Central Banking
- Norway Faces Housing Bubble as Krone Steals Policy Agenda http://t.co/15hzb0So By cheapening the currency Norway gets an asset bubble $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Unintended Consequences http://t.co/eLrKtCJc Sprott suggests that the financial system has a chemical dependency on the Central Banks. $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Is the bond market tightening for the Fed? http://t.co/iRSerA8X The bond market is larger than the Fed; they can’t control the curve $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Germany Turns Up Pressure on ECB http://t.co/w2yyfvU1 Difficult to see how the liquidity drains out of the ECB ~3 years from now $$ Mar 13, 2012
- China central bank news conference on policy, yuan http://t.co/w8cy5K1Z & http://t.co/XcIFAbvb Japan buys Yuan, don’t think it means much Mar 13, 2012
- Bond market certainly did not like the FOMC statement. “Don’t worry about energy prices, we got it all under control.” $$ #fuelinginfltion Mar 13, 2012
Investment Banking
- Why banks will continue to rip off clients http://t.co/oTT9fd2i Conflicts on Wall Street, especially at $GS. Big guys know that. So what? Mar 17, 2012
- Goldman Sachs?s long history of duping its clients http://t.co/2sXmKl0D Tells the story of how $GS foxed its way out of Penn Central CP $$ Mar 17, 2012
- The CMBS maturity wall is here http://t.co/GrcEm1KO I remember buying CMBS deals 11-12 years ago. Bullet loans weak if can’t refinance $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Goldman Roiled by Op-Ed Loses $2.2B for Shareholders http://t.co/yz0f0oLy A passing matter; of course IBs have conflicts of interest #duh Mar 17, 2012
China
- Bo?s Ides of March http://t.co/mnKFU8Zx Not so much a move to the right as a statement against being flashy and self-promoting $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Chinese Economy Already in ?Hard Landing,? JPMorgan?s Mowat Says http://t.co/kwFW2Ty6 Cyclical industries will produce less in China 2012. Mar 17, 2012
- China’s official admission of slowing commerce activities http://t.co/br7H4D2o When a long trend changes, often moves further than expected Mar 17, 2012
- China’s fixed asset investment growth moderating http://t.co/CEl5mZTc “Growth in real estate and manufacturing projects remains steady.” $$ Mar 13, 2012
- GMO: Something’s Fishy in China http://t.co/DO8v4w8p Goes through the 10 signs of a bubble; finds that Chinese economy has most of them $$ Mar 13, 2012
- US and Europe Move on China Minerals http://t.co/xyGsdkDq WTO ruled against China in January, pressing similar case 17 rare-earth metals Mar 13, 2012
- Another call for an end to China driven industrial commodities “super-cycle” http://t.co/VAd5gR0D Investment is way too high & unproductive Mar 13, 2012
Rest of the World
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- Sarkozy?s Yield Drop at Risk With Hollande Victory http://t.co/ti25ozdq Surprise, if Hollande cares for poor in France, E-Zone suffers $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Saudi Arabia Lifts Curtain on Diplomacy as Syria Killings Spur King to Act http://t.co/H8g8D5nG Favors 85% Sunnis over ruling 15% Alawites Mar 13, 2012
- How about those Japanese net-net’s? http://t.co/SAZEcofy Making money in very ill-known small companies in Japan $$ Mar 13, 2012
- The Islamic World’s Quiet Revolution http://t.co/ChNksuFm They’re having fewer children, which I already noted here: http://t.co/KnOGFeOA $$ Mar 13, 2012
- Portugal Yield at 13% Says Greek Deal Not Unique http://t.co/bPBconfk After Greece, the next places to watch are Portugal & Spain. $$ Mar 13, 2012
- Iran-Israel History Suggests a Different Future http://t.co/M1IzxuuB I never knew that Israel sold weapons to Iran in the ’80s. $$ Mar 13, 2012
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Financial Sector
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- MetLife CEO’s Stress Test http://t.co/YaVV4GMp $MET doesn’t deserve to be treated as a systemically risky firm. Long liabilities protect Mar 17, 2012
- Assurant Falls as California Seeks Rate Cuts http://t.co/d0OcDS09 FD: long $AIZ; this is overrated; ability of the commissioner limited $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Felix Salmon At Columbia Journalism School: Don’t Blame Journalists For Failing To Prevent Financial Crisis http://t.co/0LrCwisB true, but Mar 13, 2012
- Journalists, even if they understood what was going on in the finl mkts would face a tough time writing warnings in the midst of boom $$ Mar 13, 2012
- US Government Agencies Comparing Notes On Algo Feeds http://t.co/15oAxpn9 Little speed advantages w/econ data can lead to big profits #SEC Mar 13, 2012
- Marketview:Point of Reference http://t.co/Xlp5jczH “4 the 1st time this yr I can feel the true bullish sentiment among the investing public” Mar 13, 2012
- Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers http://t.co/fR3Ro9CJ Frankly, I am surprised that banks lend to some churches. $$ Mar 13, 2012
- Banks Buy Treasuries at Seven Times Pace in 2011 http://t.co/SDKsJIUB What else to do with all the excess liquidity & weak borrowing $$ Mar 13, 2012
US Government-Related
- Pension Benefit Costs Cut by Record 43 States, Study Says http://t.co/B8ZRg4gZ State take actions to reduce benefits to active employees Mar 17, 2012
- Best Treasury Forecaster Says 10-Year Yield to Drop From Highs http://t.co/ma8YoN4u Don’t be too sure about Treasury rates rising $$ Mar 17, 2012
- International Demand for U.S. Assets Rises http://t.co/FwdXqrWH As the E-Zone gets worse, demand for US debt improves. $$ Mar 17, 2012
Investing
- Temporary Hedges eventually force Deleveraging http://t.co/0jVSWRzw On Energy Future Holdings, & why predicting the future is tough $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Cyclicals persistent underperformance http://t.co/KkJ2q05p Cyclicals started underperforming in August. Relatively they never recovered. $$ Mar 17, 2012
- Magnetic Fields http://t.co/S6VYIe5Y Good post. This graph is worth a look: http://t.co/EBhPh6ZN May help explain recent lost decade $$ Mar 13, 2012
- Stock Compensation, Tax Law, Financial Reporting and Facebook’s IPO http://t.co/ULyVLNkr Future dilution may pressure $FB shares $$ Mar 13, 2012
- A Value Investor’s Take on Shorting http://t.co/cZYueqGH Tactical discipline, not structural, b/c market can go nuts. Can help hedge $$ Mar 13, 2012
Miscellaneous
- Considering Bankruptcy? Head to the Mall http://t.co/UvgEArMj Legal services offered for simple situations in mall locations. $$ Mar 13, 2012
I’ve got a question related to the links:
One interesting link notes that banks went crazy buying treasuries early in 2012.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-12/banks-buying-treasuries-at-seven-times-2011-pace-as-deposits-beat-lending.html
That’s a head scratcher. Risk assets started to rally in Dec., definitely off their Oct. lows., and the banks are buying treasuries at faster rates then they were when risk assets were in free fall last Summer? How come? Could it be related to the fact that the annual bank stress test finished up this week and all of a sudden treasuries were in free fall?
I don’t know… Looking for feedback on this idea.
Treasuries are considered “risk free” capital under Basel, so the banks take the money for 0.25% from the Fed and buy Treasuries, front running the guaranteed buyer in the very same securities.