Charlie Sheen’s dealer and Ben Bernanke

It appears that yesterday in Beverly Hills, America’s favorite TV comedian over committed to a late night party session involving the most traditional of vices. A suitcase full of “punch” was delivered to his door step and the festivities went into overdrive. While...

EFU, GSE Reform and Dissents

European spread product is the new gold. Since Angela Merkel’s interview last week, the rumors of a newly empowered EFSF have swirled relentlessly. Apparently, sometime by late March this new structure will solve all European woes and may even cure cancer. The only...

Die Bund

I am no expert on German language gender rules - it could be Das Bund, Der Bund or Die Bund - but given what's going on in Europe I suggest we all use "Die Bund" from now on when referring to "The Bund". It is on its deathbed - RIP!! The "degermanification" of "die...

Participation Rates – Why Shouldn’t They Be Lower

As we all digest another US payroll employment report, it is important to step back and look at some of the longer term trends that are evolving in US labor markets. First, the drop in the U-rate from 9.8 to 9.4 is significant. However, most all economists and pundits...

The Son of Frankenstein

A very astute CMO trader once said to me – “Some things never change – somehow I bring 100m of pass thru securities backed by 30 year fixed rate loans into the room and miraculously 45m bullet proof 3 year notes pop out the other side”. Trading the mortgage market has...

What’s the opposite of “The Conundrum?”

The Answer - “The Debacle”. For the last decade, large reserve asset managers have accumulated sizeable positions in “low risk” US Treasury, Agency Mortgage and IG Corporate securities. We have all seen the charts where foreign holdings have gone parabolic since 2000....