Adventures In Finance: A Real Vision Podcast

The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for February read 61.7, down from 67.2 in January, well short of a median estimate of 67, and the lowest print since October 2011 – even lower than April 2020, when the global economy was locked down. “To put it bluntly,” notes Jim Bianco, president and macro strategist at Bianco Research, “this was not a good report.” And the decline was largely attributable to waning confidence among the investor class, which fears the stock-market implications of the Federal Reserve’s tightening cycle. Regular consumers are simply in fear of falling behind because of inflation. An emerging Wall Street consensus now sees seven rate hikes coming down the pike, a process that could result in an inverted yield curve. And an inverted yield curve often means “recession.” Meanwhile, Bitcoin appears to be decoupling from other risk assets, perhaps on the perception that it’s an effective hedge against still-accelerating inflation. Bianco joins Real Vision’s Ash Bennington to talk

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning that the Consumer Price Index for January 2022 was up 0.6% and 7.5% year over year. St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said he’s become "dramatically" more hawkish in light of the hottest inflation in nearly 40 years. Bullard, a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee, would now like to see a total of 100 basis points of rate hikes by July. In the aftermath of Bullard’s comments, federal funds futures are pricing in a 60% chance of a 50-basis-point hike in March. Rent has gone up nearly 30% in some cities, but the grass isn’t greener for would-be homeowners. U.S. mortgage rates have surged to a two-year high, with the average 30-year fixed rate up to 3.69% from 3.55% last week. Meanwhile, the European Commission has raised its inflation forecast for 2022 to 3.5% from 2.2% due to high energy prices stemming from geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe. Thomas Thornton, founder of Hedge Fund Telemetry, joins Real Vision’s Ash Be

Japan Machine Tool Orders, the best leading indicator of the global industrial cycle, accelerated in January. And recent data suggest the backlog at Los Angeles Port may begin to ease by summer. At the same time, the coming Federal Reserve rate-hiking cycle is a major wild card for investors. Darius Dale, founder and CEO of 42 Macro, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake to talk about why, according to his analysis, “deflation” is now equal to “inflation” as the dominant short-term market regime. Was the January sell-off merely a precursor to a larger correction? However the case turns, Fed Chair Jay Powell’s “right-tail hawkishness” means more volatility. Darius shares his thoughts on a murky macro picture and how specific assets are likely to perform under various scenarios. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3HESUe5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Emmanuel Macron of France met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Moscow on Monday and emerged with what seemed like good news: There’d be no further escalation of the Ukraine crisis. Indeed, equity indexes rallied, and crude oil prices backed off seven-year highs. But the Kremlin, while conceding the meeting had provided the basis for further work toward deescalation, said Macron’s interpretation of Putin’s intentions was “not right.” Meanwhile, President Joe Biden hosted new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks about the situation in the Baltics, agreeing that construction of the critical Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline would be stopped should Russia invade Ukraine. Tony Greer, founder of TG Macro and editor of the Morning Navigator newsletter, joins Real Vision’s Alfonso Peccatiello to sort out implications for stock and commodity markets in light of recent geopolitical events. Tony also talks about why the FAANG stocks have lagged of late, particularly relative to energy. And Weston

The small-cap Russell 2000 Index posted an impressive 14.8% gain during 2021, but nearly all of it came in the first quarter. And weakness over the ensuing nine months carried into the first month of 2022, when the index shed 9.7%. Francis Gannon, co-chief investment officer of Royce Investment Partners, notes this frustrating performance came despite generally strong earnings growth for small-cap companies. Gannon joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake to share his outlook for small caps over the balance of 2022, including the fact that it’s the only major asset class to have outpaced inflation during every decade since the 1930s. And rising interest rates could provide an additional tailwind for small-cap value stocks such as regional banks. Meanwhile, major indexes reflect uncertainty ahead of Thursday’s release of Consumer Price Index data for January, as investors weigh the potential for a 50-basis-point hike by the Federal Reserve. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io

Mike Green sits down with Louis Vincent Gave, CEO of Gavekal Research, to examine the political and economic climate of China. They look at China's 'outsized' role in the world and what impact joining the WTO had on the Chinese nearly two decades ago. The conversation also looks to the future -and the possibility of a digital currency in China -in time for the Beijing Olympics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weston Nakamura closes his long Sony Corp. (NYSE: SONY)/short Technology Select SPDR Fund (NYSE: XLK) market-neutral pair trade, as SONY shares rallied following an intraday trading halt on news of its acquisition of Bungie for $3.6 billion Weston shares his thought process and overall assessment. Though it was a net-profitable trade in an environment of elevated global equity volatility, Weston’s frank self-evaluation is that this was a flawed structure. He categorizes this win as “right for the wrong reasons.” In other words, he got lucky. Weston expands on the importance of applying the framework of being “right/wrong, for the right/wrong reason” for all traders and investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It wasn’t just the nonfarm payrolls data for January that moved markets on Friday. Upward revisions to prior months’ reports put a fresh glow on the U.S. economy – and also invited questions about Federal Reserve policy. “Too late the hawk” is how Harry Melandri might put it. Melandri, currently an advisor with MI2 Partners and formerly of Deutsche Asset Management and the Bank of England, notes that we have hit our “max non-inflationary growth potential.” In fact, the Fed “could tighten a lot without having a restrictive monetary policy.” The issue now could be either how big is the “everything bubble” in the U.S. or whether inflation or growth is the central bank’s key policy objective. Melandri joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake at the end of one of the most fascinating weeks in recent financial market history. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3rsVnTh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

European Central Bank President Christine LaGarde now concedes the potential need for a rate hike in 2022 in the face of record-high inflation on the Continent, the same day the Bank of England announced a second consecutive increase to its benchmark rate since 2004 and began its “quantitative tightening” process. Meanwhile, on Wall Street, both Facebook parent Meta and PayPal have experienced massive value destruction in the aftermath of soft fourth-quarter results and softer forward guidance. Michael Gayed, CIO and portfolio manager at Toroso Investments, joins Real Vision’s Alfonso Peccatiello to talk about central bank moves, big tech earnings, and broader economic and market realities. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3L3CUo5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ADP employment report for January showed a net loss of jobs, consumer spending is slowing, and President Biden is sending 3,000 troops to Eastern and Central Europe in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. Like Apple’s, Alphabet’s fourth-quarter results blew away expectations. But those look like exceptions to the rule of a generally mixed earnings picture. Against increasing economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical instability, the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates a total of 175 basis points in 2022. Darius Dale, CEO of 42 Macro, joins Real Vision’s Ash Bennington to talk about where markets go from here. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3Hj4jzU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s already been a good year for hydrocarbons, with crude oil and natural gas prices rising along with geopolitical tensions in Central Europe. The threat of war is now driving up prices of agricultural commodities, including wheat, barely, corn, and rapeseed, with consequences far beyond the region. Tony Greer, founder of TG Macro and editor of the Morning Navigator newsletter, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake to discuss emerging opportunities in real assets. Meanwhile, India plans to launch a digital rupee during the fiscal year that starts April and to impose a 30% tax on transfers of virtual assets, as one of the world’s key markets warms to cryptocurrency. Real Vision’s eyes and ears in India, Nipun Kalra, joins to talk about crypto’s big win on the subcontinent. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3ghKtJE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stocks surged on the last trading day of the month, but it was still the worst January for the Nasdaq since 2008. According to Mark Ritchie, managing partner and chief investment officer of RTM Capital Advisors, we’re probably not going to see the type of V-shaped recovery that we saw in March 2020. Although last Monday marked a potential momentum low, “per my work,” notes Ritchie, “we are already in a cyclical bear market.” Earnings have been mixed so far, and investors are still focused on the Federal Reserve and other central banks as they prepare to fight inflation. Ritchie joins Maggie Lake to talk about financial markets and what’s changed early 2022. And Weston Nakamura joins to talk about the impact of China going silent ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3GtgoS5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Snyder and Weston Nakamura, a trucker and a trader, are back with Exchanging Lanes to challenge conventional macro data analysis, using real-world, real-time, on-the-ground observations and applying differentiated takeaways. In this episode, Weston and Brad look ahead and explore where disinflation or deflation risk may arise with a focus on inventories. They see massive overcapacity of warehousing in the longer term and offer a non-consensus angle for a potential data misread in consumption trends and inflation drivers for the immediate term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pippa Malmgren, who served as Special Assistant to the President of the United States for Economic Policy under George W. Bush, says financial markets are likely to shrug off military conflict in Ukraine because it probably won’t resemble traditional warfare. Malmgren tells Real Vision managing editor Samuel Burke that the new “quantitative easing” is military spending in cyberspace. Recorded on January 25, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A favorite Federal Reserve inflation gauge, the core personal consumption expenditures index, measured 4.9% year over year for December. It hasn’t been that hot since September 1983. And the employment cost index was up an annualized 4% during the fourth quarter of 2021, an all-time high for that metric. Meanwhile, talk on the U.S.-Russia-Ukraine front has turned to economic sanctions, which, while short of “hot” war, pose their own set of challenges to people on the ground. Yields backed up and equities rallied on all the news. Jim Bianco, founder and president of Bianco Research, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake to sort out an eventful Friday. And Weston Nakamura drops in to share his thoughts following an equally dramatic week in China. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/34ivKep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Commerce Department reported the fastest annualized rate of U.S. gross domestic product growth since 1984 for the fourth quarter of 2021. But it’s hard to call this “Morning in America.” Investors and central bankers are still fixed on inflation and the coming tightening cycle, as other data suggest continuing supply-chain problems and omicron concerns linger. Earnings have been mixed, with Apple Inc. due to report at 5:00 p.m. ET today. Major equity indexes reflected the mixed picture, rising through midday but slipping into the red ahead of the close. Thomas Thornton, founder of Hedge Fund Telemetry, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake to discuss strategy and tactics against a murky backdrop. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3ABav3R Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Open Market Committee said today “it will soon be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate.” And it issued a separate statement on “Principles for Reducing the Size of the Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet,” even as asset purchases continue. Stocks were already having their best day of 2022 ahead of this afternoon’s releases, and equity indexes continued to rally post-2:00 p.m. ET. The Fed finds itself in uncharted territory, and its various statements reflect the fact that there is no roadmap for combating inflation while balancing serious risks to growth – among them geopolitical tensions that continue to drive crude oil higher as well as an ongoing pandemic. Darius Dale, founder and CEO of 42 Macro, joins Real Vision’s Alfonso Peccatiello to break down one of the most highly anticipated FOMC meetings in recent times. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3KLKALp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. appears to be ramping up its support of NATO forces to counter Russia’s threat to Ukraine. And, after selling off along with all risk assets yesterday, crude oil prices are once again rising. Other commodities produced in the Baltics, such as natural gas as well as wheat and corn, are also sensitive to geopolitical tension. This comes as the Federal Reserve opens a two-day meeting during which the central bank is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate for the first time since late 2018. Bitcoin, meanwhile, is up more than 3% during the last 24 hours, as the world’s No. 1 cryptocurrency seems to have decoupled from equities, at least in the very short term. Tony Greer, founder of TG Macro and editor of The Morning Navigator, joins Real Vision’s Alfonso Peccatiello to sort through a murky macro environment and to talk about his current trading book. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3H0wMKE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

The Biden administration is preparing to deploy troops and equipment to Eastern Europe and the Baltics to counter Russia’s threat to Ukraine, as UK officials suggest Moscow aims to install a pro-Kremlin government in Kyiv. Stocks all over the world are tumbling, again, and Bitcoin has breached key technical levels. And there’s real concern about European natural gas supplies. “Risk on” for Putin means “risk off” for investors. Weston Nakamura is here to discuss the state of play with Ash Bennington. Weston also drops a compelling pair trade that could be a decent hedge against both geopolitics and central bankers. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/32rm6FR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cryptocurrencies are crashing, stocks are tanking, bonds are rallying, and central banks are diverging. That all spells “risk off,” as the pandemic rally has surely come to an end. Is there an “all clear” moment coming? When should we prepare to buy this dip? Raoul Pal joins the conversation for an update on what’s happening in the crypto space. And Maggie Lake talks with Jared Dillian, editor of The Daily Dirtnap, about the view from 30,000 feet and what it means for risk assets, including Bitcoin, Netflix, and others that benefited from across-the-board accommodative monetary policy over the past couple years. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3KwXMDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices