Retail Army regroups and refocuses

In the past week, there’s been a significant rotation in retail investor preference. Last week’s inflow into FCX was 6.7 standard deviations above the 1-year average. A similar trend played out for Energy names with the combined buying of XOM and CVX …

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The day in review

Markets

US markets are trading at or close to all-time highs. This is accounted for by:

• unprecedented fiscal stimulus, including budget deficits of the sort that are barely seen in times of war,
• repression of interest rates to the point that real returns on any sovereign …

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There be dragons!

Inflation

YoY consumer prices in the USA hit 4.2%. This is the highest inflation reading for thirteen years, and it was unlucky for all equities.

• pretty much all equities were down, around 2% generally,
• commodity plays, financials and energy companies, were least affected,
• the 10Y Treasury …

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The day in the rear view mirror

Hwang’s extraordinary returns

The following was copied from the latest Bear Cave newsletter. It’s well worth signing up to this weekly, free service.

The Unbelievable Archegos Story

Bill Hwang reportedly grew assets in his family office from $200 million in 2013 …

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The day

Today I was travelling. I took a quick look at the markets before turning in. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Wrap

It looks as though the markets are gradually waking up to the reality of inflation in the USA. The scale of the fiscal activity is beginning …

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Thought for the day

Inflation and money supply

There is mounting evidence that inflation is being seen in actual prices. This chart is for intermediate goods and services, but it’s hard to see why this doesn’t bleed through to retail prices soon. The ISM figures are lagged by …

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Thoughts of the day

Capitalisn’t has Lord King as guest

Lord King is worried. It’s always worth listening to Luigi Zingales, ditto Mervyn King. When they are talking to each other, it’s a can’t-miss event. King is both a great economist, and a former central banker …

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The day in review

Isaac Newton a victim of ‘Cancel Culture’

Yes, you read that right. The headline reads “If Isaac Newton may be cancelled, nobody is safe from it.” That someone who has had such insights of universal application should be a candidate for suppression makes me very depressed …

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Twenty four hours

Renewables

Renewable energy turned out to be cheaper than expected. People are generally wrong about the future, especially a future decades off. Keynes spotted that: he basically said it was a waste of time trying to predict interest rates 20 years away. Krugman has argued that because …

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Email from the desk of the junior clerk

Berkshire Hathaway

Francine McKenna is not a huge fan of Warren Buffett as you can read here. I think the guy is great, and his sidekick Charlie Munger even greater, but they are both way, way past their ‘best before’ date. I …

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