Earn For Europe, Few Options in a Vicious Cycle of Debt

Earn For Europe, Few Options in a Vicious Cycle of Debt Europe has a $1 trillion problem. As difficult as the last two years have been for Europe, 2012 could be even tougher. Each week, countries will need to sell billions of dollars of bonds - a staggering $1 trillion in total - to replace existing debt and cover their current budget deficits. At any point, should banks, pensions and other big investors balk, anxiety could course through the markets, making government officials feel like they are stuck in a scary financial remake of 'Groundhog Day.' Even if governments attract investors at reasonable interest rates one month, they will have to repeat the process again the next month - and signs of skittish buyers could make each sale harder to manage than the previous one. 'The headline risk is enormous,' said Nick Firoozye, chief European rates strategist at Nomura International in London. Given this vicious cycle, policy makers and investors are closely watching the debt auctions for potential weakness. On Thursday, Spain is set to sell as much as 5 billion euros ($6.3 billion) of government bonds. Italy follows on Friday with an auction of more than $9 billion. The current challenge for Europe is to keep Italy and Spain from ending up like Greece and Portugal, whose borrowing costs rose so high last year that it signaled real likelihood of default, making it impossible for the governments to find buyers for their debt. Since then, Greece and Portugal have been reliant on the financial backing of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. The intense focus on the sovereign debt auctions - and their importance to the broader economy - starkly underscores the difference between European and American responses to their crises. Since 2008, there has been almost no private sector interest to buy new United States residential mortgage loans, the financial asset at the root of the country's crisis. To make up for that lack of investor demand, the federal government has bought and guaranteed hundreds of billions of dollars of new mortgages. In Europe, policy makers are still expecting private sector buyers to acquire the majority of government debt. Last month, in perhaps the boldest move of the crisis, the European Central Bank lent $620 billion to banks for up to three years at a rate of 1 percent. Some officials had hoped that these cheap loans would spur demand for government debt. The idea is that financial institutions would be able to make a tidy profit by borrowing from the central bank at 1 percent and using the money to buy government bonds that have a higher yield, like Spain's 10-year bond at 5.5 percent. But the sovereign debt markets continue to show signs of stress. Italy's 10-year government bond has fallen in price, lifting its yield to more than 7 percent, a level that shows investors remain worried about the financial strength of Italy's government. And European banks appear to be hoarding much of the money they borrowed from the central bank, rather than lending it to governments. Money deposited by banks at the European Central Bank, where it remains idle, stands at $617 billion, up from $425 billion just a month ago. 'It's hard to see why a banker would want to tie up money in a European sovereign for, say, three years,' said Phillip L. Swagel at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, who served as assistant secretary for economic policy under Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. Italy's troubles highlight how hard it is to generate demand for a deluge of new debt from a dwindling pool of investors. The country needs to issue as much as $305 billion of debt this year, the highest in the euro zone. By comparison, France, with the second highest total, needs to auction $243 billion of new debt, according to estimates by Nomura. Governments like Italy's are at the mercy of markets because they simply don't have the cash to pay off even some of their bonds that come due. They must issue new bonds to cover their old debts, as well as their budget deficits, at a time when investors are growing scarce. Banks, traditionally big holders of government bonds, have been selling Italian debt. 'We've seen a lot of liquidation by non-European investors,' said Laurent Fransolet, head of European interest rate strategy at Barclays Capital in London. For instance, Nomura Holdings in Japan slashed its Italian debt holdings, mostly government bonds, to $467 million on Nov. 24, from $2.8 billion at the end of Sept. European banks have also been dumping the debt. BNP Paribas, a French bank, cut its exposure to Italian government bonds to $15.5 billion at the end of October, from $26 billion at the end of June. Italian banks, though large owners of their government's obligations, may not want to take on too much more, to keep their investors happy. Shares in UniCredit have fallen more than 40 percent since last week as the Italian firm has tried to raise capital to comply with new regulations. There are ways to avoid spectacularly bad debt auctions, at least in the short term. The central bank can help by buying a country's bonds in the market ahead of a new debt sale. That would help bolster prices at the auction, or at least keep them stable. There is also some evidence that banks' government-bond selling may have abated at the end of last year, according to Mr. Fransolet. Central bank figures show European financial firms acquired $2.4 billion of Spanish government bonds in November, after selling a monthly average of $4.8 billion in the preceding three months. Governments may also be able to attract new buyers to their bond markets. Belgium sold $7.2 billion of government bonds to local retail investors last month, in part appealing to their patriotism. Opportunistic hedge funds, betting the market is too pessimistic about certain European countries, may also bite. Saba Capital Management, a New York-based hedge fund headed by the former Deutsche Bank trader Boaz Weinstein, owns Italian government bonds, though it does so as part of a wider trading strategy that includes bets that could pay off if Europe's problems worsen. But it is doubtful that Italy and Spain can find enough new buyers this year to bring their bond yields down to sustainable levels. Instead, if their economies slow - and if their governments become unpopular - debt auctions could fail and their cost of borrowing could rise even more. All eyes would then turn to the central bank for drastic action. It could lend more cheap money to banks, in the hope that some of it might find its way into government bonds. Or it could become a big buyer of government bonds itself, printing euros to finance the purchases. But that may not be a lasting solution, since the central bank's actions could scare off private investors. Typically, when government-backed organizations like the central bank hold a country's debt, their claims on the debtor rank higher than those of other creditors. For that reason, private investors might think their holdings would fall in value if the central bank became a big owner of Italian debt - and they might retreat. At the same time, the crisis response in the United States did not depend solely on government-backed entities like the Federal Reserve to buy housing loans. Professor Swagel of the University of Maryland points out that banks and investors also took large losses on existing housing debt. While painful, the mortgage debt proved less of a drag on the financial system. So far, Europe has been averse to taking permanent losses on government bonds. Except in the case of Greek debt, European policy makers have shied away from any plan that could mean private holders of government debt get hurt. However, Nouriel Roubini, a professor of economics at the Stern School of Business at New York University, recently argued in a Financial Times editorial that Italy's debt should be reduced to 90 percent of the gross domestic product from 120 percent. In such a situation, investors might suffer a 25 percent hit on the value of their Italian bonds, he said. Such haircuts might seem like the recipe for more instability right now. But if Europe struggles to find buyers for its debt, more radical options are likely to be considered. Europe's debt problem is huge, and the experience in the United States suggests dealing with it may take several, more drastic approaches. 'If you go halfway, you'll never get to the end,' Professor Swagel said. 'And that describes European policy-making.'

Oil Five Sub-Penny Charts To Watch

Oil At the start of 2012 I posted charts to watch heading into the year.  All of them rose 150% or more:  http://pennystockgurus.blogspot.com/2012/02/150-or-bust.html

With the year 67% over I have five charts to watch.  I think all five will at some point post an over 100% gain from their current prices.  The stocks are UYMG at $.001, ERBB at $.0021, STKO at $.001, ELRA at $.0012 and MCVE at $.03.

Oil August 16th Penny Stock Winners, Losers, and Stock Scans

Oil

Today's Winners and Losers

Today's Bottom Scan

Earn SAGD Running After The Dump

Earn

SAGD had a strong showing today and has made a nice move off its dump lows.  We could see the stock move back over $.01 if this momentum and buying pressure continue.

Signals Analysis: Oil price rise raises specter of global recession

Signals Analysis: Oil price rise raises specter of global recession LONDON (Reuters) - A jump in energy prices is jamming the slow-turning cogs of an economic recovery in the West, but that may be nothing compared to the economic shock an Israeli attack on Iran would cause. Oil rose to a 10-month high above $125 a barrel Friday, prompting responses from policymakers around the world including U.S. President Barack Obama, watching U.S. gasoline prices follow crude to push toward $4 a gallon in an election year. Europe may have more to fear as its fragile economic growth falters and Greece, Italy and Spain look for alternative sources to the crude they currently import from Iran, where an EU oil embargo, intended to make Iran abandon what the West fears are efforts to develop nuclear weapons, comes into force in June. In euro terms, Brent crude rose to an all-time high of 93.60 euros this week, topping its 2008 record. 'The West's determination to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons is coming at a price - a price that might include a second global recession triggered by an oil shock,' said David Hufton from the oil brokerage PVM. In dollar terms, oil prices are still some $20 a barrel short of their 2008 record of $147. But the latest Reuters monthly survey will Monday show oil analysts revising up their predictions for Brent crude by $3 since the previous month. Such a change is big in a poll of over 30 analysts, and last happened at the peak of the Libyan war in May. Ian Taylor, head of the world's biggest oil trading house Vitol, told Reuters this week prices could spike as high as $150 a barrel if Iran's arch-enemy Israel launched a strike at its nuclear facilities - an option Israel has declined to rule out. 'I used to think this would never happen,' Taylor said, 'but everyone you speak to says the Israelis will have a go at striking at Iranian nuclear sites. 'The day that happens, you have to believe the Iranians throw a few mines in the Strait of Hormuz and, for a few hours at least or maybe more, I cannot see a scenario where prices would not be at that sort of level ($150).' The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Friday Iran had sharply stepped up its uranium enrichment, which Iran insists is solely for civilian purposes. Israel has warned that, by putting much of its nuclear program underground, Iran is approaching a 'zone of immunity,' but it has also said any decision to attack is 'very far off.' Wall Street bank Merrill Lynch said this week that oil prices could climb to $200 over the next five years. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> So far this year, dollar prices for Brent crude have risen by more than 15 percent, pushed up mainly by fears about Iran. The loss of supply from three small and mid-sized producers suffering internal turmoil - Syria, Yemen and South Sudan - has added to the supply worries. WEAK GROWTH, HIGH PRICES A stabilization of the U.S. economy may explain some of the rise in oil prices, but the global economy is growing far more slowly now than at this time last year, yet crude prices are just as high. World equities and oil have typically been closely correlated since 2008 because both were driven by global demand. However, as oil prices start to respond to supply problems, the correlation is evaporating, and the global economy is already paying a high price. Data published this week showed unexpectedly weak activity in Europe's most powerful economy, Germany, and in France, sparking fresh worries that the region could tip into recession. Few have forgotten that in 2008, within six months of hitting its all-time high, oil plunged as low as $35 a barrel with the onset of the global credit crisis. In the United States, demand for refined oil products is close to its lowest level in nearly 15 years, indicating that motorists are cutting back their mileage. 'The price spike is going to be a challenge for politicians in the West running for re-election,' said Olivier Jakob from the Petromatrix consultancy. He said developed countries would find it hard to justify a release of strategic oil stocks similar to what they did in 2011. Unlike a year ago, when Libyan oil exports were disrupted by a war, this year 'there is ... instead a voluntary restriction on buying from a specific country,' said Jakob. Other than a release of oil stocks, developed countries could resort to yet another round of monetary easing, to which emerging markets will respond with quantitative tightening, price controls and subsidies, said analysts from HSBC. 'In terms of fiscal health, it would seem that Asia is better placed than other regions to deal with an oil price shock,' HSBC said in a note last week.

Forex Swing Trade Idea: RGLD

Forex

RGLD offers good swing trade potential. Stock is breaking out of small consolidation. 4 to 5 dollar potential from here

Signals Obama Said to Reprise Deficit, Tax Proposals for 2013 Budget

Signals Obama Said to Reprise Deficit, Tax Proposals for 2013 Budget President Barack Obama will reprise previously rejected deficit-reduction plans and tax increases on the wealthy while proposing new incentives for companies to return jobs to the U.S., as part of his fiscal 2013 budget, administration officials said. The election-year spending plan, due to be presented to Congress Feb. 6, is intended to demonstrate the administration's intent to chip away at the nation's long-term deficits. The nation is at a turning point, Obama told business leaders yesterday at a White House event, where he promised to seek tax breaks for companies that make new investments in the U.S. or bring jobs back from overseas. He didn't give details. 'After shedding jobs for more than a decade, American manufacturers have now added jobs for two years in a row,' Obama said. 'But when a lot of folks are still looking for work, now is the time for us to step on the gas.' Economic growth and job creation are expected to be the main issues in the presidential campaign this year. Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and the front-runner for the Republican nomination, is making criticism of Obama's stewardship of the economy a prime focus of his stump speeches. The unemployment rate has declined for four straight months to 8.5 percent in December, and the Labor Department has reported six consecutive months of job gains of 100,000 or more. Still, the rate has been above 8 percent for almost two years, and little headway has been made in recovering the 8.75 million jobs lost as a result of the recession that ended in June 2009. Election Issue Only one U.S. president, Ronald Reagan, has been re-elected since World War II with a jobless rate above 6 percent. Reagan won a second term with the rate on Election Day 1984 at 7.2 percent, having dropped almost three percentage points in the previous 18 months. Obama also is seeking to make headway on the deficit, which hit $1.3 trillion in fiscal 2011, the third highest as a percentage of gross domestic product since 1945. The president will offer a plan for deficit reduction along the lines of the $4 trillion proposal that he outlined last September. Two administration officials confirmed the plan on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss it before it's announced. The previous plan called for $1.5 trillion in tax increases over the next decade, including the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts for families earning $250,000 or more a year. It also would make changes in mandatory spending programs, cutting Medicare and Medicaid and farm subsidies, selling government assets and reducing federal worker benefits. Republican Reaction A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said Congress would reject the deficit plan, just as it did last September. 'The president isn't serious if all he's offering are the same job-killing tax hikes that even Democrats in the Senate have already rejected,' Brendan Buck, the spokesman for the Republican leader, said in an e-mailed statement. 'Our debt is threatening the economy as well important programs many seniors rely on. We cannot afford another punt by the president.' Obama's last budget said the deficit in the current fiscal year would be $1.1 trillion, or 7 percent of GDP. By 2015 it would decline to $607 billion, or 3.2 percent of GDP, according to the administration's forecast. Because a 12-member so-called supercommittee of lawmakers failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan in November, the agreement between the White House and Congress requires more than $1 trillion in automatic, across-the-board cuts in discretionary spending beginning in January 2013. Obama has threatened to veto any attempts to get around the spending cuts and blamed Republicans for refusing to compromise. One Budget One official dismissed speculation Obama would offer two budgets next month: a conventional version and a second one reflecting automatic cuts, known as sequestration. The Budget Control Act of last August doesn't require the Obama administration to submit a budget that includes specific details from a sequester, should it occur. Stan Collender, a budget expert and managing partner at Qorvis Communications LLC in Washington, told reporters at a Jan. 9 seminar that Congress will spend weeks after the elections trying to avoid automatic budget cuts. 'This will be the year of avoiding the sequester,' he said. Many of the tax and spending proposals in Obama's $3.7 trillion budget last year were ignored or rejected by Congress. His fiscal 2013 spending plan probably will encounter even more resistance in an election year when the presidency, every seat in the U.S. House and one-third of those in the Senate will be decided. To contact the reporter on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net