Sunday Evening Post

This post was acutally penned on Friday afternoon as we are hanging out in the "last bastion of capitalism" this weekend, the Warrenton/Roundtop Festival. This is a place where anyone can open up a "shop" for two weeks for as little or as much as you want to spend. (Booths actually range between $200 and $3,000). If the public likes your goods, then you can survive. If your stuff is crap, then you fail and move on to other endeavors. There are no bailouts or handouts here.

Attached below are some brief Scribd thoughts on the S&P, DXY and Sugar.

Bottom Line: I am getting more bearish the S&P with each passing day. We are now carrying a 50% of Max Short position in the S&P futures as we have added to shorts at 1150. We will move to a 75% of Max Short at 1170. At that point, it will be white-knuckle time--a break of 1175 would cause us to reduce shorts.

We fortunately exited DXY length at 81.40 a few weeks ago. (Thus, illustrating the importance of "stop-loss" strategies). Support lies between 77.69 and 77.28 (last print 78.09). Given this support zone just below, we are re-initiating length in the DXY at 78.09, dedicating 20% of a max. long position in that Greenback.





To quote the old Dennis Miller line....

"I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but...."


We all know this is bullshit. They are actually not it any position to fully pay back the government anywhere near what it's owed. However, the MSM basically "ran" with that headline and theme.

This entire financial maneuver with AIG seems politically motivated as it makes ZERO financial sense to make these arrangements at this time. A "political move" is the only reason this is going down now. With mid-term elections nearing, the existing power structure MUST show some "wins" and promoting the idea that we have been "Paid Back" from AIG would seem to be a victory to be cheered.

Unfortunately, there has been little pushback from the "progressive mainstream" business bloggers on this area. Instead, they have just focused on the past, about how badly we handled the whole ordeal, about how we won't be paid back ever, and how deregulation caused the collapse of mankind, etc, etc, etc. It's probably time for all of us to start focusing on the here and now.

The fact is Uncle Sam provided a huge lifeline and backstop ($182bn) to this firm. That's done. That's over. Rightly or wrongly (I believe wrongly), the Government "crossed the rubicon" when they decided to bail out several major players by "saving" AIG. At this point, AIG seems to be a decently run insurance company that still has some nice assets and is currently throwing off excess free cash flow. Why not just leave them alone for a few more years? Why not just let those assets generate dividends for the major shareholder (us) until stronger bids materialize for the firm's assets? When bids arrive that properly discount the free cash flow of the various business lines, then AIG should sell them and "pay back" the loans.

Until then, why mess around with it?

We've monetized TRILLIONS of dollars of MBS in the last year, helping out the likes of Bill Gross and David Tepper. I'm sure the Fed can rollover the AIG loan for a few more years. The QE programs now in place make AIG look like chump change in comparison.

245 comments:

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CV said...

"There is noticeably more violent crime, but rising from a low level."

HA! In GOTHAM!

low level crimes?

Better THINK about that one... If you know what I mean... Oh wait... you said VIOLENT... Well, there's time...

Leftback said...

RICO statutes finally being used in the foreclosure mess. We have all commented on how the mortgage business was organized crime:

http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aoR.vwGeTQAU&pos=7

Leftback said...

CV,

NYC has a lower level of crime than most major cities, but it is rising. A full return to the 70s levels of crime would be a shock for most of the 90s transplants trapped by their condos and co-ops, but the old-timers would just step over the bodies and take it in stride.

LB will be gone.

72bat said...

lb -
also claire's = good eats. a friend in hardwick treated me to dinner there.
he's a psychotherapist in case you feel the need to unburden yourself during the diaspora from nyc ;^)

CV said...

Or... LB will become "Son of Sam II"... LOL

CV said...

@72

Plenty of moonshine in WVA

CV said...

I planted a couple of apple trees over the weekend... So I'll be trying out APPLEJACK in coming years as well.. :-)

72bat said...

denninger has posted the text of a RICO filing in kentucky that makes for a good primer on the achilles heel of the mbs/remic debacle
MERS/MBS/Foreclosure Goes RICO
i've read thru a good deal of it. some choice lines in there

Leftback said...

The English don't have therapists, we watch football teams and drink.
Mine is clearly driving me insane.

LB might stay in Gotham long enough to smell the acrid smoke from Bonfire of the Vanities, Part Deux, as it gets warmed up. Believe me, there is an awful lot of vanity in NYC.

(NO comments, please....)

Leftback said...

"I'll be trying out APPLEJACK in coming years"

Nice. LB has always fancied an afternoon getting drunk on Scrumpy* with Karen, in a hay loft somewhere. (*Cider - with Rosie).

72bat said...

lb -
you would enjoy keeping company with larry, then. he also watches football and drinks

CV said...

@LB

You'd better consult with the University of Indiana research scholars to see how any hayloft maneuvers are supposed to go...

More great GDP building in this country...

72bat said...

reading that MERS lawsuit actually gave frissons of anticipation that some of these bastards might very well get hoisted with their own petards

Leftback said...

"he also watches football and drinks"

Is there anything else? LOL....

Vikram Pandit said...

Get your hands off my petards.

Byron Moanahan said...

Don't worry, we will buy off the judges.

ben22 said...

crime: one of these days I'm gonna video tape a drive through west philly and post it here, we'll see if I can brave it at night.

third world bitchez

and if you look like me, per my DA working brother in law....don't go in the "china shops"

Lord Blankfiend said...

Unsophisticated retail banker peasants.

CV said...

For all of you who missed CV's great weekend posts...

Full of QUESTIONS & ANSWERS on the economy...

For example... (here's an economic puzzle)...

What do you call cheese that's not yours?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8jP_6PXJbE&feature=related

72bat said...

aah but the state court judges have political points to gain, as the local municipalities stand to gain from fines for mortgage recordations not paid, the states gain 100% taxation on remic profits.

Jennifer said...

Karen -- what trading platform do you use? I can remember days in '08 when I couldn't log in, but I was okay for the flash crash. I use Ameritrade. I have a semi-secret way to enter the site during high volume times if anyone else needs it.

karen said...

CV, coincidentally, i saw a couple of plump white girls sunning at the beach recently with a box of cheezits out in the open.. I cringed equally at the box and my judgmental thots..

karen said...

Jenn.. i am with e*trade.. find your diamond yet?

CV, sorry I missed the weekend.. you know how i like to make * at the beach..

Leftback said...

I'll see your west philly and raise you the south side of chicago, bad ass.

karen said...

this is so cute! http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/10/obama-europe-security-alert.html

I have friends travel thru france and spain.. currently in barcelona so I've been emailing madly about what they need to see in the Barri Gotic today..

meanwhile, her father, a fox news fanatic, has been warning them of terrorist alerts for american travelers in europe..

Leftback said...

A TERROR alert has been declared for YOORP by the Central Intransigence Agency. It is not clear where in YOORP the threat will materialize. So be careful out there, AMERICA, while in YOORP, where they are always eating snails and drinking those funny anise drinks, and watch out for swarthy looking types carrying balls with fuses connected to them.....

Jennifer said...

No luck w/ the diamond. Thanks for asking though. I'm giving up.

karen said...

Okay, good! give up and it will turn up!! you said it was just a side stone, right? not the whole ring..

karen said...

oh, dear. just had a call from the voice of the past.. looking for my husband for a reference.. i may have to throw myself on the bed and cry my eyes out.. i don't normally answer the phone except for this horrific deck business where the contractors call me because my cell doesn't work in in the house..

Leftback said...

Karen,

LB is a DIAMOND, in the rough, obviously. Not that you're looking for one, of course.

Thought about nibbling at equities today but did nothing. Wait and see mode. KAREN, do you ever have a nibble on the long side?

AmenRa said...

LB

Southside of Chicago isn't that bad...




*at night though be prepared to run a red light if needed.

Leftback said...

*at night though be prepared to run a red light

Been there, lived there, done that!

natasha said...

balls with short fuses, an lb specialty

Jennifer said...

Now those red lights all have cameras.

karen said...

LB, I've got one really good long that makes up for the bad ones.. thanks for your concern, tho. And, as for diamonds.. I discovered that the folks that have them, don't show them.. or at least that's how it works in my case.

CV said...

Gotta go Peeps... Thanks...

CV is taking the DOLPHINS tonight over the PATRIOTS for 1 unit...

BinT said...

Karen,

do cheezits produce those cottage cheese thighs?

karen said...

Whatever! headline of the day: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/10/obama-europe-security-alert.html

CV, we have to start making a list of our favorite expressions and whence they came!

Whatever!
You kno, right?!
Sorrieee!
Or what?!
That's all I've got to say

Leftback said...

K.,

Like, totally!

Leftback said...

K.,

My longs were up and as healthy as ever today.

karen said...

Bruce.. i think some gals are predisposed.. however, exercise and a nutritional rich, low-caloric intake can't hurt.. and are also good for heart, skeletal muscles, and circulation..

karen said...

gotta meet with contractors, now : (

Leftback said...

Somehow LB guesses no cottage cheese thighs for Karen.
Have a pleasant evening, all.

Walt Disney said...

more on the foreclosure saga Donald Duck Discovers Glenn Beck in “Right Wing Radio Duck”

Leftback said...

The Bond Report 10.4.10

A modest risk-off day. The middle of the Tsy curve was well bid ahead of a POMO at the front end that is due tomorrow.

Corpies: LQD 0.16%; AGG 0.17%; JNK -0.25%; HYG -0.35%;
Govies: TLT 0.26%; IEI 0.18%; TIP 0.16%
Hedgies: TBT -0.51%

We did nothing, we are short the long end.

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