1 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg p m L Podcast. I'm pim Fox. 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: Along with my co host Lisa Abramowitz. Each day we 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: bring you the most important, noteworthy, and useful interviews for 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: you and your money, whether you're at the grocery store 5 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: or the trading floor. Find the Bloomberg p m L 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Bloomberg dot Com. All right, 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: talking about lower than projections, let's talk about downgrades to 8 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: the US economy. We have Carl rick O donaghy is 9 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: our chief US economist for Bloomberg Intelligence and he joins 10 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: us here in our eleven three oh studio. Carl, always 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: a pleasure downgrading the US economy. Give us some details. Yes, So, 12 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: we are just this morning published our updated mid year projections, 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: and we're not changing our outlook for We see the 14 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: economy growing at about two point or present. However, we 15 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: did mark down our forecasts. Now, ordinarily that would be 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: more troubling as it would have broader implications. Uh. You know, 17 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: clearly you would say, while you're seeing a weaker economy, 18 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: but really the reason for our downgrade of eighteen was 19 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: basically erasing Trump and omics from the landscape. Uh. And 20 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: so we've now assessed that given the prioritization of non 21 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: economic measures, let's say healthcare repeal UH, and certainly these 22 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: have economic consequences, but not direct economic policy. So the 23 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: focus on healthcare, border security, travel bands, etcetera. Is squandering 24 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: political capital and also valuable days on the legislative calendar, 25 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: which means that we now are seeing less likelihood of 26 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: things like comprehensive tax reform at both the household and 27 00:01:54,840 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: corporate levels, massive infrastructure spending. Those economic pillars of our 28 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: main pillars of trumponomics, I think are in serious jeopardy. 29 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: So I would love to see them come back on 30 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: the table and we would mark our growth forecast up accordingly. 31 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: But it just doesn't look like that's going to be 32 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: the reality, you know, Carl, I'm struck by the fact 33 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: that you had priced in some of those uh legislative 34 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: advances earlier in the year, and I'm wondering, as an economist, 35 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 1: how difficult is it to come up with some kind 36 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: of projection when clearly these proposals apparently would have had 37 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: a very significant impact on how much the country would grow. Absolutely, 38 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: so there was tremendous uncertainty as to whether or not 39 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: they would be issues that they were clearly major themes 40 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: on the campaign trail, and it looked like initially there 41 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: was going to be a lot of motivation to pursue 42 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: those agenda items. However, the administration pivoted and uh, and 43 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: certainly we knew that healthcare and border security were going 44 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: to be priorities as well, but you know, there was 45 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: a chance that a businessman president would pursue uh, the 46 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: economic priorities first. Uh, there's reasons for them to go 47 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: after healthcare because if there are budget savings through healthcare reform, 48 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: they could incorporate that into their adjustments to budget measures 49 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: and tax policy. But you know, for whatever reason, they 50 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: went went the direction they did. And now the discord 51 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: uh seems to be increasing it certainly among Democrats but 52 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: also among Republicans. Uh. And so what we had to 53 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: reassess the likelihood of those measures being incorporated and and 54 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: you revise of the outlook accordingly. And UH, you know 55 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: we are not alone in doing this. The FED has 56 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,839 Speaker 1: continued to grapple with the degree to which they would 57 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: incorporate the changes to fiscal policy into their forecast. Some 58 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: some FED members did, some didn't. But now they seem to, 59 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: at least based on the minutes of the May FOMC meeting, UH, 60 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: they are shifting back towards UH, anticipating less of a 61 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: change to fiscal policy. Well, Carl, I just want maybe 62 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: just pick up on something that that Lisa mentioned and 63 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: maybe just go one step further, which is the details, 64 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: the actual numerical details of many of these things that 65 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: you described, rather than the broad brush strokes. Have we 66 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: seen any details that would allow an economist or any 67 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: kind of analytical work done on what this would all 68 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: mean for the economy? Things were presented with broadbrush strokes, 69 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: as you note, so why it becomes a best guess 70 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: type of scenario. We knew the objective for the infrastructure 71 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: package would be about one trillion dollars spread over ten years, 72 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: so you can kind of calculate how long it would 73 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,119 Speaker 1: take for that to get underway. Obviously it doesn't happen 74 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: with a flip of a switch, so that is something 75 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: you could at least to some rudimentary level UH model 76 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: for GDP purposes. And then there were also some parameters 77 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: laid out in terms of what tax policy would like 78 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,799 Speaker 1: look like, in what the implications would be just quickly 79 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: give you twenty seconds PPI producer, Uh inflation, what do 80 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: we get? P p I is telling us that there's 81 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: still only moderate price pressures in the inflation pipeline, and 82 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: this is something policymakers are going to be considering at 83 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: the meeting as a core inflation. Consumer inflation has disappointed 84 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: in the last two months, and now it looks like 85 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,679 Speaker 1: that two percent target maybe a little harder to achieve 86 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: than they thought earlier this year. All right, I want 87 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: to thank you very much, Carl Rickadona. Of course, our 88 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: chief US economist for Bloomberg Intelligence, a downgrade to US 89 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 1: economic performance in twenty eighteen because of well, the disappearance 90 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: of the Trump Economic Agenda from the possibility of having 91 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: that passed in Congress. Sears Canada suffered its worst stock 92 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: decline ever after acknowledging significant doubt about its ability to 93 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: keep operating, leading the troubled department store chain to consider 94 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: a sale or restructuring. Also today, Sears is cutting four 95 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: hundred jobs at its Hoffman Estates headquarters. Here to tell 96 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 1: us more about retail and also Sears is Mark Cohen. 97 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: He is a director of Retail Studies, adjunct Professor of 98 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: Business at Columbia University School of Business, and he is 99 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,679 Speaker 1: also the former chief executive of Sears Canada. Mark Cohen, 100 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: thank you very much for being with us. I wonder 101 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: if you could just give people a little of your background, 102 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: because if if you don't know what's going on in retail, 103 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: nobody does. Because you've been doing this quite a while. Okay, 104 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: I've been in the retail business most of my adult life. 105 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 1: I started to day and s in the early nineteen seventies, UH. 106 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: Getting a little closer to date, I was the chief 107 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: marketing officer and president of soft lines for several years 108 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: at Sears Roebuck in Chicago, and then the chairman and 109 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: CEO is Canada from two thousand and one through mid 110 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: two thousand and four. The companies have been in serial decline. 111 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: In the case of Sears Roebuck, that decline started in 112 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: two thousand UH when Alan Lacey became CEO, and after 113 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: five years of failing, he turned the company more or 114 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: less over to Eddie Lampert, the well known hedge fund 115 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: operator who has been hollowing both companies out ever since. 116 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: And so the the ongoing bad news both in the 117 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: United States and Canada is no surprise retail businesses. Frankly, 118 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: no business can operate with consecutive losses of enormous consequence 119 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: with cash flow that only um comes from asset sales. Well, 120 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: you know, I just want to get a sense when 121 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: you left Series who were fired right in two thousand 122 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: and four, was the departure over? Was it because you 123 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: just didn't see a future anymore? Or is it because 124 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: they just weren't going to take some of the steps 125 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: that they needed to in order to make it a 126 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: viable business. Well, you know, this is obviously my view, 127 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: but I thought the Sears Roebuck CEO was incompetent, and 128 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: he was reasonably convinced that I was trying to take 129 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: away his job. I had no ability to do that, 130 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: but certainly someone should have taken away his job. And 131 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: so there in lies the conflict that occurred. In the 132 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: summer of two thousand and four, he had spent six 133 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: d and five million dollars in cash buying fifty one 134 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: kmarts from Lampert's newly acquired kmart. And this was the 135 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: support of strategy which was called Sears Brand, which was 136 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: a catastrophe and which he was trying to get me 137 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: to support. In Canada more or less to help legitimize it. 138 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: So I thought the acquisition of this real estate was nesperious, 139 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: if you will. And as it turned out, in a 140 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: matter of speaking, Lampert turned around and used that six 141 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: five million dollars along with the inflated valuation of his 142 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: own kmart portfolio, and took possession of Sears Roebuck. So 143 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: you know, this is a This is a bad ending 144 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: to a series of really bad events. UM businesses can 145 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: get into trouble for relatively brief periods of time and 146 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: extract themselves, but both of these businesses have done nothing 147 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: on their own behalf to be able to do that. Mark, 148 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: can you describe whether this in your view, has this 149 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 1: been a strategy to build the wealth of any lamport 150 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: or has it been a strategy to build the health 151 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: and wealth of Sears. I really can't comment about Lampert's 152 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: underlying motivation. Maybe for some period of time he did 153 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: have a view that he could run these businesses in 154 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: an unconventional way and be successful in his own right. 155 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: I think early on he discovered that that wasn't viable 156 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: and has been propping these businesses up for his own 157 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: benefit and for the benefit of his um investment cohorts. 158 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: Ever since it has benefit, hasn't it? It remains to 159 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: be seen, when all is said and done, what his 160 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: net net investment proceeds will be for all of this 161 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: effort and for for over all of this time. I 162 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 1: really don't know whether he's going to quote unquote come 163 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: out ahead or not. But it's clear that both businesses 164 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: are are in terrible shape, continue to be struggling, with 165 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: no possibility of remediation anytime in the future. You know, 166 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: I'm struck by the fact that people have been saying 167 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 1: Series is going to die for about a decade. Why 168 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: isn't it just going to die? Do you think that 169 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: there will be anything that will kind of force it 170 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: to some kind of denu mall? Or well, are we 171 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: to see it strung along for another decade? And well, 172 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: it might very well string along. The US business might 173 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: very well string along for some period of time. I 174 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: don't know that Canada has that capacity, because the US 175 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: business still does have some substantial UM assets that can 176 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 1: yet be sold off. I mean, the US does still 177 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: possess a reasonably large portfolio of real estate. The best 178 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: stores of long ago been um sold off. Cash has 179 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: long ago been given, ended into Lampard's pockets or used 180 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: to prop up the company. Um Uh, at some point 181 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: you do run out of fuel and uh that may 182 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: be soon or it may be somewhere in the future, 183 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,199 Speaker 1: but it's clear that both of these business is that 184 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: completely lost their viability. Thank you so much for joining us. 185 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: It's good to get a good inside look at what's 186 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: going on there. Marko and as director of Retail Studies 187 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 1: and a Magic Professor of Business at Columbia University Business School, 188 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: also former Sears Marketing Chief and head of Sears Canada. 189 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: We hear a lot from investors who are turning their 190 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: attention more to Europe than the U S, at least 191 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: when it comes to equity markets. But CEO is clearly 192 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: have their views set on the US. I want to 193 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: bring in John V. Meyer. He's Global Chairman of KPMG 194 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: International based in New York. UH and KPMG just released 195 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: CEO Outlook report and wow, John, a lot of optimism 196 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: and a lot of focus on the U S. Can 197 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: you sort of start by spelling out what you think 198 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: are the main takeaways from this survey? Sure? Thanks for 199 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: having me on, Lisa, And you know, I think we 200 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: start with confidence levels, and one thing that's interesting about 201 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: our survey we intentionally try and focus on the next 202 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: three years, so it's intended to be a longer term 203 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: view on the part of the CEO, since we think 204 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: that mirrors their investment cycle, hiring cycle, and everything else. 205 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: UM confidence levels, I would say are a little more 206 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: subdued from the survey last year, but still relatively high. 207 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: And frankly, the US is the one market in the 208 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: world where confidence levels are higher than what was reflected 209 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: in our survey last year, UH, which is a very 210 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: positive sign, you know from a US standpoint, But frankly, 211 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: as you look around Asia, some real um drops frankly 212 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: in confidence levels of c e o s as they 213 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: look out over the next two years in some places 214 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: like Japan, Australia, other places in Asia Pacific. So real 215 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: mixed bag, depending upon UH where you're based. Well, you 216 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: mentioned mixed bag, and I want to follow up at 217 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: that having to do with globalization and the ability of 218 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: companies to compete around the world, and one if you 219 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: could speak to that topic and do you believe that 220 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: the current political climate in the United States will thwart 221 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: that ongoing trend? Well, you know, it's interesting we ask 222 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: in our survey a fair number of questions that get 223 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: you down a geopolitical path, and that is still viewed, 224 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: I think as a key risk as c e O 225 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: s look out into the marketplace. UH. And some of 226 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: the specific feedback we got about geopolitical risk were number 227 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: one sentiment that over half the CEO is believed that 228 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: the impact of geopolitical risks on their business are higher 229 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: today than they ever remember. UH. Secondly, this UM a 230 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: question about protectionism that we tried to get a sense 231 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: of given how much you know, discussion there is in 232 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: the marketplace around and discussion on things like Twitter where 233 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: you have elected officials using a public platform to name companies. Yeah, 234 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: there's a high percentage over of the c e O 235 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: s UH indicated that they believe protection ism will be 236 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: increasing in the near term and over the next three years, 237 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: which is again concerning given the levels where it already 238 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: is today, and that's having an impact on decisions CEO 239 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: s UM say they're evaluating in terms of where to 240 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: locate operations, and all of these geopolitical factors I think 241 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: are weighing into investment decisions more now today than they 242 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: have been at any time that many of these CEOs 243 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: can remember. Yeah, although one thing that I thought was 244 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: really notable was on the micro level, and CEOs looked 245 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: at their businesses, their own businesses, they saw the need 246 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: to hire more people. And you say that in the survey, 247 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: it showed that U S CEOs expect had contill grow 248 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: over the next three years, with eighty percent reporting their 249 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: investing in recruitment. Uh. This to me is fascinating and 250 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: speaks to this tight labor market that we keep talking about. 251 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: Does this, in your opinion, point to salary increases which 252 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: people have been waiting for. You know, that's a complicated question, 253 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: I think frankly, Lisa Um, I think the good news 254 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: is that, again mirroring the confidence levels when we compare 255 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: the CEOs responses this year till last year, a little 256 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: less optimism about employment level growth over the next three years, 257 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: but still I think a pretty good degree of confidence 258 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: on the part of CEOs that they will be hiring. Uh, 259 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: and that and that significant levels over six percent growth 260 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: in their employee levels. The reason that your question is 261 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: a little complicated is I think it really gets to 262 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: what kind of skills are we talking about? There is 263 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: clearly a shortage in the statistic use cited around actively recruiting. 264 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: That's true, but they're actively recruiting for very specific skills, 265 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: technology based skills, things like that, where UM like coding 266 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: or is it something? Is it? Is it pretty broad 267 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: within the tech anology space. I think it's broader. It 268 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: gets to ability to analyze data, utilize data and analytics 269 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:12,360 Speaker 1: UM take advantage of some of the cognitive UH technologies 270 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: that companies are now deploying in their organization data scientists 271 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: to help them synthesize and think through all of this. 272 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: And uh so, what I'm hearing you saying, it's almost 273 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: like a split between people with higher education and people not. 274 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 1: In other words, people who have have some training with 275 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: respect to you know, things that are usually taught in 276 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: college or later in high school. Not necessarily the blue 277 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: collar jobs, although you know. One of the things that's 278 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: interesting and frankly surprised me in the survey results is 279 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: when we asked a specific question about do you believe 280 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: cognitive technology is going to increase or decrease you're hiring 281 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: over the next three years, it was overwhelmingly an increase, 282 00:17:57,560 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 1: which I think is counterintuitive to what a lot of 283 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: people are thinking, and and that was across a fairly 284 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: wide range of job skills, a lot of traditional finance, marketing, sales. 285 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: And I think what that talks to is companies looking 286 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,439 Speaker 1: today to see how am I going to deploy some 287 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 1: of these disruptive technologies most effectively to benefit my customer 288 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 1: And that's going to take people, uh, helping them figure 289 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: that out and do that. So I think in the 290 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: near term this may not be a long term kind 291 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: of dynamic, but certainly in the near term it appears 292 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: that some of these disruptive technologies are actually um leading 293 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 1: companies to believe they will be increasing headcount. John V. Mar, 294 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: thank you very much for being with US Global Chairman 295 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: KPMG speaking about kpmg CEO Outlook report. It was a 296 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 1: survey of four d US and global A chief executives 297 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,479 Speaker 1: for their views on their top priorities over the next 298 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: three years. Turn our attention now to what's going on 299 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,439 Speaker 1: with markets, and we have James Paulson. He is a 300 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: former chief investment strategist and economist Wells Capital Management. No, 301 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:26,159 Speaker 1: he is you still are three fifty billion dollars previous 302 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: under management MINT based in Minneapolis, Jim Paulson, You've written 303 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 1: that there's a whole lot of consensus opinion, what we 304 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: might term conventional wisdom, and then you debunk it. I'm 305 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 1: wondering if you could just go through some of those topics. Well, yeah, 306 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: I think it's always sort of important to keep an 307 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: eye on, uh any kind of thoughts that are really 308 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: strongly and widely held, because it's often they're right, but 309 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,880 Speaker 1: if they're ever wrong, as you know, you create quite 310 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: a market change, and so always sort of stay focused 311 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: in some of those Um overall, I think, um one 312 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,880 Speaker 1: of them that I find interesting is the idea that's 313 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: been prevalent throughout this recovery Kim that that wage wage 314 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 1: games have been so uh tepid um and that this 315 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: implies that boy labor is not doing very well and 316 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: that the consumer must be weak and vulnerable, leaving the 317 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: leaving the recovery itself in question. And it is true 318 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: that while nominal wage games have been very low in 319 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: this recovery, real wage games, what's really important, the purchasing 320 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: power of labor has really done quite well. It's gone 321 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:38,159 Speaker 1: up one point seven percent per annum since the end 322 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: of the last recovery, and that's been one of the 323 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: stronger games from real purchasing power that we've had since 324 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties. So I think that that explains a 325 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 1: lot better to me why the consumer has done fairly 326 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 1: well in this recovery. It's been leading the recovery, the 327 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: consumer discretionary stocks that lead the stock market. Overall, consumer 328 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:02,120 Speaker 1: confidence is high. The dovetails, I think, with a much 329 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: better uh, real wage growth than what recognized. You know, Jim, 330 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,880 Speaker 1: I'm struck by the complacency in the market, paired with 331 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 1: this idea of the perceived complacency, paired with this idea 332 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: expressed in the Bank of America Merrill lynch Uh survey 333 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: of fund managers showing that nearly half of fund managers 334 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 1: think that there is bubble like condition. There is a 335 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: bubble like condition in text stocks. And Jim, over your 336 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: decades of work at Wells Capital Management, which you left 337 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: earlier this year, have you ever seen another period of 338 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: time similar to this one, and which one would you identify? Well, 339 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: I think I think there's been some similar but not 340 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:48,199 Speaker 1: quite like this. You know, Certainly a concentrated move in 341 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: one section of the market does occur in different times. 342 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: I mean that's certainly in nifty fifty and the early seventies, 343 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: the dot com move, other times in the late seventies, 344 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: early asianal move and energy stocks, a small cap stocks 345 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: sometimes in the sixties. I mean, there's there's been concentrated 346 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: movements like we've had in this but I think this 347 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: stands out is unique and that I don't remember something 348 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,679 Speaker 1: being it's not even so much concentrate to a sector 349 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: lease as it is concentrated to just a handful of names, 350 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: uh that make up a very large portion of the marketplace. 351 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: Outsize portion by just a handful of stocks is something 352 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,879 Speaker 1: that's kind of unique. So if you do have I 353 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: think the overall market is not in that bad of 354 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: shape from evaluation perspective, but if it's being dominated by 355 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 1: you know, five or six stocks that make up a 356 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: really sizeable portion that are extended, then it can become 357 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: a market event in a way that it really hasn't 358 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: in the past. Certainly when we had the nifty fifty 359 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 1: that was somewhat like that, but a lot of other 360 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: stocks are also I think extended words day, it's really 361 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: concentrated just among a few. There's not a real precedent 362 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: to have so much valuation risk concentrated amongst so few. 363 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,160 Speaker 1: Can you speak a little bit, Jim about the historic 364 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: levels of valuation for let's say the SMP. Yeah, I 365 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: think that's great pointing another survey way that caught my 366 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,000 Speaker 1: eye this morning. So there was another Bank American survey 367 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 1: that said some record setting proportion of of investors think 368 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 1: the market is overvalued by you know, extensively overvalued today, 369 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: And I think that's interesting. Um uh, if you will. 370 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: But what I've seen one of the most popular long 371 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: term valuation methodologies is put out by Robert Schiller. The 372 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:48,199 Speaker 1: cape price earnings multiple goes back to eighteen seventy, I believe, 373 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: And what I find interesting is that in the last 374 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: quarter century, going back to last twenty five years, based 375 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 1: on that really popular cape P motible, that thing has 376 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 1: been above it's long term average like percent of the time. 377 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: It's actually been above the nine percentile evaluation in the 378 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:17,360 Speaker 1: last year, uh about half the time. So this has 379 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: been It is a highly valued market today, and people 380 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: perceive it that way. But I'm really starting to question 381 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,880 Speaker 1: it because if something has been overvalued accessively for twenty 382 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: five years, at what point do you suggest that this 383 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: this isn't just a one off. It's going to correct, 384 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: but maybe we're in a new evaluation situation. Jim. I'm 385 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: struck by how bullish you are, because this is all 386 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: basically casting some doubts on the pessimism that we're seeing 387 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: in these surveys and by the increasing amount of cash 388 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 1: and people's portfolios. Yeah, it is. I get the valuation risk. 389 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: I think there's this real valuation risk, but that won't 390 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: be realized until probably the next recession, and I don't 391 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: think that's close. I think it's a ways off. So 392 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 1: I think this valuation risk could get more extreme. And 393 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: I love the fact that we've got a record number 394 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: of people saying that the markets over valued, that we've 395 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: got record cash holdings on the sidelines out there, that 396 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 1: we have this perpetual there's one tagline for this bowl, 397 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: it's that it's forever climb the perpetual wall of worry 398 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: that is still there today. I think there's more upside yet, 399 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: in part because we don't have enough people playing it 400 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: in this part. Jim, thank you so much for joining us. 401 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: It's always wonderful to hear your insights. Jim Paulson is 402 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:43,440 Speaker 1: the former chief investments tragist and economist at Wells Capital Management. 403 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: He left earlier this year at Wells Capital Management overseas 404 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: about three billion dollars in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thanks for listening 405 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: to the Bloomberg P and L podcast. You can subscribe 406 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 1: and listen to interviews at Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, or whatever 407 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,719 Speaker 1: podcast platform you prefer. I'm Pim Fox. I'm on Twitter 408 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: at pim Fox. I'm on Twitter at Lisa Abramo. It's 409 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 1: one before the podcast. You can always catch us worldwide 410 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: on Bloomberg Radio