….every asset class that was designed to benefit from the Euro Summit (rates, sovereign debt, & Italian banks for example) has given up its gains (France CDS widening significantly and EFSF deteriorating also) and the most shocked and still likely scarred (psychologically) equity and credit indices have room to drop here to catch up with that reality – whether the recession on/off switch is triggered or the ‘must-buy-to-avoid-career-risk’ trade is on.
Europe’s Dying Bank Model – Gene Frieda – Project Syndicate
In general, the eurozone has outsized banks (assets equivalent to 325% of GDP) that are highly leveraged (the 15 largest banks’ leverage is 28.9 times their equity capital). They are also dependent on large quantities of wholesale debt – totaling €4.9 trillion (27% of total eurozone loans), with €660 billion maturing in the next two years – to fund low-yielding assets. According to Barclays Capital, the 15 largest banks increased their returns on equity by 58% between 1998 and 2007, with 90% of the gain coming from higher leverage. Returns have since collapsed.
This model’s viability depends on large amounts of cheap leverage, supported by implicit government backing.
via Europe’s Dying Bank Model – Gene Frieda – Project Syndicate.
Europe rebounds
The FTSE 100 index is headed for a test of its 2011 high at 6000/6100. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow signals strong buying pressure. Expect retracement to test support at 5400. Respect would confirm a primary up-trend; failure would re-test support at 4800.
* Target calculation: 5400 + ( 5400 – 4800 ) = 6000
Germany’s DAX is testing resistance at 6500. Retracement would test support at 5600. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum peak that respects the zero line would warn that the bear market will continue.
* Target calculation: 5700 + ( 5700 – 5000 ) = 6400
Italy is the latest canary in the coal mine. The FTSE MIB index rallied to test its secondary descending trendline at 17000. Respect would warn of another test of primary support at 13000, while breakout would offer a target of 19000*. The primary trend remains downward despite 13-week Twiggs Money Flow having crossed above zero.
* Target calculation: 17 + ( 17 – 15 ) = 19
After China, Fund Chief Goes to Japan – WSJ.com
On Friday, Chinese and European officials sought to play down expectations about when and how China may deploy its vast financial resources to help bail out indebted countries in Europe.
A Chinese Vice Finance Minister said China must first see the details of a new European bailout fund before making any commitments. “We of course must wait until its structure is extremely clear,” Zhu Guangyao told a press briefing. “And moreover, this investment must be decided on after serious, technical discussions.”
Mr. Regling told reporters he doesn’t expect “any precise outcome” from his visit to China and said “it’s too early to say what kind of amounts might be envisioned.”
…..Mr. Regling dismissed suggestions that European leaders will be forced to offer concessions to China in return for investment. “I am not here to discuss concessions,” he said, noting that China already buys EFSF bonds and gets no special considerations.
SocGen: ECB will have to act – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Albert Edwards from Société Générale said the ECB will have to act, over a German veto if necessary. “The increasingly frenzied attempts of eurozone governments to persuade financial markets that they can draw a line under this crisis will ultimately fail.”
“The impending threat of a euro break-up will force the ECB to begin printing money, very reluctantly joining the global QE party. The question is whether Germany will leave the eurozone in the face of such monetary debauchery,” he said.
via Europe’s rescue euphoria threatened as Portugal enters ‘Grecian vortex’ – Telegraph.
Europe’s rescue euphoria threatened as Portugal enters ‘Grecian vortex’ – Telegraph
Monetary contraction in Portugal has intensified at an alarming pace and is mimicking the pattern seen in Greece before its economy spiralled out of control, raising concerns that the EU summit deal may soon [be] washed over by fast-moving events.
via Europe’s rescue euphoria threatened as Portugal enters ‘Grecian vortex’ – Telegraph.
BOE’s Monetary Gamble Nears Its Endgame – WSJ.com
So where once investors worried that it [the Bank of England] had got policy plain wrong, there’s now a chance they’ll start to fear that the bank has got things all too right, after all, and that the U.K. really does need policy settings appropriate for an economic ice age……
And a government focused on austerity measures is in no position to offer fiscal support even if it wanted to, and, according to the treasury’s pronouncements, it doesn’t. It’s sticking with the deficit-cutting plan A, come what may.
So this is clearly an economy with huge problems anywhere you might care to look. Its remaining cardinal virtue, perhaps, is that it isn’t in the euro zone, so the bloc’s more pressing concerns have shielded it from harsher scrutiny. It can’t rely on that shield for all time.
Eurozone debt deal tackles symptoms, not cause | Investing | Financial Post
Eurozone leaders are as far as ever from finding a lasting solution to the bloc’s underlying problem of economic divergence, despite their latest progress in managing the symptoms of its debt crisis……
“This is another step in the right direction, but it is not enough to get us to the end game,” said Stephane Deo, chief European economist at UBS. “It buys time but it does not address the fundamental problem of the sovereign debt crisis.”
via Eurozone debt deal tackles symptoms, not cause | Investing | Financial Post.
The Creeping Eurozone Credit Crunch | Credit Writedowns
During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Japanese banks, getting killed with a falling Nikkei and their credit extended to Thailand and Indonesia, found that rolling off interbank lines to Korea the easiest way to shrink their balance sheets. American and European banks, not wanting to be the last out of Korea, panicked and followed the Japanese banks thus sucking in another country into the Asian crisis.
The Korean banks having to raise dollar liquidity sold their Brazilian and other emerging market bonds. Brazilian banks long their sovereign’s bonds that were declining in price had to raise liquidity and sold their Russian assets. The global margin call was on and fueled a full blown contagion and ended with the Russian debt default and LTCM crisis. Let’ hope it doesn’t come to this. Stay tuned and stay vigilant.
via The Creeping Eurozone Credit Crunch | Credit Writedowns.
Quantitative Easing!!! – Andy Lees, UBS | Credit Writedowns
The BoJ announced today that it will expand its asset purchase programme by JPY5trn (USD66bn), with all the purchases being directed at JGB’s. Add that to the GBP75bn (USD120bn) by the BoE, CHF50bn (USD57bn) by the SNB and the EUR341bn (USD477bn) expansion of the ECB balance sheet since the end of June, and it collectively adds up to USD720bn. Clearly this explains the market rally from the low.