What “Exit Door”?…”We are coming very close to complete chaos that will make 2008 look like a walk in the park! We will be fortunate if we make fall without a real financial disaster!”
By Bill Holter
GoldSeek.com
Sunday, 5 July 2015
Often times I like to write about an event or someone else’s article because of the importance to the overall picture. Today I will do something a little different. Below is an e-mail I received last Thursday from a friend. I have the utmost respect for his thought process and his knowledge. The writer is “plugged in” if you will, he has very high and powerful contacts in both China and London while he operates out of North America. The following is chilling to say the least because it comes from someone who “knows”, it is not a speculation on his part because he is seeing it real time! I will add my comments afterward.
“I have been pounding the drum for some time about shrinking liquidity and what the impact will be. Well, I can tell you that we are almost there and a real crisis is developing far faster than what I envisioned that is impacting the 75 Trillion Shadow Banking sector which is on the verge of implosion. Focus on Europe as the real crunch will spread like a wildfire from there seizing up all credit markets.
We will ignore China and the BRIC for the time being as to impact and focus on the European Ponzi that the bankers have brought to the table.
The specific area we should keep an eye on is the U.S./bund 10yr yield spread, currently quoted at 155bp. This spread will start taking its lead from the euro, so when that starts to lose favor keep sharp eye out for the next shoe to drop.
Asian shares were very volatile today, Shanghai in particular, trading with a 10% variation (daily low to high) today as PBOC were active again. In Europe we did see small gains intraday in DAX and CAC but neither could hold on and actually closed well into negative territory both down over 1%. UK FTSE never got into the green all day and closed -1.5%. Even seasoned Traders are scared now about intra day swings and being caught in a downdraft at closing. Banks are tightening the leash on trading lines to reduce exposure which is sure to castrate liquidity of bonds.
Credit markets are almost closed, I am being told! I REPEAT again the CREDIT markets are almost closed! Trades are happening by appointment and to even move 1MM EM bonds (at an opening price) is almost impossible. It is not uncommon to hear an indication only to trade and a 2% trade away from from opening, assuming you are able to trade, and desire to trade is no guarantee of a sale. NO ONE is standing up to market prices and to liquidate even a small portfolio can take weeks. It is important that you cannot any longer trade the basis as value is dropping and there no point to partially selling specific bonds unless you can clear a given position! Because once there is a traded price ALL holders of same or similar will have to remark the book. That is unless you are a bank where the Balance Sheet is not a Mark-to-Market approach on a daily basis for the book being held. Think holding government debt at par for the likes of Italy or Spain knowing they can never clear the debt, and knowing that no one will buy at market. So what is the true value of a large portfolio? Do you hang on getting interest while it is still being paid or do you attempt to go to cash? And if you do who is going to step into your shoes ? Especially since the banks are all trying to save cash and want no exposure of any kind. We maybe approaching the point where central banks are losing credibility and their ability to contain the fallout, when governments are so badly in debt they are powerless and rudderless in a sea of chaos.
We are coming very close to complete chaos that will make 2008 look like a walk in the park! We will be fortunate if we make fall without a real financial disaster!
The Rest…HERE
