When Do Breaking ATMs Signal More Than Just Technical Failure?In a fascinating twist of economic irony, Turkey's banking system faces a crisis not from a shortage of money, but from an overwhelming abundance of near-worthless banknotes. This peculiar situation, where ATMs physically break down from dispensing too many low-value bills, serves as a powerful metaphor for the broader economic challenges facing emerging markets in an era of hyperinflation.
The numbers tell an extraordinary tale: a 700% currency depreciation since 2018, 80% of circulating notes being the highest denomination available, and a stark disparity between official inflation rates of 49% and independent estimates of 89%. Yet perhaps most intriguing is the government's reluctance to print larger denominations – a psychological barrier rooted in the traumatic memory of million-lira notes from the 1990s. This resistance to adaptation, despite the obvious operational strain on the banking system, raises profound questions about the role of political psychology in economic policy-making.
What emerges is a complex narrative about the intersection of technological capacity, monetary policy, and human psychology. As Turkish banks spend entire days counting money for simple transactions and regulators continuously delay implementing hyperinflationary accounting standards, we witness a unique case study of how modern financial systems can be overwhelmed not by sophisticated cyber threats or market crashes, but by the sheer physical weight of devalued currency. This situation challenges our traditional understanding of banking crises and forces us to reconsider the practical limits of monetary policy in an increasingly digital age.
Crisis
Is Gold signalling a crisis? Gold is going parabolic and typically that doesnt mean a good thing.
Now there are many reasons this could be rallying and likely a combination of the few.
- Fed Rate Cut
- Geo political tension
- Weak Fiat currencies
- Currency Crisis
- Weakening economies
In a time where gold enters these monthly extreme RSI moves it typically signals a good time to start trimming.
Gold usually goes through a multi month correction but this could also spill into other asset classes.
As the steepening effect on the 10y/2y finally was confirmed today, large macro implications could follow and this is exactly what Gold confirmed this week.
England's Economic Crossroads and Banking ResilienceEngland’s economy is facing a complex array of challenges, driven by domestic social unrest, geopolitical tensions, and evolving labor dynamics. Recent riots, sparked by both marginalized Muslim communities and extreme right-wing groups, highlight deep-seated socio-economic issues. These tensions have been exacerbated by international events, such as the October 7, 2023, incident in Israel, which reverberated through England's Muslim community.
In addition to these social and geopolitical pressures, the economic indicators present a mixed picture. Inflation, unemployment, and a housing crisis have strained the economy, while regional conflicts, such as the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine wars, pose further risks to energy prices, trade, and security.
Amidst this backdrop, the Bank of England’s recent declaration that top UK lenders can be dismantled without taxpayer bailouts is a significant milestone. This statement reflects the progress made since the 2008 financial crisis in enhancing the resilience of the UK banking system through stricter capital requirements and resolvability assessments. However, emerging risks such as climate change, cyberattacks, and global financial interconnectedness require continuous vigilance and robust regulation.
Inspiration and Challenge:
As traders and investors, understanding the interplay between social dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and financial stability is crucial. England’s current economic state challenges us to think beyond traditional metrics and consider the broader implications of regional conflicts and social unrest on financial markets. The resilience of the UK banking system offers a glimmer of stability, but it also calls for ongoing scrutiny of emerging risks. Engage with this analysis to deepen your strategic insights and navigate the complexities of the global economic landscape.
#NIKKEI 225 - Is a world economic crisis coming?#NI225 #NIKKEI 225 Japan Stock Exchange
First of all, let me start by stating that the graph is based on 3-Month data
I have detailed all the necessary notes on the chart.
The white trend line is the balance zone. Below and above it caused completely different reasons as can be seen.
With the beginning of 2024, the mismatch on the RSI side signaled that it would fall. Therefore, a serious profit was realized.
Perhaps the first steps of a major crisis may have been taken as Japan raised interest rates for the first time since 1997 and the Japanese Yen was recalled to the country.
Is the crash here?Throughout all of social media and YouTube I've been seeing many people panicking if weather or not we have topped and should start selling. One thing that I've learned predicting mayor world events is to: always play it on the safe side when dealing with uncertainty. Instead of shorting the market, I prefer reducing my exposure, as short trades are extremely risky, and I've personally learned that the hard way. It is true that price action is now at an infliction point. With a vast amount of stocks entering a downtrend in such a harsh manner. It is not hard to see why everyone is panicking. Do I think this is the crash we've been waiting for? Perhaps it is, but I can't tell with certainty because even tough price is over extended, it does have a lot of structure supporting it.
The reason we are at an infliction point is due to the price action reaching the 25MA which many times is used as support or resistance and going below this threshold would for sure confirm a downtrend and with my Mean Returns indicator the story is the same. We are seeing a loss in momentum after having a very bullish push in the last years.
With all the recent news in the U.S. election, it is fascinating to see the market react to these mayor events. These do change the scope of how the market should behave, as a lot of uncertainty has just been introduced to the U.S. population in general. This lack of knowing what the future hold in store is what I believe to be the driving force of this recent downtrend. Combined with increasingly worsening economic fundamentals is what will give us the crash we are waiting for. But before making a decision on how to trade, it's important to consider all possible outcomes. Which is exactly what you can see in the graph. Where I've marked what different price action would mean to the economy and the market in general, as well as setting a trading plan for all of these outcomes.
This type of panicking is what leads me away from using stop losses. People panic and push prices violently. However, many times the analysis was correct from the start but hitting a stop loss gets you to close your position prematurely. That's why I define several entry levels and dollar cost average since the beginning. Using an equation to determine how much should I invest, at which levels to determine the correct amount of exposure to avoid missing out and to always have a favorable average price.
DXY 1W Forecast until March 2025Consolidation below 106 will last until October 2024.
Breakout will happen in October peaking at 111-112 followed by a retest (mid November 2024 - January 2025).
Further upward movement + correction will happen in January-March 2025 between the top of 113-114 and the bottom of 105-ish.
Consecutive HH and HL will be followed by rapid increase in pace of changes: time will shrink and levels will expand.
This will mark the start of hard times of Greatest Depression in March 2025 sending all markets down and making USD the king.
A cyclical historyWe have all heard that the economy works in cycles, and so does the market. But what does this truly mean? Has anyone actually been able to show you where you can see these cycles occur? Well, here is a great graph that will show you how. By looking at the 6-month time frame, the percentages of stocks above the 20 daily MA, you are achieving 2 things.
Seeing price action at the timeframe used to declare technical recessions
Seeing the percentage of stocks in a short term uptrend or downtrend as the complement is also true
Here it's quite easy to see how an important world event unfolded with a clear, repeatable pattern. When the percentage oscillates heavily, it allows for many technical resets, causing a healthy uptrend when the percentage returns to above 50% by the end of the semester. Another patter is that after a period of over-performance, a period of under-performance is followed and vice versa.
When looking at world events, just remember at the end of the day we are all a number in a larger scheme. And the laws of statistics will end up controlling our outcomes, as there must be balance in all binomial systems. Even when biases can be present in distributions, the more we generalize and zoom out, the more we can see the statistical convergences in human behavior. At the end of the day, our lives are influenced by fractals, some of which we are not even aware exist.
DXY 1W long-term view for future referenceCurrently Dollar is expected to grow for 2 consecutive weeks up to the level of 107 followed by a cooldown period and classic correction ending in the last week of October 2023 at level 100-101.
Starting from November 2023 Dollar seems to be having a powerful boost rising for 5 months up to 113 in mid March 2024.
Something is going to happen in November, isn't it?
DAX, will the next crisis end the current phase?Hello everyone,
this is not a usual trading analysis. So don't take any trades from monthly levels, as you can't manage the risk at all. What you can see is my try to figure out how the DAX went through different states of price development and really interesting to see is, that every big crisis ended one phase and opened a new one.
In my point of view we are currently at the way to the upper boundary of the recent phase and should reach it within the next year. The question is, where will the price finally find a solid ATH and start to correct? According to my last daily analysis a strong zone could be around 17.600, but if the economy is holding really strong into next years, higher prices are possible of course.
If you want to be in the big short trade, that I'm anticipating from the upper boundary, you have to wait patiently for a fundamental crisis, which has more impact than the banking crisis, energy crisis or the current wars, as they didn't stop the price for a long time.
The only reason I can anticipate for now is a comeback of high inflation with even higher interest rates, that end up in a big recession and the consequences for the banking and financial system. I will monitor this scenario next year, especially the month february and march are likely to offer crisis potential.
Hut 8 Shuts Down Alberta Bitcoin Mine Amid Energy CrisisHut 8 Mining Corp ( NASDAQ:HUT ), a prominent player in the cryptocurrency mining industry, faces the harsh reality of the energy crisis as it announces the immediate closure of its Bitcoin mining facility in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. The decision, driven by escalating energy costs and power disruptions, underscores the challenges confronting miners in today's volatile market environment.
The Drumheller site, once a cornerstone of Hut 8's ( NASDAQ:HUT ) operations, now symbolizes the struggle against the mounting pressures of the energy crisis. CEO Asher Genoot's acknowledgment of elevated energy costs and voltage issues reflects the harsh economic realities that have forced the company's hand in shutting down operations. In a strategic pivot, Hut 8 plans to relocate its Bitcoin miners to its Medicine Hat facility, seeking refuge in a more stable operating environment.
The closure of the Drumheller site echoes broader trends in Alberta's energy landscape, characterized by soaring electricity prices and regulatory scrutiny over cryptocurrency mining projects. The province's 1,000% increase in electricity prices since 2017, coupled with government concerns over power usage, has cast a shadow over the viability of mining operations. The looming Bitcoin halving event adds another layer of complexity, further dampening profitability prospects for miners already grappling with market uncertainties.
Hut 8's ( NASDAQ:HUT ) financial woes mirror the challenges confronting the cryptocurrency market at large. A 57% decline in revenue for the first nine months of 2023 reflects the downward pressure exerted by falling Bitcoin prices. Despite these setbacks, Hut 8 ( NASDAQ:HUT ) remains a formidable presence in the Bitcoin network, contributing significantly to its processing power.
In addition to operational challenges, Hut 8 ( NASDAQ:HUT ) has weathered scrutiny in the financial markets. Allegations of legal issues involving its partner, USBTC, in a $725 million merger deal rattled investor confidence, leading to a sharp decline in the company's stock. Hut 8 ( NASDAQ:HUT ) has vehemently refuted these claims, emphasizing its commitment to transparency and integrity amidst turbulent times.
As Hut 8 ( NASDAQ:HUT ) navigates the tumultuous waters of the energy crisis and regulatory challenges, resilience and adaptability emerge as crucial survival traits. The closure of the Drumheller site marks a strategic retreat in the face of adversity, but the company remains poised to overcome obstacles and seize opportunities in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape. With a steadfast commitment to innovation and sustainability, Hut 8 charts a course towards a brighter, more resilient future in the world of digital mining.
🔥 The Number 1 Recession Indicator Signals Great Danger 🚨 The Sahm Rule Recession Indicator (white) is on the rise. Historically, a rise in this indicator has always signaled a recession and a corresponding fall in asset prices.
How it's calculated:
"The Sahm Rule identifies signals related to the start of a recession when the three-month moving average of the national unemployment rate (U3) rises by 0.50 percentage points or more relative to its low during the previous 12 months."
In other words, once unemployment starts to rise quickly, this indicator moves up and a recession is on the horizon.
Since it's inception in the 1950's, every time this indicator reaches above 0.3, the trend seems to be irreversible and only reverses back after the recession is "over". See the orange line for the performance of the SP500: it has an inverse relationship with the SAHM indicator.
Keep a close eye on this indicator. Seeing how fast it's rising, there's historically a huge probability that the US economy will see a recession somewhere in the next few months. Keep an eye out for bearish price action in stocks and crypto during this time.
Storms are Brewing: Is your Portfolio Weatherproof? Risk strikes when least expected. Optimism peaks before a downturn strikes. Chart below shows remarkable spike in articles mentioning soft-landing before recession hits. Human brain is engineered to think linearly.
Anything non-linear tricks the mind. Recession is non-linear which muddles up investor estimates of recession, its timing and impact.
Count of Soft-landing Articles & US Recession (Source: Bloomberg )
The US Federal Reserve in its fight against inflation has lifted rates by an unprecedented 525 basis points since the start of 2022.
Yet the American economy, US corporations, and the US consumer are remarkably resilient. Non-Farm Payrolls last week came strong. When the Fed is tightening its levers to slow the economy, nothing seems to stop its rise. What explains this anomaly?
Three words. Monetary Policy Transmission.
Monetary policy transmission takes time, lulling many to believe that consumers and corporates are resilient. When in fact, they are yet to face the consequence of constrained credit markets which will manifest itself in myriad ways from reduced availability of financing, high cost of funding, and rising bankruptcies, just to name a few.
This paper is set in two parts. First part describes monetary policy transmission. Part two dives into storms forming in the horizon. The paper concludes with a hypothetical trade set-up using CME Micro S&P 500 Options to defend portfolios from deepening polycrisis.
Despite the risk narratives, a soft landing may still be possible. However, the combined impact of Fed’s hawkish stance, rising geopolitical tensions, continuing auto workers strike, tightening of financial conditions, and elevated oil prices & yields renders the likelihood of a soft landing, super slim.
Narratives around the soft-landing aside, CTAs have dumped nearly USD 40 billion worth of S&P 500 futures positions marking the fastest unwind on record over the last two weeks as reported by Goldman Sachs.
PART 1: MONETARY POLICY TRANSMISSION
Monetary policy operates with long and unpredictable lags. Monetary Policy Transmission is the process through which a Central Bank’s decisions impact the economy and the price levels. The flow chart below schematically describes the downstream impact of quantitative tightening.
Monetary Policy Transmission Takes Time (Source: ECB )
Changes made to official interest rates affect markets in diverse ways and at distinct stages. Central bank's interest rate decisions impact the markets in the following seven ways:
1. Banks and Money Markets: Rate changes directly affect money-market rates and, indirectly, lending and deposit rates.
2. Expectations: Expectations of future rate changes influence medium and long-term interest rates. Monetary policy guides expectations of future inflation.
3. Asset Prices: Financing conditions and market expectations triggered by monetary policy cause adjustments in asset prices and the FX rates.
4. Savings & investment decisions : Rate changes affect saving and investment decisions of households and firms.
5. Credit Supply: Higher rates increase the risk of borrower default. Banks scale back on lending to households and firms. This may also reduce consumption and investment.
6. Aggregate demand & prices: Changes in consumption and investment will change the level of domestic demand for goods and services relative to domestic supply.
7. Supply of bank loans: Changes in policy rates affect banks’ marginal cost for obtaining external finance differently, depending on the level of a bank’s own resources/capital.
The mechanism is characterized by long, variable, and indefinite time lags. As a result, it is difficult to predict the precise timing of monetary policy actions on economy and inflation.
For some sectors, monetary policy transmission can take as long as 18 to 24 months. In other words, the full force of the Fed’s 525 basis points spike since 2022 will not be felt until early 2024. Added to that, the Fed may not be done hiking yet.
Probabilities of Rate Anticipation in Prospective Fed Meetings (Source: CME FedWatch Tool )
PART 2: STORMS ARE FORMING
Not one but three major storms are brewing in parallel, namely (1) Worsening Geo-politics, (2) US Sovereign Risk Fears, and (3) Tightening Financial Conditions. One or more of them could unleash havoc, sending financial markets into a tailspin.
1. WORSENING GEO-POLITICS
Adding to the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend has elevated geo-political tensions. If counter strikes escalate to a wider region impacting Strait of Hormuz, then oil prices could spiral up sharply, sending shocks across financial markets.
Oil prices lost steam last week. That doesn’t guarantee lower prices. Eerily, this month marks 50-year anniversary of oil emergency in 1973 which led to oil prices spiking 3x back then.
The US Strategic Petroleum Reserves are at a 40-year low. The reserves are at 17-days of consumption compared to an average of 34-days consumption observed over the last thirty years.
2. US SOVEREIGN RISK FEARS: The US government is facing multiple challenges of its own. The government narrowly avoided a shutdown and has kicked the problem can down the road only by six weeks. Long before investors take relief, the shutdown fear will resurface again.
Add to that is the rising US debt levels. With a debt burden of USD 33 trillion, the government debt is forecasted to reach USD 52 trillion by 2033.
With rates remaining elevated, a substantial chunk of US Government debt will be directed towards interest payments. Is there a risk of US debt default?
To compensate for that risk, bond yields are climbing. The 10-Year treasury yields rose to 16-year high of 4.6%. With jobs market remaining solid, the data-driven Fed might have to keep the rates higher for longer.
The futures market implies a probability of 42% for a rate hike during the Fed’s December meeting. Any further hikes can tip the recovering housing market back into crisis due to exorbitant mortgage rates. High yields also cost it dearly for firms to borrow.
3. TIGHTENING FINANCIAL CONDITIONS: Dwindling liquid assets, resumption of student loan repayments, stringent lending practices atop heavy debt burden on US Corporates are collectively weighing down on investor sentiments.
Student Loan Repayments: After 3.5 years of loan servicing holidays, millions of students will resume student loan repayments. Bloomberg estimates that these repayments can shave 0.2% to 0.3% off US GDP.
Depleted Savings: Strength of the US Consumers will be put to stress tests. Extra savings from pandemic stimulus checks have been depleted to below pre-pandemic levels for low-income categories. Consumer strength could turn into weakness in the coming weeks.
Inflation Adjusted Liquid Asset Holdings by Income Group (Source: US Fed and Bloomberg Calculations )
Stringent Lending Standards: The Fed’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS) on Bank Lending Practices points to 50% of the banks imposing stringent criteria for commercial & industrial loans. Lending conditions are at levels last seen during 2008 global financial crisis. Impact of this will be felt in Q4 when business will be stifled from access to funds.
Tightening Standards of Commercial & Industrial Loans (Source: July 2023 SLOOS Survey )
Corporate Debt Burden: Years of extremely low cost of funding have tempted US corporates into a debt binge. With rates rising, the debt burden is getting heavier on corporate balance sheets, cash flows, and profitability as reported by Bloomberg. Leverage ratios are rising. Interest coverage ratios are falling. Average Free Cash Flow to Debt ratios are plunging.
Debt burden amid rising rate environment is hurting US Blue Chips (Source: Bloomberg Intelligence )
HYPOTHETICAL TRADE SETUP
Against the backdrop of these risks, this paper posits a hypothetical back spread with puts to gain from sharp index moves. Unlike a long straddle, this option strategy delivers (a) outsized gains when markets plunge, and (b) limited downside risk if market remains flat or rises despite the risks.
This strategy involves selling one unit of at-the-money puts to finance purchase of two units of out-of-the-money puts. This strategy can be executed either for net positive premium or net negative premium depending on the choice of strikes.
Specifically, the hypothetical trade illustration is built around CME Micro Monthly S&P 500 Options expiring on 29th December 2023 (EXZ3). The strategy involves (a) selling 1 lot of EXZ3 at a strike of 4400 collecting a premium of USD 655 (131.16 index points x 1 lot x USD 5/index point), and (b) buying 2 lots of EXZ3 at a strike of 4300 paying a premium of USD 950 (95.041 index points x 2 lots x USD 5/index point).
The hypothetical trade involves a net debit of USD 295 (58.922 index points * USD 5/index point). This trade breaks even when S&P 500 (a) falls below 4141, or (b) rises above 4400.
Pay-off from Back Spread with Puts Trade Strategy (Source: CME QuikStrike )
Summary pay-off from this trading strategy is illustrated in the table below.
MARKET DATA
CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
DISCLAIMER
This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
Safeguard Your Investments Against Impending CrisesI write to you with a sense of concern and urgency regarding the current state of global financial markets. As an astute investor, it is crucial to stay ahead of potential crises that could significantly impact your portfolio. In light of this, I would like to draw your attention to two potential scenarios that demand our immediate attention: hyperinflation and a financial crisis.
1. Long Gold for Hyperinflation
2. Long BTC for Financial Crisis
To aid you in making informed investment decisions, I encourage you to calculate the probability of which crisis will hit first. By assessing the likelihood of hyperinflation versus a financial crisis, you can better allocate your resources and tailor your investment strategy accordingly. Consider consulting with your financial advisor or utilizing online tools to analyze historical data, economic indicators, and global trends. This exercise will empower you to make more informed decisions and protect your investments against potential market downturns.
Remember, the key to successful investing lies in proactive decision-making and staying ahead of the curve. By taking action now and diversifying your portfolio with long gold and long BTC positions, you can position yourself to weather any storm that may lie ahead.
In conclusion, I urge you to carefully evaluate the potential risks posed by hyperinflation and a financial crisis. Do not let complacency hinder your ability to protect your investments and secure your financial future. Act now, calculate the probability of each crisis, and make the necessary adjustments to your portfolio.
If you require any further information or assistance in navigating these challenging times, please do not hesitate to comment away below. Together, we can navigate these uncertain waters and emerge stronger.
Wishing you continued success and financial well-being.
USDT.D 1W until the end of 2023USDT.D looks strong. Current correction should end in the next week at level 7.52%
Last week of September will kickstart USDT.D's powerful rise up to 8.36% or even 9.23%.
This rise will be followed by a healthy correction, which will end in mid October.
Both scenarios Fast and Slow agree to show a radical appreciation of USDT starting from 16 October.
Only in mid November we will see possible correction and domination of one scenario out of the two shown. USDT.D might respect level 9.23% for some time or it might breakout and rise to 15.94% in the course from mid November to mid January 2024.
Thus crypto market might depreciate 50% by the end of 2023.
Is it global financial crisis coming?
Total (Crypto Market Cap) 1W until end of 2023Price is expected to move sideways until mid October between 1T and 1.115T
Starting mid October scenario is splitting into two: Optimistic and Realistic. End of October will show which scenario takes place.
Optimistic scenario includes prolonged sideways movement until start of November and consequent steady growth until the end of 2023.
Realistic scenario implies breakdown below 1T bottoming no lower than 922B and ranging there until February with possible false breakout on the edge of 2023 and 2024. Steady growth is expected no earlier than mid February 2024.
In my humble opinion, I tend to err to Realistic scenario and it is more aligned with my view of Others.
First Republic Bank | FRCFirst Republic stock plummets after revealing deposit exodus in March
The stock of First Republic FRC dropped more than 43% Tuesday after the bank surprised investors and analysts by revealing an outflow of more than $100 billion in deposits in March.
The disclosure made during the release of its first-quarter results on Monday afternoon raised new questions about the fate of a San Francisco lender that was at the center of last month's banking turmoil.the company outlined its survival strategy Monday. It said it plans to increase its insured deposits, trim the borrowings it used to cover customer withdrawals, shrink its balance sheet and reduce its workforce by 20-25% to cut expenses. It is also pursuing other “strategic” options, including a sale or raising more capital.the bank is considering divesting HKEX:50 billion to $100 billion of long-dated securities and mortgages to make an eventual capital raise easier.
Its stock, which was already down more than 85% this year, was briefly halted for volatility on Tuesday. Other bank stocks also dropped, including some of First Republic's regional rivals. PacWest (PACW), a lender based in Beverly Hills that reports earnings after the market close, was down more than 6%. HomeStreet (HMST), a lender in Seattle that reported earnings Monday, sank more than 36%. analysts said First Republic faces a lot of uncertainty as it tries to recover from last month's chaos. “First Republic appears to be in a holding pattern and burning fuel,” Evercore analysts said in a new research note. Wells Fargo analysts said in a separate note that First Republic's existence "very much hangs in the balance." "The future of this company is very uncertain," added CI Roosevelt Associate Partner Jason Benowitz in an interview with Yahoo Finance. First Republic, he added, "lost so much in deposits, they have to replace that funding somehow, so they’re doing it with borrowing.” The borrowing will “really weigh on their profitability both in the reported quarter and going forward.” Wedbush lowered its earnings estimates for that very reason, noting that the heavy deposit losses would weigh on profits. “Where does First Republic go from here?” Wedbush said in its note. “Our base case is that First Republic continues to move forward as a standalone company,” referencing an earlier note in April that argued First Republic faces a "Hobson's choice."
Even a sale of First Republic at $0 a share is unlikely, Wedbush said in that earlier note, because any buyer would still essentially have to pay billions to absorb the unrealized losses on its balance sheet.
Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein told Yahoo Finance earlier this month that the federal government will need to provide some help for First Republic to find a buyer due to this “hole” on the lender’s balance sheet. “I think First Republic Bank is clearly on a watchlist, and probably somebody at some point will buy it. But the challenge there is that it needs government assistance,” Rubenstein said earlier this month
A lot of money is riding on its fate. Everyday investors have bet HKEX:245 million on First Republic stock since the fall of Silicon Valley Bank, according to Vanda Research, the third highest inflow to a specific bank stock behind Bank of America (BAC) and Charles Schwab (SCHW). It also has one of the highest levels of interest among so-called short sellers betting on the stock to decline, according to analytics firm S3 Partners, accounting for HKEX:480 million in such bets over the last 30 days. Its stock is now down more than 85% since the beginning of the year. First Republic "will be a bellwether of sentiment for the sector," Vanda said in a note last week.
The new hand wringing about First Republic following the release of its first-quarter results Monday. Its first-quarter earnings of HKEX:269 million were down by 30% from the fourth quarter and 33% from the year earlier period. What surprised most observers is how many deposits it lost in March. As of March 9, the day before regulators seized Silicon Valley Bank, its deposits were $173.5 billion, down just slightly from the year end. On March 10, it began experiencing "unprecedented deposit outflows."
The net total outflow by the end of March was HKEX:72 billion, but the actual number was above $100 million after stripping out a temporary infusion of HKEX:30 billion in uninsured deposits from 11 of the country’s largest banks. Those deposits have to stay at First Republic for 120 days, according to a person familiar with the rescue plan. The bank said Monday that outflows began to stabilize the week of March 27 and deposit activity "has remained stable" through April 21. Its balance as of Friday was $102.7 billion, a drop of 1.7% since the end of the quarter that the bank attributed to seasonal client tax payments. "Despite the uncertainty of the past two months, and while average account sizes have decreased, we have retained over 97% of client relationships that banked with us at the start of the first quarter," First Republic CEO Michael Roffler said on a conference call following the release of results. The company didn't take questions from analysts.
Western Alliance | WALWestern Alliance shares pulled back from their session lows after the Arizona-based bank denied it was exploring a potential sale
The Arizona bank described a report in the Financial Times that it was considering a potential sale of all or part of its business as “categorically false in all respects”, adding: “Western Alliance is not exploring a sale, nor has it hired an advisor to explore strategic options.” Two people briefed on internal discussions had told the FT that the bank, which has a FWB:2BN market capitalisation, was exploring strategic options including a potential sale of all or part of its business.
The Arizona-based bank, which has $65bn of assets, fell by as much as 45 per cent after the FT report, before recovering to trade 39 per cent lower. Earlier on Thursday, PacWest, another bank that has unnerved investors, announced that it was exploring its options.
Shares of US regional banks have come under heavy selling pressure this week after the regulator-brokered takeover of First Republic by JPMorgan Chase failed to restore confidence in the sector.
In a press conference on Wednesday, US Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell tried to soothe concerns about the bank turmoil, saying conditions across the sector had “broadly improved” since the period of “severe stress” in early March and that the system as a whole was “sound”.
US officials are watching deposit flows more closely than share prices, which Powell said on Wednesday had stabilised, given the view that they are a better indicator of the health of a bank.
“The resolution and sale of First Republic is an important step toward drawing a line under that period of severe stress,” he said before PacWest announced plans to explore a potential sale.
Western Alliance said on Wednesday that total deposits had risen to $48.8bn from $47.6bn at the end of March. It said it had “not experienced unusual deposit flows following the sale of First Republic”. It said 74 per cent of deposits were covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guarantees. Western Alliance for much of the past two decades was run by Robert Sarver, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns NBA basketball franchise.
Earlier this year, Sarver was forced to sell the Suns after an investigation found evidence that under his leadership the team had created a hostile environment both for black people and women. Sarver was fined $10mn and suspended from the NBA and the WNBA for a year. Sarver, who had held the top role at Western Alliance since 2003, stepped down as chair of the bank last year as the NBA controversy unfolded.
Fasten your seat belt, please.Hello investors.
I repost and re-edit my chart multiple times to be updated.
Take this one as long-term based on daily time frame.
I think, crisis ain't done and the worst will come yet.
We can spot a lot of similarities with 2008, when
Bitcoin does not exist. It is on SP500 chart.
To make is simple I let bars pattern in chart as an example:
It would happen very soon, probably with start in this May ( traditional "Sell in May and go away" ).
Don't read news if wave is done.
This rally was suspicious from its beginning and only made Lehman formation.
I don't expect much upsides - to be clear.
I am just a passenger as you. So let's wait and see.
My belt is fasten already ;-)
With care always,
Emvo.
Dow Jones globally will fall due to the north node cycleTVC:DJI globally will fall, because the Gann square of 20, built for the New York Stock Exchange indicates the date 2023 (reversal), and since on the monthly chart is now flat, and the market is at high prices, then a fall is more than likely. In 2024, a global strongest crisis is expected in another astrological cycle. There was already a similar crisis in 2008, and then the same cycle worked.
The fall may begin both now and by the second half of 2024, as they can still pump money, or at least say everywhere that there is no stronger economy in the world than the American one, and this will delay the fall for some time.
It will be possible to speak about the end of the crisis no earlier than the beginning of 2028.
GOLD. Long-term forecast Many investors expect gold to continue rising due to the crisis, inflation, etc. As practice shows: one cannot count on such a bullish sentiment for serious growth. Yes, and the previous crises of 2008 and 2020 showed that gold fell along with the markets, only then it began to recover earlier. Most likely, we will see the same thing in the future for a year and a half, but we should expect strong growth for many years to come.