Coup on Kaiserstrasse

Since the LTRO announcement EURUSD is down almost 3 figures. The markets are correctly adjusting to a fundamental change in European monetary policy. Whether the hardliners want to admit it or not, the balance sheet expanders have finally taken control of the EUR...

The Europeans Enter the Global Reflation Trade – Finally!

The big events for the week are done. Bernanke spoke and Draghi opened the spigot. The LTRO was by far the more important event of the week, and the naysayers on its effectiveness were quietly taken out back to the woodshed for one final and gruesome pummeling. Open...

Questions for Rebelo and Eichenbaum

Next Tuesday evening in Chicago we are going to host another Global Macro Speaker Series event. This time I will be moderating a discussion with Sergio Rebelo and Marty Eichenbaum. Both are professors from the Kellogg school at Northwestern University. We have a few...

Spoos Crushed 93% of USTs Over the Last 2yrs – 100% Soon

As spoos move within inches of the April 2010 highs, and are now less than 14% off their all-time highs, I thought it would be a useful time to provide some retrospective thoughts on just how much the US is NOT like Japan. The Federal Reserve’s policy of financial...

The Global Currency Prisoner’s Dilemma Game

By now most of us are sick of reading (and writing) about Greece. Yes it’s a big deal. Yes there will be market dislocations. Yes there will be contagion effects to other sovereigns. And yes, the Greeks will never pay back what was lent to them. Timing remains...

Gross vs Minsky

Whether it’s the monthly investment outlook, or the occasional op-ed piece, Bill Gross is always a must read. And even if one doesn't necessarily agree, the colorful market metaphors are sure to entertain. His piece in the FT yesterday, entitled "Zero-based money...

Greek Politics 101 – The Rise of the Left 2

The current make-up of the Greek legislature is 44% Pasok, 33% New Democracy, 8% KKE, 6% LOAS and 5% SYRIZA. Then there are a few percentage points dedicated to many smaller irrelevant parties. The current coalition that is working with Papademos to strike a deal with...

The “Financial Repression Bureau” is Hard at Work

Financial repression and reflation are working. The Fed has made it painful to hold short term nominal risk free assets and cash USDs. They have implored us all to take risk in the hopes that it will generate real returns and real growth. And while the jury is still...

Questions for Marty Feldstein

Today in NYC we are hosting our inaugural Jefferies Global Macro Event. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you later today. The featured panelist/speaker will be Marty Feldstein. These are the questions that will frame our discussion. It should be a very...

Refi.voteforobama.gov

Two excerpts from tonight's speech are below - not so nice reading for FNCL6s and money center commercial bank stocks!! 1. ".....responsible homeowners shouldn't have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief. That's why I'm sending this...