International Monetary Fund

Unlike yesterday's overnight session, which saw some substantial carry FX volatility and tumbling European yields in the aftermath of the TSY's anti-inversion decree, leading to a return of fears that the next leg down in markets is upon us, the overnight session has been far calmer, assisted in no small part by the latest China Caixin Services PMI, which rose from 51.2 to 52.2 (even if the employment index dropped to a three year low, suggesting China's labor problems are only just starting).

Submitted by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

Varoufakis said that Schäuble, Germany’s finance minister and the architect of the deals Greece signed in 2010 and 2012, was “consistent throughout”. “His view was ‘I’m not discussing the program – this was accepted by the previous [Greek] government and we can’t possibly allow an election to change anything.

 

• Panama Papers: Biggest Banks Are Top Users of Offshore Services (WSJ)
• Panama Papers probes opened, China limits access to news on leaks (Reuters)
• Credit Suisse CEO Distances Bank From ‘Panama Papers’ (WSJ)
• Fed's Evans says market more pessimistic on U.S. rate hikes (Reuters)
• IMF's Lagarde Says Risks to Weak Global Recovery Are Increasing (BBG)
• New U.S. inversion rules threaten Pfizer-Allergan deal (Reuters)
• Time Is Running Out (Again) for Greece (BBG)

Whether or not the IMF intended to use a Greek credit event to destabilize Europe as the Greek government first alleged, or whether this was "nonsense" as Lagarde responded to Tsipras letter, is irrelevant - ultimately the underlying premise was whether or not Greece gets debt relief, something the IMF has been insisting on since the third bailout package. And as is well-known, it was Germany - not Greece - that stood in the IMF's way.

After last night's oddly drafted letter by the Greek PM Tsipras (which contained a combination of typed text and scribbles) to IMF head Lagarde in the wake of the Wikileaks revelation which was interpreted by many, the Greek government included, that the IMF would seek a "credit event" to facilitate its debt-reduction negotiations with Angela Merkel, it was only a matter of time before the IMF officially responded to the Greek premier and population. She did so moments ago.

The highlights: