1 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg PENL podcast. I'm Paul swing you, 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: along with my co host Lisa Brahma wits. Each day 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: we bring you the most noteworthy and useful interviews for 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: you and your money. Whether at the grocery store or 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: the trading floor. Find a Bloomberg Penl podcast on Apple 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 1: podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg dot com. We are so lucky to have 8 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: Mike Bayo with us. Uh. You probably have heard of him, 9 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: You've read his notes. Uh thirty years in the banking 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: analyzing business places Totsche Bank, Prudential, csfb CLS, c l 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: s A. Currently he is at Wells Fargo as a 12 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: senior analyst, joining us here in our Bloomberg attor Active 13 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: Brokers studios. Mike, you move markets yesterday single handedly. You 14 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: made bank stocks go up because you said, perhaps you're 15 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: ready to party like. Why, well, we think bank stocks 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: could be ready to party like. Was the start of 17 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: the best performance of bank stocks in modern history. And 18 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: let's take us back to that's when you had Paisley 19 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: ties Forrest Gump, when the movie Academy Award Best Picture, 20 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: we had Bill Clinton Boris Yeltson always the Springsteen reference. Alright, 21 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: don't forget about the bank stocks then, really well, and 22 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: look back then, like today, you had efficiency improving to 23 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,960 Speaker 1: new levels. Then it was from the federal threat of 24 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: take over. Today it's technology of digital banking and AI 25 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 1: and cloud and blockchain and all that it's really paying off. 26 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: The other parallel would be deregulation. Actually, Bill Clinton led 27 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: some de regulation for the banks. Don't forget that. Today 28 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: it's streamlining from the regulation that's already in place. Oh 29 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: and also, it was the end of a FED tightening cycle, 30 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: just like today. Regardless of whether the FED cuts rates 31 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: or not, it's the end of the FED tightening. I 32 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: think we can all agree on that. So you have 33 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: some parallels there. In addition, the bank stock valuations are 34 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: cheaper today. And in addition, as opposed to the nine 35 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: nineties when you had to worry about what bank was 36 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: going to pay what price for what target, today banks 37 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: are returning record amounts of capital. And you have a 38 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: major industry event this month that is the FED stress 39 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: test and approvals for banks return capital. So there's a 40 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: lot going on in the bank space, and there's still 41 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: a lot of recency bias. I say recency bias from 42 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: the financial crisis. Everyone's like, oh, banks are gonna blow up. 43 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: I'd call that healthy paranoia. The more everybody is concerned 44 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: about banks blowing up, the less likely it is to occur. 45 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,119 Speaker 1: So this is a very good time for the bank stocks. So, Mike, 46 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: how about just in terms of the returns that the 47 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: big banks can generate today? I have investors really ratcheted 48 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: down their expectations given the regulatory overhang that's been put 49 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: on upon the banks after the financial crisis, the days 50 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: of fifteen or as investors say, Okay, I know I'm 51 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 1: not gonna get that, but let's reset from here. Well, 52 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: what we did in our report, we said, what would 53 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: the bank returns big if banks, you know, had the 54 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: same leveraged as they had before the financial crisis, And 55 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: in a couple of years, we think on an apple 56 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: to apples basis, banks will have the best returns in history, 57 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: again after adjusting for leverage. But absolutely, investors and the 58 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: stock market in the public has reduced their expectations for banks. 59 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: That's why they're so inexpensive. City groups trading at tangible 60 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: book value that historically other than the financial crisis that 61 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: was a recession price. So you have a recession price 62 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,799 Speaker 1: with that a recession, so you're pricing in a lot 63 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: of pessimism. Okay, so let's talk about some of the pessimism. 64 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,119 Speaker 1: Yield curve flattening depending on what you look at inverted 65 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: inverted for day ten, which is ringing alarm bells in 66 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: some places. If you look at three month tenure gap, 67 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: why is this not a problem. Well, that's not ideals equal. 68 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: You have a rate headwind to the banks, but it's 69 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: a matter of degree. So if the Fed were to 70 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: cut twenty five or fifty basis points, some banks earnings 71 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: could be hurt by one percent. On the other hand, 72 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: a reduction and interest rates is really good for credit quality. 73 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: It could help a more risk going attitude, It could 74 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: help fixed income activities, and you have to look at 75 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: the offsets and steeper yolker would also be pretty good 76 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: for the bank. So we feel pretty good with where 77 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: we are. Second pessimistic thought, we are getting to the 78 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: end of this credit cycle, which would be basically an 79 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,559 Speaker 1: idea that would be legitimized by the FED cutting rates. 80 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: We're seeing low losses pick up consumers and corporate Why 81 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 1: is that not going to be a problem for the banks. 82 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 1: So you're contributing to that healthy pessimism. Absolutely well, come on, 83 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: I a lot to hear what the responses are, because 84 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: this is these are the arguments that people are putting 85 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 1: out there. No, I think it's fair. Look, credit losses 86 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: are going higher for the largest banks. We have credit 87 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: losses almost doubling over the next four years. That's not 88 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: new news. In fact, if we're wrong, it might be 89 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,799 Speaker 1: because credit losses don't go up as much as we expect. 90 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 1: Oh and by the way, news flash, in a low 91 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: rate environment, it's easier for people to pay their bills. 92 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: Another very important point. There are issues out there. Certainly 93 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: a lot of people are talking about leverage, lending and 94 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: activities by I have it, equity firms, b dcs, reads, 95 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 1: the non bank financial players. That's the talk of the town. 96 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: That's the chatter. But when it comes to the banks themselves, 97 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: they've gotten a lot more religion. The boards are asking questions. 98 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: Every time somebody hiccups, everybody says are you okay? It's 99 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: like a regulatory swat team swoops in. So I say 100 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: thank you regulators, because regulators, as opposed to before the 101 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,239 Speaker 1: financial crisis. Now they give you a little bit extra 102 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: confidence that banks are not going to blow up. They'll 103 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: be blow ups, but it's less likely that it will 104 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: be the banks, even though low losses are going higher. 105 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: How about the capital markets business. We've seen you know, 106 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: really rocky fourth quarter for the big banks in terms 107 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: of their capital markets desks. Uh, not that much better 108 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: in the first quarter. What's going on there? They lost 109 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: their touch shorts. It's just the lack of volatility. Sometimes 110 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: when you got volatility, they say it's the wrong kind 111 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: of volatility. Can that be a driver of earnings for 112 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: the banks? I always love that one. Like when things 113 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: aren't going well, that's bad volatility. When things are going well, 114 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: it's good volatility. So, um, Look, you've not recovered in 115 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: the trading business is the last few years like you 116 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: might have had expected. Um. Look, Uh, some banks recently 117 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 1: have guided that you know, their capital marks activities won't 118 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: be that strong in the second quarter. Um. So to 119 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: the extent that, um, you get kind of good volatility 120 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: back or you have a lot of you know, chatter 121 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: and the markets generally, whether it's you know, trade with 122 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: Mexico or China or Brexit and a lot of activities, 123 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: so we yet to break up. But I would say 124 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: in our earnings models were not expecting much growth, so 125 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: I think the markets kind of priced that out. If 126 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 1: they were to happen, it would be a kind of 127 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: a call option on the upside. All right, So Mike, 128 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: you highlighted City Group, followed by Bank of America and 129 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: then JP Morgan Chase as your top trades within this 130 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: bullish bank stock call. Are there any banks left out? 131 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: You know? I this is a twenty five year structural 132 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: breakout for the benefits of scale in um national banking 133 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,359 Speaker 1: in the US was permitted for the first time. It 134 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: didn't work out so well. For twenty five years you 135 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: had a financial crisis, regulatory change systems issues. But now 136 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: the largest banks are capitalizing on being national banks. I mean, 137 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: going back then, I used to have to get travelers 138 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: checks if I was going to California right like it's 139 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: and you'd have to switch banks. You're going to college, 140 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: you're moving home, you have to. Now you can have 141 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: a bank for life. The concern though, who could be 142 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: left out? As scales making more of a difference than 143 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: ever before, especially with technology and marketing. Who's left out 144 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: it would be the smaller banks. So the biggest question 145 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: that comes up, um more than ever before is the 146 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: smaller banks. At what point could they have franchise erosion? Now, look, 147 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: a lot of small banks have very good service, They 148 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: have a certain select businesses they can perform well. So 149 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: as an individual basis, you can find some good ones. 150 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: But as a group you start to wonder, like the 151 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: corner Deli when uh, you know one of the uh 152 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: the big help me out here in New York or 153 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: or or even Fairway. You could you you could tell 154 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: I don't do the shopping in my family. So well 155 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: I'll tell, I'll tell'll teach you a m really interesting. 156 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: I mean one one question that I have just going 157 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: forward is you know, are we then going to see 158 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: consolidation and how long is this sort of secular bullmarket 159 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: gonna last? Well, we thought you'd see more consolidation already, 160 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: I mean, b Bing sun Trust. We we like that merger. 161 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: It's big overlap two banks in the southeast, really getting 162 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: a lot of synergies. So that was good. And uh, 163 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: once we saw that, I mean, what does that say 164 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: about banks you know, number ten through five thousand, if 165 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: they have enough scale, if these two banks, you know, 166 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: had to merge, so there's a big question. We haven't 167 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: seen it, and I think the problem is there's more, 168 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: you know, buyers and sellers, everybody, every bank wants to 169 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: go ahead and buy. So the other issue is with 170 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: a change in political administration, it might not be as 171 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,079 Speaker 1: easy to merge, depending on what plays out in the 172 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: presidential elections. So if you're a bank management and you 173 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: want to for to a bank merger, merge now. Otherwise 174 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: it might not be so easy. Later on, Mike Mayo, 175 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining us. Mike Mayo, Wells 176 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: Fargo Securities senior Annals covering the banks with his note 177 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: about how it might be the time to buy banks 178 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: right here well amid rising trade tensions, the SNPI down 179 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: about four from its recent high, but it's still up 180 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: about twelve for the year. To get a sense of 181 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: where we go from here, we welcome our next guest, 182 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: Ken Fisher. Ken as founder, executive chairman and co c 183 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,959 Speaker 1: IO of Fisher Investments about a hundred seven billion under management, 184 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: joining us here in our Bloomberg Interactive Broker studio. Ken, 185 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: thanks so much for joining us. Um talking just a 186 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: little bit about that volatility we've seen recently, How how 187 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: do you factor into your outlook what appeared to be 188 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: rising trade tensions with some of our biggest partners China, Mexico, 189 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: maybe India. How does that factor into your outlook? So 190 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: what I tend to always want to think about is 191 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: current perceptions versus future realities. And I'm always trying to 192 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: measure sentiment versus what I think is the scale or 193 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: measurable size of a good or a bad ahead. And 194 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: so when I think about all this, I just, for example, 195 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: in the trade war issue, which is really teriffs in 196 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 1: a different way, you just total up all the tariffs 197 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: that might be applied. You remember that they're not all 198 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: going to get applied. Then you actually remember that there's 199 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: going to be some substitution that I buy this instead 200 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: of that so I don't get that higher price. And 201 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: then when you think about that, you say, how big 202 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: is that compared to GDP? And you can actually total 203 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: them all up. Nobody ever does that. But the scale is, 204 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: you know about if they were all applied and there 205 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: was no substitution effect at all, still about one percent 206 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 1: of global GDP growth. So I'm one present of global GDP. 207 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: Excuse me by a third of a normal year's GDP 208 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: growth with no inflation. If there's some inflation even less. 209 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: So the impact of that is smaller than people think 210 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: it is. It's big fear over a relatively small negative, 211 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 1: and big fear over a relatively small negative still fits 212 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: within the framework of a positive. It's easier to see 213 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 1: that big fear of a false factor is bullish, but 214 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,439 Speaker 1: big fear of a little negative is also bullish. Here, 215 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: so there's a big feature going on that nobody notices 216 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: that helps us stock. Which is it? Right now? I 217 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: can borrow money in Europe short term at basically zero, 218 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: and I can lend it to my own firm in 219 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: America and then turn around and lend it back out 220 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: short term with the currency hedge, and I got a 221 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: two and a half percent hole. I can drive a 222 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: truck through. And if I can do that, so can 223 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: every major bank and every major global corporation in the world. 224 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: And they are and people don't seem to notice that 225 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: we're getting funded by Europe and Japan right now at 226 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: a huge rate, and nobody talks about that. It's the 227 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: reason why in a world war are relatively flat yield 228 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: curve America's relatively flat yield curve that everybody squawks about 229 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: is in fact in parallel with a perfectly reasonable growth 230 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: in the quantity of money because the banks are still 231 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: lending because they're able to get funded out of Europe 232 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: and Japan, and nobody really thinks about that. You don't 233 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: think that city or JP Morgan or or or knows 234 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: how to borrow in their European operations and lend out 235 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: in America. So are we long buying banks? Uh I 236 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: wouldn't focus too much singularly on banks because banks typically 237 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: are late cycle laggards. They're really not growth companies. But 238 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 1: the reality is this is is an argument for America. 239 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: It's America is getting funded and people don't even notice 240 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 1: it's getting funded. Nobody talks about that. Anything that's big 241 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: that people don't talk about. To me, that's important. The 242 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: fundamental I got reasons to be optimistic about Europe in 243 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: a different way that nobody talks about. But the reality 244 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: of what's going on is that people are afraid of 245 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: that yield curve. And yet it's really the global yield 246 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: curve that matters today, not the U S yield curve 247 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 1: or any other single countries yield curve because the ability 248 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: to borrow in one place in London another. I think 249 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: that one reason why people don't talk about that is 250 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: because it sounds relatively simple to you. But it's There 251 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: is another way of saying that, which is, this is 252 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: the reason why yields have stayed so low in the 253 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: United States, because there is a sort of divergence in 254 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 1: this sort of relative relative game that's being played with 255 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 1: Europe and always right, always, but but but then, but 256 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 1: then let's play that a different way, because I can 257 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: hear nearly endless chatter about what should the FED do? 258 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: What will the FED do? What's going on with the Fed? 259 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,319 Speaker 1: That that that that that of which I'm largely fed up. 260 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: And the fact of the matter is, the fact of 261 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: the matter is that let's say that country, to everyone's expectations, 262 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: which I don't expect, the FED raised rates right now. 263 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: What would that do? That would accelerate borrowing from overseason 264 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: to America. But if you think about them reducing rates 265 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: right now, if they were to do that, which I 266 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: also don't expect them to do, but if they did, 267 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: that would reduce the spread. That would motivate folks to 268 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: be barring overseas and lending into America. So in that regard, 269 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: you could say, simply, which I've always believed, that the 270 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: fit is less important than people think it is. That's 271 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: not to say it's not important, but it's less important 272 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: than people think it is. But what happens if there's 273 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: a major move in the dollar? I mean, does that 274 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: disrupt some of these changes? If there's a I agree 275 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: with that, But let's just go back to a crisis, 276 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: Every darn crisis you've ever seen in history, no real exceptions, 277 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: the dollar goes up, not down. And the fact is 278 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: what has been happening as we've gone through this year. 279 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: The dollar has been strong. Why has the dollar been 280 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: strong because money has been flowing from those other places 281 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: into here. You mentioned Europe as someplace you might have 282 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: an interest. Why would that be. It seems like there's 283 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: generally weakening economies there, uncertainty of Brexit. What draws your 284 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: attention to Europe? About seventeen things from Sunday, But let 285 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: me start off with just a couple of more important 286 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: ones since we don't have because we don't have between 287 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: now and Sunday, the fact is a let me go 288 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: back to America for a second third years of president's 289 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: terms have been positive of history since the nineteen twenties. 290 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: Because the midterm elections give us gridlock, governments will become 291 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: inactive and what's otherwise, the moving obstacle course of regulatory 292 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: and legislative change turns into a stationary obstacle course, and 293 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: business will become more willing to take risks as they 294 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: can maneuver around the stationary obstacles or the more stationary 295 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: obstacles relative prior moving ones. We have a similar thing 296 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: going on in Europe that people don't get in two ways. 297 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: One is that parliaments across Europe have had their ideological 298 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: spectrums completely hand kacked out like a bell curve pushed 299 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: down in the middle out on the edges, and coalitions 300 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: agree on almost nothing. There's almost complete gridlock politically across 301 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: all of Western Europe. Secondarily, just like American elections, their 302 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: elections they just had a few weeks ago, actually not 303 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: even a few we've had eight of before. The history 304 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: of the aftermath of those elections in the next twelve 305 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: months is overwhelmingly possible. Only once it was negative, the 306 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: very first one, and it was only negative two point 307 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: six percent on average, they're positive eleven of the next 308 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: twelve months because you get that same feature, which is 309 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: that people fear just like they feared what if those 310 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: crazy populus take everything over? And then in fact the 311 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: fears of the election end up being less bad than 312 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: people feared, and you get a more stable world, and 313 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: the more stable world markets like that better than they expected. 314 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: Expectations versus reality is always the game, and I expect 315 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: both of those two political features to play in Europe 316 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: than the final point. Just look last night, p m 317 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: I S across Europe came up better than expected in 318 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: almost every single country, almost every single one, and particularly 319 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: people focus on negatives and manufacturing p m S when 320 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 1: they don't focus on positives and services p m I S, 321 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: and yet services three times a size of manufacturing across Europe. 322 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: Ken Fisher, Unfortunately, we're gonna have to leave it there, 323 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: although I'm gonna have to lobby from here till Sunday 324 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 1: for the next time, because it's fabulous having you on. 325 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: Ken Fisher, Founder, executive chairman and co chief investment Officer 326 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: of Fisher Investments, with a hundred and seven billion dollars 327 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: of assets under management M and a deal volume is 328 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: down in versus last year. Trade tensions certainly cannot be 329 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: helping to get a sense of what's going on in 330 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: the global M and A space. We're very fortunate to 331 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: have Mark Schaeffer here, Marcus co, head of global Mergers 332 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,360 Speaker 1: and Acquisitions at City. He joined us in our Bloomberg 333 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: and after Broker studio, and he's I think he's speaking 334 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: in at the Bloomberg invest conferences. We just we just 335 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: did a panel. Yes, okay, so what was your panel? 336 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: It was on it was an okay, it wasn't on 337 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 1: you know, politics. Sorry, I mean, what's so? I guess 338 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:24,640 Speaker 1: trade volumes MNY volumes are down this year. What's kind 339 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: of the tone of the market. What are you seeing 340 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: the drivers here? So it's it's interesting because it's sort 341 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: of a thin market. Right, I'm gonna give you the good, 342 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: the bad, and the ugly. Right. The good is on 343 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,159 Speaker 1: the positive side, it's the fourth fastest start in history, 344 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: second fastest start since the financial crisis. But that's sort 345 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: of when you get to the bad. It's a it's 346 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: a thin or a narrow market in the sense of 347 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: a couple of He's one is it's regionally very skewed 348 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: to the US, and volumes in Asia and Europe are 349 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: way down, you know, thirty ish. The US is down 350 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: about eleven. It's also narrow from an industry perspective. The 351 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:00,719 Speaker 1: only industries that are up this year are tech, industrial 352 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: and energy, and the other piece of it it's a 353 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,679 Speaker 1: little bit daunting is that it's very skewed to The 354 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,640 Speaker 1: mega deals twenty billion and up are sort of at 355 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: record levels. The one to five billion, which we call 356 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 1: a sweet spot or wave down about in the number 357 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: of deals. The ugly is the macro environment to a 358 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: political environment appears to be worsening. So from a second 359 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: half perspective, that does give us some pause for concern. 360 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: So what about what happened to healthcare? Are we going 361 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 1: to see this wave of consolidation that was gonna create 362 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: these uh incredible get your pharmacy supplies, get your beauty, 363 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,920 Speaker 1: get your doctor, and get a cat scan kind of places. Look, 364 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: we know it started that way. I mean it's uh 365 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 1: and if you look at actually the US, it's techn 366 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: healthcare of driven the volumes. But you know, cel Gene 367 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: was obviously being part of that. We were fortunate enough 368 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: to be in that um I I agree with you. 369 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: It's sort of it. We were expecting more, we haven't 370 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: quite seen as much. Be interesting to see how it 371 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: how it plays out the rest of the year and 372 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: into next year. How about I mean, when you look 373 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: at the pipeline or the deals to date, gives a 374 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,120 Speaker 1: sense of kind of how much of our strategic buyers 375 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,159 Speaker 1: coming in making strategic acquisitions as opposed to some of 376 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: the financial deals driven by the you know, LBO shops 377 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: are private acquasure Look. I mean, it's it's still largely 378 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: been a strategic market, UM. And that's that's obviously been 379 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: He's been driven this market over the last several years. 380 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: But what is interesting, UM, in the in the last 381 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: three months, we've seen in each month twenty billion dollar 382 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 1: plus financial sponsored transactions, which is up, so more of 383 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: a shift to the by side for quite a couple 384 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: of years. For number of years, there was a lot 385 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: of monetizations going on, and now we're seeing more of 386 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: a shift to the buy side as valuations come down. 387 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: You would expect that, and particularly if it's a secular 388 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: shift where people believe it's a reset, that'll make it 389 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: um you know that that that will make leverage transactions 390 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: more affordable. So I'm interested in sort of what is 391 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: causing the slowdown, especially because financing is still cheap, depending 392 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,159 Speaker 1: on whether you go to the loan side of the 393 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: hyo band side, it's pretty cheap. And then of course 394 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: in the corporate credit I have to think about regulators, 395 00:20:57,760 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: and we just had this story this week about any 396 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:04,160 Speaker 1: truck regulators looking into big tech. How much is that 397 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: huge dampening factor on EM and A right now? You 398 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: know unequivocally it it's had an impact. I mean that 399 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: that you know the the the issues are. It's it's 400 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: much now it's much harder. I would say under the 401 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: previous administration from an anitrust perspective, if you were in 402 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: a certain set of parameters, you you've got pretty good advice. 403 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: You could probably get it done. It's much harder in 404 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: this administration, particularly with the emphasis and I trust on 405 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: structural remedies. Um, but I do think it's had a 406 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: and and the other piece of it. It's really mad 407 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 1: matters is it's just length. Anything that's close to the line. 408 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: The deal duration as it were, as lengthened to as 409 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: much as two years, very very difficult to be in 410 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: basically on an agreed deal basis have to wait two 411 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 1: years to close it. It changes your forecasts, It impacts, 412 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: you know, the ability to retain employees. So yes, it's 413 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: it's clearly had an impact, but I don't think that's 414 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: the soul, you know, sort of sort of rationale here. 415 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: Part of it is, listen, we've got a more challenging environment. 416 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: Arguably there's talk about is at the end of the cycle. 417 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: Is the end of the equity cycle? Um? With the 418 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: China trade situation looking like it's worsening, it could very 419 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 1: well be, you know, and you've got fragmented politics in Europe, 420 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,000 Speaker 1: so it's a you know, it's it's a more daunting environment. 421 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: I think of a number of these factors have gotten 422 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: into it. But the fact of the matter is we're 423 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: still seeing very big deals get done. So you can 424 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: argue it's still a risk on market. Well, the good news, 425 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: I guess for a city, I'm looking at the m 426 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: A GO function on the Bloomberg Terminal Cities. Uh, we 427 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: have a year to date ranked third behind JP Morgan 428 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: and Goleman Sack. So you guys are performing well relative 429 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 1: to your peers, but beneath when you sit down with 430 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: CEOs and boards. I would guess just in the last 431 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 1: couple of months, how much of the trade tensions, the rhetoric, 432 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 1: the uncertainty of global trade, is that factoring into their 433 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: appetite to think maybe strategic Look, I think it's an 434 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: increasing function. I mean to to be candid. I think 435 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: that um, as I said, it's still a bit of 436 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,679 Speaker 1: a risk on market something that is becomes actionable. It's 437 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: been very high on the priority list for a number 438 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: of years. That is going to be taken off the table. 439 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: The scarce real estate argument. Um, I think they're still 440 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 1: getting done. But I do think that as the perception 441 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: is now that this the you know, the trade dispute 442 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: with trying to could lengthen that could have impact on growth, 443 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 1: and growth is a big driver, you know GDP growth 444 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: is a big driver. And as solid economy, M and 445 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: A does well in a in a in a tougher economy, 446 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: M and A doesn't do as well. So I am 447 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: seeing increasingly creep into the discussion about it is should 448 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: we do something material now talking about sort of some 449 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:31,199 Speaker 1: of these trade tensions. What about cross border deals? You 450 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 1: know there by our data there at the lowest the 451 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: first five months of the year on a year to 452 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 1: day basis the lowest we have in our database. It's 453 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: only about of the volumes. It's typically thirty or or higher. 454 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: How far back does your database and this goes back 455 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 1: to two thousand at least. I don't know if we 456 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: go back into the nineties or even further, but it's 457 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: it's it's it's really really underscores that it's become a 458 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 1: sort of a regional market, as it were, and that 459 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 1: you know, a more mercantile world that we live in 460 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 1: is having an impact. There are still some places where 461 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: it's getting done. I mean the market is still it's 462 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: not insignificant, but it's way down relative to what it's been. 463 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: So Mark, managing your business, it all comes down to talent. 464 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: Tell us about you know the marketplace today the former talent. 465 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:18,920 Speaker 1: It's not the seat, it's the person. I guess we're 466 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 1: not at that time. I want to become a radio 467 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: exactly exactly. So I mean, how is it retaining or 468 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: attracting and retaining talent. I know a lot of the 469 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: kids are all going out the Silicon Valley to tech 470 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,400 Speaker 1: technology companies and then private equity and venture capitals out there. 471 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: How about for the traditional investment banking track M and 472 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: A track. What's the market like? Look, it's I mean, 473 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: it's a very competitive world. I mean unequivocally and um. 474 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: But you know, i'd say we're we see great talent. 475 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 1: We see it, you know, at the coming out of 476 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: the universities, we see it coming out of the business schools. 477 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: We get you know, laterals. But you know, make no 478 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 1: mistake about it. I mean, there are a lot of 479 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: options for you know, for very talented individuals, whether it 480 00:24:57,920 --> 00:24:59,919 Speaker 1: be you know, so the hedge fund world, private equity, 481 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: Silicon valley entrepreneurship. But we think we do pretty well. Um, 482 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: We're very happy with what we have. And you know, 483 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,879 Speaker 1: I think that you know, I would argue that there 484 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 1: was a period a few years ago, post a crisis, 485 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: that banking might have been a little out of favor. 486 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,679 Speaker 1: I think that's shifting, particularly the US banks, you know, 487 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: just given the fact that we you know, are now 488 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: in a you know, in a very strong position from 489 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: a capital perspective and otherwise. So right now, it just 490 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,399 Speaker 1: sort of talking about where we expect deal volume to 491 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 1: actually be should it pick up in the second half. 492 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: And I'm wondering. Oil prices now at the lowest since 493 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: the end of January, and we did see actually, you know, 494 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: we didn't see as much consolidation as people had expected 495 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,119 Speaker 1: after the big debaccle with the oil prices plunging, uh 496 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:42,879 Speaker 1: and and a lot of companies went bankrupt. Are you 497 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: expecting a new wave of consolidation in the oil and 498 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: gas sector? You know, but post oxy which we were 499 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 1: involved in, UM, you would think that there would be 500 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: you know, an impetus to to some more consolidation. The 501 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: question is, you know, will it will it play? Because 502 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: the competing factor is you've got a arguably, you know, 503 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: sort of an economic environment that that is worsening, and 504 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: the extent that happens, you know that people go to 505 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: a risk off sort of mentality. But you would think 506 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: that an energy particularly the upstream, you know, there are 507 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: a lot of logical potential combinations. Uh. You know, but 508 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: like anything else, you have to it takes both buyer 509 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: and seller to get together on these things, which is 510 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: probably the reason why we didn't see more deals getting 511 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:26,199 Speaker 1: done back in two thousand and fifteen two sixteen, I 512 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 1: remember everyone was expecting that. Instead we just saw bankruptcies 513 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,480 Speaker 1: and restructurings. Mark Schaffer, thank you so much for joining 514 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: us at having you here. Mark Schaefer is a co 515 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: head of global mergers and Acquisitions at City Group. Well, 516 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: first it was China, then Mexico, perhaps now India and 517 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: maybe even Cuba. Trade tensions between the US and some 518 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: of its biggest partners are escalating. To get a sense 519 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: of what this means for the global economy, we welcome 520 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 1: Brad Setzer. Brad is stephen A Tannebaum Senior Fellow for 521 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: International Economics at the Council of Foreign Relations. He joins 522 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: us here in a Bloomberg Interactive Broker studio. Brad, thanks 523 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 1: so much for being with us. Let's start with China. 524 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: Just I mean, that's probably just the most developed story, 525 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 1: I guess if you will. And we've had, you know, 526 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: negotiators going back and forth, but tariffs are going back 527 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,439 Speaker 1: and forth. Where do we stand now? How do you 528 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: think this might play out? So I guess at this 529 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: stage my baseline is that Trump will carry out his 530 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: threat to put tariffs on all trade, all imports UH 531 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: from China. Right now, we've raised tariffs on two d 532 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: and fifty billion to and there's about three hundred billion 533 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: of trade left to tariff, mostly electronics, mostly close. Most 534 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 1: of the industrial impact it's have already been tariffed. So 535 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: given your experience, and you have extensive experience with even 536 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: the Treasury Department analyzing the economic impact of things like tariffs, 537 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 1: what will the fallout be from that base case in 538 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 1: terms of economic uh slowdown or points off the GDP 539 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 1: for both the US and China. Well, the impact is 540 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: somewhat larger on China. I would put the base estimate 541 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: for the overall impact of the full ensemble of tariffs 542 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 1: and not the incremental effect on the US at about 543 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: a half point of GDP, just you know, you're more 544 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: paying more for imports, there's less money in the economy 545 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: to buy other things. Uh. And then the impact on China, 546 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 1: because trade is more important to the Chinese economy, is 547 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: probably twice that. So about a point that assumes no 548 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: policy response. And I think you know the market, certainly 549 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: the bond market is increasingly anticipating that the FED will 550 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: try to off set some of the impact. Chinese policymakers 551 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: will certainly try to offset some of the impact. What 552 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: is your sense of you know, you have a baseline 553 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 1: case on kind of how you think this might play out. 554 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: Do we get an agreement? When do we get an agreement? 555 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: What is your thoughts? What are your thoughts there? Well, 556 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: right now, there isn't an active negotiation between the US 557 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: and China. That negotiation broke down about a month ago 558 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: when the President tweeted that China was walking back their 559 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 1: offer and threatened and then carried out the threat to 560 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: raise tariffs from ten to twenty five on two billion. 561 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: The President and President She will have a chance to 562 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: meet in Japan at the end of June at the 563 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:45,480 Speaker 1: G twenty UH. They could agree on a new negotiating process, 564 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: and likely in that case they would agree. The President 565 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: would agree to defer the tariffs on the further three billion. 566 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: Maybe China would agree to some goodwill gestures and they 567 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: would go back to the negotiating table. But don't at 568 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 1: this stage see a scenario where they would reach agreement 569 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 1: in June to walk back the existing tariffs before we 570 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: shift to North America. Because the trade tariff tension is 571 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: picking up here, I'm wondering who is the beneficiary, if 572 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 1: there are any beneficiaries of the trades between the US 573 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: and China. Well, at the biggest beneficiaries to date have 574 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: been other Asian economies which can substitute for Chinese production. 575 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: So there's been a big pickup in imports from Vietnam, 576 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: for example. Over time, you would expect to see a 577 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: broader set of beneficiaries as supply chains, and just one 578 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 1: of the biggest potential beneficiaries, you know, to pivot to 579 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: North America is Mexico. But it's a little hard to 580 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 1: make a decision to orient your supply chain away from 581 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: China and towards Mexico if you're anticipating tariffs on Mexico too. 582 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 1: So it seems like initially it was just the U 583 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: S And China and you could see some longstanding issues here. 584 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: But the Trump administration seems to be expanding their tariffs, 585 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: expanding their um you know, their their commerce policy to 586 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: Mexico for other reasons, maybe for to India maybe too, 587 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: maybe the other parts of Europe. What do you think 588 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: the strategy is of this White House? You know, when 589 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: you said Trump administration, I immediately thought, well, we're really 590 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: just talking about President Trump. Uh. President Trump seems to 591 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 1: like tariffs, and I don't think it's more complicated than that. Uh, 592 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: there's been abundant reporting by every major news outlet that 593 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: the bulk of the administration and including the U S. 594 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: Trade Representative Bob Leightheiser, were opposed to the use of 595 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: the latest tariff threat against Mexico. This is the president, 596 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: and for now, the president likes tariffs. So one thing 597 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 1: that I find interesting is that China is the world's 598 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: second largest economy, and yet the way that markets seem 599 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: to be responding is much more severely to the threat 600 00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:00,080 Speaker 1: of Mexico tariffs on the US economy than tariff in 601 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: China and the effect on the US economy. So, given 602 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 1: your history and experience doing economic analyzes of tariffs and 603 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 1: trade issues, how much more of an impact would the 604 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: sort of threatened tariffs on Mexico have on the US economy. 605 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: I think there's probably three important points to make here. 606 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: The first is that if you sum up imports from 607 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 1: Mexico and auto imports which the President is is threatening 608 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 1: from Europe and Japan and Canada, you get a total 609 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: of about five billions, so it's roughly equal in size 610 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 1: two current imports from China. If you look at exports 611 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: UH the U S actually exports proportionately more to Mexico 612 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 1: and to Europe than it does to China, so the 613 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: opportunities on the other side for retaliation are stronger. But 614 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 1: I think the third and probably most important point is 615 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:55,959 Speaker 1: that the president has threats against China emerged out of 616 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: a a standard you might say, trade process at three 617 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: a one complaint UH that was derived from long standing 618 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 1: concerns about Chinese commercial practices. The threat against Mexico materialized 619 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: out of the blue. It exerts presidential authority foreign national 620 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: security emergencies and tries to use that authority to essentially 621 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: raise tariffs in a week at the whim of the 622 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: President UH in a way that hasn't been done before. 623 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: So when the market has to set a suddenly factor 624 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: in the increased uncertainty as well as the direct threat. 625 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:38,440 Speaker 1: So in other words, it was maybe perhaps not that 626 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:42,080 Speaker 1: the economic impact would be that much more on the 627 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 1: Mexico teiriffs, but that it had not been priced into 628 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: the market in any way. Is that accurate? I think 629 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 1: two weeks ago, the baseline assumption was that there was 630 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 1: going to be a fight about ratification of U S 631 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: m c A, but there weren't going to be tariffs 632 00:33:55,920 --> 00:34:05,000 Speaker 1: on Mexico obviously that baseline assumption has been overturned. Tequila Corona, 633 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:08,239 Speaker 1: I mean some big issues for the economy I thought, 634 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: I mean the really big one from you know set 635 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,839 Speaker 1: Aside the advocado issue and the Corona issue, the big 636 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: one is auto parts and the absolutely Brad s thank 637 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 1: you so much for being here. Always fantastic to have 638 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,800 Speaker 1: your perspective. Brad Setser is the Steven A. Tannenbaum Senior 639 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: Fellow for International Economics at the Council of Foreign Relations. 640 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:29,439 Speaker 1: He's also a senior advisor at Exante Data. He also, 641 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,320 Speaker 1: just to give you a sense, served as Deputy Assistant 642 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,720 Speaker 1: Secretary for International Economic Analysis in the US Treasure Department 643 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: from two thousand and eleven to two thousand and fifteen. 644 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Bloomberg P and L podcast. 645 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 1: You can subscribe and listen to interviews at Apple Podcasts 646 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 1: or whatever podcast platform you prefer. Paul Sweeney, I'm on 647 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 1: Twitter at pt Sweeney. I'm Lisa bram Woyds. I'm on 648 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: Twitter at Lisa A. Bram Woit's one before the podcast. 649 00:34:53,640 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 1: You can always catch us worldwide on Bloomberg Radio. It