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Julia La Roche
Julia La Roche brings her listeners in-depth conversations with some of the top CEOs, investors, founders, academics, and rising stars in business. Guests on "The Julia La Roche Show" have included Bill Ackman, Ray Dalio, Marc Benioff, Kyle Bass, Hugh Hendry, Nassim Taleb, Nouriel Roubini, David Friedberg, Anthony Scaramucci, Scott Galloway, Brent Johnson, Jim Rickards, Danielle DiMartino Booth, Carol Roth, Neil Howe, Jim Rogers, Jim Bianco, Josh Brown, and many more. Julia always makes the show about the guest, never the host. She speaks less and listens more. She always does her homework.
#113 Jim Rickards On What The Israel-Hamas War Could Mean For The Global Economy
Jim Rickards (@JamesGRickards) returns to the podcast to discuss what the Israel-Hamas war could mean for the global economy, the impact on oil prices, and the rise of antisemitism on American college campuses.
This episode was recorded on October 19.
Rickards is a New York Times bestselling author of Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis and several other best-sellers, including The New Great Depression, Aftermath, The Road to Ruin, Death of Money, The New Case for Gold, and his newest book Sold Out: How Broken Supply Chains, Surging Inflation, and Political Instability Will Sink the Global Economy.
An investment advisor, lawyer, inventor, and economist, Rickards has held senior positions at Citibank, Long-Term Capital Management, and Caxton Associates. He is also the Editor of Strategic Intelligence, a widely-read financial newsletter.
Links:
http://www.jamesrickardsproject.com/
https://twitter.com/JamesGRickards
0:00 Welcome back to the show, Jim Rickards
1:20 The big picture, according to Rickards
2:16 Horror of October 7
8:27 Israel’s response in Gaza
10:30 Egypt, Jordan unwilling to take in Palestinians
12:16 Ground invasion and logistics
13:45 A much more brutal, drawn-out and violent result
15:20 What this could mean for investors
21:00 A financial war
26:00 Greatest threat to the dollar
28:00 Ineffectiveness of sanctions
34:00 Antisemitism on college campuses
39:3324/10/2023
#112 Darius Dale: Why We Could Have A Worse Recession Than Investors Anticipate
Darius Dale (@DariusDale42), founder & CEO of 42 Macro, an investment research firm that aims to disrupt the financial services industry by democratizing institutional-grade macro risk management frameworks and processes, joins Julia La Roche on episode 112.
In this episode, Darius presented his proprietary 42 Macro Weather Model to share his economic and market outlook. Growth in the real economy is expected to decelerate over the next 12 months, while inflation is reaccelerating.
Darius’ model predicts below-normal returns for the stock and bond markets over the next three months. It also suggests above-normal returns for the U.S. dollar and below-normal returns for commodities and Bitcoin. A key takeaway is that with so many negative indicators, cash is currently the preferred asset.
Darius also discussed the likelihood of a recession, citing that the most probable window for its onset is Q4 of 2023 to Q1 of 2024.
Prior to founding 42 Macro, Darius was a Managing Director and Partner at Hedgeye Risk Management, an independent investment research firm based in Stamford, CT. At Hedgeye, Darius was the Sector Head of the Macro team and was a core contributor to the firm’s economic outlook and associated investments. t strategy views. He joined the firm upon graduating from Yale.
Links:
42 Macro https://42macro.com/
Darius on X/Twitter https://twitter.com/DariusDale42
42 Macro on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/42macro
42 Macro on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@42Macro
The Julia La Roche Show is produced by Marlinski Media.
Timestamps:
0:00 Welcome Darius Dale to the show
1:15 Macro view using the 42 Macro Weather Model
6:50 Recession outlook
8:45 Indicators of a broader breakdown in the business cycle
13:00 Inflation was going to bottom at a level inconsistent with 2% mandate
14:30 Rethinking expectations for inflation target
20:30 Fed outlook
26:44 Higher for longer and the duration of how long
28:49 Why we could have a worse recession than investors are anticipating
29:48 Fed won’t be able to do large-scale asset purchase programs that we’re used to
30:35 Fourth Turning empirical analysis
33:55 Powell
35:50 Where are we within The Fourth Turning?
38:00 Parting thoughts
40:5619/10/2023
#111 David Hay: The Odds Of A Recession Are Going Up, Not Down, With Each Passing Day
David Hay, co-CIO at Evergreen Gavekal and author of the Haymaker newsletter on Substack, joins Julia La Roche on episode 111.
In this episode, Hay makes a case that the odds of a recession are going up, not down, with each passing day.
The conversation dives into the bond market, exploring the shift to a secular bear market and the implications this holds for the broader financial ecosystem.
Elsewhere, Hay shares where he’s allocated and why he’s mildly bullish on energy. He also points out we have a supply problem, and we’re likely to experience an acute and lasting oil shortage.
Links:
Substack: https://haymaker.substack.com/
Bubble 3.0 Audiobook: https://awesound.com/a/bubble-30-historys-biggest-financial-bubble
Evergreen Gavekal: https://evergreengavekal.com/about-us/
David Hay: https://evergreengavekal.com/team/david-hay/
The Julia La Roche Show is produced by Marlinski Media: https://www.marlinskimedia.com/
Timestamps:
0:00 Welcome David Hay to the show
1:20 Macro view
2:50 Odds of a recession are going up with each passing day
4:17 Misleading data
6:30 Higher for longer’s impact on bankruptcies
7:40 GDI recession
10:45 Federal Fiscal Funding Fiasco
12:29 Structural bond bear market
15:27 Supply and demand in bond market
17:44 Hedge funds buying USTs with leverage / the basis trade
19:40 T-bills
21:26 A ‘transitory’ bond rally
25:30 The country is circling the drain
28:00 Bondholders are going to be the sacrificial lambs
29:20 Where do you want to be allocated
31:40 We’re going to have an oil supply problem
33:00 Parting thoughts
35:0017/10/2023
#110 Marc Chandler: The Dollar's Rally Is, If It's Not Over Yet, It's Nearly Over
Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex and author of the blog Marc To Market, joins Julia La Roche on episode 110.
Chandler, who has three decades of experience in capital markets and foreign exchange, argues that the dollar trending higher since the end of the Great Financial Crisis is coming to an end.
"It seems to me in the stock market, you need a new opinion, like every week or every two weeks, but the currency markets just trend for a long time. And I think that the dollar's rally is, if it's not over yet, it's nearly over," Chandler said.
As of late, the dollar has been strong, but that's likely due to the Fed being more aggressive in raising rates and the U.S. economy looking better than the rest of the world. The Fed's tightening is likely coming to an end, and the economy weakening is likely to bring the dollar's rally to an end.
Links:
Marc to Market: http://www.marctomarket.com/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/marcmakingsense
Bannockburn Global Forex: https://www.bannockburnglobal.com/
The Julia La Roche Show is produced by Marlinski Media. Learn more: https://www.marlinskimedia.com/
0:00 Intro and welcome Marc Chandler to the show
1:20 Macro view and forex market
3:30 Dollar likely peaked already
6:50 What's lifted the dollar is coming to an end
7:30 Headwinds for US economy
11:30 Dollar is overvalued
15:00 Currency misalignment creating opportunity for U.S. investors to diversify more to Europe/Japan
18:20 Recession
20:30 Government spending/ deficit
22:30 Wholesale/retail price for money
24:36 Why not let the business cycle play out?
29:27 Minksy moment?
30:30 Debt is a problem, but not yet
36:40 Biggest risk for Marc
40:36 Thoughts on crypto
44:0912/10/2023
#109 Danielle DiMartino Booth: 'It’s Clear That The U.S. Economy Is In A Recession If It Wasn't For Everything That Uncle Sam Is Either Spending Or Fudging'
Danielle DiMartino Booth, CEO and Chief Strategist for QI Research, a research and analytics firm, returns to The Julia La Roche Show for episode 109. In this episode, DiMartino Booth argues that the U.S. economy would already be in recession if it weren't for the government's spending.
A global thought leader in monetary policy, economics, and finance, DiMartino Booth founded QI Research in 2015. She is the author of FED UP: An Insider’s Take on Why the Federal Reserve is Bad for America (Portfolio, Feb 2017), a business speaker, and a commentator frequently featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, Fox Business News, BNN Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance and other major media outlets.
Prior to QI Research, DiMartino Booth spent nine years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. She served as Advisor to President Richard W. Fisher throughout the financial crisis until his retirement in March 2015. Her work at the Fed focused on financial stability and the efficacy of unconventional monetary policy.
DiMartino Booth began her career in New York at Credit Suisse and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette where she worked in the fixed-income, public equity, and private equity markets. DiMartino Booth earned her BBA as a College of Business Scholar at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University.
Links:
QI Research: https://quillintelligence.com/subscriptions/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/dimartinobooth
Fed Up: https://www.amazon.com/Fed-Up-Insiders-Federal-Reserve/dp/0735211655
The Julia La Roche Show is produced by Marlinski Media: https://www.marlinskimedia.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome Danielle DiMartino Booth to the show
1:06 - Macro outlook on the economy, discussion on job market and revisions
3:56 U.S. economy is clearly in a recession if it weren’t for government spending
6:30 - Discussion on the Federal Reserve and the higher for longer regime
9:20 An about-face for equity investors
11:46 - Conundrum for RIAs
15:22 - Biggest risk is in middle portion of commercial real estate and corporate debt
17:30 - Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and a passive investing bubble?
18:27 - Discussion on Federal Reserve's zero bound interest rate policy
22:30 - Geopolitical risks following an attack in Israel
24:30 - US deficit at wartime levels, fiscal responsibility and potential long-term consequences
26:30 - Conclusion
28:1010/10/2023
#108 Chris Whalen On The ‘Silent Crisis’ — The Looming Commercial-Led Recession
Banker and author Chris Whalen (@rcwhalen), chairman of Whalen Global Advisors, who is also the author of The Institutional Risk Analyst, joins Julia La Roche on episode 108.
In this episode, Whalen delves into what he terms a ‘Silent Crisis’ lurking within the commercial real estate sector and its ripple effects on regional banking and the broader economy. Whalen highlights the intricacies of the Federal Reserve’s policy shifts and how the central bank is slowly killing the world of credit and putting banks in a tough spot.
Links:
Chris on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rcwhalen
The Institutional Risk Analyst: https://www.theinstitutionalriskanalyst.com/
0:00 Welcome Chris Whalen to the show
1:14 Big picture is the Fed is slowly killing the world of credit
2:13 Bond market is signaling the Fed is going to stop soon
3:34 Commercial real estate risk
4:18 Banks are looking at another down quarter for net income
5:30 Commercial, not consumer
6:18 New York State Assembly killed multi-family housing
9:26 A typical recession was led by consumers, but this recession is being caused by the Fed
11:24 Landlords are a small business
13:00 Silent crisis
14:50 Impact on banks
16:00 Politics need to change if NYC is going to survive
17:30 A strange economic cycle
19:22 Half the banks in the country are insolvent on mark-to-market
20:24 Banks are a fixed income trade that masquerades as an equity trade
21:30 Fed will drop rates by end of the year because of banks
22:14 Should we have mark-to-market accounting?
23:50 Housing outlook, tips for homebuyers
27:00 Parting thoughts
28:5305/10/2023
#107 Claudia Sahm: The Economy Is At An Inflection Point
Former Fed economist Claudia Sahm, the founder of Sahm Consulting and creator of The Sahm Rule — a recession indicator — joins Julia La Roche on episode 107 for a wide-ranging discussion on macro and the Federal Reserve.
In this episode, Sahm noted that the economy is potentially at an inflection point, and we’ll know soon if we’re getting a soft landing or are headed in a slow grind that could lead us over the edge and into recession.
At the moment, she’s in the 50-50 baseline case when it comes to recession. To be sure, Sahm is concerned about the cooling in the labor market. She noted, "Once things get going in a bad direction, they keep going.”
Throughout her career, Sahm has worked at the Federal Reserve, the White House, ad has advised Congress. She’s the creator of the Sahm Rule, a reliable indicator of a recession based on the unemployment rate. The rule was developed as a trigger for automatically sending out relief like stimulus checks in a recession, taking the politics out of it.
Links:
Stay-At-Home-Macro: https://stayathomemacro.substack.com
X: https://twitter.com/Claudia_Sahm
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiasahm/
0:00 Welcome Claudia Sahm
0:44 Potentially an inflection point
2:07 Labor market
3:40 What’s weighing on consumers?
6:30 Long and variable lags
10:03 Has the Fed done too much?
11:50 Risk of doing too much is aligned with the risk of doing too little
14:58 Fed’s inflation fight
19:02 Assessment of the consumer today
23:09 Great Recession
25:54 Sahm Rule
31:17 Are we in a recession according to the Sahm Rule?
32.22 Labor
36:00 Risk of a recession?
40:05 50/50 case of a recession
42:56 Housing
47:22 A decade Federal Reserve
53:00 Storytelling is the most important part of the forecasting
57:00 Groupthink at the Fed
1:01:12 Parting thoughts
01:04:0003/10/2023
#106 Harald Malmgren & Nicholas Glinsman: The U.S. Treasury Market Is The ‘Ultimate Wrecking Ball’
Dr. Harald Malmgren and Nicholas Glinsman, co-founders and partners of Malmgren Glinsman Partners, join Julia La Roche on episode 106 for a deep discussion on macro, geopolitics, politics, and the implications for financial markets.
Links:
Malmgren-Glinsman Partners Daily Ahead of the Heard and Malmgren Institutional Research: https://d5d0c2-2.myshopify.com/
“China Will Be The Next Japan” paper: http://www.international-economy.com/TIE_W23_Malmgren.pdf
0:00 Welcome Harald and Nicholas to the show
1:00 Harald Malmgren’s macro view
2:20 Huge debt situation worldwide, and growing U.S. budget deficit
3:30 Strong dollar, lots of disruption
4:55 U.S. Treasury Market is the ‘ultimate wrecking ball’
8:00 Malmgren-Glinsman’s call on China
10:00 Problems for the Treasury Market
11:19 Looking 3-months, 6-months, and a year out
15:00 10-year Treasury likely going north of 5
20:25 Implications of higher rates
24:19 Negative economic outlook doesn’t mean rates will come down
26:43 Stagflation/ where to invest in a stagflationary environment
37:20 Is it realistic to get back to a 2% inflation target?
42:00 When are we going to trim this fiscal monster?
43:30 The big risk today - the fiscal imbalance
49:00 Biden
53:58 Leadership
56:00 Message for Millennials
1:01:30 Hal Malmgren on political teamwork across parties
1:04:22 Parting thoughts
01:08:2728/09/2023
#105 Sam Burns: The Economy Isn't Headed For Recession Any Time Soon
Sam Burns, chief strategist of Mill Street Research (www.millstreetresearch.com), an independent research firm, joins Julia La Roche on episode 105.
In this episode, Burns explains how he deploys a top-down macro research approach with bottoms-up analysis.
When it comes to the economy, Burns points out that the economic data has been better than expected and that inflation is headed in the right direction after the worst of it peaked last year. He doesn’t expect an imminent recession in the next six to 12 months. Instead, he expects a gradual slowdown in the economy rather than a sudden fall off a cliff.
As for markets, Burns is overweight equities compared to bonds. Burns, who had been bullish stocks earlier this year amid the pessimism, pointed out that things have gotten back to more normal expectations.
Burns has over 20 years of experience as a market strategist, providing analysis and commentary to institutional investors globally. Prior to founding Mill Street Research in 2016, Burns worked as a senior strategist at leading firms, including Oppenheimer & Co., Brown Brothers Harriman, State Street Global Markets, and Ned Davis Research. Mill Street Research provides a suite of consistently updated research reports for institutional investors covering asset allocation, country allocation, sector and industry selection, and a robust quantitative stock selection process.
Learn more at www.millstreetresearch.com.
0:00 Welcome Sam Burns to the show
0:57 Top-down, bottom-up approach to research
2:23 Macro view today
4:15 Better-than-expected economic data, inflation coming down
6:13 The balance between fiscal and monetary policy
8:14 A gradual slowdown in the economy
11:05 Worst of inflation peaked last year
14:19 Can inflation get to 2-2.5%?
16:06 Higher for longer
18:10 Not currently expecting a recession in the next 6-12 months
20:00 Consumer
22:25 Markets
25:08 Bond market
32:00 Stock market
36:40 Opportunities in the market
39:15 Traditional 60/40
41:30 Parting thoughts
43:2026/09/2023
#104 Christopher Zook On Stagflation, Energy, And A 'Generational Opportunity' In Commercial Real Estate
Christopher Zook, founder and Chief Investment Officer of CAZ Investments, which oversees just under $6 billion in assets under management, joins Julia La Roche on episode 104 for a wide-ranging macroeconomic discussion.
In this episode, Zook shares that he still sees stagflation ahead. In this environment, Zook is looking for opportunities in dislocated assets, particularly in energy and real estate.
Zook has over 30 years of experience investing in traditional and alternative asset classes. He was recently honored with the Texas Alternative Investments Association’s (TAIA) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution and sustained support of the industry in Texas. He regularly contributes to major media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg. Before starting CAZ Investments in 2001, Zook served in senior leadership positions with Oppenheimer, Prudential Securities, Lehman Brothers, and Paine Webber.
0:00 Welcome Christopher Zook to the show
1:07 Macro view today
2:50 The Fed likely to maintain credibility
4:08 Inflation and stagflation
5:40 Stagflation impact on stocks and bonds
8:30 Entering into a lost decade
11:44 Passive investing v. Active investing
16:20 Dichotomy in the market
19:00 Fiscal picture in the US
22:19 Betting against subprime
22:53 Concern about the consumers’ spending habits
25:27 Investment opportunities
28:52 Commercial real estate
34:27 Energy
42:5721/09/2023
#103 Matt Higgins: The Only Way Out Is A Reckoning
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Matt Higgins, author of “Burn the Boats” and co-founder and CEO of RSE Ventures — a private investment firm that focuses on sports and entertainment, media and marketing, food and lifestyle, and technology — joins Julia La Roche for episode 103 for a wide-ranging discussion on the economy, the consumer, artificial intelligence, and unlocking your individual potential.
Links:
Burn the Boats: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Boats-Overboard-Unleash-Potential/dp/006308886X?
Matt Higgins on X: https://twitter.com/mhiggins
Matt Higgins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-higgins-rse/
RSE Ventures: https://rseventures.com/
A quick correction: I mistakenly referred to an episode featuring Peter Cecchini in a discussion about the consumer. The episode I should have referred to would have been the most recent Larry McDonald episode (ep. 101). I apologize for the error. - Julia
Timestamps:
0:00 Welcome Matt Higgins
1:16 Macro view
2:29 The consumer is laboring under a mountain of debt
5:00 Housing market at a stalemate
6:03 “‘Soft landing’ is a euphemism for soft-peddling”
8:50 Valuations
10:45 Purpose of raising rates
13:12 Only way out is a reckoning
13:45 How is Matt Higgins preparing?
15:45 Bullish long-term
17:30 Greatest catalyst of wealth creation in our lifetime
20:12 Burn The Boats book
25:30 Metaphorical boats that hold you back
31:09 Career
35:50 Education system not designed to meet a student where they are
38:30 Opening up
41:30 Most important skills of a founder
42:45 Rex Ryan
46:15 Best part of the book
48:40 Parting thoughts
51:4419/09/2023
#102 Masha Bucher On The State Of Venture Capital, Investing In AI, And How To Navigate Today's Market
Masha Bucher, founder and general partner of Day One Ventures, joins Julia La Roche on episode 102 for a discussion of the state of venture capital, investing in artificial intelligence, valuations, navigating PR, the changing media landscape, meeting Jeff Bezos, and more.
https://www.dayoneventures.com/
0:00 Intro + welcome Masha to the show
1:08 Venture capital landscape today
2:40 Decreased interest in late-stage investing, not early-stage
4:50 Investing in AI ahead of the AI boom
7:45 Robotics
9:25 Correction for generative AI companies?
11:33 Meeting Jeff Bezos
14:00 Valuations
19:00 Investment activity
20:50 Vetting companies
26:48 Public relations to venture capital
31:35 When to get a PR agency?
36:12 Changing media landscape
40:00 Exits
45:35 Meeting founders through social
48:40 Starting a VC fund
52:4314/09/2023
#101 Larry McDonald: The Probability Of Sustained Stagflation Is Rising
Larry McDonald (@convertbond), author of the New York Times bestseller “A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers,” and founder of The Bear Traps Report, a weekly independent macro research platform focusing on global political and systemic risk with actionable trade ideas, joins Julia La Roche on episode 101.
0:00 Welcome Larry to the show
1:00 Macro picture
2:15 The probability of sustained stagflation near-term is rising
3:12 What people are getting wrong about inflation
5:32 Stagflation
9:20 One-year breakevens
10:25 Nvidia, and playing AI
14:20 Idiotic dislocations in the market
18:40 Indexing creating a bubble
23:15 Regional bank risks
27:25 Buy into capitulation selling
29:17 Economic picture today
34:00 Short high yield, long MBS trade
37:20 Companies sitting on cash are seeing stocks hold up (for now)
39:34 Zombies
42:00 What will drive 2-3 trillion out of growth and into value
47:00 Shift to stagflation
50:30 Most exciting trade of our lives
53:4612/09/2023
#100 Bill Ackman On Activist Investing, The Economy, And Learning From Mistakes
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman (@BillAckman), CEO of Pershing Square Capital, joins Julia La Roche on episode 100 for an exclusive and wide-ranging conversation.
In this episode, Ackman revisits the various eras of his investing career, from his first stock purchase as a Harvard Business School student to his bet against MBIA and his activist stake in Wendy’s. He also discusses his transition to a “quieter” phase of activist investing and his foray into tech investing with the recent addition of Google's parent company, Alphabet.
Along the way, Ackman shares lessons and insights on a range of topics, including raising capital in the face of rejection, learning from mistakes, and the importance of optimism and free speech.
Ackman also provides an update on the macroeconomic outlook, shares his thoughts on the 2024 presidential election, discusses the recent regional banking crisis, and more.
0:00 Welcome Bill Ackman to the show
0:25 A ‘self study’ in investing
1:30 The first stock Ackman purchased
4:00 Raising capital like ‘blind dating’
5:45 Willingness to go against ‘the system’
8:30 Origins of Ackman’s persistence
9:20 Incentives drive human behavior
11:30 Learning from mistakes/failure
12:50 Optimism
15:05 Why Ackman/Pershing Square survived the challenging years
17:50 Codifying the eight principles in stone
19:30 Three eras of Pershing Square
26:30 Rise of passive/indexing
31:10 Twitter/ free speech
34:10 Macro assessment
35:30 Longer-term risks to the economy
37:45 2024 election
39:40 Would Ackman ever run for office?
41:10 Regional banks
43:00 Buying Google/ impact of AI
48:06 $600 million to philanthropy
50:30 Parenting
50:5707/09/2023
#099 Peter Cecchini: 3 Reasons Why We're Headed Toward Recession
Market strategist Peter Cecchini, director of research at Axonic Capital, a hedge fund with $4.5 billion in AUM, joins Julia on episode 99 to explain why the U.S. economy is likely headed toward recession. In this episode, Cecchini shares the three reasons why he’s taking a cautious stance and why it’s a matter of “when” rather than “if” we’ll see a recession.
Links:
https://www.axoniccap.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercecchini/
0:00 Intro
0:57 Macro picture/ remaining in the recession camp
2:29 3 reasons why we’re headed toward recession
4:19 American consumer
5:31 Equity markets
8:34 Credit markets 12:06 CMBS, the beginnings of a repricing
15:43 Vulnerabilities
18:08 Zombie companies
22:37 Fed outlook
26:00 How Cecchini got ahead of inflation
27:50 Long and variable lags question
31:1229/08/2023
#098 Rick Rule: 'Potent And Very Ugly Cocktail' In A Rising Interest Rate Environment
Investor and speculator Rick Rule, president and CEO of Rule Investment Media and co-founder of Battle Bank, returns to the show for episode 98, featuring a discussion on the macro environment.
Rule, who has 50 years of investing experience, looks at the macro picture from the lens of a credit analyst. He's long-term optimistic but short-term pessimistic.
0:00 Intro
0:59 Macro picture
2:30 Arithmetic of the deterioration in purchasing power
4:10 Rich Men North of Richmond
5:20 Rule’s savings losing purchasing power at about 7% compounded
7:00 Severe but survivable
10:45 What is the fair value of gold?
12:50 No one size fits all for how to own gold
15:20 Arithmetic around long bonds is lousy
19:40 Underlying economy has been amazingly strong
22:47 A richer world is good for everyone
23:40 Future for younger generations
29:4724/08/2023
#097 Peter Borish: My Concern Is More Than A Recession
Legendary trader Peter Borish, president of the Computer Trading Corporation, joins Julia La Roche on episode 97. In this episode, Peter shares his macro outlook, and why we’re in the early stages of a longer term rising rate cycle. He also revisits his time working with Paul Tudor Jones at Tudor Investment Corp, the 1987 stock market crash and its aftermath, and some of the lessons and principles he’s learned over the years.
Links:
https://twitter.com/pborish
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-borish-bb54119/
00:00 Intro
0:43 Macro view
2:30 This really isn’t the 70s
4:55 More like post WWII
7:14 Tax rate
8:42 Debt
11:38 Implications of higher rates
13:50 We’ll see wages go up more
14:53 S&P likely to move down from here
16:10 Difference between cautious/bearish
17:15 Concern is making policy mistakes
18:30 More on the markets
21:03 Risk management
23:10 Learning from mistakes
25:00 You have to trade your own personality
27:30 Advice for young people
29:50 1987 Crash
35:00 Robin Hood Foundation
38:00 Assessment of New York City today
40:30 Return to office
42:00 Brady Commission
44:40 Paul Tudor Jones
48:30 Parting thoughts
51:4022/08/2023
#096 Michael Howell: It's Bonds, Not Banks, That Look Dangerous
Michael Howell (@crossbordercap), CEO of CrossBorder Capital, an investment advisory firm, and author of the book, “Capital Wars: The Rise Of Global Liquidity,” joins Julia La Roche on episode 96 to discuss what's happening in the bond market.
Howell recently shared a piece on his Substack, "It's Bonds, Not Banks, That Look Dangerous." Read the piece here: https://capitalwars.substack.com/p/its-bonds-not-banks-that-look-dangerous
Links:
Website: http://www.crossbordercapital.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/crossbordercap
Substack: https://capitalwars.substack.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Capital-Wars-Rise-Global-Liquidity/dp/3030392902
0:00 Intro
1:02 Macro view today
2:26 Why is the bond market so important
6:40 Pressures in the bond market
10:15 Term premia
14:43 BRIC economies’ gold-backed currency
16:16 Who is going to want to buy the Treasuries?
19:00 Bond market is distorted
22:50 US dollar
27:30 Liquidity
34:2617/08/2023
#095 Carol Roth: You Will Own Nothing
Carol Roth, a “recovering” investment banker, financial television commentator, entrepreneur, and two-time New York Times best-selling author, joins Julia La Roche again for episode 95 to discuss her newest bestseller, "You Will Own Nothing."
Links:
You Will Own Nothing: https://www.carolroth.com/nothing/
Follow Carol Roth on Twitter: https://twitter.com/caroljsroth
0:00 Intro
1:00 World War F
4:19 Writing for the underdog
7:50 Social credit
13:50 Useful idiots
19:45 Cancel culture
21:55 ESG
27:00 Elon Musk
29:50 Housing
35:20 More institutions buying homes
39:30 Macro picture
44:40 What can the individual do to reclaim the ‘American Dream’?
50:0515/08/2023
#094 Todd Gordon: Why We're Not Headed Toward Recession
Todd Gordon, founder of Inside Edge Capital, joins Julia La Roche on episode 94 to break down markets and the opportunities he sees in this current environment.
Todd has been a CNBC contributor since 2010 and continues to provide actionable, insightful, and light-hearted commentary for CNBC. He is known for blending technical and fundamental analysis to interpret the ever-changing market landscape to produce specific trading and investment ideas for CNBC viewers and his clients. Currently, he is one of the only CNBC contributors who manages his actual investment account live with full transparency on the ‘TradingNation’ web show. He has appeared on various shows such as CNBC Fast Money Halftime show, Fast Money, Squawk Box, Power Lunch, Squawk Alley, Squawk on the Street, Money in Motion, and the CNBC Stock Draft.
He started his career as a professional proprietary trader of NYSE listed stocks in San Diego, California in 2001, then moved to Connors Capital, A CTA and hedge fund in 2004, and then back east on Wall St with Forex.com / Gain Capital. In that dual role, Todd wrote the widely followed Strategy of the Day research report, while trading for the parent company’s hedge fund GAIN capital during the 2008 financial crisis. Todd successfully guided his readers through that wild market time building enough of a following to launch his own research business TradingAnalysis.com in 2010.
Since 2010, TradingAnalysis has grown to serve clients in over 100 countries as Todd and his team guide their clients through the markets by trading their actual live portfolios showing the good, bad, and the ugly. He is gearing up to launch his own wealth management business in 2021.
Todd attended St Lawrence University while majoring in economics and competing on their Division I alpine ski racing team. He transferred out to focus on business at University at Albany, earning a Bachelors of Economics, where he continued his ski racing career.
Follow Todd on Twitter @toddgordonTA
0:00 Intro
1:16 Macro setup today
2:25 New age of investing
4:30 Soundbites and hot takes
6:00 Bullish?
8:18 Interpretation of the yield curve
12:35 Disinflationary environments and stocks
15:07 Tech boom
20:00 Rally is broader than you think
23:07 Relationship between US yields and value/growth rotation
27:23 Stocks in a rising rate environment
31:07 What have the bears gotten wrong?
33:54 Elliott Wave, explained
38:05 Dow to double in the next five years?
41:00 Made a mistake from being too bearish?
42:30 Parting thoughts
46:35 Active v. passive
50:1210/08/2023
#093 Neil Howe: The Fourth Turning Is Here — How Will This Crisis End
Neil Howe, author, historian, economist, and consultant who is best known for his work on social generations and generational trends, joins Julia La Roche on episode 93.
Along with the late William Strauss, Howe is credited with creating the concept of generational theory and popularizing terms such as "Millennial Generation." Howe has written several books on generational trends, including "The Fourth Turning" and "Generations." His work focuses on understanding the cyclical patterns of history and how different generations shape society.
A quarter of a century ago, Howe and Strauss introduced an innovative interpretation of American history. They identified a recurring pattern: modern history proceeds in cycles, roughly 80 to 100 years long, mirroring a human lifespan. Each cycle encompasses four distinct eras, or "turnings," each lasting about 25 years and always following the same sequence. The fourth and final turning, they found, was invariably the most tumultuous and transformative, on par with events like the New Deal, World War II, the Civil War, or the American Revolution.
In his newest book, "The Fourth Turning Is Here," Howe applies his understanding of historical cycles to anticipate the resolution of current civic unrest and project the potential future state of America over the next decade. According to Howe, we will reach a climax by the early 2030s. While this climax poses substantial risks, it also carries the potential for a new era of prosperity in America. The outcome of this critical juncture, he argues, will be determined by every living generation's involvement.
Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoweGeneration
The Fourth Turning Is Here: https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Turning-Here-Seasons-History/dp/1982173734
0:00 Intro
1:21 Generational Theory
5:00 Generations arrive in patterns
8:00 These periods of crisis come once in a lifetime
11:20 Writing “The Fourth Turning” in 1997
13:00 Fourth Turning catalysts
15:30 Sales of “The Fourth Turning” book accelerated since pandemic
16:50 The role of Millennials in the Fourth Turning
20:00 Younger people losing faith in democracy
21:18 Generational archetypes
27:43 Millennials as the “Hero”
33:40 Fourth Turning will likely end in the early 2030s
39:00 An internal or external conflict?
44:00 Macroeconomic picture and the Fourth Turning
49:00 Relationships
50:28 What keeps Neil up at night?
53:00 Optimistic about the future
54:2108/08/2023
#092 Milton Berg On Why There’s Strong Evidence The Market Won’t Do Well
Milton Berg, CFA, the CEO and Director of Research of MB Advisors (https://miltonberg.com), joins Julia La Roche on episode 92 for a deep dive into his technical analysis and macro.
Berg focuses on "Turning Point Analysis,” where he looks for turning point ends of trends. In this episode, Berg shared reasons for why he sees strong evidence that this market won't do well and the bull market may be ending and heading toward a significant correction.
0:00 Intro
0:37 Long-term big picture
6:27 Short-term big picture
8:54 Turning points in the market
11:00 No evidence of momentum. It’s an emotional feeling
21:30 Accelerations
27:02 Bank stocks and the bear market
35:40 Why he’s short right now
37:38 Gap down and gap up, explained
47:00 Price target for the S&P 500
50:00 Worried about dissing capitalism
52:1703/08/2023
#091 Peter Atwater On The Troubling Disconnect Between Main Street & Wall Street
On episode 91, Julia La Roche is joined by Peter Atwater, an adjunct professor of economics at William & Mary, and author of "The Confidence Map: Charting a Path from Chaos to Clarity". Atwater explains how confidence is the real "invisible hand" in our economy, markets, and everyday lives. He also shares his concern about the divergent economy, where billionaire confidence is soaring while a large population feels left behind, not only in the US but also in other countries. Atwater is the first who shared the notion of a K-shaped recovery in the economy.
Links:
The Confidence Map: https://www.amazon.com/Confidence-Map-Charting-Chaos-Clarity/dp/0593539559/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Peter_Atwater
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-atwater-08467034/
Peter’s website: https://peteratwater.com/
0:00 Intro / Background
2:48 Psychology of investor decision-making and economic decision-making
3:35 Behavioral economists typically focus on what we do wrong
4:30 The role of confidence
6:40 Confidence Quadrant framework
10:00 Application of the Confidence Quadrant on macro/micro level
13:00 Executives discussing AI
14:47 Investors are in the “comfort zone” on the Confidence Quadrant
15:35 The K-shaped recovery
17:48 If markets were to price in Main Street sentiment they would considerably lower
18:30 Two different sets of moods and preferences
20:30 Assessment of the current state of America today
24:00 Evaluating consumer confidence and the 2016 election
28:00 Gen Z’s confidence?
31:00 Millennials’ sentiment
33:00 Real life moves us around
35:00 Music and the mood
38:00 Taylor Swift phenomenon
39:30 Peak confidence?
40:30 Mania in the Magnificent Seven
41:15 Passive investing puts investors in the “passenger seat”
44:00 Elon Musk is the “Kevin Bacon” of every popular investment theme
47:20 Media is the “mirror of mood”
50:30 Why confidence is the real “invisible hands”
53:00 Best indicator of an upcoming recession
55:00 Bidenomics is another sentiment indicator
58:3601/08/2023
#090 Jens Nordvig On How AI Is Changing Investing Forever
Jens Nordvig, founder and CEO of Exante Data, joins Julia La Roche on episode 90 to share his macro outlook, his views on the U.S. dollar, and his latest venture — Market Reader — a startup providing real-time explanations of market movement for investors and advisors.
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jnordvig
Substack: https://moneyinsideout.exantedata.com/
Market Reader: https://marketreader.com/
Exante Data: https://www.exantedata.com/
0:00 Intro
0:55 Macro picture
1:57 A turning point in inflation
4:10 Evidence of an inflection point
7:35 Market
8:30 Don’t see evidence of a dramatic tip in the economy
10:00 Housing not crashing
12:40 A brief history of dollar hatred
19:00 Impact of weakening dollar on investments
20:25 Artificial Intelligence and building Market Reader
24:33 Started Market Reader pre ChatGPT
26:55 AI and the macro outlook
28:48 Two trends that are worrisome
31:40 Will Fed policy have to consider AI?
33:43 No cuts any time soon
35:13 Positives of AI for a researcher
37:50 Impact of AI on certain finance jobs
42:00 Founding a startup
45:00 Market Reader examples
48:49 How Market Reader has helped Jens' productivity
51:20 Study
52:52 Parting thoughts
56:0327/07/2023
#089 Jim Bianco On Why Inflation Will Be Problematic And There Won't Be A Fed Pivot
Macro researcher Jim Bianco (@BiancoResearch), the president of Bianco Research, joins Julia La Roche again for a wide-ranging conversation on the macroeconomic environment.
In this episode, Bianco shares why he thinks we've seen a bottoming in inflation and that it will start to creep back up. He also explained why he doesn't see the Fed pivoting because the inflation rate is likely to be problematic. Elsewhere, Bianco explains why he's not necessarily in the recession camp.
0:00 Intro
1:00 Macro view
4:20 That’s not “TINA”
6:35 Unusual market performance this year
10:29 Thoughts on passive investing
14:00 On AI: Overhype the short-term, underestimate the long-term
18:00 Impact of AI on finance
25:05 Might not be in the recession camp
29:40 Did something already break?
32:34 Sticky inflation
36:00 Labor market is very different from what anyone thinks it is right now
43:00 Impact on cities, commercial real estate, public transportation
51:33 Regional bank risk
55:15 Energy
1:01:00 Parting thoughts
01:02:2925/07/2023
#088 Dr. Ed Altman: We’ve Reached An Inflection Point In The Credit Cycle
Dr. Edward I. Altman, Max L. Heine Professor of Finance, Emeritus at the Stern School of Business, New York University, joins Julia La Roche on episode 88 for an in-depth discussion on where we are in the credit cycle and the global phenomenon of zombie companies.
Dr. Altman is a renowned professor and researcher for his bankruptcy prediction and credit risk analysis work.
Dr. Altman earned his MBA and Ph.D. in Finance from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been with NYU Stern School of Business since 1967.
He is most famous for developing the Z-Score formula in the late 1960s. The Z-Score is a financial model that uses historical data to predict a company's likelihood of bankruptcy. This formula is widely used by investors, financial analysts, and auditors as a tool for predicting corporate defaults and an aid in credit risk management.
Dr. Altman has published numerous books and articles on the topics of bankruptcy, corporate distress analysis, corporate financial restructuring, and credit risk. His work has had a significant impact on both academic finance and practical investment analysis.
Links:
Where We Are In The Credit Cycle: https://creditorcoalition.org/special-feature-professor-ed-altman-on-where-we-are-in-the-credit-cycle/
Wiser Funding: https://www.wiserfunding.com/
Corporate Financial Distress, Restructuring and Bankruptcy Book: https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Financial-Distress-Restructuring-Bankruptcy/dp/1119481805/
NYU Stern: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/edward-altman
0:00 Intro
0:49 Where are we in the credit cycle?
2:43 5 indicators (Default Rates; Recovery Rates, Required Rates of Return; Distressed Ratio; and Liquidity)
10:00 Is the market underestimating the near-term risk of defaults?
15:50 We’ve reached an inflection point
18:00 Historical default rates, benign credit cycles, and recession periods in the US
22:00 Warning of a great credit bubble in 2007
25:15 Why have defaults been so low?
28:20 Scenario of 10% default rates in credit markets?
33:30 Zombies and the Z-Score
39:40 Zombieism globally has increased from 1.5% to about 7%
44:00 Implications of keeping zombie companies alive
48:30 Why does the US have so many zombie companies?
50:00 Triple Cs risk of default
53:48 Bankruptcy v. Bailout
1:01:00 Bankruptcy reforms and impact on zombies
1:04:25 Zombies only increased slightly during Covid
1:06:30 What are people asking Dr. Altman on his lecture tour?
1:08:36 Starting a fintech called Wiser Funding
1:12:08 Parting thoughts
01:16:1120/07/2023
#087 Jason Trennert: If You're Playing The Odds Expect A Recession In The Next 6-12 Months
Jason Trennert, co-founder and CEO of Strategas Research Partners, joins Julia La Roche for a wide-ranging conversation on the macro picture.
Strategas has been voted the top independent macro research provider by Institutional Investor for six consecutive years. Trennert discusses the major macro themes that will shape the investment climate for the foreseeable future.
0:00 Intro
1:06 Quite cautious on the markets/economy
2:40 Chances are good that you’re going to get a recession
4:33 The magnificent seven
6:06 40% of the Russell 2000 has not had profits in the last 12 months
7:10 Inflation
9:00 Long way away from the Fed easing
10:25 Not buying stocks at reasonable prices right now
12:30 Opportunities, energy sector
15:30 Thoughts on AI
17:50 Themes
18:40 The end of globalization
22:11 Labor market
24:17 Hard or soft landing
26:00 Regional banks
27:48 Energy sector
32:50 Lobbying ETF (policy opportunities)
37:24 TINA
40:30 Fair value of S&P is probably between 3500-4100
42:00 Career in financial markets
45:3518/07/2023
#086 The Acid Capitalist Hugh Hendry On The Economy: 'I'm Fearful'
The Acid Capitalist Hugh Hendry (@Hendry_Hugh) joins Julia La Roche again for an unfiltered conversation on macro, markets, Bitcoin, the Fed, and more.
Hendry founded Eclectica Asset Management, a global macro hedge fund that was pretty much uncorrelated to everything in the financial universe. Hugh started Eclectica in 2002 and ran for 15 years before closing in 2017. He made more than 30% in 2008 betting against banks.
These days, Hendry is a luxury hotelier on St. Barts, where he spends his time surfing and still thinking about macro. He also hosts a weekly podcast called "Acid Capitalist" and shares his views on Instagram, Twitter, and Substack.
0:00 Intro
1:18 Macro picture, ‘my imagination is as dark as it was in 2007’
5:00 “I’m fearful”, already in recession as we speak
8:18 Want to own equities right now
12:30 Bitcoin
15:00 Sitting with cash, waiting to buy
17:58 Been in a depression since 2008
22:30 Banking sector
27:30 Eurodollar system
32:00 Entrepreneurial dream has been replaced
34:50 Inflation Reduction Act is actually smart
38:00 A recession of a similar magnitude to 2008-2009
42:47 The five who know
45:30 Music and charts
47:30 Twitter
49:23 Parting thoughts
52:1013/07/2023
#085 Kyle Bass On China: 'We Sit At A Hinge In History Right Now'
Texas-based hedge fund manager J. Kyle Bass, the founder and chief investment officer of Hayman Capital Management and founder of private equity firm Conservation Equity Management, joins Julia La Roche for a wide-ranging discussion on macro, geopolitics, and the rising threat of China.
0:00 Intro
0:35 ‘Out of body experience’ meeting with former central bankers, academics
3:30 Fed is ‘completely out of touch with reality’
5:30 This has nothing to do with the Phillips Curve
6:58 Chain-weighting inflation
9:57 Frictions in society
12:15 Heading toward a recession
14:15 Commercial real estate
19:22 Yellen’s trip to China
26:00 Wall Street greed
21:03 Is the business community waking up?
26:20 Exposure to China
28:00 Risk of invading Taiwan
30:00 Talk about what Xi Jinping says
34:00 Should be ringing alarm bells about China
38:00 Need peace through strength
41:00 Economic War Department is needed
44:00 We sit at a hinge in history right now
46:1111/07/2023
#084 Michael Green On Passive Investing Creating Distortions In The Market Right Now
Michael Green (@profplum99), Chief Strategist and Portfolio Manager for Simplify Asset Management, joins Julia La Roche on episode 84 for a wide-ranging conversation on the economy and market.
In this episode, Mike Green breaks down some of the implications of systematic and passive investment strategies and how they lead to the current market phenomena.
Michael has been noted for his work as a market theoretician and financial media participant. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a CFA holder.
Follow Mike on Twitter: https://twitter.com/profplum99
Read Mike’s Substack: https://www.yesigiveafig.com/
0:18 When are we going to see a recession?
1:06 In the recession camp
2:40 Labor is bifurcated
4:55 Student loan debt
8:00 Implications of AI
13:55 Markets and the implications of passive investment strategies
18:10 Creating an asset bubble
21:57 What happens when the selling starts?
24:00 Driving a car uphill with no brakes
28:20 Growth of passive
33:58 Inelasticity of the markets
36:20 The Fed
42:22 Operating off fantastically outdated theories
45:00 Downside of these strategies
49:30 Narratives in the markets
54:00 Parting thoughts
59:2306/07/2023
#083 Nassim Taleb And Scott Patterson On Black Swans And Chaos Kings
Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb), the author of “The Black Swan” and “Antifragile," joins episode 83 of The Julia La Roche show alongside veteran Wall Street Journal reporter Scott Patterson (@pattersonscott), author of “Chaos Kings: How Wall Street Traders Make Billions In the New Age of Crisis.”
“Chaos Kings,” which features Taleb, recounts the story of Universa Investments, a Miami-based investment firm specializing in risk mitigation, deploying a tail-risk hedging strategy to limit losses from an outsized market event, like a Black Swan. Taleb is the Distinguished Scientific Advisor at Universa.
Led by Mark Spitznagel, Universa is among the best-performing investment managers of the last 15 years, reaping massive gains from market crashes. During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Universa delivered a stunning 4,000% return during the first quarter when markets sharply sold off. The firm has posted a 15-year average annual return on capital north of 100%.
0:00 Show open
1:00 Chaos Kings story
6:40 A problem with infrequent but large losses
9:45 Precautionary Principle
12:29 Tail risk hedging
15:30 Flaws of modern finance
17:17 Mark Spitznagel learning to “love to lose”
19:00 Fragilities, hidden risks, big picture macro environment
23:43 Addressing misconceptions around Black Swans
25:30 Optionality
30:16 Experience and execution of the strategy
31:49 Black Swans v. Dragon Kings
34:30 Predicting an event is one thing; benefitting is another thing
36:00 Sornette’s Dragon Kings
38:50 Universa’s 4,000% gain
41:45 Getting to know Nassim Taleb
46:01 Rethinking investing
49:01 New age of crisis
54:40 Parting thoughts
57:5629/06/2023
#082 David Hunter On Melt Up In Stocks, Global Bust, And Gold $20,000 Forecast
David Hunter (@DaveHcontrarian), Chief Macro Strategist at Contrarian Macro Advisors, joins Julia La Roche on episode 83 to discuss his forecast for the market and economy.
Hunter, who’s been in markets for 50 years, is calling for the end of a 41-year bull market. He expects the market will continue to melt up, forecasting the S&P peak at 6,000 to 7,000 before a global bust.
He’s also bullish on gold, calling for $3,000 by the end of the year. He also made a case for why gold could soar to $20,000 in the decade's second half.
0:00 Intro
0:40 Becoming a contrarian
2:40 Macro view
5:18 Stock market is one of the best leading indicators
8:40 What is the market forecasting?
11:22 Another melt up in the market
16:39 Calling for the end of a 41-year bull market
18:24 Economic and market cycles
20:17 Global bust forecast for 2024
23:05 Forecasting S&P peaking at 6,000-7,000, before 80% drop
29:00 Deflation
34:30 Bullish gold, calling for gold $3,000 this year, $20,000 second half of the decade
41:00 Outlook for the U.S. Dollar
44:00 Treasuries
47:00 The debt is ‘a giant Ponzi scheme’
49:20 Challenge to the thesis
52:30 Parting thoughts
56:5727/06/2023
#081 Professor Steve Hanke Sees Decline In Inflation, Recession On The Way
Steve H. Hanke (@Steve_Hanke), professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University and the founder and co-director of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise, joins Julia La Roche on episode 81 for a wide-ranging conversation on the economy.
Two years ago, using the quantity theory of money — which links asset prices, economic activity and inflation to changes in the money supply—Professor Hanke accurately predicted that inflation would be persistent and rise to the highest levels in a generation between 6 to 9%. Inflation topped out at 9.1%. Hanke thinks the inflation story is over, and a recession is likely on the way.
Read “Did Lockdowns Work?” Here: https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Perspectives-_1_Did-lockdowns-work__June_web.pdf
The Hanke-Cofnas Gold Sentiment Score: https://thegoldsentimentreport.com/
0:00 Open
0:47 Money supply drives the economy
3:00 Inflation story is basically over
4:49 Economic picture around the world
5:25 Inflation is a local problem
7:02 The Fed has been a complete disaster
12:13 One-to-one linkage in change in money supply and inflation
13:00 Path to becoming a Monetarist
15:00 Why doesn’t the Fed pay attention to the quantity theory of money
18:24 Recession
20:47 Preparing for a recession
22:18 Long-term bullish on gold
27:29 Covid lockdowns biggest policy mistake in modern times
36:0415/06/2023
#080 Nick Glinsman: Investors Beware China
Macro investor Nicholas Glinsman (@nglinsman), co-founder of Malmgren Glinsman Partners, joins Julia La Roche on episode 80 for a wide-ranging discussion on China. In this episode, Glinsman highlights the risks investors and corporate decision-makers face with their investments in China, including the inability to get money out of the country.
Link to Malmgren-Glinsman Partners Daily Ahead of the Heard and Malmgren Institutional Research: https://d5d0c2-2.myshopify.com/
Read Harald Malmgren (@Halsrethink) and Nick Glinsman’s “China Will Be The Next Japan” paper here: http://www.international-economy.com/TIE_W23_Malmgren.pdf
0:00 Show open
1:08 Welcome Nick Glinsman
1:40 From Salomon Brothers to hedge funds
2:28 Harald Malmgren
5:08 Long Dollar against Chinese Yuan trade
6:25 Assessment of macro environment
7:24 The Fed
9:00 Regional banks, commercial real estate
15:00 Liquidity
18:00 Liquidity impact
23:30 China
25:50 Xi is decoupling China’s economic model
29:30 Investors need to be careful about putting money in China
34:14 Anecdote of a friend who couldn’t get capital out of the country
37:30 Getting money out of Hong Kong is difficult
43:22 A lot of corporate earnings are going to be kept in China
46:40 China Is The Next Japan
51:00 Chinese growth to disappoint headed for “Lost Decade”
55:30 EV cars
58:00 Parting thoughts
58:5608/06/2023
#079 Brent Johnson, Creator Of ‘The Dollar Milkshake Theory,’ Explains Why We’re Heading Toward A Sovereign Debt And Currency Crisis
Brent Johnson (@SantiagoAuFund), the CEO of Puerto Rico-based wealth management firm Santiago Capital and the creator of the Dollar Milkshake Theory, returns to the podcast for episode 79.
Brent, who believes we’re heading for a currency crisis, is the creator of The Dollar Milkshake Theory, a framework he developed to explain how a sovereign debt and currency crisis might play out. He explained how the world was flooded with liquidity thanks to extraordinary monetary policies following the Global Financial Crisis. The Dollar Milkshake is a simplified way to demonstrate how capital — all of the liquidity that makes up the “milkshake” — would flee the rest of the world and get sucked up by the U.S. Dollar (the straw) and U.S.-based markets creating a myriad of problems globally.
During this conversation, Brent explains his Dollar Milkshake Theory and what’s changed since publicly sharing his thesis five years ago. Brent weighed in on the de-dollarization narrative and why he expects the U.S. dollar to go higher. He also made a case for investing in gold.
0:00 Show Open
1:22 Welcome Brent Johnson
2:04 Macro framework
2:57 Heading toward a sovereign debt and currency crisis
4:04 Rate hikes will likely pinch economy in back half of the year
4:50 The Dollar Milkshake Theory, explained
6:52 Why we’ll likely see easy money again
7:45 “This is not a story that ends well”
10:00 Has the Dollar Milkshake Theory changed in 5 years?
13:42 Last year solidified our thesis
17:37 Catalysts for a higher dollar
19:19 Credit crunch
21:43 Geopolitical concerns
22:40 De-dollarization
29:49 A blowback from rate hikes?
35:00 Headlines don’t match reality
37:33 Debt ceiling short-term and long-term implications
44:14 Why is the Fed continuing to hike?
48:20 Why the Fed will pivot
50:05 Regional banks
52:52 Owning physical gold as an insurance policy
55:05 Cash for optionality
56:56 Camino de Santiago
1:01:01 Parting thoughts
01:02:1830/05/2023
#078 Guy Spier On How Lunch With Warren Buffett Changed His Life
Zurich-based author and investor Guy Spier (@GSpier), the founder and CEO of Aquamarine Capital, joins Julia La Roche one episode 78.
In 2008, Guy and his friend Monish Pabrai bid just over $650,000 for a charity lunch with Warren Buffett. That meal with the Oracle of Omaha was a transformative experience for Guy, which he wrote about in his book, “The Education of a Value Investor,” which has sold more than 40,000 copies and has also been translated into Hebrew, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Mandarin and Spanish.
Guy completed his MBA at the Harvard Business School, class of 1993, and holds a First Class degree in PPE (Politics, Philosophy, and Economics) from Oxford University, where he studied at Brasenose College with British Prime Minister David Cameron. After completing his MBA, Guy started the Aquamarine Fund, an investment vehicle inspired by the original 1950s Buffett partnerships and run with a close replication of the original Buffett partnership rules. The focus is on investing for long-term capital appreciation and capital preservation by running a portfolio of equity investments with the goal of acquiring companies with outstanding long-term economics at a reasonable price and where there is a sufficient margin of safety between the company’s market price and its intrinsic value. Typical investors include high net-worth individuals, family offices, and private banks.
0:00 Show open
1:50 Welcome, Guy Spier
3:00 Started as a Gordon Gekko wannabe, found a ‘lifeline’ through Buffett
6:13 Reading about Warren Buffett
9:47 The pilgrimage to Omaha
11:00 Power of sending thank-you notes
17:00 Handwritten notes from Buffett
18:09 Bidding on lunch with Buffett
22:30 Lunch with Buffett was “transformational.”
27:44 The inner scorecard
30:00 Deep fear ahead of meeting Buffett
34:06 How much does the macro matter?
37:28 Siren songs of the hyped stocks
40:25 Writing with William Green
44:26 Why he changed his mind about not talking to company management
49:20 New investment process checklist items
54:15 Debt
57:10 Buffett spends time thinking about the downside
1:01:20 Content diet for investing
1:08:40 Surrounding yourself with a mastermind group
01:15:3025/05/2023
#077 Harold Bradley On The Danger ETFs Pose To The Stock Market
Harold Bradley, a long-time investment manager and chief investment officer, joins Julia La Roche on episode 77 to discuss why Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have distorted the role of equities markets in capital formation while posing systemic risks.
Bradley has broad and deep experience in mutual funds, foundations and endowments, exchanges, and private equity partnerships, including venture capital and hedge funds. His experience also encompasses investments in farmland, metals and mining, futures and options, and a track record of successful engagement with venture-backed technology and FinTech companies, including W.R. Hambrecht's OpenIPO, Euronet Worldwide, StarMine Corp (sold to Reuters) and Archipelago, LLC (IPO).
In 1982, Bradley introduced first of a kind cash-settled stock index futures contract in the Value Line Composite Index while at the Kansas City Board Trade before purchasing a membership and trading for five years on the floor. In 1988, he was hired at Twentieth Century, now American Century, as the first equity trader, and built a globally recognized trading operation over the next ten years. He was the lead portfolio manager of small-cap growth funds from 2003 to 2007. He was later appointed Chief Investment Officer of aggressive growth strategies before being named President of American Century Ventures in 1999, which invested $63 million in businesses likely to disrupt the mutual fund industry. From 2003 to 2007, he managed American Century Tomorrow and a team of software engineers and developers who used artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, inference engines, and pattern recognition to develop manager compliance systems and quantitative investment strategies for American Century growth mutual funds managing $10B. The American Century trading desk received global recognition as an innovator of electronic trading techniques and protocols, including the Financial Information Exchange (FIX) Protocol steering committee that created open source standards for order, trade and settlement instructions between investment firms, brokers and exchanges in global equities and foreign exchange trading.
Throughout his career, Bradley delivered Congressional testimony on stock market regulation, electronic trading, soft dollars, decimalization of stock prices, and ETFs. As Chief Investment Officer of the Kauffman Foundation from 2007 to 2012, he co-authored a vital research paper with Robert Litan highlighting risks to market stability from lax regulation of ETFs. He also co-authored widely-cited papers on subpar venture capital fund returns, with recommended best practices. He's been interviewed by CNBC, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and others.
Read Harold Bradley's October 2011 testimony on ETFs here: https://www.etf.com/docs/Bradley_Testimony_10-19-11_SII.pdf
0:00 Open
1:21 Harold Bradley
2:15 Accidental investor
3:00 Agricultural commodities reporter
5:43 A major structural shift
6:45 Pace of change
7:50 Wheat pit to stocks
10:29 1987 crash
13:04 Black Monday blamed on portfolio insurance. ETFs 'a form of portfolio insurance'
13:45 20 Building trading operation
16:30 Electronic trading
21:15 Fees
22:40 Flawed system was a bug, not a feature
23:01 Soft dollars
28:59 Testified before Congress six times
30:10 Risk in ETFs
32:00 Drawback to mutual funds
35:12 Why did ETFs start
38:22 Decimalization
40:30 How D.C. works
43:00 ETFs are presented as a passive investment, but they're not
48:30 KRE
53:29 ETFs have instant liquidity, but the component securities within an ETF aren't immediately liquid
57:00 Gold/silver ETFs
1:00:45 Margin lending
1:03:18 How are ETFs distorting markets and the systemic risk they pose
1:06:00 Undermining price discovery
1:10:38 Bubbles
1:11:50 AI next ETF craze
1:13:00 Punishing good management
1:17:00 Investing today
1:20:00 Investing challenges
1:22:54 Why market won't go down?
1:27:00 Fragile markets
1:28:00 ETF risk likely won't go away
1:34:00 Markets today
01:39:5023/05/2023
#076 Herb Greenberg On The 'Golden Era' Of Business Journalism
Herb Greenberg (@HerbGreenberg) is the editor of the Empire Financial Daily e-letter, Herb Greenberg's QUANT-X System, and Empire Real Wealth.
Previously, he was the co-founder of Pacific Square Research and Greenberg Meritz Research & Analytics – both independent, short-biased investment research firms.
Greenberg spent more than 40 years as a financial journalist at some of the country's leading newspapers, websites, and broadcast media, where he covered almost every industry.
He served as senior stocks commentator at CNBC and was a financial correspondent at the Chicago Tribune. He also spent 10 years as the daily business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, during which time he started his five-year run as Fortune's monthly Against the Grain columnist and was the morning business reporter for San Francisco's KRON-TV.
When the Internet and online media were still emerging, Greenberg was one of the first mainstream journalists to make the shift online, when he became senior columnist at TheStreet. He later shifted to the same role at MarketWatch. When Dow Jones bought out MarketWatch, he added a weekend investor column for the Wall Street Journal to the mix.
Earlier in his career, Greenberg was a reporter at Crain's Chicago Business and a business reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He also spent a year as an analyst at a risk arbitrage firm.
Greenberg holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Miami and completed the Herbert J. Davenport Fellowship at the University of Missouri.
0:00 Show Open
1:54 Welcome Herb Greenberg
2:40 Wanted to be a radio disc jockey, turned out to be a business journalist
4:06 Getting hooked on reporting
5:40 Path to the University of Miami
6:00 Late bloomer in journalism career
9:00 From Miami to St. Paul
10:25 Herb’s big break at Crain’s (the “bootcamp” of his career)
14:00 ‘Golden era’ of business journalism
15:08 Herb wrote the ‘original Business Insider’ column
18:08 The story Herb never talks about
22:00 State of business journalism today
24:44 Stories
27:14 Assessment of the markets and the economy
28:44 Paying the price for ridiculously low rates
30:00 Discrepancy between what’s real and the data
31:16 Markets are messy
32:55 Wish I had been more aggressive in funding 401k and IRA
34:55 Best question anyone has ever asked me
37:57 Family office analysts are happier than hedge fund analysts
42:00 Red flags
46:00 Silicon Valley Bank, regional bank failures
49:00 The ETF Monster https://www.cnbc.com/2010/09/13/man-vs-machine-the-etf-monster.html
51:30 Blaming the short-seller narrative
53:10 Concept of avoiding loss
53:50 ChatGPT is the ‘new weather’ on earnings calls
58:00 Longevity
01:10:1816/05/2023
#075 Mike Maloney Sees An Economic Storm ‘Far Larger Than 2008’ Coming
Mike Maloney (@mike_maloney), author of Guide To Investing In Gold And Silver and founder and CEO of GoldSilver.com, joins Julia La Roche on episode 75 to discuss his newest book and latest warning that an economic storm is coming that will dwarf the 2008 global financial crisis and why we could see the unleashing of a massive bull market in gold and silver.
You can buy Mike’s newest book, The Great Gold And Silver Rush Of The 21st Century here: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Gold-Silver-Rush-Century/dp/B0BP3HW5HJ
You can read Chapters 3 and 4 of The Great Gold and Silver Rush of the 21st here: https://ggsr21.com/online-chapters/
You can buy Mike's first book Guide To Investing In Gold And Silver here: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Investing-Gold-Silver-Financial/dp/1937832740/
0:00 Show open
1:30 Welcome Mike Maloney
2:56 Mike says the new book is not easy to find on Amazon
4:00 Macro picture today — the world is drowning in debt
5:59 ‘An evil monetary system’
7:20 ‘You have been monetized’
13:00 When we used gold
14:29 Modern monetary system based on ‘fraud, theft, and enslavement,’ says Mike Maloney
17:00 ‘Unless it stores value, it’s not money. Period.’
17:15 Money v. Currency
22:12 A monetary system that’s ‘an illusion'
24:00 ‘On a path toward an implosion’
26:00 CBDCs
27:58 Central Banks buying gold
28:47 China and gold
33:00 A bigger financial crisis than 2008?
35:00 ‘The Almost Everything Bubble’ and ‘The Bernanke Bust’
39:00 Open Market explained
48:33 Warping the economy
50:35 Interest in gold and silver
53:00 US dollar
54:00 Trapped in an ultra-complex system
56:26 Taxpayer takes a loss
59:00 Benefits of owning precious metals during a meltdown
1:02:50 Gold and silver could soar
01:32:4611/05/2023
#074 Bob Elliott: The Regional Banking Crisis Is A Policy Problem
Bob Elliott (@BobEUnlimited), cofounder and CEO of Unlimited, which uses machine learning to create index replication ETFs of 2&20 style alternative investments like hedge funds, venture capital, and private equity, joins Julia La Roche on episode 74 for a deep dive into macro, the regional banking crisis, inflation dynamics, and more.
Prior to founding Unlimited, Bob was a Senior Investment Executive at Bridgewater Associates, where he served on the Investment Committee (G7) and created investment strategies across equities, fixed income, credit, exchange rates, and commodities, including many used in the flagship Pure Alpha fund. He also built and led Ray Dalio’s personal investment research team for nearly a decade. He’s the author of hundreds of Bridgewater’s widely read Daily Observations and directly counseled some of the world’s foremost policymakers and institutional investors on economic and investing issues.
Bob has also served as an advisor and executive at several startups, including CircleUp, an investment company focused on early-stage consumer brands. He revamped the investment strategy for the company’s $150mln venture funds leveraging big data approaches to improve decision-making. He was also the co-founder of GiveWell, a startup charity evaluator which now directs more than $500mln in annual contributions.
Bob holds a BA in History and Science from Harvard.
0:00 Intro
1:43 Welcome Bob Elliott
2:27 Macro picture
3:30 Many people haven’t experienced a typical macro cycle in their careers
4:48 Income-led cycle, not a credit-led cycle
6:33 Areas that aren’t sensitive to rise in rates
9:33 Banking crisis
9:54 Not like 2008
13:30 Not a credit problem. It’s a policy problem.
16:00 The bank run issue
19:00 We’ve entered a point in the crisis where the ineffective policy framework is creating the instability
20:10 Bank runs are self-reinforcing
21:00 Speculators creating sizable moves in banking stocks
23:00 Best way to deal with banking crisis
25:35 Impact from the Fed’s policies
29:18 Commercial real estate risk
32:55 Globalization
36:16 Disconnect between the market and the Fed
38:42 Higher for longer most probable
40:20 Paths that align with the bond market pricing
42:30 Likelihood of getting back to the 2% inflation target
44:32 Inflation entrenchment
46:20 Risk Fed faces with inflation
47:46 Wage inflation
48:50 Raising prices and not seeing demand destruction
51:33 Teaching macro
56:5205/05/2023
#073 Chris Whalen On First Republic Collapse And Why More Banks Will Fail
Banker and author Chris Whalen (@rcwhalen), chairman of Whalen Global Advisors, who is also the author of The Institutional Risk Analyst, joins Julia La Roche on episode 73 to discuss the failure of First Republic Bank, the Federal Reserve’s role in the spate of bank failures, and why we should expect more failures ahead.
In this episode, Whalen outlines why thee will be a repricing across the banking industries as banks have to raise deposit rates to get closer to T-bills, but many banks can’t do that. As a result, he expects that the Fed will have to drop rates before the end of the year or risk more bank failures.
0:00 Intro
1:41 Welcoming Chris Whalen
2:22 The false narrative around First Republic’s failure
3:14 The Fed panicked and started excessive open market intervention in 2019
4:09 Outliers in banking are the ones going down
5:02 It’s just like the 1980s
5:48 If banks don’t reprice, they’re not going to make it
6:20 The Fed likely didn’t recognize this existential risk
7:00 Fed buying MBS was a terrible mistake
7:47 Monetary policy is implemented in the bond market
8:11 Why was the Fed buying MBS? It’s dangerous.
10:19 Not surprised by bank failures
11:45 Most banks are insolvent
12:45 Weaker banks will get picked on, but larger banks could go down
13:36 Bank of the Ozarks successfully raised more deposits
14:00 Powell will have to drop rates before end of the year or we’ll have more bank failures
16:38 Not a failure of supervision
17:24 Where is the blame placed?
18:50 All banks are going to be vulnerable
19:50 Net Interest Margin is going to get squeezed
20:45 How many more bank failures can Powell and Yellen survive?
22:41 Different from 2008?
24:00 Impact or rate hikes
25:11 Fed raised too far, too fast, and left the banks with big losses
26:40 Commercial real estate risk
29:33 Powell could lose control of the situation if he doesn’t talk to Congress and the public about the situation
32:0602/05/2023
#072 Christopher Zook: A Recession Is Coming And It’s Going to Be Deeper and Longer Than People Think
Christopher Zook, founder and Chief Investment Officer of CAZ Investments, which oversees around $5 billion in assets under management, joins Julia La Roche on episode 72 for a wide-ranging macroeconomic discussion.
In this episode, Zook shares that a recession is coming, and it’s “going to be deeper and probably longer than people think.” He adds that we’ll have a “manufactured recession,” where inflation is running so hot that the Federal Reserve has to raise rates fast to slow down inflation, forcing the economy into a recession. Moreover, he points out that markets believe the Fed will start cutting rates by the end of the year, something Zook does not expect to happen.
In these types of environments, Zook is looking for opportunities in dislocated assets or persistent assets that perform well, even if his hypothesis is found to be true.
Zook has over 30 years of experience investing in traditional and alternative asset classes. He was recently honored with the Texas Alternative Investments Association’s (TAIA) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution and sustained support of the industry in Texas. He regularly contributes to major media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg. Before starting CAZ Investments in 2001, Zook served in senior leadership positions with Oppenheimer, Prudential Securities, Lehman Brothers, and Paine Webber.
0:00 Intro
2:12 Welcoming Christopher Zook to the show
2:50 Beginnings in investing
3:43 Trading commodities to pay for college
4:40 Reading about traders
5:55 Managing risk extremely carefully
7:20 Starting own firm
8:20 Managing money at age 22
8:50 Set goal to start firm in 10 years
9:50 Tony Robbins
10:40 The bigger the way, the bigger the try
14:00 Zook’s “why”
16:20 CAZ Investments structure and focus
18:36 Thematic approach
20:30 Betting against subprime housing
25:00 Macro outlook
25:12 Meme stock bubble
26:23 It takes longer than people think to reconcile dislocations
27:07 We haven’t seen true dislocation yet
27:40 Recession is coming and it will be deeper and longer than people think
28:08 A manufactured recession
29:00 I’ll be shocked if the Fed cuts rates this year
30:06 More of a 2-3 year recession
31:00 Disconnect between the Fed and the market
33:20 Be greedy when others are fearful
33:54 Stagflation
34:34 Worst economic regime for financial assets
38:13 Opportunities
40:20 Themes right now
41:09 Cord-cutting
41:40 Opportunity in sports teams, media rights
43:55 Themes that exist in real estate today
45:40 Stress from higher rates will force refinancing
46:45 Why we haven’t seen panic selling yet
47:45 Every sector of real estate will be stressed
50:40 U.S. Dollar outlook
53:39 U.S. debt levels are terrifying
56:29 Growth of private assets
57:04 Opportunity in GP stakes
01:01:4102/05/2023
#071 ‘The Patriot Economy’: Omeed Malik On The Rise Of A New Economy In Response To ESG
Omeed Malik (@RealOmeedMalik), founder and CEO of Farvahar Partners, a boutique merchant bank and broker/dealer which invests partner capital into growth businesses and acts as a liquidity provider of private placements on behalf of companies and institutional investors, joins Julia La Roche on episode 71 to share what he sees as an emerging parallel economy in the U.S. that’s in stark contrast to ESG.
Omeed is the chairman and CEO of a SPAC called Colombier Acquisition Corp. that is taking PublicSq., a marketplace for “pro-America business and consumers,” public later this year. He also started a fund called 1789 Capital to provide “venture and growth capital to companies building the next era of American prosperity.”
Prior to starting his own firm, Omeed was a Managing Director and the Global Head of the Hedge Fund Advisory Business at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Omeed was also the founder and head of the Emerging Manager Program within the Global Equities business. In this capacity, Omeed was charged with selecting both established and new hedge funds for the firm to partner with and oversaw the allocation of financing/prime brokerage, capital strategy, business consulting and talent introduction resources.
Before joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Omeed was a Senior Vice President at MF Global, where he helped reorganize the firm’s distribution platform globally and developed execution and clearing relationships with institutional clients.
An experienced financial services professional and securities attorney, Omeed was a corporate lawyer at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP working on transactional matters in the capital markets, corporate governance, private equity and bankruptcy fields.
Omeed has also worked in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Omeed received a JD, with Honors, from Emory Law School (where he serves on the Advisory Board) and a BA in Philosophy and Political Science, Cum Laude, from Colgate University. He holds Series 7, 63, 3, 79, and 24 registrations.
Omeed is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Centennial Society Member of the Economic Club of New York and a Chairman’s Circle Member of the Milken Institute. Omeed is a Contributing Editor and minority owner of The Daily Caller.
0:00 Intro
2:06 Welcoming Omeed Malik
2:50 From D.C. to corporate law to Wall Street
3:30 Started as a speechwriter in D.C.
4:11 Working for Jon Corzine at MF Global
5:12 Launching Farvahar in 2018, advising founders
5:38 New opportunity in a new economy called the “patriot economy”
6:33 D.C. is a place where you get a lot of power, but not money
7:20 The country has changed
8:05 No longer identifying as a Democrat
8:33 2016 election of Trump
9:12 Rise of China
11:33 Leaving the Democratic Party
14:15 Tulsi Gabbard
16:22 China is the most significant geopolitical threat in my lifetime
20:16 ‘Red America’ is a huge TAM
21:02 ESG is a marketing scam
23:00 ESG backlash
26:20 Opportunity for a parallel economy focused on ‘EIG’ (Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Growth)
28:30 A $7T opportunity
33:00 A bifurcated economy
34:30 Taking PublicSq. public via SPAC
35:00 Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney backlash led to spike in search for alternative beer
36:30 Scratching the surface of the opportunity
38:40 Changes on a personal level
40:00 TikTok a ‘Trojan Horse’ in a modern-day Opium War
41:00 Evisceration of the middle class
42:00 Ceding liberty when you work for a large corporation
44:41 Need to reevaluate the relationship between the U.S. and China
51:27 Optimistic for the future of the U.S.
53:00 Big Tech’s “Devil’s bargain”
55:00 Impact on relationships
58:2427/04/2023
#070 Axel Merk On Why Banks Are 'The Big Elephant In The Room'
Long-time macro investor Axel Merk (@AxelMerk), Chief Investment Officer of and founder of Merk Investments, returns to the pod for episode 70 and a wide-ranging conversation on monetary policy, the economy, the banking crisis, problems plaguing commercial real estate, the U.S. Dollar, gold and more.
In this episode, Merk points out how the economy is a mess. He also explains that those in the “soft landing” camp are ignoring “the big elephant in the room,” which is the bank balance sheets exposed to interest rate risk and commercial real estate. He later adds that the Fed’s actions are converting an acute problem into a chronic problem, where banks with holes in their balance sheets will lend less, which is a headwind to growth.
Axel has grown Merk Investments into a $1 billion investment advisory firm offering investment funds and advisory services on liquid global markets, including domestic and international equities, fixed income, commodities and currencies.
0:00 Intro
1:50 Welcome Axel Merk
2:22 Background in macro
3:32 Deep dives into central banks
4:00 The Fed is higher for longer
4:53 Big elephant in the room are the banks
6:02 Banking crisis is still here
8:40 Banking system limping along
10:38 Policymakers will bend the rules
11:29 People will invest based on next bailout as opposed to fundamentals
13:00 Commercial real estate
15:22 How to fix banks
20:07 Moral hazard?
21:30 Banking is risky
23:22 SVB depositors
29:00 Converting acute problems into chronic problems
30:00 Inflation
34:00 Stagflation a longer more persistent issue
48:00 Dedollarization
51:47 Risk of people moving out of the dollar is more than theoretical
56:41 Debt ceiling fight
1:01:01 Capitalism
01:07:5124/04/2023
#069 Joseph Wang On Why A Decade Of Persistently High Inflation Is Ahead
Joseph Wang (@fedguy12), the CIO of Monetary Macro and a former senior trader on the Open Markets Desk, joins Julia La Roche on episode 69 for a wide-ranging conversation on the monetary system, macro economy, and recent banking panic.
Wang is also the author of Central Banking 101, which is now an Amazon best-seller, and operates Fedguy.com, a blog on developments in the financial markets.
During this episode, Wang said it’s almost inevitable that the U.S. will have a decade of persistently high inflation. He also mentioned that this trend is difficult to combat and is driven mainly by the culture and politics of the era. According to Wang, we are in the early stages of the inflationary cycle.
0:00 Introduction
1:40 Welcoming Joseph Wang on the show
2:11 From practicing law to trading on the Open Markets Desk
3:20 Practicing law is boring
4:02 Graduating in 2008
5:38 Open Markets Desk at the Fed
7:02 Central Banking 101
8:26 Misconceptions around the monetary system
10:50 Disconnect between school and real-life in macro
11:58 Commercial banks create money out of thin air
13:49 Eurodollar system
16:42 Eurodollar futures market
19:08 Market is fighting the Fed
20:17 Eurodollar banking
21:33 De-dollarization
24:00 There aren’t a lot of good alternatives to the U.S. Dollar
25:00 What it takes to be a reserve currency
25:45 Weaponization of the U.S. Dollar
26:58 Bitcoin
28:06 Will the U.S. Dollar lose its reserve status in our lifetime?
28:47 Implications of the U.S. dollar losing its global reserve status
30:33 Inflation will be a lot higher than we are used to
31:08 Big driver of inflation is the culture and politics of the era
34:27 Macro outlook
35:46 Demographic changes
39:48 Banking crisis is over
44:42 Intervention during the banking crisis
49:19 Is banking safer for depositors?
50:15 Fed is in inflation-fighting mode
53:38 Parting thoughts
54:5218/04/2023
#068 Ray Dalio On Where We Are In The Changing World Order
Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, joins Julia La Roche on episode 68 to discuss where we are in the changing world order, the macroeconomic outlook, and the rising tensions between the U.S. and China.
Dalio revisited his thesis from his best-selling book, "Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail." The investor outlined three significant forces, including enormous debts and zero or near-zero interest rates that led to massive printing of money; big political and social conflicts within countries, especially the U.S., due to the largest wealth, political, and values disparities in more than 100 years; and the rising of a world power (China) to challenge the existing world power (the U.S.) and the existing world order. Dalio points out that the last time that this confluence occurred was between 1930 and 1945.
0:00 Intro
1:52 Introducing Ray
2:14 Macro picture
2:56 3 big forces shaping the world
5:14 2 other big influences
7:20 Tracking the typical cycle
7:50 We're in stage 5 when there are very bad financial conditions and intense conflict
10:20 U.S. and China approaching greater risk of War
11:02 Debt problem
12:57 If you mark-to-market bonds at existing rates, you have a lot of financially hurt entities worldwide
13:35 Silicon Valley Bank is a 'canary in the coal mine'
18:00 Political internal fighting
19:45 Emergence of populism
21:41 The cycle in the U.S. since 1945
23:45 Over-indebtedness and increasing wealth gaps
25:38 Spend more than we earn, in debt, and large wealth, opportunity, and values gaps
28:01 Can we avoid the decline?
28:41 If Ray Dalio were president…
30:16 If you worry, you don't have to worry.
31:22 U.S.-China relationship
35:00 The redline
36:40 Brinksmanship
37:15 Risk of investing or doing business in China
40:00 World order breakdown
41:33 The bifurcation
43:00 'I know I'm scaring people…'
44:40 The biggest risk on Ray's mind
45:54 'One thing Democrats and Republicans are united on is anti-China.'
49:30 U.S. Treasuries
51:42 Portfolio construction
54:24 Diversify internationally
55:58 Status of the U.S. dollar, de-dollarization story
57:57 Bitcoin views today
1:01:01 Bridgewater, after stepping down
1:03:57 Parting thoughts
01:04:5711/04/2023
#067 Jeff Snider: Markets Are 'Screaming Bloody Murder' And Are Hedged For A 2008-Style Scenario
Jeff Snider (@JeffSnider_AIP) is an expert on the global monetary system, specifically the Eurodollar money system, and all aspects of its misunderstood inner workings and how they impact global markets, commerce, and the economy. His podcast Eurodollar University aims to educate the public on the evolution, nature, and nuances of the Eurodollar system and true monetary principles. He is a regular contributor to Real Clear Markets and a columnist for the Epoch Times and is active on Twitter as well as He has been a guest on countless programs, including MacroVoices, and Real Vision, for his insights into the Eurodollar system, LIBOR and repo/securities lending markets., etc.
During episode 67, Jeff explains that since late last year, markets have been "screaming bloody murder" in a way that hasn't been since 2007. According to Jeff, markets are hedged for a 2008-style scenario.
0:00 Introduction
1:53 Welcome Jeff Snider
2:40 Macro picture is “all sorts of ugly”
3:29 Economy in 2021 was an “artificial high”
4:00 Not just about macro, also about monetary system too
4:40 Still in the beginning stages
5:11 The economy is looking worse in short to intermediate-term outlook
6:00 Base case is mass layoffs
6:33 A false sense of confidence about the unemployment rate
9:48 Unemployment
11:43 The market is screaming bloody murder
12:48 A 2008-style scenario
14:40 Something wrong in the global system
17:30 How’d we get here?
18:20 Misconceptions around money printing and interest rates
19:45 Suffering from a lack of credit growth
22:06 The Eurodollar story
26:00 The Fed doesn’t print money
27:50 Distortions in the economy
29:00 Fed is ‘smoke and mirrors’
33:00 What is money?
34:34 Banking crisis
36:23 Monetary system has become incredibly fragile
37:33 Fragility of the monetary system
38:07 A shortage of good quality collateral
43:00 Treasury Bills
46:00 De-dollarization story
49:00 Shortage of dollars
49:37 The Eurodollar system will be replaced at some point
53:00 The shadow money system
55:00 Eurodollar system is a black hole
58:00 Digital currencies
1:01:37 What keeps Jeff up at night?
01:04:4204/04/2023
#066 Bethany McLean On The Rise Of Legal Fraud
Bethany McLean (@bethanymac12), author and journalist, joins Julia La Roche on episode 66 to revisit some notorious corporate failures and discuss fraud. Bethany is the author of The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron and All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis. She has also written two mini books, Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the US Mortgage Giants and Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How It's Changing the World.
She also serves on the board of the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago. She's a 1992 graduate of Williams College.
0:00 Background and path to journalism
1:47 Goldman Sachs to fact-checking at Fortune
4:15 Writing about investing
5:45 Another side to stories
6:37 Enron
9:20 Reporting the Enron story
14:45 Lessons from Enron
15:20 Do you own homework
18:00 Emotion in business
20:00 Short-selling
23:11 Do your own homework
24:19 Valeant stock battle
26:10 Legal fraud
30:38 A thin line between a fraudster and a visionary
33:15 World of business is crazier than ever before
37:45 Golden age of fraud?
41:03 Venture capital and private equity’s reliance on low-interest rates
43:43 A different environment
44:44 Curiosity covering corporate failures
47:00 Can greed be eliminated?
48:48 Banking crisis
49:55 State of journalism
57:4731/03/2023
#065 Mark Yusko: We Are On The Precipice Of The Global Financial Crisis II
Mark Yusko (@MarkYusko), founder and CEO of Morgan Creek Capital Management, which manages close to $2 billion in assets, joined Julia La Roche on episode 65.
In this episode, Yusko, a long-time macro investor, frames up the current macroeconomic backdrop and why we’re on the precipice of what he calls the Global Financial Crisis II as banks fail and jitters spread throughout the financial system. As Yusko puts it, “calm is the edge we need” as the crisis worsens.
Yusko was the CIO and Founder of UNC Management Company (UNCMC), the Endowment investment office for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before that, he was Senior Investment Director for the University of Notre Dame Investment Office.
Yusko has been at the forefront of institutional investing throughout his career. An early investor in alternative asset classes at Notre Dame, he brought the Endowment Model of investing to UNC, contributing to significant performance gains for the Endowment. The Endowment Model is the cornerstone philosophy of Morgan Creek, as is the mandate to Invest in Innovation.
In this episode, Yusko provides a deep dive into the Endowment Model, which takes advantage of time-horizon arbitrage. He also delves into the mandate of investing in innovation, sharing an example of a half-a-million-dollar investment that turned into a $200 million return thanks to Sequoia’s early bet in Google on behalf of Notre Dame.
Yusko points out that the greatest wealth is created by being an early investor. However, making that investment requires believing in something before most people understand it, making you mocked, ridiculed, and criticized for your non-consensus action. Today, he continues to see that opportunity in blockchain technology, digital currency, and digital assets. He is again at the forefront of institutional investing through Morgan Creek Digital Assets, which was formed in 2018 to invest in these opportunities.
0:00 Intro
3:08 The Endowment Model
4:08 Taking advantage of time-horizon arbitrage
6:47 What else makes the Endowment Model unique?
8:00 Equity
10:20 Greatest wealth is created by being an early investor in innovation
12:08 Mark’s background
13:33 Dialogue and debate through active listening
16:00 Lessons investing in bonds
19:00 A-ha moment in venture capital
20:00 Investing in Sequoia early
21:19 Being a journalist might be the best training for investing
22:08 Half-a-million investment turns to $200 million thanks to Google investment
25:30 Living the path of technological innovation
30:40 The Truth Net explained
32:44 Macro backdrop
34:19 Liquidity drives markets
35:55 Fractional reserve banking
39:00 Banking system driven by liquidity
41:20 Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin 2009 white paper
44:00 Digital asset innovation
47:00 Bitcoin as a digital store of value
50:15 A better system
51:00 Duration mismatch in the banking system
55:00 Impact of money printing
57:16 Bitcoin
58:49 Money printing doesn’t create wealth
1:01:10 On the precipice of GFC II
1:07:00 Chance meeting with Howard Marks
1:14:30 Blockchain is an Operating System
01:19:2828/03/2023
#064 DoubleLine's Ken Shinoda On Macro, Housing, And The Opportunities In MBS
Ken Shinoda, portfolio manager at DoubleLine Capital, joins Julia La Roche on episode 64 to provide his macro outlook and views on housing. He also shares one of his highest conviction ideas right now.
Ken joined DoubleLine at its inception in 2009. He is Chairman of the Structured Products Committee and oversees the non-Agency RMBS team specializing in non-Agency mortgage-backed securities, residential whole loans, and other mortgage-related opportunities. He is co-Portfolio Manager on the Total Return, Opportunistic Income, Income, Opportunistic MBS and Strategic MBS strategies. He is also lead Portfolio Manager overseeing the Mortgage Opportunities private funds. Ken is a permanent member of the Fixed Income Asset Allocation Committee and also participates in the Global Asset Allocation Committee.
Ken is also the host of DoubleLine’s “Channel 11 News” (@DLineChannel11), a YouTube and webcast series that provides market insights and commentary with peers and industry experts.
0:00 Intro
0:38 A ‘master’s degree in finance’ analyzing MBS during the GFC
2:20 Macro view
5:07 Way more negative on the economy
6:00 Structured Products, explained
7:50 Why housing didn’t crash
8:27 Mirror opposite of the financial crisis
9:30 Office space
12:00 Less of a soft landing now
13:30 Housing outlook
17:50 Existing home sales
19:11 The Great Migration
21:00 Institutional buying in housing
24:55 Why the desert states are declining
25:30 Seeing homebuilding pick up again
26:37 Investing in RMBS explained
31:50 Forbearance
33:00 Views on credit quality, performance during different market cycles
37:00 Rates
40:00 Structured products
41:41 Commercial real estate
45:00 Parting thoughts
47:4423/03/2023