CLIENT TALKING POINTS
JAPAN
The Weimar Nikkei completed her +20% centrally planned ramp overnight, closing up another +1.1% vs. 14,532 on OCT 17th – it’s a good thing that was “fundamental” – in other news, Global #GrowthSlowing continues and the rest of Asian Equity markets trading from up small (HK +0.3%) to down -0.2-0.5% (KOSPI, India, Philippines).
OIL
#Quad 4 deflation continues to manifest in both Oil prices and Energy related countries, stocks, and bonds – this will be one of the big things, in the end, that will have mattered. Brent is seeing follow through selling after having a -2.6% down day yesterday (-29% year-to-date), and WTIC -0.4% $76.85 looking at lower-lows.
RUSSIA
Russia is down another -1.9% this morning (Russian Trading System -26.1% year-to-date) as European Equities try to bounce (again) after getting slammed yesterday; both Italian and Spanish CPI showed 0% inflation post European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s Policy to Inflate.
TOP LONG IDEAS
EDV
The Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury (EDV) is an extended duration ETF (20-30yr). U.S. real GDP growth is unlikely to come in anywhere in the area code of consensus projections of 3-plus percent. And it is becoming clear to us that market participants are interpreting the Fed’s dovish shift as signaling cause for concern with respect to the growth outlook. We remain on other side of Consensus Macro positions (bearish on Oil, bullish on Treasuries, bearish on SPX) and still have high conviction in our biggest macro call of 2014 - that U.S. growth would slow and bond yields fall in kind.
TLT
We continue to think long-term interest rates are headed in the direction of both reported growth and growth expectations – i.e. lower. In light of that, we encourage you to remain long of the long bond. The performance divergence between Treasuries, stocks and commodities should continue to widen over the next two to three months. As it’s done for multiple generations, the 10Y Treasury Yield continues to track the slope of domestic economic growth like a glove. We certainly hope you had the Long Bond (TLT) on versus the Russell 2000 (short side) as the performance divergence in being long #GrowthSlowing hit its widest for 2014 YTD (ex-reinvesting interest).
XLP
The U.S. is in Quad #4 on our GIP (Growth/Inflation/Policy) model, which suggests that both economic growth and reported inflation are slowing domestically. As far as the eye can see in a falling interest rate environment, we think you should increase your exposure to slow-growth, yield-chasing trade and remain long of defensive assets like long-term treasuries and Consumer Staples (XLP) – which work decidedly better than Utilities in Quad #4. Consumer Staples is as good as any place to hide as the world clamors for low-beta-big-cap-liquidity.
Asset Allocation
| CASH | 68% | US EQUITIES | 0% | |
| INTL EQUITIES | 0% | COMMODITIES | 0% | |
| FIXED INCOME | 28% | INTL CURRENCIES | 4% |
THREE FOR THE ROAD
TWEET OF THE DAY
TV TODAY: Hedgeye CEO @KeithMcCullough will be live on @FoxBusiness from 9:30am to 10:10am. @OpeningBellFBN
@Hedgeye
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount. And the tigers are getting hungry.
- Winston Churchill
STAT OF THE DAY
Nearly 7 million Americans are stuck in part-time jobs that they don’t want (Wall Street Journal).
