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Blain: What If We’re Looking At All The Wrong Things?

Blain: What If We’re Looking At All The Wrong Things?

Authored by Bill Blain via MorningPorridge.com,

“Look not to the Sword waving around…

Published

2 years ago

on

Blain: What If We're Looking At All The Wrong Things?

Authored by Bill Blain via MorningPorridge.com,

“Look not to the Sword waving around to your front, but the Stiletto threatening your kidneys..… “

Everyone is balancing inflation, economic numbers and this week’s Jackson Hole Central Bank schmooze-a-thon to guess markets. What if we are looking at the wrong things – and economic divergence, income and wealth inequality and unravelling domestic politics are the critical factors?

This week will apparently be all about inflation and deciphering new economic data to predict the path of the Global Economy and Stagflation risks. The big event will be the Jackson Hole central bank gabfest – anticipating what Jay Powell will say about the US Economy and the Fed’s perception of the required pace of rate hikes to counter inflation. His comments will have massive implications in terms of perceptions of bond markets, currencies, and company outlooks.

The ongoing battle vs Inflation has more than a few market watchers warning the July/August rally feels premature! Among the points that worry them is the reality of inflation numbers – even though the number (in the US) is apparently declining, it means prices are still rising and inflationary tension are still being stoked! It’s still unclear just how solid the short-recession rally is, or is it just a bear-trap?

More and more investors believe its policy mistakes – from the ultra-cheap interest rate policy of the 2010s, QE and government pandemic policies, to government failures to address critical responsibilities like energy security, that have created the best market opportunities in recent years. And they are absolutely right! The right way to have read markets is to game what central banks and governments are doing, and place your chips accordingly!

From 2010-2021 the simple trade was to buy everything and anything because money was mispriced by central banks, making even the most schizoid stock sound look relative value. Level 2 was to buy coal, oil and gas because ill-thought out polices and ESG wokery was creating chronic energy insecurity. What is Level 3? Work out what the next big series of policy mistakes are going to be… and I suspect it will mean playing central bank recovery policies – ie when real economic and wage inflation, global recession and economic unrest require them to press both monetary and fiscal easing.

When? Sooner than we think…

And to make it even more confusing… What if we are watching all the wrong things?

  • Perhaps it’s the not the US economy we should worry about this week?

  • While everyone is focused on inflation as the prime economic danger driving instability – what if it’s something else?

  • What if the major risks remain political miscalculations?

Economic Divergence

The UK, Europe and the US – the Occidental West, and China are all headed on different economic trajectories. While we can probably be relatively confident the US economy will bounce out of recession pretty quickly, allowing the Fed to normalise interest rates and look to stabilise its growing economy in what will be recessionary global economy (Buy Dollars), the outlook for Europe is dire. The UK? Let’s not even go there.

And China? Its easing rates. Change is coming. A rising economic crisis is brewing:

  1. The jobs compact appears to be unravelling; the party quelled dissent and held power by providing everyone with well paid jobs – now the rising standard of living has plateaued, and young adult unemployment is rising.

  2. The economy is overly grounded on the thin foundations of the unbalanced property market – over 30% of the economy is vulnerable to wealth-effect reversal, and

  3. The Demographics are moving swiftly against the Middle Kingdom. We can discount China exporting deflation around the globe (as it did from 2000-2020).

As for Europe… As Gas prices threaten outages and crisis, Germany is still going to shutter its Nuclear plants this winter. That makes a ton of sense. Not.

Wages and Inequality

Meanwhile, back in Blighty…  UK dockers have just started a potentially crippling container port strike that could exacerbate supply chain, logistics, and inevitably trigger empty shelves and a run on bog-roll. Damn these 1900 striking dock workers! How very dare they complain… Revolting just because they will see their post-tax disposable income cut by £2000 (say 10% of income) this year by rising energy bills… How dare they ask for more….! Ungrateful tykes, having being offered an exceptionally generous £500 one-off bung and an effective pay cut?

I don’t hear many folk outraged by news the average take-home pay of FTSE100 bosses has hit £3.4mm, up nearly 40%, according to the High-Pay think tank reported in the Times of London this morning. The top 224 FTSE executives earned £720 million in 2021. The Chief Exec of a mining firm trousered £23 million for CEO-ing its mining operations in havens of wealth like Burkina Faso – where I hear the local miners’ private health care packages are exceptional. (US readers – Sarcasm alert.)

Some folk clearly haven’t been listening to Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey’s calls for pay restraint!

Much to my surprise, I was reading Young Conservatives (all six Tory party members under the age of 50), are disappointed Liz Sunak and Rishi Truss utterly failed to address the crisis in income inequality and the dearth of opportunity for young people in the Tory leadership whatever it is… coronation parade/contest?

Readers will not do doubt be surprised Dock Workers are unhappy with their pay cut offer. How can the nation possibly afford to give inflation busting wage rises to all key workers? If you pay the dockers, then the railwaymen will demand more! Even barristers are threatening strike action in pursuit of higher pay.

Unfortunately the drivers of wage inflation – be it FOMO, or relative income, or the perceived income injustices now perceived between older and younger workers – have already infected the whole economy. They are socio-economic forces that don’t give a fig for conventional political economy approaches. Solving them – will get messy.

How to solve or address out-of-control pandemic wage-inflation? I have simply no-idea – except that extraordinary times require extra-ordinary measures.. Hence I expect Governments will be forced to change tack and look at reflation in an inflationary environment.. Hang on to your hats…

I warned months ago the real danger of inflation is not just rising prices, or the difficulties it causes for both production costs and consumer affordability, but the unpredictable and potential chaotic social effects it could trigger. Rather than nations being able to grow their way out of a stagflationary crisis through job creation, an unexpected consequence will be worker scarcity: “why should I struggle into work on minimum wage, pay £1000 in monthly rent, have no savings, no holidays and no security, just so the bosses can have a great time?”

Politics

UK, German, Italian and US politics – watch them all. They all have a strong likelihood of spoiling your day in coming weeks. Bad politics have immediate and long-term consequences.

I am repeatedly told Donald Trump will not be the Republican Candidate in 2024, that too many Republicans now see through him, and the dismal showing of his candidates in US mid-term poling mean The Donald is set to cost his captured party potential majorities in the US Senate and Congress. The more I hear it, the more I fear it will happen – and the consequences for global trade, alliances, the environment, war, peace and everything will evaporate..

Yet, Trump is just another highly visible market risk. The issue is who and what is hiding in his coat-tails? Who are the US political names we don’t yet know who will emerge on the back of his philosophy in coming years to further bend and confound the US political process and its place on the world economy? Donald Trump may yet prove to have been a brilliant political figure, but only because he opened the door to legions of political wanabees much worse than himself!

My earnest hope is a return to sanity in Washington – but, as said so many times before – Hope is Not A Strategy. But Chaos is also opportunity!

Tyler Durden Mon, 08/22/2022 - 13:10

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Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate…

Published

8 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate iron levels in their blood due to a COVID-19 infection could be at greater risk of long COVID.

(Shutterstock)

A new study indicates that problems with iron levels in the bloodstream likely trigger chronic inflammation and other conditions associated with the post-COVID phenomenon. The findings, published on March 1 in Nature Immunology, could offer new ways to treat or prevent the condition.

Long COVID Patients Have Low Iron Levels

Researchers at the University of Cambridge pinpointed low iron as a potential link to long-COVID symptoms thanks to a study they initiated shortly after the start of the pandemic. They recruited people who tested positive for the virus to provide blood samples for analysis over a year, which allowed the researchers to look for post-infection changes in the blood. The researchers looked at 214 samples and found that 45 percent of patients reported symptoms of long COVID that lasted between three and 10 months.

In analyzing the blood samples, the research team noticed that people experiencing long COVID had low iron levels, contributing to anemia and low red blood cell production, just two weeks after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. This was true for patients regardless of age, sex, or the initial severity of their infection.

According to one of the study co-authors, the removal of iron from the bloodstream is a natural process and defense mechanism of the body.

But it can jeopardize a person’s recovery.

“When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly. It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert,” University of Oxford professor Hal Drakesmith said in a press release. “However, if this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly. The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem.”

The research team believes that consistently low iron levels could explain why individuals with long COVID continue to experience fatigue and difficulty exercising. As such, the researchers suggested iron supplementation to help regulate and prevent the often debilitating symptoms associated with long COVID.

“It isn’t necessarily the case that individuals don’t have enough iron in their body, it’s just that it’s trapped in the wrong place,” Aimee Hanson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge who worked on the study, said in the press release. “What we need is a way to remobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells.”

The research team pointed out that iron supplementation isn’t always straightforward. Achieving the right level of iron varies from person to person. Too much iron can cause stomach issues, ranging from constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain to gastritis and gastric lesions.

1 in 5 Still Affected by Long COVID

COVID-19 has affected nearly 40 percent of Americans, with one in five of those still suffering from symptoms of long COVID, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Long COVID is marked by health issues that continue at least four weeks after an individual was initially diagnosed with COVID-19. Symptoms can last for days, weeks, months, or years and may include fatigue, cough or chest pain, headache, brain fog, depression or anxiety, digestive issues, and joint or muscle pain.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/09/2024 - 12:50

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Walmart joins Costco in sharing key pricing news

The massive retailers have both shared information that some retailers keep very close to the vest.

Published

11 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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Walmart has really good news for shoppers (and Joe Biden)

The giant retailer joins Costco in making a statement that has political overtones, even if that’s not the intent.

Published

12 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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