1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 1: Ye, Welcome to the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. I'm Tom Keane. 2 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: Daily we bring you insight from the best in economics, finance, investment, 3 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: and international relations. Find Bloomberg Surveillance on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, 4 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: Bloomberg dot Com, and of course on the Bloomberg. It 5 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: is important to speak to Jason Furman, not only a 6 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: former chairman of the President Obama's Council of Economic Advisors, 7 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: but somebody who I think, what do you do? Did 8 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: you take like three days off your public service and 9 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: thinking about policy and writing about policy. I think it's 10 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 1: about too but you, guys, but you went right back 11 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: into it like nobody I've ever seen, and in that 12 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: there's so much to write about. And we just have 13 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: to go right away to your important essay in the 14 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: Washington Post with Alan Krueger, who joins us every job 15 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: stay share yelling as well, signing this essay that we 16 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: need to look at the budget now and not just entitlements. 17 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: What does does a more republican tilt. What do they 18 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: get wrong when they say we just got to solve entitlements. 19 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: Let's just look at the deficit. Tom. This year, the 20 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: I m F just came out with a report yesterday, 21 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: the United States is the highest as a share of 22 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: GDP deficit of any of the advanced economies. Number two 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: is Italy there one point nine percent to GDP, better 24 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: than US, and Spain is number three. Look out ahead 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: five years, the debt is rising as a share of 26 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: the economy, and the United States in every other country 27 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: that has a debt it is falling as a share 28 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: of GDP. Those two facts I just said have nothing 29 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: to do with entitlements and have a lot to do 30 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: with the fact that we just embarked on a virtually 31 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: unprecedented fiscal experiment, which is a large dose of stimulus, 32 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: mostly through tax cuts, at a time when the economy 33 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: is at our near full employment. Some economists criticized President 34 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: Obama for okay, raising taxes, but going too far. Excuse me? 35 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: Is there a middle ground, a middle ground to come 36 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: back from tax cuts towards more rational Here's a dangerous word, 37 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: more fair tax increases. You know, you look at the 38 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: Bull Simpson Fiscal Commission. They called for revenue to be 39 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: twenty one of g d P. This year. We're less 40 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: than seventent of g d P. You could sit me 41 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: down with any Republican economist and the two of us 42 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: could come up together with a tax plan that would 43 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: raise revenue and be more efficient and have lower effective 44 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: marginal tax rates than our current tax system does. So 45 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: I think we could have a or pro growth tax system. 46 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: You know, I wouldn't go back to the tax code 47 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 1: we had a year ago or two years ago. I'd 48 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: move forward, but I'd reform it in a way that 49 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: gave more predictability, more certainty, lower effective rates, and more revenue. 50 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: Jason Furman. One of the highlights of this earning season 51 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: so far has been earnings from banks. They talk about 52 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: how they're making more money because of changes to the 53 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: tax code. Uh. We're also getting word that Procter and 54 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: Gamble reporting quarterly results a dollar a share analyst estimates 55 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: was for ninety eight cents to share. They boosted their 56 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: core EPs estimates for the remainder of the year. Also, 57 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: a lot of that is to do with taxes. Is 58 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: there any evidence that the reduction in taxes leads to 59 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: sustained economic growth? Look, it's definitely gonna lead to faster 60 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: growth this year. I have I'm not debate that I 61 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: understand sustained Those sustained rather than just one quarter and 62 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: then quarter at the quarter measurements. So I think the 63 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: way you want to look get the sustained growth is say, 64 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: you know what investment project was not profitable in the 65 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: tax system before that would be profitable at the tax 66 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: system now. I think there are some of them, So 67 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: I think it will lead to some increase in investment, 68 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: some increasing growth. When I did my own study of this, 69 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: that added up to less than one tenth of one 70 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: percent of GDP year and growth UM Ernst and Young, 71 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: CBO others have found about the same, So I think there's, yeah, 72 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: a little bit extra investment um you'll get out of this, 73 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: but not not a whole lot. And in part that's 74 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: because effective tax rates were already a lot lower than 75 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: the headline tax rates even before this reform passed. One 76 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: of the highlights of the tax reform bill was supposedly 77 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: all the money that's gonna be reinvested, as you just indicated, 78 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: into projects, which I imagine have to be vetted by 79 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: boards of directors and top executives to see whether they 80 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: are going to pay the kinds of returns that warrant 81 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: those investments. And yet what we've heard is companies are 82 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: investing in stock buy backs. Is that necessarily good for 83 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: the economy. I don't have any problem with doc buy backs. 84 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: I mean, you're you get a lot of extra cash. 85 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: If you don't have profitable investment projects, you should give 86 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: that money back to your shareholders. And investment is not 87 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: determined by cash flow. There was a lot of cash 88 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: for any company that wanted to make an investment one 89 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: to three years ago. What we have a shortage of 90 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: is profitable opportunities. The tax reform will expand the profitable 91 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: opportunities a little bit, but not a whole lot. But 92 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: what do you say about social security? Chairman Greenspan yesterday 93 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: agrees with you that it is about budget responsibility, and yeah, 94 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: I guess we get to entitlements. And I think Chairman 95 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: Greenspan would go to you on the value of these 96 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: commissions and getting the political discourse over the fiscal responsibility. 97 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: Social security, by a lot of analysis, has challenges thirteen 98 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: years out, and yet you and others say it's easily solvable. 99 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: A lot of our listeners don't understand that. How is 100 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 1: the social security mess easily solvable? There's a well understood 101 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: menu of options for social security some of them are 102 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: on the spending side, some of them are on the 103 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 1: revenue side. You can just look down that menu and 104 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: pick a set of options that add up to the total. 105 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: I was thrown out of clubs that pim Fox is 106 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: allowed to attend because I did a chart Jason ten 107 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: years ago which extrapolated the income level of the top 108 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:34,119 Speaker 1: people and what the social Security limit was A hundred 109 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 1: twenty three thousand, hundred thirty thousand, and I interpolated with 110 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: some squishy math that was not firm and like you 111 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: ought to run up to a hundred and fifty hundred 112 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: sixty thousand. The amount of hate Matt I got off 113 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: that chart was remarkable, remarkable. That's one of the options. 114 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: You knows. Another option you can, I mean, I'll get 115 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:55,840 Speaker 1: myself run out of a lot of clubs. With this option. 116 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: You can broaden the tax base to include I are 117 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: you're sponsored health insurance payments that would bring more revenue 118 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: in UM, expand the base and do it in an 119 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: economically efficient way. But no one would like that idea. 120 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: So the time we've got left with you this morning, 121 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: Dr Ferman, I want you to once and for all 122 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: talk about the glide pass or Zach Ferman, the rest 123 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: of you. Matthew, guys talk about glide pass, nobody listens 124 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: believes it will be smooth. Give us the confidence that 125 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: we have smooth, smooth glide pass to the three, the five, 126 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: the tenure solutions that we face. On the fiscal side, 127 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: I have no confidence whatsoever right now. I don't see 128 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: a forcing event unless trillion dollar deficits really wake people 129 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: up and get attention in the way that um we 130 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: haven't seen to date. But right now on the fiscal side, 131 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: I don't see it. Look, but I do think our 132 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: economy is a big resilient economy. I think we have 133 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: a lot of ability to borrow in global capital markets. 134 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: I'm not foreseeing and warning of any sort of fiscal catastrophe. 135 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: I don't think that's what we'll see. I think what 136 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: we'll see as a fiscal chipping away at our prosperity 137 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: will be poorer, but there won't be one dramatic event. 138 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: Jason Furman, a former chairman of the President's Council of 139 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: Economic Advisors. Of course, writing for Pearson among others, and 140 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: teaching it his Harvard as well, very beneficial today with 141 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: US now is an important international economist Nathan Sheets is 142 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 1: with PGIM for years writing at City Group, and it's 143 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: acclaimed for writing thoughtful, six in seven page dense essays 144 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: on the dynamics of the international economy. Dr Sheets, wonderful 145 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: to have you with us is an open question. What 146 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,439 Speaker 1: is the number one theme you would write about for 147 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: May of two eighteen. Well, Tom, thank you, it's a pleasure, 148 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: pleasure to be with you. I think the number one 149 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: theme at this stage is the surprisingly positive constructive performance 150 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 1: of the global economy. Over the last few years, we've 151 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: criticized the global expansion as being the new mediocre, but 152 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: over the last few quarters we realized that maybe there 153 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: was a silver lining to that, and that is that 154 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: imbalances and vulnerabilities you would have expected to have emerged 155 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 1: at this point in the cycles simply aren't there. And 156 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: it seems like this thing's got a fair amount of 157 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: momentum for the next couple of years. The momentum in 158 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: the glide path that matters to every single listener coast 159 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:52,719 Speaker 1: to coast is we've got to boost exports. The discourse 160 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: is on imports, tariffs or that you know, the globe. 161 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: I mean, PIM Fox and I will sit over a 162 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: beverage of our choice. New York can say we need 163 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: to be a big Switzerland will belogny to that. What's 164 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: the prescription to boost exports other than dollar dynamics. This 165 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: is a profound point, Tom. I couldn't agree with you more. 166 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: The win win solution for the globally economy is for 167 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: all of us to export more. If we focus on 168 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: trade balances, UH, that pushes us to the lose lose 169 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: solution where we all import less. And UH I think that. 170 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: I think the increasing imports means more multilateralism, more plural lateralism. 171 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: It means TPPS and NAFTAS, but it also means countries 172 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: UH playing by the rules of the game. And from 173 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: that perspective, I do agree with this administration that China 174 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: has got some work to do to open up its economy, 175 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: open up its business environment to foreign firms, to allow 176 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: to allow more exports. Nathan Sheets, you served previously as 177 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs. If 178 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: around the world, if internationally the economy is doing as 179 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: well as you describe, why are people not dancing in 180 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,439 Speaker 1: the streets. They're protesting in the streets, and they want 181 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: to break up as many trade agreements as they have established. 182 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: Witness Brexit, witness what's going on with NAFTA, t p P, 183 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: and just about every political leader is under threat that 184 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: That is a extremely important question, And I think the 185 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: part of it goes back to the fact that the 186 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: last decade where we are now, it seems to me 187 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: as a pretty good place, But the last decade has 188 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: been wroth and people remember the financial crisis, they remember UH, 189 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: the uncertainties about employment. Now maybe we're moving to a 190 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: better place where the globally economy is going to perform 191 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: in a more effective way, And if so, I would hope. 192 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: I can't be absolutely confident, but I hope that some 193 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: of these populist pressures that we're seeing in the United 194 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: States and else where will start to abate. But I 195 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: very much agree with you that there's a very concerning 196 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: UH political dynamic that we're seeing globally that runs in 197 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: an opposite direction and may ultimately be if it doesn't abate, 198 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: may ultimately undercut some of the strong macro performance that 199 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: we're seeing. All right, But in that context, I'm sure 200 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: you're aware of the IMF report about the United States 201 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 1: and our jet to d DP trajectory. And you know 202 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: that reminds me of that quote. The most dangerous thing 203 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 1: in the world is what a second lieutenant with a 204 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: map in a compass? I mean, is this a map 205 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: in a compass kind of situation except they can't read it. 206 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: We have in the United States. We have in the 207 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: United States, UH, serious challenges with our fiscal position. The 208 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 1: im off is is absolutely right now. I don't expect 209 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: that that is going to slow the economy over the 210 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: next couple of years, but over a long horizon if 211 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: we don't address it, I think we're going to be 212 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: moving into a world with higher US interest rates and 213 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: more macroeconomic uncertainty. Dr sheets if you modeled deficit the 214 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: g d P I mean p JAM bond guys Greg 215 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: Peters in the crew, they really care about that kind 216 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: of metric. Can you get out to six percent like 217 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: Douglas Holtziken does. There are two contrasting views on this. 218 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: So one view, there's a body of work, let's call 219 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: it Reinhart rogue offf that once debt gets high, it 220 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 1: meaningfully slows the economy. The other side of that is 221 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: there a lot of countries out there that are able 222 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: to carry high levels of doubt with relatively low interest 223 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: I think it will. I think it will be a 224 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: negative effect on growth going for it. I don't know 225 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: how big Nathan, She's thank you so much for helping 226 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: us to continue this coverage from the meetings of the 227 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: Internettional Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It's always good 228 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: to speak with Mark Cafley of UBS, but particularly with 229 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: the undercurrents of i m F analysis of where we 230 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: stand market is the Union Bank of Switzerland, which means 231 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: a certain permanent and cultural austerity. We're not seeing that 232 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: from guns and Butter Washington. Do you care from an 233 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: international basis about a trillion dollar US deficit? Well, I 234 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: think it's a great question, and our investors around the 235 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: world absolutely care about this, and I think they do 236 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: raise some questions about what happens to the dollar in 237 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: these scenarios and that and we think that uh, the 238 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: fiscal deficit as well the current account depthsit can contribute 239 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: to a bit more dollar weakness this year. Mark, let 240 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: me put it to you dollar weakness this year. Is 241 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: it also because we have a funding crisis when it 242 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: comes to dollars. If companies repatriate all of that cash 243 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: that's overseas. That pulls money out of Europe, and that 244 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: means you've got to go find more dollars. Isn't that 245 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: going to be a sort of a confrontation between those 246 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: that want dollars and the dollars that are available. Well, 247 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: I think that, you know, the repatriation issue is an 248 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 1: interesting one, and it highlights the importance of investment in 249 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: the United States as the necessity to support the dollar. 250 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: Given the current account deficits, I think a lot of 251 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: the money that sits overseas may already be in dollars, 252 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: and so there's not necessarily a scramble to get to 253 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: get those dollars, uh, you know, converted. So you don't 254 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: see any funding issue thing to do with libor rates. Well, 255 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: I think I think that, Uh, where where libar plays 256 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: such an important role is in the you know, so 257 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: many things are are tied to it, so many loans 258 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: right from mortgages or corporate loans and things. And therefore, 259 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: as you see the libar rise and something, you know, 260 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: some of it perhaps for legitimate growth reasons or concerns 261 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: about inflation, that that can actually have a slowing effect 262 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: on the US economy, so that that certainly plays into 263 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: the mix. What's interesting your Mark, and I'd love to 264 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: get your perspective on this. What we like to do, folks, 265 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: is with the advantage of so many bright guests and 266 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: so many good conversations, if somebody brings up a telling point, 267 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: we like to get a second, third, and fourth opinion 268 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: through the morning on it. We're gonna do that right 269 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: now with Mark Kafley of UBS. William Lee First Rate 270 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: Economists now at the Milk and Institute makes very clear 271 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: that a weaker dollar does the FEDS work for them? 272 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: Are we developing a tighter US monetary policy, a more 273 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: restrictive policy by a weeker dollar in the last year? Well, 274 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: I think I think the weaker dollar certainly helps helps 275 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,199 Speaker 1: on a lot of fronts in the sense that a 276 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: weeker dollar can make US UH exports more attractive, it 277 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: can help stimulate, and it can help rebalance some of 278 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 1: these imbalances that that we're facing, you know, like like 279 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: the current account depthsit so it you know, it's uh. 280 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: We we know the strong dollars, the policy, and then 281 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: we know some of the comments that have come out 282 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: of the Treasury administration and otherwise. But on the other hand, 283 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: you know, nobody could the dollars control by the market, 284 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: So it's more of a symptom of the underlying economics 285 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: than kind of the a force that can be pushed on. 286 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: Let's go the other way. Have we have a week 287 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: dollar of any warm or flavor. We know it's not 288 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: everybody in the pool, Which nation, which region, which blocks 289 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: which kind of nations will see harmful dollar appreciation? Is 290 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:16,199 Speaker 1: we weaken the greenback? Well, you know, I think the 291 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: concerns have been around what happens in the emerging markets 292 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: and as the dollar moves, and so far the emerging 293 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 1: markets has has held up well as the dollar weekend, 294 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: and it's one of the and we think that's due 295 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: in part to this kind of you know, the story 296 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: of the synchronized global growth. So particularly this year where 297 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:41,439 Speaker 1: we don't we don't see the dollar weakening to the 298 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 1: extent it it did last year. We think that, uh, 299 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: you know, we think actually the emerging market story can 300 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: can remain relatively positive. I think the issues that you 301 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: raise around what is going on with you as fiscal policy, 302 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,360 Speaker 1: what is going on, uh, you know, how that will 303 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,719 Speaker 1: roll through to the dollar. They're very political issues and 304 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:08,240 Speaker 1: they do with the margins influence outside investors who are 305 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: thinking about whether they invest in the United States, move 306 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: capital into dollars and then into the United States verse, 307 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: taking it to other parts of the world. Mark, I 308 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: want to switch gears here because pitm it's time for 309 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: a UBS victory lap and and mark your Jeff, You 310 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: and your team in London was lights out brilliant during 311 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 1: the panic over weaker pounds, Sterling of saying maybe not, 312 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: and you did one of those things major banks rarely do, 313 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: which is you really went against consensus review that decision. 314 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: And now that we have a much stronger pounds Sterling, 315 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: can you advocate that it will ever strengthen. Well, Tom, 316 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: thank you so much for that. Look, I think, um, 317 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: this is the the situation will We saw in the 318 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 1: UK was that there was you know, massive pessimism uh 319 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: and around Brexit and and the fall in the pound 320 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: that accompanied that, and we saw massive positioning by hedge 321 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 1: funds and others. As part of our you know, we 322 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: have such a tremendous look into client accounts, but also 323 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 1: as the largest wealth manager in the world, we talked 324 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 1: to partners around the world what other funds are doing. 325 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,119 Speaker 1: So we saw all that pessimism and at the same time, 326 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: I think what we've seen and this bears out on 327 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: the future, is we're in a lull now where they're negotiating. 328 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: There's no decisions now on Brexit for for a little while, 329 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: and therefore it you know, markets can only focus on 330 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: so many things at once, and so we thought that 331 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: as that as that political uh noise kind of there's 332 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 1: gonna be political noise, but no decisions made. We thought 333 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: that the pound could rebound and now as as the 334 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: UK economy is doing well and perhaps um you know, 335 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 1: the Central Bank they're raises rates a little bit. So 336 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: that's where we saw things going well. However, there is 337 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: going to be a bill to pay eventually around brexfit 338 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: uh you know, say not quite a year from now, 339 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: as those events begin to take center stage again. Mark Haafley, 340 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:31,199 Speaker 1: thank us so much. He is with ubs with us 341 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: this morning of these free meetings of the I am 342 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: from the World Bank. Is the right guest. William Lee 343 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: is at the milk In Institute for years at City 344 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: grew up and of course his service to the International 345 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: Monetary Fund. Doctor. Really, you have a great observation which 346 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: I pointed out a couple of days ago. But you 347 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: take it further as you always do, and that is 348 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 1: a week dollar has consequences. For Chairman Paula, I want 349 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: you to walk through this oddity of a legitimate currency 350 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: move changes FED behavior, give us a clinic on you know, 351 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:02,439 Speaker 1: Tom when when I was at the I M F 352 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: Generations ago, it was a cottage industry to develop what's 353 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: called the Monter Conditions Index, the equivalence between exchange rate 354 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: changes and interesting we call this going rogueoff. That's what 355 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: we call. Well, one of the things that that we 356 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: noted was that the dollar has depreciated since the beginning 357 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: of last year by about now using a US Monster 358 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,680 Speaker 1: Conditions index, which is like ten to one or five 359 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,640 Speaker 1: to one, that's equivalent to one to almost two percentage 360 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 1: points of interest rate easing. So it's actually we've all 361 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: set all of the tightening that the feed is done 362 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: this year and last year. So when the when the 363 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: markets are so worried about excessive FED tightening, they have 364 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 1: to remember we are starting from even a lower base. 365 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: And if we have three or four rate hikes modeled 366 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: in the dollar in the international markets, whether week dollar 367 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: or strong human strong euro, strong end through one oh 368 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,920 Speaker 1: seven one oh five is doing the work for them 369 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 1: where they would only do one or two rate hikes exactly. 370 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: And so so one of the things that markets are 371 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: getting ahead of themselves about is this excessive tightening, choking 372 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: off the choking off the recovery and does you curve 373 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: flattening and the house polity inverting. Let's remember the inversion 374 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: is a nice correlation with recessions. It's a great correlation, 375 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,959 Speaker 1: but it's not causation. And when you think about it, 376 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: why does the inverted you curve mean recession because the 377 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: FED is tightening like crazy because they think inflation is 378 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 1: getting out of hand. Right now, we have no sign inflictions. 379 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: We have a chart, right but but every time in 380 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,679 Speaker 1: the past, for the last I think thirty years, inverted 381 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: inversion means recession. If this time it's different, then you 382 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 1: it means that actually we don't have any models left. Well, 383 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: actually the model, we have to remember how to use 384 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: the model appropriately. It inverted because the FED was aggressively 385 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: tightening to get rid of inflation running away. Right now, 386 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: the FED is not trying to get rid of inflation, 387 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: is running away because it hardly has any inflation Okay, 388 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,680 Speaker 1: that's the chart. We will push it on social media. 389 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: What if the markets don't know how to live without 390 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,880 Speaker 1: that life support and and so the markets are now 391 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 1: betting I think the wrong way. Which is the question 392 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 1: asked me before about the recession. Everyone is concerned about 393 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 1: the possibility of recession because we're only forty three basis 394 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: points away from an inversion, right, but that inversion does 395 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: not signal the fit aggressively tightening. You talk to anybody 396 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 1: in the FO see right now, they're saying, we're taking 397 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: it easy because we don't see what is the discourse 398 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: Francis story, which is time shut up? I want to 399 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: ask a further question. What is aggressive tightening? If you 400 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: have seven interest rate hikes the next eighteen months? Is 401 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 1: that aggressive? Aggressive means you get above neutral, you get tightening, 402 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: and so far that we are still accommodative and we're 403 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,919 Speaker 1: trying to get to neutral. So aggressive tightening is passing 404 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,239 Speaker 1: neutral and getting How does the FED get out of 405 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: this box? They're saying three or four rate increases. Everybody 406 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: agrees they're talking too much. Is it like a FED 407 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: speech where Chairman Powell drops Obama mean Bullard's comments on 408 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: Kurve flattening alone, we're interesting, but do we look listen 409 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 1: for Powell to speech, to to say something begins this dialogue. 410 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: Remember what he's what Sherman Hall said at the first 411 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,880 Speaker 1: press conference, I'm worried about this rate increase. Everything else 412 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: in the future I don't I don't know anything about. 413 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: So essentially he's denying forward guidance, right, he has shut 414 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: it down forward guidance because it's not credible. Well said. 415 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 1: But the critical point, your doctor Lee, is if I 416 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: am data dependent, part of that data is the litmus 417 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,679 Speaker 1: paper of the dollar system. Absolutely, and that the dollar 418 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: means that when you look at montre conditions, you have 419 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: to coordinate both the financial markets, the exchange rate and 420 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 1: interest rates. But is there a system that you could 421 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: do a bit of both. So forward guidance with data dependency, 422 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: because if you only do data dependency, you're chasing the 423 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 1: economy instead of guiding it. It's called Arthur Bird's Ideally 424 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: they wouldn't have done that, but they blew it, and 425 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 1: they blew it because the fit is no longer credible. 426 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,439 Speaker 1: When they said we're going to increase by x amount, 427 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 1: they never did. This is quickly here, this is important. 428 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: You're saying Cheer yelling blew it Cher, yelling at BERNACKI 429 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:00,959 Speaker 1: both blew it because they work. They got ahead of themselves. 430 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: They were too confident their forecasts. Powell is the guy 431 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: who says, I'm not an economist. All I know is 432 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: I'm only concerned about this increase, and all future ones 433 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 1: are going to be depending upon where the data and 434 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 1: the forecasts are going. All right, well, thank you so much, 435 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 1: Belie there at the Milk And Institute. Thanks for listening 436 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: to the Bloomberg Surveillance podcast. Subscribe and listen to interviews 437 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, or whichever podcast platform you prefer. 438 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:36,919 Speaker 1: I'm on Twitter at Tom Keane before the podcast. You 439 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: can always catch us worldwide. I'm Bloomberg Radio