim.”
Failure of Greece to meet its targets, growing reluctance by some euro members to continue lending and the fact that private-sector participation in a second bailout won’t significantly alter Greece’s debt profile are the primary factors, the IMF official said.
Jobs Paralysis Raises Odds of Fed Action – Real Time Economics – WSJ
Job market paralysis in August increases the chance the Federal Reserve will do something new to help the economy……. The current environment is pushing the Fed towards action. A week ago, Chairman Ben Bernanke told a gathering of the world’s top economic officials he was expanding the length of the upcoming September Federal Open Market Committee to give policy makers additional time to talk about what the Fed can do, which by itself increased the odds something was going to happen.
via Jobs Paralysis Raises Odds of Fed Action – Real Time Economics – WSJ.
Disleveraging and retail – macrobusiness.com.au | macrobusiness.com.au
We’ve long established the link between [Australian] house prices and retail sales, but here is a pretty clear illustration of the link between mortgage creation and sales.
This stands as a stark warning to anyone expecting a bounce in retail sales so long as disleveraging continues. Let alone actual deleveraging.
via Disleveraging and retail – macrobusiness.com.au | macrobusiness.com.au.
China Says Fighting Inflation Is Priority – WSJ.com
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday said stabilizing prices is still the government’s top priority, signaling that concerns over a global slowdown still don’t outweigh inflation risks.
Traders Don’t Care About Long-Term Problems, But You Should | Chris Ciovacco | Safehaven.com
We believe the psyche of investors is on the verge of reaching a tipping point, which could cause a very rapid decline in asset prices. It is next to impossible to know if and when they will reach for the sell button in unison, but the risk for such an event is elevated and must be considered in all portfolio management decisions. Stocks dropped 34% in twelve trading sessions in 1987. High volatility occurred before that drop, indicating an increased willingness to run for the exits. If you have not noticed, the markets have been volatile recently. An “Oh, my God” type event is difficult to predict, but the conditions are in place to make for an interesting next few months.
via Traders Don’t Care About Long-Term Problems, But You Should | Chris Ciovacco | Safehaven.com.
Chinese manufacturing index rises but export outlook dips | The Australian
Exports were a problem area during the month, as the official survey’s new export orders subindex fell to 48.3 from 50.4 in July, slipping into contractionary territory for the first time since April 2009.
Economists said the weak exports reading could be an ominous sign for the export-dependent economy.
“It is a sign that China was affected by turbulent global markets in August,” said Standard Chartered economist Li Wei.
via Chinese manufacturing index rises but export outlook dips | The Australian.
On High Correlations – Seeking Alpha
If the time horizons of investors are predominantly long, correlations on assets should be low in the short-run, because investors don’t make decisions to trade off of short-term macro factors. But when a large part of the investor base is skittish and is always running to or from the latest bit/byte/bite of data – that leads to high correlations.
ETFs aren’t necessary for high correlations, but they seem to help the process by creating easy ways for people to implement decisions that are a simple idea. “I want financials, I don’t want energy, buy the long bond, sell gold.”
Thus high short-term correlations indicate a momentum mindset in the investor base.
Aussie stronger
The Aussie Dollar followed commodities higher, breaking through $1.06 to signal a test of resistance at $1.10. 63-Day Momentum holding above zero suggests continuation of the up-trend. In the long term, breakout above $1.10 would offer a target of $1.20* — though this is only likely if we see more quantitative easing from the Fed.
* Target calculation: 1.10 + ( 1.10 – 1.00 ) = 1.20
The Aussie Dollar is testing the upper trend channel against its Kiwi counterpart; breakout would warn that the down-trend is weakening. Reversal below $1.245 would warn of a test of the lower trend channel.
* Target calculation: 1.24 – ( 1.28 – 1.24 ) = 1.20
Euro checks support
The euro is headed for another test of support at $1.40 after respecting resistance at $1.45. The descending triangle suggests a downward breakout with a target of $1.30. Momentum crossing below zero would strengthen the signal.
* Target calculation: 1.40 – ( 1.50 – 1.40 ) = 1.30
The pound sterling is also headed for a test of support, this time at $1.60. Breach of the rising trendline warns of trend weakness; a Momentum cross below zero would again strengthen the signal. Failure of support would offer a target of $1.53*.
* Target calculation: 1.60 – ( 1.67 – 1.60 ) = 1.53
When debt levels turn cancerous – Telegraph Blogs
The professoriat has been a little too cavalier in arguing that debt does not really matter for the world as a whole because we all owe it to ourselves. Debtors are offset by creditors (not always from friendly countries). Common sense suggest that this academic solipsism is preposterous, and so it now proves to be.
“As modern macroeconomics developed over the last half-century, most people either ignored or finessed the issue of debt. Yet, as the mainstream was building and embracing the New Keynesian orthodoxy, there was a nagging concern that something had been missing…..There are intrinsic differences between borrowers and lenders; non-linearities, discontinuities… It is the asymmetry between those who are highly indebted and those who are not that leads to a decline in aggregate demand.”
Creditors do not step up spending to cover the shortfall when debtors are forced to retrench suddenly. So the economy tanks.
via Ambrose Evans-Pritchard|When debt levels turn cancerous – Telegraph Blogs.