1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio News. Welcome to the Bloomberg 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,159 Speaker 1: day Break Geisia podcast. I'm Doug Krisner. There are a 3 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: number of market holidays across the Asia Pacific today, but 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: certainly no shortage of headlines, and were days away from 5 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,159 Speaker 1: a national election in Australia. In a moment, I'll be 6 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: joined by Bloomberg's Paul Allen in Sydney for a preview. 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: Plus we'll look at the latest ECO data out of 8 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: the US that would include that first quarter GDP report. 9 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: I'll be speaking with George Sippoloni, portfolio manager at Pen 10 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: Mutual Asset Management. But we begin this morning with a 11 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: few of our top stories. In China, a post from 12 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: a CCTV affiliated webwa account says the US has reached 13 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: out to Beijing through various channels to initiate talks on 14 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: the massive tariffs imposed on China. It cited unidentified people 15 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: with knowledge of the matter, but it provided no further detail, 16 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: and it comes on the same day that Ukraine inked 17 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: a long away to deal with Washington for critical minerals. 18 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: The US will now be given privileged access to new 19 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: investment projects to develop things like aluminum, graphite, oil, and 20 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: natural gas. Now, this agreement is seen as critical in 21 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: nurturing President Trump's goodwill toward Kiev in ceasefire talks with Russia. 22 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 1: After the bell in the States, we got blowout results 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: from tech giants Microsoft and Meta, and we got reaction 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: from Dan Morgan at Sonova's Trust. 25 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 2: Madam Microsoft both beat on just about every matrix, and 26 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 2: I think this kind of sets the tone because we're 27 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: going to go in tomorrow, right, We're going to get 28 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: Apple and Amazon. If they also can have really big beats, 29 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: we can get some good momentum back into the tech 30 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: space and hopefully get the tech stocks to rebound off 31 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: of their lows. 32 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: That's Dan Morgan of Sonova's Trust. Let's take a look 33 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: now at what's going on in Australia with the national 34 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: election happening this weekend. Joining me now for a preview 35 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: is Bloomberg's Paul Allen. He is in Sydney. Paul, it's 36 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: always a pleasure. Thank you so much for joining me. 37 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,679 Speaker 1: If I can, I want to begin with the presence 38 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump, which may be looming over this election 39 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: in a way that it did during the recent election 40 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: in Canada. Is that a fair statement. 41 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's absolutely a possibility, and we have seen some 42 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 3: evidence of that happening as well. Doug the main opposition leader, 43 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 3: Peter Dutton, he's the leader of the Liberal Party, started 44 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 3: off this campaign with a suite of policies that appeared 45 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 3: to be borrowed from President Trump, and after what we've 46 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 3: seen happen in the United States over the first one 47 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 3: hundred days of Trump's presidency, those policies have been swiftly 48 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 3: kicked to the curb and that really sped up after 49 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 3: the US imposed at ten percent tariff on Australia all 50 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 3: imports from Australia, which nobody was expecting because of course 51 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 3: the US runs a very rare trade surplus with Australia. 52 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 3: So he Dutton initially had planned proposed Doge style cuts 53 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 3: for the civil service. He wanted to end work from 54 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 3: home for the civil service as well. Both those policies 55 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 3: got quickly axed and having early in the campaign said 56 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 3: he could get a good deal out of President Trump 57 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 3: on trade. There was one debate We've had four in 58 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 3: total here and in one of the debates he was 59 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 3: asked if he trusted Donald Trump, and Peter Dutton answered 60 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 3: I don't know Donald Trump, and he said that a 61 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 3: number of times before swiftly moving on, so it was 62 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 3: quite the reversal. So yes, President Trump has cast a 63 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 3: shadow on the Australian election, absolutely so. 64 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: On the subject of trade, I know that President Trump 65 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: recently flagged possible talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Do 66 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: we have any more details on. 67 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 3: That, We do not. We understand that Anthony Albanesi has 68 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 3: attempted to contact the President on a number of occasions. 69 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 3: Those calls have gone unanswered. The suspicion is Australia is 70 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 3: some way down the queue, behind the lacks of China, obviously, Japan, 71 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 3: South Korea, and the European Union. Of course, the ten 72 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 3: percent baseline tariff not particularly much. As I mentioned, the 73 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 3: US does run a trade surplus with Australia, one of 74 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 3: the few countries to do so. And also Australia's got 75 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 3: a very close defense relationship with the United States as well, 76 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,239 Speaker 3: and it's just made a half billion dollar down payment 77 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 3: on the Orchest program, which will see Australia receive US 78 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 3: made nuclear submarine, So there's a really close defense relationship 79 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 3: there as well. Obviously, an eagerness on the Australian side 80 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 3: to get something sorted out, but not the same sense 81 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 3: of urgency coming out of the US, it seems. 82 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: So let's put this election in the context of how 83 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: well the economy is performing. From what I understand, there 84 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: is a bit of a housing crisis, infrast rates do 85 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: remain a bit elevated, and we have seen some cost 86 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: of living pressures in Australia. Is do I have that right? 87 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, very much. So we'll start with the cost of 88 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 3: situation because that's a familiar one too many democracies around 89 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 3: the world. At the moment, inflation has really bitten hard. 90 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 3: The price of eggs, something that's familiar to US listeners, 91 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 3: also an issue here in Australia. That was something else 92 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 3: that came up in the debate, and Peter Dutton, the 93 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 3: Opposition leader, stumbled on that one, saying a dozen eggs 94 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 3: was four dollars twenty Australian. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanezi 95 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 3: got closer at seven dollars. The actual price is closer 96 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 3: to eight dollars, but that does underscore the cost of 97 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 3: living very much an issue, and both major parties are 98 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 3: going to this election with various flavors of tax relief. 99 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 3: So whatever happens, life is expected to get easier for consumers. 100 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 3: Well let's see how that actually eventuates. 101 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 4: Though. 102 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: Can you give me a sense of the various parties 103 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 1: in Australia and how they seem to be represented right now? 104 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 3: Well, there are two major parties, although within that there 105 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 3: is nuance. The Labor Party in power right now, led 106 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 3: obviously by Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi. They have a very 107 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 3: slim majority in the lower House. The House of Representatives 108 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 3: has one hundred and fifty seats. The Labor government has 109 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 3: a very narrow majority of just two or three seats, 110 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 3: and of course I won't get into the nuance of it, 111 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 3: but they also appoint the speakers, which reduces their count 112 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 3: by one vote. The opposition Liberal Party is in a 113 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 3: pretty much a perpetual lockstep coalition with another party called 114 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 3: the Nationals, which represents rural Australia, so you often hear 115 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 3: them referred to as the coalition. They are some distance 116 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 3: behind with just fifty three seats, so they need to 117 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 3: pick up more than twenty electorates to win powers. So 118 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 3: the road to government very very difficult for Peter Dutton 119 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 3: and the coalition and what has made it harder for 120 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 3: them is that the last election they lost a whole 121 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 3: series of very wealthy seats, and it's wealthy voters that 122 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 3: typically vote for Liberal Coalition to so a loose grouping 123 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 3: of independence that have come to be known as the Teals, 124 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 3: a teal being a mixture of blue and green, and 125 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 3: this is made up of wealthy voters who are very 126 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:14,239 Speaker 3: frustrated with the Coalition's policy on climate over the years. 127 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 3: The former Prime Minister Scott Morrisson, for example, once took 128 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 3: a lump of coal into Parliament House. Another former Prime Minister, 129 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 3: Tony Abbott once labeled climate change as and I quote crap. 130 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 3: And then we had the devastating bushfires of twenty nineteen 131 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 3: and that really started this Teal movement which is eaten 132 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 3: into the Coalition's base. So a big challenge for them 133 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 3: is to try and first win back all of those 134 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 3: seats and then try and make some inroads into Labour's majority. 135 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: I'm wondering about the younger voters in Australia and the 136 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: degree to which they may influence the outcome. Is that likely? 137 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, A tremendous level of frustration about the situation with 138 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 3: housing that you mentioned earlier, and that is a perpetual 139 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 3: feature of the Australian elector landscape. House prices in this 140 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 3: country are out of control. The median house price in 141 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 3: Sydney well over a million dollars, the other major cities 142 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 3: of Melbourne and Brisbane knocking on the door of that 143 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,679 Speaker 3: as well. The rental market is incredibly tight. Getting rental 144 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 3: accommodation is extremely expensive as well. So young voters are 145 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 3: really trying to flex their muscles on this issue. There 146 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 3: is something being offered by both parties for this group 147 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 3: of people. The Prime Minister Anthony Alberanezi has a pledge 148 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 3: to spend ten billion dollars to build one hundred thousand homes, 149 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 3: went to the twenty twenty two election with a similar 150 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 3: plan and not a great deal of progress there. The 151 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 3: opposition meanwhile is saying they'll make mortgages tax deductible for 152 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 3: five years, but that doesn't really address that affordability problem. 153 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 3: It doesn't make life any easier if you can't amass 154 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 3: a ten or a five percent deposit for a one 155 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 3: and a half million dollar house. So the housing issue 156 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 3: is a red hot potato here and the youth are 157 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 3: expected to vote along those lines, and this is why 158 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: you see a lot of the youth vote starting to 159 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 3: go to the Greens, which is starting to cut into 160 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 3: a labor support base as well. 161 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: So, Paul, we started the conversation talking about the impact 162 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: President Trump may have on the Australian election. One of 163 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: the things that we've been dealing with here recently in 164 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: the States has been Trump's criticism of the Federal Reserve 165 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: and subsequently the pushback that came from the market that 166 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: the FED needs to remain independent. What is the relationship 167 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: between the government and the Central Bank in Australia. Is 168 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: there the same aspiration of independence? 169 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 3: There is that same aspiration and there is a lot 170 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 3: more respect on the political side towards that independence. I 171 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 3: don't think you would find what you don't find either 172 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 3: major party are really waiting into FED policy at all. 173 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 3: And every year, at least once a year, I have 174 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 3: an opportunity to speak to the Finance Minister of the 175 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 3: Chef no treasurer as well. Whenever I utter the acronym 176 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 3: RBA Reserve Bank of Australia, they immediately default too. We 177 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 3: will not comment on monetary policy. The Reserve Bank is independent. 178 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 3: It is important that we protect that independence these sorts 179 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 3: of talking points, so no appetite at all from either 180 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 3: party to erode the independence of the Central Bank in Australia. 181 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: Paul will leave it there. Thank you so much. It's 182 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 1: always a pleasure. Bloomberg's Paul Allen joining us from Sydney 183 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: here on the Debreak Asia podcast. Welcome back to the 184 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: Debreak Asia Podcast. I'm Doug Chrisner. Stateside. We got key 185 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: earnings after the bell. We heard from Microsoft and the 186 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: company reported better than expected sales and profit for the 187 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: latest quarter. The bright spot was the Azure cloud computing unit. 188 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: It posted a thirty three percent jump in sales. Meta 189 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: Platforms posted first quarter sale above estimates. This could be 190 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: assigned the company's ad business is so far weathering the 191 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: ongoing trade war. For a closer look, now, I am 192 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: joined by George Sippoloni. He is portfolio manager at Penn 193 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: Mutual Asset Management. George, thank you so much. It's always 194 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: a pleasure. Let's talk about the mag seven results that 195 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 1: we had today. Are you optimistic now that maybe anything 196 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: that people were kind of wringing their hands over is 197 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: has subsided or is there still a bit of risk here. 198 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 4: Great to talk to you again. 199 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 5: First of all, Doug, and yeah, so coming into this 200 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 5: and you know it, I mean, the amount of volatility 201 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 5: and the historical president presidents is that have been broken 202 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 5: over the last few months have just been incredible. So 203 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 5: coming into this earning season, what did we see? 204 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 4: At first? We saw companies backing off guidance. 205 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 5: We saw a lot of companies miss or just talk 206 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 5: about the uncertain environment. 207 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 4: So we really needed a few good. 208 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 5: Earnings reports from some big companies and we got them 209 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 5: tonight through Microsoft and Meta, which was great. And to 210 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 5: you you mentioned the as you're business doing really really well. 211 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 5: The comments related to AI growth and cap X are 212 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 5: just eye popping and they're pretty stunning, and the market 213 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 5: really needed something like this. 214 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 1: We also had the GDP report today showing the economy 215 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: here in the US declined at an annual rate of 216 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: three tens to one percent. That sounds maybe troublesome, but 217 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: I think it's got to be placed into the proper 218 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: context here. Because we had a big jump in pre 219 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: tariff imports. Companies were really scrambling to secure a lot 220 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: of merchandise ahead of the expanded tariffs. So if you 221 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: look at that buying It essentially subtracted about five percentage 222 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: points from GDP. Where are you right now and understanding 223 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: the US economy and the potential risk that is still 224 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: out there visa these tariffs. 225 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 5: This is a great conversation to talk about right now, Doug, 226 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 5: because everybody wants to talk about the soft data and 227 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 5: how soft the soft data has been, and they're waiting 228 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 5: for more hard data and we. 229 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 4: Just don't have it yet, but it's going to come 230 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 4: soon enough. I do think. 231 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 5: Look, what the administration is trying to do is pretty historic. 232 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 5: Nobody's really tried to institute tariffs and tariff policy in 233 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 5: this fashion in a very very long time. And so 234 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 5: my biggest concern is that we end up in a 235 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 5: trade war because that will just shrink the entire global 236 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 5: pie and we don't want that. And then what are 237 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 5: the actual tariff tariffs that are implemented. What's that going 238 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 5: to mean for companies? What's that going to mean for earnings? 239 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 5: We just had a Jack specific, a company we don't own, 240 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 5: but you know, toy manufacturer, and they just said, hey, 241 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 5: look it's there's no magic wallet out there. These costs 242 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 5: are going to have to get absorbed. So that's what 243 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 5: we're looking at is bottom up stock and bomb pickers. 244 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 5: We're looking line by line, looking at companies with good 245 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 5: operating margins and companies that can defend their operating margins 246 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 5: against these costs. 247 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: So we had the monthly reading on the Fed's preferred 248 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,839 Speaker 1: measure of inflation today core PCE for the month of 249 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: March unchanged. That was shocking, right, the tamest I think 250 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 1: we've seen in nearly five years. How do you understand that? 251 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: And more importantly, is there a risk that inflation could 252 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: begin to re accelerate? 253 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 5: And I think that is ultimately the biggest risk because again, 254 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 5: one key piece of this soft data that I just 255 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 5: mentioned is the fact that if you look at the surveys, 256 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 5: inflation expectations of consumers is skyrocketing, and if you look 257 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 5: at consumer confidence, it's going in the opposite direction. It's 258 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 5: sinking like a rock. And that's a pretty bad combination. 259 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 5: So then you enter that world of potential for stagflation, 260 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 5: and that's not a really positive world from an economic standpoint. 261 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 4: So yes, we would. So we are starting to see it. 262 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 4: We'll pull back. 263 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 5: We are starting to see gas prices pull back, but 264 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 5: they're starting to pull back for the wrong reason. They're 265 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 5: starting to pull back because there's receession concerns. So hopefully, again, 266 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 5: hopefully we can kind of clear the decks here. Hopefully 267 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 5: the administration can help us with some trade deals with 268 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 5: some certainty, just so we can get on with this. 269 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 5: I think the longer this goes on, this period of uncertainty, 270 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 5: the worst the possible outcomes tend to be. So it's like, 271 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 5: let's just move on with it. Let's stop talking about talking, 272 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 5: and let's sign some deals, and let's just move on 273 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 5: and deal with it. 274 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: Well, it's interesting that you make that point because we 275 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: had a report today that the US has been proactively 276 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: reaching out to China through various channels to begin discussing trade. 277 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: So that from the US side, and then if you 278 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: look at the PMI data that we had in the 279 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: last session in China, the manufacturing economy on the mainland 280 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 1: is now in contraction. So it seems like we've reached 281 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: a critical point. 282 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 5: I think we have, Doug. I think you're absolutely right. 283 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 5: I do think there's pain on both sides now. The 284 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 5: pain in China is factories shutting down, the pain that 285 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 5: we might see, and we're starting to see it in 286 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 5: the shipping statistics, is potential, the potential for clearing out 287 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 5: of some shelves. I don't think empty shelves is good 288 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 5: for anyone politically. I don't think factory shutting down in 289 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 5: China is good for them politically. So we enter this, 290 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 5: you know, the trade war turns into more of a 291 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 5: political war of contrition, and that's where we're going to 292 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 5: end up being. So hopefully we don't get to the 293 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 5: worst case scenarios. I really think they just need to 294 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 5: sit down and talk. I will say, look, you know, 295 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 5: the trade imbalances that we've had, I get it very noble, 296 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 5: very noble cause to try to straighten those out from 297 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 5: a US perspective. China from the very beginning he said, look, 298 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 5: let's just sit down and talk. And we just haven't 299 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 5: gotten there yet. So again, let's just get down to it, 300 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 5: sit down at the table and talk like adults and 301 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 5: make some deals. 302 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: So if you look at the action in the bond 303 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: market today, we had a drop in the yield on 304 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: the two year, a little bit of buying at the 305 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: short end of the curve. The notion here is that 306 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: everything we've been describing is going to set up a 307 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: FED rate cut, maybe as soon as June. 308 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 4: That's exactly how we see it, Doug. 309 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 5: So you know, if you think about a number, So 310 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 5: we have a pretty big number now of expected rate 311 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 5: cuts from the FED, and if you talk to economists 312 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 5: they might say two or three. If you look at 313 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 5: what the market is pricing in, we're looking at three 314 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 5: to four. And so yes, I do think it's going 315 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 5: to come sooner rather than later. I do think tune 316 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 5: should be the date. 317 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 4: And if it's not, we all know what's going to 318 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 4: happen the pal. 319 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 5: In the media, Trump's going to beat them up pretty good, right, 320 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 5: So yeah, hopefully they come sooner than later, and again 321 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 5: hopefully we can get some more positive news flow going. 322 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,400 Speaker 1: So do you on that notion, do you put money 323 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: to work in the bond market and do you look 324 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: for capital gains or do you hold back and think, 325 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: all right, maybe there's a big question mark right now 326 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: over the equity market. I'm just going to go to 327 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: the short end, keep some powder dry, wait for a pullback, 328 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:34,920 Speaker 1: and maybe put a little bit more money to work 329 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: in the stock market later. 330 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, this is a perfect lead in, Doug, because I 331 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 5: do think right now we're pretty much bar belled. We 332 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 5: do have some money on the front end, super safe protected, 333 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 5: we're not really concerned about. 334 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 4: It, you know, and then we'll move out. 335 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,439 Speaker 5: Like the belly of the curve looks really good, you know, 336 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 5: maybe after twenty years for example. 337 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 4: And then we've seen a lot of. 338 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 5: Credit moves over the last few months and we've seen 339 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 5: a lot of bonds get hit pretty good. So yes, 340 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 5: as bottom up against and bond pickers, one of the 341 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 5: big things we like to do is take advantage of 342 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 5: those periods of volatility, take advantage of those drops. And 343 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 5: we're looking at we have a super long term view, 344 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 5: which is great at Pen Mutual, and so when we 345 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 5: get these pockets of value, we have to take advantage 346 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 5: of them. We have to see through the fear I 347 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 5: call it. Right now, we're going through a fog of tariffs. 348 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 5: We have to see through it. We just have to 349 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 5: as investors again focus on good management teams, good balance sheets, 350 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 5: and maybe some of these price declines are just a 351 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,919 Speaker 5: really good opportunity from a long term perspective. So we 352 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 5: always need to keep that slightly positive bent even in 353 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 5: a world of negativity. 354 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: So how are you feeling about high yield in the 355 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: current environment. Is this something that you want to avoid 356 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: given maybe greater default risk right now, or do you 357 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,479 Speaker 1: want to try to capture that higher yield on the 358 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: notion that the FED is going to prevent things from 359 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: getting much worse. 360 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a great point. So within high yield, I 361 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 5: really think so. Obviously it's called junk for a reason. 362 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:00,160 Speaker 5: I think we want to avoid the junk and really 363 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 5: focus on the higher quality high yield companies. That's been 364 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 5: our bread and butter, a penm usual for a very 365 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 5: very long period of time, and we're. 366 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 4: Going to stick to that now. 367 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 5: I will say, the market when we get these spread 368 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:13,640 Speaker 5: widening events, the market does int tend, does not tend 369 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 5: to differentiate between the good and the junkie companies, the 370 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 5: high yield and the junk. So our job as investors 371 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 5: is to focus on the good, higher quality high yield 372 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 5: companies that may have seen spreads blow out, but guess what, 373 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 5: they're fundamentals and their earnings held up really, really well. 374 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 5: And there are a bunch of companies that just reported 375 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 5: where we've seen some really tangible, solid operating improvement and 376 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 5: we've seen leverage ratios go down for some companies. Management 377 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 5: teams that are paying down debt. Those are the ones 378 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 5: that we'll focus on here, as we saw these spreads wide. 379 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 1: Now, so I know you focused primarily on the fixed 380 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: income space, George, but if you had to put money 381 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 1: to work on the equity side, can you give me 382 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: a strategy that you think would be effective in the 383 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: next six to nine months. 384 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 5: Sure, So with our fun at PENM Mutual PMFX, we do, 385 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 5: and we can buy dividend paying stocks up to forty 386 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 5: percent of the fund. 387 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 4: We can own dividend paying stocks. 388 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 5: I do think again, going through this period and the 389 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 5: amount of downside volatility we've seen, we're seeing huge divergences 390 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:20,360 Speaker 5: in actual operating performance. And so I think there's two 391 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 5: really good tax to take here, and number one is 392 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 5: to focus on companies that don't even have to worry 393 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 5: about tariffs. We have a company, I can't say the name, 394 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 5: but a commercial HVAC company that just reported tonight, great earnings, 395 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,400 Speaker 5: great backlog. They are a domestic eight HVAC company. They 396 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 5: make here and they sell here. That's easy. They actually 397 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 5: may benefit from tariffs because their competitors are going to 398 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 5: be faced with them or ADRs. For example, we own 399 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 5: this technology company. It's a well web browsing company that's 400 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 5: based in Norway that has a fantastic balance sheet and 401 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,360 Speaker 5: a great dividend policy. So again that's the non tariff 402 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 5: exposed companies. But then we're also going to have to 403 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 5: sow in a controlling fashion. There may be companies that 404 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 5: have suffered recently from direct tariff hits that where if 405 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,439 Speaker 5: we get positive tariff news, they're going to be the 406 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 5: ones that are going to rip and come right back. 407 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 5: So we also are looking at that bucket as well. 408 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,880 Speaker 5: That bucket's a little trickier, I will say. The other bucket, 409 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 5: the non tariff exposed, is a little bit easier right now. 410 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,360 Speaker 1: Kind of like a coiled spring. George, thank you so much, 411 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: always a great conversation with George Sippaloni. He is portfolio 412 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,159 Speaker 1: manager at Penn Mutual Asset Management. Joining us here on 413 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: the Daybreak Asia Podcast. Thanks for listening to today's episode 414 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: of the Bloomberg Daybreak Asia Edition podcast. Each weekday, we 415 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: look at the story shaping markets, finance, and geopolitics in 416 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: the Asia Pacific. You can find us on Apple, Spotify, 417 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: the Bloomberg Podcast YouTube channel, or anywhere else you listen. 418 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: Join us again tomorrow for insight on the market moves 419 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 1: from Hong Kong to Singapore and Australia. I'm Doug Chrisner, 420 00:21:58,040 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: and this is Bloomberg