Wednesday, October 8, 2014

8/10/2014: IMF GFSR: That Battleship Potemkin Moment...

In the previous post (http://trueeconomics.blogspot.ie/2014/10/8102014-imf-gfsr-oh-dear-its-headless.html) I covered some of the IMF's discoveries concerning the risks present in financial markets.

Irony aside, the Fund does provide a handy map to these risks. Here it is:

The closer things are to the centre of the spiderweb, the lower are the associated risks. Which is preciously funny, if you are into morbid sense of humour.

You see, here's the same map from October 2013:


First thing first: let's take a look at Risks:

  • Emerging Markets risks have scaled up in 12 months through April 2014 and then stayed where they were through October 2014. 
  • Credit Risks have gone down - undoubtedly the result of just one thing: write down and insolvencies waves that swept across primarily the US and UK and to a lesser extent (due to slower response) through the EU banking systems.
  • Market and Liquidity Risks - the wonder sparks of the Central Banks' attention - have grown, and by much. Now, recall that the entire first stage of the crisis was about providing liquidity. ECB is still forcing more and more liquidity into the system… and the risks are rising, not subsiding.
  • Macroeconomic Risks - the gold dust of the Governments and Central Bankers - is not budging. Not a notch decline in these risks for all the efforts over the last 18 months.


Now look at the underlying Conditions:

  • Monetary and Financial conditions have eased through April 2014 and then got stuck in the same spot.
  • Risk Appetite conditions have improved a little in 6 months through October 2013, then grounded to a halt through April 2014 and deteriorated since back to where they were in April 2013. 18 months of going nowhere policies.


This really does make you wonder - all the heroic efforts of the Central Bankers, Treasuries, Governments and international agencies, all the push for more cash, more 'reforms', more 'deleveraging'... and what? Swimming harder to stand still?..

Mommy, the pram is still rolling moment from Battleship Potemkin anyone?..


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