1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. I'm Tom Keane along 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: with Jonathan Ferroll and Lisa Brownowitz Jailey. We bring you 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: insight from the best and economics, finance, investment, and international relations. 4 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: To find Bloomberg Surveillance on Apple podcast, sun Cloud, Bloomberg 5 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: dot Com, and of course on the Bloomberg terminal. Right now, 6 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: tim Na Tanners joins us a medal and mining analyst 7 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: at Wolf Research. Is exquisite on what you do with 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: all this stuff because you turn it into steel and 9 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: other stuff. We're thrilled she could join us on short 10 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: notice this morning. Tim night, you're in Toledo at CLFS 11 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: hot Requetted Factory. You're in a factory in Toledo, Ohio 12 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: where they take all this stuff we're talking about and 13 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: they actually make stuff. What are the people in Toledo 14 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: in that factory think of the commodity cycle we're in 15 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: right now? Well, thank you for having me. Good morning. Um. 16 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: The fact is that the situation and Russie Ukrainian invasion 17 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: is critical for raw materials across our coverage, and in 18 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: particular when we look at the steel industry, the big 19 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: impact is the complete squeeze on raw materials, and so 20 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: this facility actually in Toledo, Ohio is a is a 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 1: real hedge for cliffs which we cover UM in enabling 22 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: them to buffer themselves against this super squeeze in pig iron. 23 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: Russia and Ukraine comprised two thirds of the of the 24 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: US pig iron imports, and so this is the nice 25 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: offset made in the USA to that import situation. Could 26 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: you substitute in your world if there's a given raw 27 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: material from Russia? Is it easy to substitute Chile as 28 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: one example? No, No, it's really not UM and I 29 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: think you know, of course, it depends on the commodity, right. 30 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: I can't make a blanket statement. But if you look 31 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: at Palladium, which we don't cover, but you can see 32 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: it's twenty Russia and like I mentioned with figure and 33 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: it's two thirds UM Ukraine and Russia, and the alternative 34 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 1: is Brazil, and they certainly can't compensate for that lost production. 35 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: And you think about a mind, you know, it's really 36 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: not a switch that you flip, right, and even if 37 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 1: it were, you know, you take even if you did 38 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: have capacity, you would take you know, easily three six 39 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: twelve months to restart many of these many production facilities 40 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: are off for a reason because it's antipated technology. They 41 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: don't have the electricity or the labor, and it's it's 42 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: hard for producers to decide to make that decision anyway, 43 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: because they don't know how long this is gonna last, 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: and it's an economic, very big economic decision to them. 45 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: Tim now were prepared for some sort of announcement from 46 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: President Biden about bands on imports of Russian crude. What 47 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: would the consequences be to the medals market if there 48 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: was a similar ban on aluminum, on ten on some 49 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: of these other medals that really are significantly imported from 50 00:02:55,639 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: Russia to the United States. Look, um, you know, the 51 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: aluminum market is a global market. The America's are net 52 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: short aluminum. But um, you know, already the market until 53 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: a couple until this morning, I guess, was pricing in 54 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: a pretty big shortfall. So it's hard to figure exactly 55 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: what happens. But net net, I mean, Russia is about 56 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: six of the aluminum market. That one in particular we 57 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: think is very affected because it's not only the direct 58 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 1: Russia production Ukraine production, but also the impact indirectly on 59 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: higher power prices in Europe. So that's why I think 60 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: is one of the commodities that's most squeezed right now. 61 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: But you also look at anything with a lot of 62 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: energy in put. You look at zinc, zinc refineries, prices 63 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: are up. Russia is a huge producers of nickel. I 64 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: think you can see what's happened with nicol recently. It's 65 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: it's a phenomenal emiens. There's a little scary if you 66 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: need it right well, but exactly that's where I was 67 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: going to go. The financialization of the commodities market. You're 68 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: talking about the on the ground, getting the metal out 69 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: of the ground and giving it to people who need 70 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: it for products, etcetera. And yet we're dealing with something 71 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: that's highly financialized, highly leveraged, and you're seeing massive disruptions. 72 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: How much are the moves that we're seeing in some 73 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: of the pricing due to that and not necessarily the 74 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: true shortfalls or a gauge of supply and demand in 75 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: the physical market physically, these these products are short when 76 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: we're talking about anything trade on the elemy. Prior to 77 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: these disruptions, the markets were already very tight. Now that said, 78 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 1: if if this situation will resolve tomorrow. Hypothetically, of course, 79 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: you know, the commodities would would definitely retreat in the 80 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 1: case of nicol for example. But there's been actual physical 81 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: disruptions of aluminum production in Ukraine about a large facility 82 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: and refinery there, So it's a little bit of both. 83 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: But yeah, there's no quick production fixed, and in some 84 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,239 Speaker 1: cases there have been you know, irreparable you know, damage 85 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: done to ports and infrastructure that are going to have 86 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: longer lasting effects. Ten forty five East, we will hear 87 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: from the President of the United States on holding Russia 88 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: accountable ten forty five East, and will we hear from 89 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: the President of the United States on holding Russia accountable. 90 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 1: As we reported this morning, according to people from the 91 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: day with the mats out that the President is set 92 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: to band us impults of Russian crude as soon as today. 93 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: So somewhere here from the President should be hidden from 94 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: the President in the next couple of as. I'm bringing 95 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: up Brent Crude here to see if we have enough 96 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: lift up or one level. Yes, we come up nicely. One, 97 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: not up through one yet. That's my key level. I'm 98 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: Brent Crude, Jim. I'm fascinated within the hyper detail of 99 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,799 Speaker 1: your note and your visits that there's always that great 100 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: mystery of China and their inventories of medals. In the 101 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 1: years that I've done this, it's always a great mystery. 102 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: Do you have any understanding of what the true story 103 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: is of China's inventory of these raw materials or finished products. 104 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 1: I can't say that I've figured out China, and definitely 105 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: not that angle either, but I would say that, um, 106 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: you know, it definitely depends on the commodity. But if 107 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: we're talking about some of these base medals, you know 108 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: China is not a natural producer of them. If you're 109 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: talking about aluminum and steal, yes, they are under the 110 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: market and could amp up if they needed to. But 111 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: if they'd have to have the raw materials, and that's 112 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: where the squeezes. It's an iron art's and cool, it's 113 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: in alumina and box site, and that's where it's a 114 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: cost problem, maybe not a scarcity problem. If they do 115 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 1: decide to ramp up. Can we have a technological application 116 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: given this crisis where we are more efficient with our 117 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: medals finishing our medals product I think of new core 118 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: years ago and what new core rought. Can we have 119 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: another technological leap in your world if it's so expensive again, 120 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: look these you know. I think this will be a 121 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: wake up call to the markets to say, look, do 122 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: we really want to see a commodity that's so dependent 123 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: on Russia, Ukraine or on any given region. Right. And 124 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: I think that over time there'll be more and more 125 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: initiatives to develop technologies and alternatives. However, we're not talking 126 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: about you know, months or quarters. We're talking about several years. 127 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: And I think by the end of the decade you'll 128 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: you'll see again more alternatives to to um, you know, 129 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: raw materials, and you're seeing already efforts to mine um 130 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 1: off the ocean floor, which could supplement nickel, for example, 131 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: which is particularly scarce. Jim, all morning, we've been talking 132 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: about how long the conflict will last and what the 133 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: longer term ramifications will be on the economy as well 134 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: as on some of these specific markets. Can you give 135 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: us a sense of how difficult it is to turn 136 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: off some of these inputs in terms of where we 137 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: import some of these products and then turn them back on. 138 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: I mean, how long do you expect some of these 139 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: disruptions to last, regardless of how long the conflict persists. Yeah, 140 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: that's a that's a great point, I think. I mean, 141 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: if we're talking about the infrastructure. I'm not an expert 142 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: in the conditions of the rails and the ports, but 143 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: from our understanding, you know those have been damaged and 144 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: so that would have to be repaired. Um I heard 145 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: that half of the rails at operating out of Ukraine. 146 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: We're not operable, but then half are, so that would 147 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: just be a bottleneck obviously. And then in terms of 148 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: whether it's a mine or whether it's an operating facility. 149 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: You know um an alumina refinery in um Ukraine, that's 150 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: one point seven five million tons of significant producer globally. 151 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: When you shut that down, it doesn't you know, you 152 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: can't flip a switch and we start that. Plus you 153 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: need to have material on the ground to run it 154 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: and have a power supply, so that could take you know, 155 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: at best, you know, months to restart. And then if 156 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: you have a steel mill orderly shut down, it could 157 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: be quick to restart and if you have a mind, 158 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: you know, you could restart it. But again it depends 159 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: on having the people, the power, the materials on the ground. 160 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: I think the bigger question is what's the state of 161 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: the country when you know things are resolved and how 162 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: quickly they can try to produce again. So far it 163 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: seems like there's actually still um shipments of oil and 164 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: shipments of iron ore and met coal even asked of 165 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: last week. So you know, I think it'll just be 166 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: slow moving at first. When things are referred, it's him 167 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 1: to thank you, it's him to town. As that of 168 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: a wolf research. Victoria Fernandez joins the chief market strategist 169 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: at cross Mark just to get the lay of the land, 170 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: to try to figure out what you do, Victoria, what 171 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: have you not done in the last thirteen days. Well, actually, Tom, 172 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: we've been doing what we had been doing in the 173 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: thirteen days before that. We've been in the market. We've 174 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: been trimming names that have been higher. We've been going 175 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: in and buying names that have taken a hit and 176 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: have come back, and they've been on our shopping list 177 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: and whether that's going to be value names, it's a 178 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: few tech names. We've been in the market trying to 179 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: be opportunistic and trade some of these um these names 180 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: that are there in order to build our portfolio. Obviously, 181 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: our outlook is a little more cautious than where we 182 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: were before, so we could be a little more choosy 183 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: on the names that we have, but we still think 184 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: there's some buying opportunities here. Have you focused more on 185 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: America because we were not making a joke about it, 186 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: But the reality is is in ways we go buy 187 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: international by e M, by this, by that, And yet 188 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: it seems over the recent years we all come back 189 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: to mother America in the big caps of America. Is 190 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: that what we're gonna do here in the next year. 191 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: I think you're gonna see that, Tom. And it's interesting because, 192 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: as you know, Bob doll our c i O, one 193 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: of his predictions at the beginning of this year was 194 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: that we might see international stocks finally outperform US domestic stocks. 195 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: And now we have to look at that and say, 196 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: because of where we stand with the Russia Ukraine issue, 197 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: are we going to see that happen? And now I'm 198 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: not so sure. There's been a big shift in that 199 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: European economic recovery, and we have to wonder is that 200 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: going to be long lasting? You talked about duration of inflation. 201 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: The duration of this incursion is really going to weigh 202 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: on the economics of both Europe and the US, and 203 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: that could shift where people are investing. Right now, we're 204 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: focusing more at the US Victoria. We were talking earlier 205 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,839 Speaker 1: with Margie Patel and she was talking about her optimism 206 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: that this conflict would resolve itself relatively quickly and that 207 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: there will be buying opportunities. I do wonder, though, what 208 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: the longer term ramifications are for the volatility that we're 209 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: seeing in the commodity space, the incredible surge in oil prices, 210 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: and frankly, the lack of dependability in basic staples like 211 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: wheat and corn. Yeah, I mean luckily, so when we 212 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: talk about the dray shot of this, the longer it 213 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 1: goes on, obviously the larger the ramifications are, and that's 214 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: going to be to investor sentiment. I mean, you look 215 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,199 Speaker 1: at consumer confidence numbers over the last week, the daily numbers. 216 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: Surprisingly they've moved a little bit higher. Normally they're highly 217 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: correlated with gas prices, so it's a little surprising. But 218 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: the longer this goes on, it's gonna hit investor sentiment. 219 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: It's obviously going to hit inflation for the longer term 220 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: instead of maybe the spike that we were expecting. It's 221 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,199 Speaker 1: gonna affect currencies. I mean we saw how the euro 222 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: swissy went under parody this week, so you're gonna affect 223 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: the currencies. And then obviously we're talking about that European 224 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: economic recovery. As COVID retreated, that's going to be affected 225 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: as well. So there are longer lasting effects. The longer 226 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: this goes on, the question is does China step in 227 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: and pick up enough of the slack from what the 228 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: West in Europe is not going to do with Russia 229 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: she kind of buffer the situation a little bit and 230 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: allow Putin to continue. Victoria, thank you as always, or 231 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: Fernanders there a cross mark global investments. Yea, we get 232 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: a domestic perspective now. She's been more than patient in 233 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: this hour in joining us. Diane Swuk, chief economist at 234 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: Grant Thornton. Diane, I'm absolutely fascinated in all of your 235 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: commitment to our Fed Day coverage as well. What kind 236 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: of Fed Day do you expect that we'll see given 237 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: this historic news slow Well, the timing just couldn't come 238 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: at a worse time, as it's adding fuelton already well 239 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: kindled inflation fire for the Federal Reserve, and we've seen 240 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: certainly J. Powell's commitment to still raise rates by a 241 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: quarter point at the March meeting, and I think it's 242 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: really important to understand that we risk seeing a much 243 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: more entrenched inflation, not exactly the same as the nineteen seventies, 244 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 1: but your eerie resemblance. And in his Cuss testimony to Congress, 245 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: he made a point of saying, we are looking at 246 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventies as a benchmark to avoid, not to repeat. Well, 247 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: that means that the Federal Reserve has to actually combat 248 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,079 Speaker 1: a lot of the demand side of this inflation, even 249 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: as we're seeing the supply shocks pile through from Russia. 250 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: You and I have lived the measured of Alan Greenspan 251 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,079 Speaker 1: with this warr in Ukraine. Can the Fed and their 252 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: well meaning economists, Can they just get away from measured 253 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: and say, look, we're gonna act, We're gonna raise rates, 254 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: but it's a one off. I think they have to 255 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: be very cognizant of saying they're not going to allow 256 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: inflation to get out of the out of control any further. 257 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: They're already behind the curve. This puts some in a 258 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: very bad position, and I think one of the hard 259 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: things for the Federal Reserve is the tight rope that J. 260 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: Paul is going to be walking between wanting to raise 261 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: rates and stem inflationary pressures and stop inflation from becoming 262 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: a recession with stay inflation without tipping financial markets into 263 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: a larger credit market seizure that would do the job 264 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: for the FED be much harder to recover from, and 265 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 1: that's a very fine tight rope to walk at this 266 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: stage of the game. Diane. There's also the question of 267 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: the economic bleed through of higher gas prices as they 268 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:14,199 Speaker 1: do reach the highest at least a nominal basis on record, 269 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 1: what is the consequence for the average American family, Given 270 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: the gas prices are now north of four dollars a gallon, 271 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: but we've done calculations last year it was almost a 272 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: thousand dollars per household, the record increase on a nominal 273 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: basis that we saw in prices at the pump coming 274 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: out of the pandemic. Now this adds another eight hundred 275 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: and fifty nine dollars per household, and that wipes out 276 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: much of the excess savings in the lower certainly quartile 277 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: of household that they were able to hold. And that's 278 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: at a time when they're also those households at the 279 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: bottom also getting released slammed. That's at the same time 280 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: that they're much more vulnerable to the rising rents and 281 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: escalating rents that we're seeing out there and all the 282 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: other aspects of inflation. It really is a very different 283 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: sort of inequality issue that we're facing because also those 284 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: who can work from home have the ability to hedge 285 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: against and blunt the blow of higher commute costs, when 286 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: those who have to work in person in lower wage 287 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: jobs cannot blunt that blow of higher commute costs, and 288 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: that's all compounding the inflationary impact on them. So do 289 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: you think that, Diane, potentially we could avoid returning to 290 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: some sort of recessionary environment and response to the oil shock, 291 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: and yet see a massive increase in inequality or do 292 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: you think that both could occur. Do you think that 293 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: this could actually be a shock that changes the trajectory 294 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: in a more meaningful way. Unfortunately, I think the risk 295 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: is that it changes in a much more meaningful way. 296 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: Going into this crisis, we were looking at sort of 297 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: the fog of war and what kinds of sort of 298 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,359 Speaker 1: decision rules and scenarios out there, and unfortunately, our resilience 299 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: through this as an economy as a double edged sword, 300 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: because it sort of suggests that of FED can't afford 301 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: not to raise rates at the same time that we're 302 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: hitting demand with higher energy prices, and the two colliding 303 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 1: means that we likely will need to see a slowdown 304 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: that actually bleeds into unemployment to derail the inflationary pressures 305 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: we see in our best case scenarios. Right now, we're 306 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 1: looking at an almost stall out of growth in the 307 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: second half of the year that is not technically a recession, 308 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: but not enough to hold the unemployment rate down after 309 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: it falls further in the first half of this year. 310 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: That is not a great scenario to have, and that's 311 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: without the additional supply chain bottlenecks that you were talking 312 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: about earlier, which I think are very important because again 313 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: they had insult to injury and an already bad inflation scenario, 314 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: and they continue to contribute to shortages out there. Dan, 315 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: What would holding rates where they are do, What would 316 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: actually a more devish approach from the FED actually accomplish 317 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: in this market and frankly, in this economy. My concern 318 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: is that holding rates at their instant level right now, 319 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: given the kind of momentum we've already seen, is that 320 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: we would see a more entrenched inflation already seen. Expectations 321 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 1: on inflation have risen, they will rise more, and that 322 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:16,360 Speaker 1: means expectations for people pushing it onto employers. I've talked 323 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: to many employers who are now getting complaints by their 324 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: workers that did not get as bigger raises as the 325 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: entry level workers got, and they're not keeping up with inflation. 326 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: That's how it's a different way of getting to the 327 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: nineties seventies. But I think it's an important thing to 328 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: be thinking about, is that you risk a much more entrenched, 329 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: longer lived, stagflationary environment, and the FED can't afford that either. 330 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: That is the American observation of the day. Diane Swonk, 331 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: thank you so much. With Grant Thornton, there we stopped 332 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: and pause now and we do with truly and I 333 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: mean this with all sincerity. One of the original founders 334 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: of a woman's place in the securities business, and it 335 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,199 Speaker 1: is m Malletti who long ago Lisa was it a 336 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: shop called Strong, and through various permutations, is now with 337 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: all spring and she is one of the nation's great 338 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 1: value managers. M Letty, good morning, Good morning, Tom, and Lisa, 339 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: thanks for having me on. I want to talk about 340 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: in your research note you say women investors have the edge. 341 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: Pray tell well, I think both you and Lisa really 342 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 1: know and appreciate the dangers of group think and so 343 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 1: um to get out of that in our industry, we 344 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: have to get out of the box and have a 345 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: collection of people who are diverse, who come from different backgrounds, 346 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: different places that can bring a different perspective, right, And 347 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: I do think and believe that females bring different perspectives 348 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: into this business than males. Okay, maybe maybe no better 349 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: than one another, but together collectively it is better. So 350 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: and dovetail that into the moment that we're in right now. 351 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: Where is the group think right now at a time 352 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: when people don't know what to think? Mm hmm, Well, 353 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: I think the group think right now is there's a 354 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: lot of uncertainty. We don't have a lot of answers, 355 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: and how do you make calm decisions at times where 356 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: there's a lot of emotion controlling the market, right, and 357 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: a lot of different opinions about what's going on? But 358 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: what I'm focused on, what our investment teams are. Just 359 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: get back to the basics, follow your investment process and 360 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 1: let that be the guide. And certainly you take inputs 361 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: from all professionals in a lot of different areas, a 362 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: lot of expertise, but you bring that together through the 363 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: investment process. So are we going all Greek medicine here 364 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: and say, first, do no harm? Is that the basic idea? 365 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: I think the basic idea is, Look, the market was 366 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: surprised by this. Most investors were surprised by this. The 367 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: natural trigger um for most people, I think is to 368 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: say I don't want anything to do with any area 369 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: of the market that can be impacted by Russia, including 370 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: any emerging market. And I think you know, that's where 371 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: we have to pause and say, is that really the 372 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: right way to think when you're allocating capital or do 373 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,919 Speaker 1: we just have to look at this more holistically and say, 374 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: this event definitely has caused change. Let's look at the changes, 375 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: but not have a quick trigger on, you know, changing 376 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 1: allocations dramatically. So what's your sort of contrarian idea of 377 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: the day in terms of what you are actually doing 378 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:41,360 Speaker 1: or not doing with your money? The other people I'm 379 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,199 Speaker 1: moving in the opposite direction from you know. So I 380 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: think there's a couple of areas in the market that, um, 381 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:49,959 Speaker 1: you know, you don't have to get all out of equities, 382 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: you can. I think the small cap space is very interesting. 383 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: It is trading at a historically low or a history 384 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 1: gap relative large cap in terms of evaluation perspective, and 385 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: you know it's closed a little bit recently, but there's 386 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: more room to go to go there. There's also less 387 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,639 Speaker 1: impact from some of these global issues on the smaller companies. 388 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,479 Speaker 1: I think healthcare is interesting, right, we're talking about all 389 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,479 Speaker 1: the industries that are impacted. Health Care is an area 390 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:25,400 Speaker 1: that underperformed last year that has the ability I think 391 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: this year as people are looking for areas where there's 392 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 1: more stability to really outperform. So those are the types 393 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: of things that we're looking at. There's difference between going 394 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 1: out and actively buying and convincing yourself not to sell, 395 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: and those are two important points right now at a 396 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: time when so many people are contemplating cash. Are you 397 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 1: doing more of the former or the latter. It's a combination, Lisa, honestly, right, 398 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: I think what you want to do as an investor 399 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 1: is really make sure you own the best companies that 400 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 1: are best positioned. So sometimes that does include making some 401 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: trade off selling a name that you thought was better positioned. 402 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 1: But given the external things have changed, and so you're 403 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: looking at the world a little bit differently. But most 404 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: of these decisions are on the margin, they're not felt 405 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: everything in this area and move everything into that area. 406 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 1: Is revenue growth a substitute for value analysis down the 407 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: income statement? And of course I'm speaking about high profit, 408 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:32,359 Speaker 1: high cash flow, big text, of course, trading at fifty multiples. 409 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: But but but can you fold revenue growth into a 410 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 1: traditional offspring value strategy? Absolutely, and I do think it's 411 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: become increasingly important. Tom. You know, years ago, you know, 412 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,959 Speaker 1: when I was really starting in the business, thirty years ago, 413 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: you were looking at the value space a little bit differently. 414 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: You didn't have some of the secular changes that we 415 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: have going on today. Things in our economy are moving 416 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: really rapidly, and so I think that revenue growth is 417 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 1: an indicator of competitive advantage. Right, It's not the It's 418 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: not the only metric to look at, you know, so again, 419 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: if you're if you're a growth investors, you still shouldn't 420 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: be looking at just that metric. But it is important 421 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: to know that you are focused on companies that are 422 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: not going to zero or declining dramatically in value. M Letty, 423 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: thank you so much for the all Spring greatly appreciated. 424 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 1: All Spring Global Investments head of all of their active equity. 425 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. Thanks for listening. Join 426 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: us live weekdays from seven to ten am Eastern on 427 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Radio and on Bloomberg Television each day from six 428 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: to nine am for insight from the best in economics, finance, investment, 429 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 1: and international relations. And subscribe to the Surveillance podcast on 430 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: Apple podcast, SoundCloud, Bloomberg dot com, and of course on 431 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: the terminal. I'm Tom, meaning this is Bloomer