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David Fuller and Eoin Treacy's Comment of the Day
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The US is facing a dollar collapse by the end of 2021 and an over 50% chance of a double-dip recession, economist Stephen Roach says

This article by Shalini Nagarajan Business Insider may be of interest to subscribers. Here is a section:

Additionally, Roach said, new COVID-19 infections and higher mortality rates must be part of assessing the risk of an aftershock, Roach said.

"As we head into flu season with the new infection rates moving back up again, with mortality unacceptably high, the risk of an aftershock is not something you can dismiss," he said. "So that's a tough combination. And I think the record of history suggests that this is not a time, unlike what the frothy markets are doing, to bet that this is different."



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Markets Without Havens Are Becoming All Too Real

This article by Alberto Gallo for Bloomberg may be of interest to subscribers. Here is a section:

Although volatility has collapsed in the era of quantitative easing, in those periods when it has increased, it has generally risen unusually fast and created much pain for investors. Take the CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX. Even though it is more likely to stay below 20 these days, it is twice as likely to surge above 40 when it does rise. It doesn’t help that passive investment strategies make up half of all share trading, twice as much as 10 years ago, meaning there are fewer humans at the helm to make rational decisions when markets go haywire.

What’s more, market makers hold a tenth of the trading inventories they had in 2007, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. As a result, they are unable to act as a sort of market shock absorber during periods of rapid price swings like they had in the past. That combined with capital flocking in and out of the same trades means markets are breaking down more often.

A good example comes from March, when exchange-traded funds owning investment-grade corporate bonds experienced price declines exceeding 10%, dropping 4% to 5% below their net asset values. Worried that the episode might cause credit markets to stop functioning, the Fed stepped into the markets to buy corporate debt for the first time.
 



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The Challenge in Valuing Gold

Thanks to a subscriber for this well-illustrated report from Gavekal which may be of interest. Here is a section:

Yet, in periods when both budget deficits and monetary aggregates have rapidly grown, gold has historically outperformed—and it is doing so now. At such times, gold also adds diversification benefits to portfolios.

Over the past few years, we have argued in numerous pieces that gold has started a bull run. And once they start, gold bull markets tend to run until either the US dollar strengthens meaningfully, and/or the Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy. Right now, neither of these two outcomes is likely. Hence, the gold bull market looks set to continue.



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Trump Tells His Team to Stop Talks on Fiscal Stimulus Package

This article by Christopher Anstey for Bloomberg may be of interest to subscribers. Here is a section:

President Donald Trump told his negotiators to stop talks with Democratic leaders on a fiscal stimulus package, hours after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s strongest call yet for greater spending to shore up the economic recovery.

“I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business,” Trump said Tuesday in a tweet.

Stocks tumbled after Trump’s posting effectively called an end to months of hard-fought negotiations between the administration and Congress. Democrats had most recently pushed a $2.2 trillion package that failed to garner Republican support in the House, while the White House had endorsed $1.6 trillion.



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Email of the day - on what a vaccine will mean for gold

In your opinion, will the introduction of a vaccine(s) be a headwind for the precious metals?



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Democrats Crafting New $2.4 Trillion Stimulus Bill to Spur Talks

This article from Bloomberg may be of interest to subscribers. Here is a section:

“We are ready for a negotiation,” she said. “I am talking with my caucus and my leadership and we will see what we are going to do,” Pelosi said.

The prospect of talks helped push stocks higher briefly, with the S&P 500 extending gains after the Pelosi and Mnuchin remarks. But that optimism was tempered by reports showing a resurgence in coronavirus cases in Europe and investors pulled stocks back off session highs.

The risk of a slowdown in the recovery is rising with the lack of movement on fiscal stimulus. Initial claims for unemployment insurance remained at a level above the peak during the Great Recession of 2007-09, the latest weekly data showed on Thursday.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated his conclusion that “it’s likely that additional fiscal support will be needed,” speaking at the same Senate panel where Mnuchin was testifying.

The recovery has been faster than anticipated so far, Powell said, thanks to income support to those affected by the pandemic.

“The risk is that they’ll go through that money, ultimately, and have to cut back on spending and maybe lose their home,” the Fed chief said. “That’s the downside risk of no further action.”



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Fed Officials Warn of Economic Risks in New Plea for Fiscal Help

This article from Bloomberg may be of interest to subscribers. Here is a section:

Federal Reserve policy makers on Wednesday highlighted the importance of fiscal stimulus for an economic recovery that recently has outperformed forecasts. Chairman Jerome Powell continued to wave the fiscal flag carefully at a congressional hearing -- amid a political stalemate over a new package -- saying that more support was likely to be necessary. Others were more full-throated, with Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester saying it was very much needed given the “deep hole” the economy is climbing out of.

Chicago Fed President Charles Evans expressed concern the stimulus he penciled in won’t be forthcoming, while Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren suggested it’ll take another wave of infections to prompt action, and likely not until next year.

Declines in the stock market, until recently attributed to a reversal of excessive tech-share gains, have increasingly been attributed in part to worries about the recovery and the need for more stimulus. The S&P 500 Index was down 1.7% as of 2:22 p.m. in New York, the fifth drop in six days.

“The most difficult part of the recovery is still ahead of us,” Rosengren said in remarks Wednesday, saying he was more pessimistic than his colleagues over how many Americans will return to work over the next 15 months.



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Email of the day - on betting stocks:

I may be mistaken but I thought in one of your commentaries you listed some betting stocks.

Assuming the continue pandemic mode, sport fans may be eager to bet, same for the elections, Point bets PBH .au and Penn gaming PENN may be good idea.

DraftKings is the name that has been recognized DNKG

 Pls. confirm you had mentioned in one of your commentaries, alternatively, any ideas / opinion on the space

Best keep safe



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Email of the day on the traditional portfolios and investment trusts

I have a couple of questions for Mr. Treacy which I would be most grateful if he could answer:

1) Traditional portfolios have managed risk by allocating % to stocks and bonds. The closer to retirement someone is and presumably more risk averse one allocated proportionally more to bonds. Given that interest rates are at historical lows is this formula still appropriate? Should we look at allocation to gold instead of bonds? Thank you

2) Earlier this year Mr. Treacy shared the performance, dividend yields and length of time these dividend yields have been awarded for key Investment Trusts. I would be grateful (and perhaps other investors as well) if he could share growth performance, dividends and chargers of key ETFs. Thank you.



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Chapter 6: The Big Cycle of China and Its Currency

This chapter of Ray Dalio’s evolving book “The Changing World Order” will be of interest to anyone monitoring China’s evolution. Here is a section:

As a result of their longer history and their more intensive studying of it, the Chinese are much more interested in evolving well over much longer time frames than Americans, who are much more interested in making quick hits—i.e., the Chinese are more strategic than Americans, who are more tactical.  The arc that Chinese leaders pay the most attention to is well over a hundred years long (because that’s how long good dynasties last) and they understand that the typical arc of development has different multidecade phases in it, and they plan for them.  For example, the first phase, which occurred under Mao, was when the revolution took place, control of the country was won, and power and institutions were solidified.  The second phase of building wealth, power, and cohesiveness without threatening the leading world power (i.e., the United States) occurred under Deng and his successors up to Xi.  The third phase of building on these accomplishments and moving China toward where it has set out to be on the 100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 2049—which is to be “a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious,” which would make the Chinese economy about twice the size of the US economy[4]—is occurring under Xi and his successors.  Nearer-term goals and ways for getting toward these goals are set out in nearer-term plans like the Made in China 2025 plan,[5] Xi’s new China Standards 2035 plan, and the usual five-year plans.[6] 



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