Euro-zone governments suffered a blow Tuesday in their efforts to contain a deepening sovereign debt crisis as one of the Continent’s biggest banks, dogged by fears about its exposure to Greek and Italian debt, was on the verge of a government-backed breakup. Bank executives and government officials zeroed in on a drastic plan to break up Dexia SA, a Belgian-French bank that is one of Europe’s 20 largest in assets.
via Europe Races to Stem Debt Crisis Amid Rescue Plan for Dexia – WSJ.com.
A Greek (or Irish or Spanish or Italian or Portuguese) default would have roughly the same effect on our financial system as the implosion of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Financial chaos.
….The Street has lent only about $7 billion to Greece, as of the end of last year, according to the Bank for International Settlements. That’s no big deal.
But a default by Greece or any other of Europe’s debt-burdened nations could easily pummel German and French banks, which have lent Greece (and the other wobbly European countries) far more.
That’s where Wall Street comes in. Big Wall Street banks have lent German and French banks a bundle.
After yesterday’s meeting with European Finance Ministers, they are finally facing the reality that the July 21st agreement where Greek bondholders would face just a 21% cut to the value of their bond holdings was just not enough. Said early this morning, Juncker, the European FM head, said “As far as PSI private sector involvement is concerned, we have to take into account that we have experienced changes since the decision we have taken on July 21. These are technical revisions we are discussing.” What he calls ‘technical revisions’ is a nice way of saying a bigger haircut is going to be demanded, something hopefully on the order of 50%+. While bondholders European banks included won’t like it because of a harsher mark, the bonds are already trading at distressed levels.
via Beginning of the end is near for Greek drama | The Big Picture.
US stocks rallied this morning, as a report European Union finance ministers are discussing ways to recapitalise European banks fuelled a fierce comeback in the final hour of trading.
The bottom line is that in August Swiss reserves rose by CHF 115b. A monthly increasing of 50% (Staggering). Domestic liquidity (sight deposits) rose an (unbelievable) 390% (CHF 49b to CHF 191B). This information covers the period when SNB bet the farm in an effort to stabilize/weaken the CHF.
……So far, the actions by the SNB have been successful. The key EURCHF rate has been steadily above the 1.20 level. The folks in Zurich/Basel are touting the SNB action as a big success. It might be a bit early to celebrate
The FTSE 100 is testing support at 5000. Failure would warn of a down-swing to 4400*, but long tails and rising 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicate medium-term buying pressure. Respect of support is likely and would continue the line between 5000 and 5450.
* Target calculation: 5000 – ( 5600 – 5000 ) = 4400
Germany’s DAX index displays similar medium-term buying pressure on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow. Respect of support at 5000 is likely and recovery above 5700 would indicate another bear rally.
* Target calculation: 5000 – ( 6000 – 5000 ) = 4000
Bundestag president Norbert Lammert said yesterday, lawmakers had a nasty feeling that they had been “bounced” into backing far-reaching demands. This can never be allowed to happen again. He warned too that Germany’s legislature would not give up its fiscal sovereignty to any EU body.
…..Something profound has changed. Germans have begun to sense that the preservation of their own democracy and rule of law is in conflict with demands from Europe. They must choose one or the other.
via NEIN, NEIN, NEIN, and the death of EU Fiscal Union – Telegraph Blogs.
According to [Boston Consulting Group], the amount of developed world debt between household, corporate and government that needs to be eliminated is just over $21 trillion. Which unfortunately means that there is an equity shortfall that will have to be funded with incremental cash which will have to come from somewhere.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s fractious coalition won a brief reprieve on Thursday, as lawmakers from the center-right ruling parties closed ranks and passed legislation to expand the euro-zone’s bailout fund.
……A total of 523 lawmakers voted in favor of the EFSF reform bill; 85 voted against, with three abstentions. The overall result includes the votes of the opposition Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens, who unanimously backed the bill in stark contrast to Ms. Merkel’s unruly coalition.
……The 17 euro-zone governments agreed in March and July to expand and reform the EFSF, boosting the lending capacity of the fund to €440 billion ($596 billion) from €250 billion. The fund also will receive additional powers, such as the ability to extend credit lines to banks and buy bonds on the secondary market.
…….The temporary EFSF is set to expire in 2013 and to be replaced by a permanent European Stability Mechanism.
The reason this crisis keeps grinding ever deeper is because the euro itself is a machine for perpetual destruction. The currency is fundamentally warped and misaligned. It spans a 30pc gap in competitiveness between North and South. Intra-EMU current account deficits have become vast, chronic, and corrosive. Monetary Union is inherently poisonous.
The countries in trouble no longer have the policy tools — interest rates, QE, liquidity, and exchange rates — to lift themselves out of debt-deflation. Just as they had few tools to prevent a catastrophic credit bubble during the boom. Their travails were caused in great part by negative real interest rates set by the ECB (irresponsibly) for German needs.
via Frau Merkel, it really is a euro crisis – Telegraph Blogs.
