GLOBAL ECONOMICS AND POLITICS
Leo Haviland provides clients with original, provocative, cutting-edge fundamental supply/demand and technical research on major financial marketplaces and trends. He also offers independent consulting and risk management advice.
Haviland’s expertise is macro. He focuses on the intertwining of equity, debt, currency, and commodity arenas, including the political players, regulatory approaches, social factors, and rhetoric that affect them. In a changing and dynamic global economy, Haviland’s mission remains constant – to give timely, value-added marketplace insights and foresights.
Leo Haviland has three decades of experience in the Wall Street trading environment. He has worked for Goldman Sachs, Sempra Energy Trading, and other institutions. In his research and sales career in stock, interest rate, foreign exchange, and commodity battlefields, he has dealt with numerous and diverse financial institutions and individuals. Haviland is a graduate of the University of Chicago (Phi Beta Kappa) and the Cornell Law School.
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Since the current economic crisis emerged in 2007, a rough pattern has been that major movements and levels in US Treasury ten year note yields have preceded or coincided with those in the S+P 500. Thus, “in general”, plummeting UST yields have been paralleled by diving stock prices. And rising interest rates are connected to rallies in stocks. So in today’s world, gurus and guides often underline that higher and higher UST rates fit an economic recovery (health) scenario. In contrast, collapsing rates indicate looming (or actual) disaster; hence the popularity of flight to quality and safe haven commentary in regard to UST. Such relationships between the UST 10 year note and stocks (and variables allegedly bound to them) of course help forecasters to assess probabilities for and predict important debt and equity trend changes. Looking forward, this ongoing pattern may well persist.
Yet at some point, and arguably within the next several months, the present relationship between the US ten year and the S+P 500 may change. Thus rising UST yields eventually may coincide with sinking stocks. What key trading levels for the 10 year should one keep an eye out for? Such trigger point ranges will vary over time. So anyway, what guidelines for nowadays? If the US 10 year note yield floats decisively above the 2.50 percent level, and if stocks rally very little as that yield barrier is breached, that would hint the current (2007-2011) UST/S+P 500 relationship is altering.
As the global economic crisis flows on and on, many of its intertwined actions and participants (and thus marketplace relationships) may remain relatively unchanging. But they are not stagnant. Today’s marketplace voyagers should wonder if the crisis has drifted closer and closer to a new round of difficulties. Look at European yields, and place Germany on the sidelines. Focus instead on Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Italy. These countries show that severe economic problems (and downturns) are not always or inevitably associated with falling (or low) government interest rates.
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Marketplaces and Policies – Making Connections (11-29-11)
As Thanksgiving Day approaches and many prepare for holiday gatherings and festive feedings with family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues, several less-noticed marketplace courses deserve attention from marketplace travelers. United States Treasury International Capital (“TIC”) data reveal that gaping American federal fiscal deficits probably will find it difficult to lure sufficient foreign funds. Recent TIC evidence may warn of stock marketplace trend changes. Also, do foreign visitors find direct ownership (“investment”) in America highly appealing these days? What do New York Stock Exchange margin data unveil about major equity moves? Commodity Futures Trading Commission information on agricultural Index Traders not only offers a window on commodity price patterns in general. Perhaps surprisingly, that Index Trader information can illuminate and confirm marketplace voyages by stock benchmarks such as the S+P 500.
Since its 2009 depth, the high for agricultural Index Trader net long open interest occurred in 2010, at about 1.63 million contracts on 8/10/10. However, this quantity is not much above the more recent high net long position of 1.53mm on 4/26/11, which was close in time to the S+P 500 and broad GSCI elevations. By 10/4/11, the date of lows in the S+P 500 and the broad GSCI, the net IT long open interest had fallen to around 1.30mm. This equals about a 14.9pc dip from the 4/ 26/11 height. On 11/15/11, net IT was about 1.33mm contracts.
The recent percentage decline in IT length of nearly fifteen percent is fairly close to the initial fall of 16.7pc during 2008 (from 5/13/08 to 9/16/08). What would a sharp and sustained decline in the net IT long position under its 10/4/11 level indicate? It probably will coincide with declines in commodities in general and stocks, thus confirming a worsening of the worldwide economic crisis.
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Thanksgiving Marketplaces – Several Servings (11-22-11)
Since June 2011, United States personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income has declined. Many observers believe a declining savings rate generally signals economic growth and thus is a reason for optimism. Though this sometimes may be true, it probably is not the case now. In today’s worldwide economic theater, feeble personal savings- and especially a slumping level- indicate that US economic growth for the near term and perhaps longer probably will be weak. The savings rate in recent years, not just recently, has been low relative to long run history. Given this, in the context of the rather gloomy current and near-term economic horizon, further cuts in the savings rate will warn of or confirm an economic downturn.
Declines in the US personal savings rate may herald or coincide with economic growth. The period from 1993 to 2007, and especially the enthusiastic time of 2004-2007, evidences this. The down shift in America’s personal savings rate from its 2008-2010 summits of 6.2pc/5.6pc indeed coincides with the current recovery. However, permanent prosperity probably has not returned. The further declines since June 2011, when interpreted alongside other indicators, probably indicate that a more ominous US economic future of sluggish growth and arguably a recession lies ahead.
First, history shows that a very low or declining savings rate does not necessarily translate into (equal, represent) happy healthy times of growth and prosperity. Let’s look back into the allegedly ancient landscape preceding World War 2. The Great Depression ran from August 1929 to March 1933 (43 months). Note that the savings rate collapsed during the downturn. The savings rate was 4.3pc in 1929 (the year of the stock marketplace peak), 4.0pc in 1930, and 3.7pc in 1931. It went negative in 1932 (-1.1pc) and 1933 (-1.7pc), with 1934 barely positive (.9pc).
A renewed downturn followed from May 1937 to June 1938. Personal savings fell from the 6.2pc of 1936 and 5.9pc in 1937 to 1.9pc in 1938, with 1938 the lowest yearly level until the 1.5pc of 2005.
Thus declines in the personal savings rate can occur during economic downturns, not just in upswings. The Depression shows that very low (even negative) savings rates can reflect fear and pessimism as well as joy and optimism. To interpret the current low savings rate and to make predictions regarding its future and implications, one must look at surrounding circumstances.
Despite estimated US 3Q11 real GDP growth of 2.5pc (annualized) and the sharp stock marketplace rally from its October 2011 depth, numerous signs indicate that consumer resources are stretched rather thin and probably will remains so for some time. America’s low savings rate suggests that many consumers now are fighting especially fervently to maintain a constant (“appropriate”) standard of living (“lifestyle”).
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Money Motions- Savings and Shifts (11-8-11)
Recent historically high nominal United States corporate profit levels are a key factor inspiring many to buy and hold US stocks. Bullish forecasts regarding future net earnings, especially when such predictions extend out to misty medium term or murky long run time horizons, sustain and bolster this enthusiastic ownership. In turn, stock rallies sometimes boost optimism regarding potential corporate profitability and overall economic growth, for many have faith that equity marketplaces are forward-looking indicators for “The Economy”.
Has the US entered a blessed New Era of very high corporate profitability that will stretch happily out into the indefinite future? Probably not. Has America revived the wonderful time of the Goldilocks economy? Probably not. Higher nominal corporate profits and ascending nominal stock prices, when accompanied by rising nominal GDP, can assist national confidence and encourage spending in the short term. However, since the nominal levels are not the real (genuine) ones, they do not translate into an equivalent amount of real and permanent prosperity.
Yet even if very elevated corporate profitability does not continue, what may have caused a sustained notable upward shift relative to long run history in the ratio of nominal US corporate profits to nominal GDP? To some extent, it reflects corporate cost-cutting measures and other battles to improve efficiency. The easy money policies of the Federal Reserve Board (sustained low interest rates; money printing) and its allies and massive deficit spending (stimulus) perhaps play roles. But picture the context of sluggish to declining real US household income, still-damaged consumer balance sheets, high unemployment, weak housing prices, and very low consumer confidence. With that domestic (home) background, high US nominal corporate profits- and especially a more elevated nominal profit versus GDP ratio- also arguably reflects economic globalization trends and profits captured from overseas. If so, then relatively high American corporate profits do not entirely reflect (do not fully represent) actual overall US prosperity (“Our Economy”), merely that of many of its corporations.
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US Corporate Profits- Patterns and Perspectives (11-1-11)
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