Earlier today the Hedgeye Macro Team, led by CEO Keith McCullough, hosted their quarterly Macro Themes conference call in which they detailed their Top 3 Global Macro Investment themes for 2Q14.  The Replay and Presentation Materials can be accessed via the links below.

Replay:  CLICK HERE

Presentation:  CLICK HERE

Q2 2014 MACRO THEMES OVERVIEW

  • #ConsumerSlowing: The cyclical increase in consumer spending growth from the 2009 lows is under pressure. Rising food prices and a stagnating USD continue to squeeze average Americans on the margin. Given the potential for further USD depreciation and a continuation of global commodity inflation as a real macro risk, we think U.S. consumption growth will slow as it bumps up against difficult compares heading into 2Q and beyond.
  • #StructuralInflation: Following up on our cyclical #InflationAccelerating theme, we are focusing now on structural inflationary pressures embedded in the U.S. economy. Much like in Japan, zero percent interest rate policy has fueled a broad-based portfolio re-balancing away from financing economic growth to reach for additional yield in slow-growth assets. This is fueling systemic underinvestment in both human and physical capital. However (unlike in Japan), the USD's long-term downward trend adds an additional layer of inflationary pressure due to an increased reliance on imported goods and services amid capacity constraints abroad.
  • #HousingSlowdown:  We have been big housing bulls over the last 18 months. But the party is ending. Asymmetry in being long has flattened.   Price follows demand on a lag and demand is slowing as affordability declines, regulatory changes drag on liquidity, and institutional interest ebbs.  We walk through our updated view on the Supply/Demand/Price dynamics prevailing in the housing market and our forward outlook for prices. 

- Hedgeye Macro