European Central Bank

We just posted a comment on the situation in the EU, where financial repression is still increasing.  Big concern from my perspective is that negative rates and central bank market intervention seem to be frightening investors and convincing savers to abandon the financial system.  Look at the earnings reports from UBS and the other large EU banks.  Banks are 80% of the EU balance sheet and virtually all are shrinking.  It is hard to envision how this situation does not end in tears for the nations of Europe given the policy mix.

Three months ago, when Australia unexpectedly revealed that its recent "stellar" job numbers had in fact been cooked we asked, rhetorically, why the sudden admission it was all a lie? Simple: weakness in commodity prices "is far greater than people had been expecting,” the nation's top economist said. Australia is now "swimming against the tide" because of uncertainties in the global economy, he added.

Authored by David Hay, via EvergreenGavekal.com,

"Low interest rates cause secular stagnation: they do not cure it.” -CHARLES GAVE

 

“Negative interest rates are the dumbest idea ever.” -JEFF GUNDLACH, the new “King of Bonds”

 

“Laugh but listen.” -WINSTON CHURCHILL, addressing the British House of Commons, warning it once again of the rising threat posed by Nazi Germany, to derisive laughter.

Yesterday, the ECB sent Benoit Coeure out to explain to the uneducated masses that the concern over negative interest rates is overdone because not everyone is saving money.

It appears as though the ECB has had enough of the thorn in its side that is Germany in this latest round of back and forth, and has taken to what it does best: jawboning. In an article published today in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper, executive board member Benoit Coeure writes a rambling article defending ECB's policies, tells Germany that the ECB is the reason for its economic success, and downplays the issues that any savers may be having under NIRP.