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 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Bloomberg dot com. Well, 7 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: what's real about this market is that many investors have 8 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: really neglected to get in on the advance in share prices. 9 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: But here to tell us perhaps why is Ben Hunt. 10 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: He is the chief investment strategist for Salient and they're 11 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: based in Houston, but he joins us here in our studio. 12 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: Thanks very much for being here. Been great to be here, 13 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me. Maybe you can sort of unpack 14 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: my very short description of what is going on. This 15 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: is a rally in stocks, dows at a record today 16 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: SMP two. Uh. No one likes this rally somehow? What? Why? 17 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: Why is that there's no feeling of exuberance? Is there? No, 18 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: there's no feeling of exuberance, And I'll tell you why. 19 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: It's It would be as if you had a housing 20 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: market that was just going gangbusters. And an all time 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: high and housing prices and housing activity, and yet real 22 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: estate agents were having a miserable time. But that's the 23 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: situation we have now because we have the markets at 24 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: all time highs. And yet and yet anyone who's been 25 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: in this business for really more than a nanosecond doesn't 26 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: trust it. They don't like it. Why not because it 27 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: doesn't depend on fundamental factors, right, The plain truth of 28 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: the matter is that fundamentals right, what what I'll call 29 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: stock picking, buying good stuff and avoiding the bad stuff. 30 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: That hasn't worked for eight years. It hasn't worked since 31 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: March of two thousand and nine, when the when the Feds. 32 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: When you say it hasn't worked, and what has it 33 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: not worked? I mean because you think about companies like Facebook, like, uh, 34 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: you know, I pick a Microsoft for example. I mean, 35 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: there are companies that have returned. But no, No, My 36 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: point is that everything is up right. So the SNP 37 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: has tripled over the last eight years. But if you 38 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,119 Speaker 1: look at you know, you can the bad with the good, 39 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: the bad with the good, right, because this this massive 40 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: amount of buying that's been going on right right now, 41 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: Exchange traded funds that are typically packed with not just 42 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: one stock obviously. Well, well, well that's true. Let me 43 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: let me let me come back on the whole et 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: F question, because they're there there. I think there are 45 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: two main factors here that make this such an unloved market. 46 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: And it's an unloved market by stock pickers because against 47 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: stock picking hasn't worked. Trying to pick the good from 48 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: the bad on what we've all been trained to believe 49 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: should be the deciding factors between the good and the bad. 50 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: That hasn't worked right. It used to work, It really 51 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: did right, So you can look at all these actors 52 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: like quality and value and the like. It it was 53 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: able to you were able to to to pick one 54 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: set of stocks avoid another set of stocks. That doesn't 55 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: work when everything goes up together. And that's been that 56 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: rising tide that lifts all boats. That's come from this 57 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: massive wall of money that central banks have plunged into markets. 58 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: About fourteen trillion dollars that's how much the central bank 59 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: balance sheets are today, and they're adding about two trillion 60 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: dollars a year, so it's it's a massive amount of 61 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: money now. But here's the thing. Something changed last Wednesday 62 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: with the fat announcement. What what we're really seeing is 63 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: that the FED is changing and I'll use a ten 64 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: dollar word, their reaction function. And basically what that means 65 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: is the FED going forward. I don't think they're going 66 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: to be your best friend like they have been for 67 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: the past eight years. What leads you to believe that 68 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: just because they might raise rates what two maybe three times? Well, 69 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: it's it's it's a it's a whole different, uh way 70 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: of looking at the world. And that's what I mean 71 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: by this, this this economist phrase, right, reaction function? What what? 72 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: What does that mean? It means that what sort of 73 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: data is the FED looking at? What do they say 74 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: that they're looking at, and how do they react that 75 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: new data? So what we've had so far this year 76 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 1: is actually pretty not so good data from what they 77 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: typically look at, things like inflation, things like industrial production, 78 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: all those have been pretty pretty not so good. Right, 79 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: Employment is good though, This is the thing, and this 80 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: is this is the shift, Right, So the shift is 81 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: now really focused on the unemployment rate. The shift is 82 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: really focused on the potential for wage inflation. And so 83 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: this is why the FED gave a very hawkish talk, 84 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: uh not just in what they announced, but then in 85 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: the press conference afterwards. So what what I'm saying is 86 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: that this this, this pattern that we've been so well 87 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: trained to respond to over the last eight years, of 88 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: the FED and the other Central b is doing more 89 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 1: and more and more, that pattern shifts has shifted, and 90 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: it's it's look, this this is what always so how 91 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: and I want to give you the time to do this. 92 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: It explained how investors should shift their thinking in order 93 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,679 Speaker 1: to accommodate this situation well to to respects. The first 94 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: is that that the FED is not going to have 95 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: your back anymore in the way that it has. So 96 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,559 Speaker 1: what we've we've been really well trained over the last 97 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: eight years, and whenever there's some sort of scary moment, 98 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: right then the response has always been, oh, the FED 99 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: will do more, they'll buy more, they will lower interest rates. 100 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: If it's not here, maybe it's the ECB. So I'm 101 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,799 Speaker 1: saying that's changed. What's the second thing? Give you thirty 102 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: seconds there. So the second thing is this, when everything 103 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: was going up together, stock picking, active management didn't matter, right, 104 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: and so that's why you saw all this money go 105 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: away from i'll call ittively managed mutual funds into e 106 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 1: t s and the like, because it really didn't matter. 107 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: When this rolls over with the the fat not being 108 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: your best friend, it matters again, and it's just at 109 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: the moment of maximum capitulation both by practitioners and investors 110 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 1: here in this market. I want to thank you very 111 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: much for your insight. Very interesting. Ben Hunt is the 112 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: chief investment strategist for Salient. They are based in Houston, Texas, 113 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: and you can follow a Ben on Twitter at epsilon 114 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: Theory and you'll be able to find out exactly all 115 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: the details about how that theory is put together and 116 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: how it applies to professional investing. Well done, Thanks very much, 117 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: Ben Hunt. I want to bring in Stephen Gandal. He 118 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: is a columnist for Bloomberg gad fly covering equity markets. 119 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: He can be followed on Twitter at Stephen Gandal g 120 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: A M. D. E. L. Alright, so tell us, Mr 121 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: gad flyer, what about this deal that Amazon taking over 122 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: the Whole Foods. What effect do you believe that that 123 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: has on the grocery store industry? But I want you 124 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: to see if you can connect that with this initial 125 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: public offering that we've been speaking about Blue Apron, which 126 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: is the prepared recipe, base delivery, cook at home food business. 127 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: So clearly market thinks it's gonna have a lot of 128 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: effect on the grocery business. All the stocks fell uh 129 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: if you look at it, and and and so some 130 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: people use that to bridge to say that maybe the 131 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: government's gonna look at this anti trust if if investors 132 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: are so worried about Kroger's and Safe Supervalue and some 133 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: of the other ones. But I don't think that's really case. 134 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: It's very It's relatively small. The the in terms of 135 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: sixteen billion. I think in terms of sales uh food 136 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: food right right have eight hundred billion in the grocery 137 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: business and billion for Amazon at a twollions for Amazon. 138 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: But Amazon has eight billion in the in the grocery business. 139 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: So it's still small. It's a bigger portion of the 140 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: online grocery online business. But because that's because you have 141 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: to if you broadly define what Amazon, because Amazon sells 142 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: everything online. If you say everything that could show up 143 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: in a grocery store, called that Amazon's online grocery business, 144 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: that's a lot of stuff that maybe isn't they've never 145 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: really thought of. It's not Amazon Fresh, they've really ever 146 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: thought of that as kind of grocery delivery. So but 147 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: clearly the the market is concerned about that. I'm not 148 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: sure how concerned they should be about in what way 149 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 1: the stocks all felt, I mean the competing groceries, the 150 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: competing grocer stores right, a little bit up today, but okay, yeah, 151 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: a little rebound on let's say Krogra for example, right exactly. 152 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,319 Speaker 1: So for for Blue Apron, this comes at a very 153 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: bad time, right, because they're trying to price their I 154 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: p O. You can imagine that Whole Foods would do 155 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: a service of whole meals where a customers would get 156 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: free delivery, and that is uh and and also Whole 157 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: Foods is seen as a premium fresh food brand. So 158 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: you can see there's a big negative for for Blue Apron. 159 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: I keep thinking of one word, and I don't know 160 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: whether it should be one word, but it's called peepot. 161 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:21,959 Speaker 1: Remember peepod. Yeah, well, originally it was a victim of 162 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: the dot com bust. There was an operation that was 163 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: designed to deliver food to your home in just this manner. 164 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: And well I think peopot still around. There was a 165 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 1: web in well they have a new a new version 166 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: of anyway, The point being that what has changed in 167 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: the food preparation and delivery business that makes this a 168 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: good business now, whereas let's say, seventeen years ago, it 169 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: wasn't such a good business. I'm not sure. I mean 170 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: Amazon was first of all, Whole Foods did not think 171 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: this was a good business. They weren't in it. They 172 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: partnered with instant Cart, so they said, you know, we'll 173 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: let someone else kind of do this part of the busines. 174 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: Instat Cart is a delivery another delivery service that it 175 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: or two uh Amazon Fresh or what people think Amazon's 176 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: gonna do with Whole Foods. So hope it said they 177 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 1: didn't really want to be in this business and and 178 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: Amazon had trouble getting into it. I mean they they 179 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: they have kind of dabbled in it for a few 180 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: years and then kind of decided, I guess with this 181 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: that couldn't do it on their own. Blue Apron has 182 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: made the case of this is a really good business, 183 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,559 Speaker 1: but they haven't really shown that it can be. I mean, 184 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: the idea with the commerces that it can bend the 185 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: cost structure, right, you don't have to have stores, you 186 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: have to distribution. We've done in their short stories. You 187 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: can be a lot more profitable. But that doesn't really 188 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: the case in in groceries because the inventor you have 189 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 1: goes bad. Right, the main problem with the grocery store 190 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: is that your food is always spoiling. And and Amazon 191 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: or Blue Apron sorry, hasn't been able to show that 192 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: they can hold lower inventory than their traditional grocer. Right. 193 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: Their inventory is going up, has been going up, it 194 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: hasn't been as a presentage of and spoilage costs have 195 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: been going up. So it's not clear that, uh, when 196 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 1: it comes to grocery business, the e commerce is really 197 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: a better business model. So having said that, what makes 198 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: Amazon dot Com think? Do you believe that this is 199 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: a growth business or is it just to take more 200 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: market share? And then you know, you'll read a recipe 201 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: in the Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, 202 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: and you'll be able to order it through some app 203 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: that will automatically connect you with content. I mean, all 204 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: these marketing options, right, I Mean, one thing you could 205 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: say is just this is a bigger test. You know, 206 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: He's it's not much money for Amazon, as you said that, 207 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: in terms of the market kept, it's not very big. 208 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: So they're just they're doing another test. They tried with 209 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: on their own for a test. This is a bigger one. 210 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: So that's one way to look at the other way 211 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: look at it, I would think is the play is 212 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: that Amazon just wants to be more and more part 213 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: of your life. Right you wake up? I wake up 214 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,679 Speaker 1: every morning and say Alexa, good morning. Right, And so 215 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: if I'm getting my groceries from Amazon to even if 216 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: it's not producing a lot of profits for them, you 217 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,839 Speaker 1: can see how they want to continue to integrate and 218 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: is on into your daily life. And if you get 219 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: your food from Amazon, that's a big part of it. 220 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,839 Speaker 1: Do you think that there's a greater risk of a 221 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 1: food delivery company versus a restaurant company? And I'm thinking 222 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: about the food scare that took place with Chipultle over 223 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: the last couple of years and how that really knocked 224 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: their stock and caused the whole bunch of problems for 225 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: the company that they are still struggling with. I think 226 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: whenever you're trying to do fresh on a mass scale, 227 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: uh and again Blue Apron, if you look at them, 228 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: they've had inventory issues, problems trying to get the food 229 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,079 Speaker 1: fast enough to um consumers before it spoils. I think 230 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: you're you're you're going to run into this problem the 231 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 1: same way Bold they ran into the problem. So yeah, 232 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: I think it's an issue, and I think if you again, 233 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: the Amazon deal for Whole Foods comes at a bad 234 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: time for the Blue Apron because Blue Apron, it's supposed 235 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: to have a higher profit margins, so they're they're multiple 236 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: is supposed to be a premium, but they have about 237 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: the same profit margins as Whole Foods, and Amazon's only 238 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: paying is paying like a little bit less than one 239 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:03,959 Speaker 1: time sales. Blue Apron today announcing their I p O. 240 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: They want to go in about four times sales right 241 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: that they really have to uh and some of that 242 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: because the Blue Aprons construct uh sorry growth, but they 243 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: really have to ben that cross structure and show they can, 244 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 1: which they haven't to say that we're worth four times 245 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:21,079 Speaker 1: whereas Whole Foods only with less than one. But I'm 246 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: just wondering if you there's a Devil's Advocate position to take, 247 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: which is that this is actually a good thing for 248 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: Blue Apron because it confirms that there is big money 249 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: behind the food delivery business, and Whole Foods of course 250 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: comes with its store footprint, which something that blue Apron 251 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,559 Speaker 1: doesn't have is either a plus or a minus. I 252 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: agree there is some validation to it, but there's validation 253 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: at a quarter of the price, and with that validation 254 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: comes a very big competitor after you. Yeah, and just 255 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: want to have you tried any of these home delivery 256 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: fresh Direct in New York. I sort of like it 257 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: in a lot of boxes, like so, so you lose 258 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: is the time of shopping at the store, but you 259 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: um or you don't have that time, but you do 260 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: have the time of cutting up boxes and uh, at 261 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,959 Speaker 1: least in New York City, uh, tying together so you 262 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: can get the guardsman to take them away. Well, well done, 263 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: thank you, and good for you for being so uh 264 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: environmentally conscious. Thanks very much. Stephen again del He is 265 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 1: a columnist covering equity markets for Bloomberg Gadfly. Go ahead 266 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: and follow him on Twitter at Stephen Gandal g A 267 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: N D E L. I want to bring in Alex Brinka, 268 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: our initial public offerings reporter, to sort of add into this, 269 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: because you're not necessarily going to take a company that 270 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: is losing money. I think it's doing about seven dred 271 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: and eighty million in revenue. Uh, this is a food 272 00:14:55,400 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: delivery home preparation company called Blue Apron scoring public alex 273 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: A pleasure tell us what you know about this I 274 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: p O. I think it's gonna They said, what five 275 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: seven million, including the overlap montunder writers, right, so right 276 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: now they're marketing slower, They're they're marketing sorry you know, 277 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm in the weeks that I relate, I 278 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: get excited pim um. They're marketing thirty million shares um 279 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: for fifteen dollars to seventeen dollars each. That's according to 280 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: the filing that they updated us when they filed this morning, 281 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: basically announcing to the world that they're going on the 282 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: road show for this I p O. Interesting timing though, 283 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: and not necessarily Blue Apron's fault. So they they operate 284 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: in the food delivery industry. As you said, they send 285 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: boxes Amazon exactly. You know where I'm getting Amazon Amazon, 286 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: Amazon exactly. So they send food and you remember last 287 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: week Amazon agreed to buy Whole Foods for about fourteen 288 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: billion dollars. So that kind of big looming specter over 289 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: this whole grocery industry is out of the control all 290 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: of Blue Apron. They've got to get this deal done. 291 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: But you know that happened just last week. Now they're 292 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: going to have to go out in front of investors 293 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:10,359 Speaker 1: for the next two weeks and answer questions about the industry, 294 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: about where their competitive edge is, and you've got to 295 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: think a lot of those questions are going to include 296 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: that word Amazon. I'm wondering if you could just speak 297 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: a little bit about the people or about some of 298 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: the details of the company, because I was reading the 299 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: s one and these are very accomplished executives who are 300 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: running it the albeit many of them in their thirties 301 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: and forties. It is a young company. It's a New 302 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: York based company. UM. It was founded by Matt Salzburg. 303 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 1: He used to work at Bessemer Venture Partners in exactly, 304 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: and it's one of the early investors in Blue Apron 305 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: as well. UM. He's been around the block for a 306 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: while UM in the tech kind of startup space. He 307 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: also worked for Blackstone. The CFO came from under Armor 308 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: UM where he was of the VP of account exactly 309 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: Bradley Dickerson. So they there is some big name experience here. Again, 310 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: the constant question is going to be for a lot 311 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: of these companies, this one will only be valued at 312 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 1: three point two billion dollars if it sells its shares 313 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 1: at the high end of that range compared to you know, 314 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: the giants out there. The question will continue to be 315 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: in this space. It's an eight hundred billion dollar grocery market. 316 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: How what's the market? What's your target audience for getting 317 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 1: these home kits delivered to you? Is that enough? Is 318 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: there growth? There? Is that enough? Well in the S 319 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: one and DA if you can even come in on this, 320 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, looking at the charts that they show that 321 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 1: are going to be part of the road show, it 322 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 1: has you know, a nice big bar chart that shows 323 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: that the biggest demographic is the youngest age group cohort 324 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: and that I think something like or the total customer 325 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:48,879 Speaker 1: base is made up of these young people and maybe 326 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: they just don't know how to cook. And that's you know, 327 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: that's the book case and that's what they're pitching, and 328 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:54,959 Speaker 1: that will be so important for these deals for these 329 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: companies that are losing a lot of money. Investors want 330 00:17:57,520 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: to know where is the growth? Why do I trust 331 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: my money with you at this young age? Where is 332 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: the growth going to be? They say? Blue Aprin says, 333 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: they only address less than one percent of the total 334 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: addressable market for customers in the US, so you can 335 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,679 Speaker 1: see there that there is room for improvement. But the 336 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 1: bear case, I still got to say those millennials, I'm 337 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: of the category we're still buying on Amazon. I was 338 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: going to ask you have you had a Blue Apron 339 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: I have. I've tried to be a good reporter. I've 340 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: tried Blue Aprin. I've tried sun Basket, which is another 341 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: company that, according to our sources, has hired underwriters for 342 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: a potential I p O moving to go public. So 343 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: you can see there are some copycats here. So competition 344 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: is going to be the key word thinking copycats uber 345 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: left Gee, it's an interesting tech economy. Thank you very much, 346 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:45,439 Speaker 1: Alex Brinka, our initial public offerings reporter, and you'll be 347 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: following Blue Apron Force and Dave Wilson Bloomberg Stocks. Colmus, 348 00:18:48,560 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: thank you very much. Let's turn our attention now to 349 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 1: banks and the potential payout of thirty billion dollars here 350 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: to tell us more as our senior writer for Banking 351 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 1: and Finance, y'am an owner on for Bloomberg News. Yeahm 352 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: and always a pleasure to see you. Thirty billion dollars. 353 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: That's Um, that's real money, isn't it. Yes, it is? 354 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 1: And where does it come from? And where can it go? 355 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: I mean it's not new money. It's not more money 356 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: that that the banks are going to make as profits. 357 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,959 Speaker 1: But it's the money that they will be able to 358 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: uh distribute to their shareholders in addition to what what 359 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: they did last year. So this is just an increase 360 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: individends and buy backs. And that's crucial for shareholders of 361 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: banks because, um, you know, many years after the crisis, 362 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 1: they really were so stingy. The banks were stingy. They 363 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 1: had to be stingy. The regulators didn't really let them 364 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: distribute any of the money they kept holding onto them 365 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 1: and improving their capital levels. Now finally those payouts are 366 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: slowly inching up. We'll tell us about Stephen Manuch in 367 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: the Treasury secret terry and his role in this topic. Um, 368 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: you know that this sort of the easing of the 369 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: stress test where where this you know, this is why 370 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: some some of the banks are increasing their payouts. It 371 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: sort of predates Trump and munition things. Things started happening 372 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: even last year because partly because banks have managed to 373 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: increase their capital levels over the years, so it's not 374 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: as bad as it used to be uh, and regulators 375 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 1: have have sort of eased up on them. But munition 376 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: under Trump's executive order is reviewing all the all the 377 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: bank regulations and and in his recommendations that came out 378 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 1: last week, he suggested that they should get even you know, 379 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: easier on the banks during the stress tests and and 380 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: make them ever two years you know, dropped the qualitative 381 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 1: uh portion of it, which is very tough. So so 382 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 1: going forward under regulators approved appointed by Trump, things are 383 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: probably gonna get even better for the banks. Now. The 384 00:20:55,640 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: regulators that actually administer these stress tests they from the 385 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: Federal Reserve. Yes, this is a federal reserve institution. It 386 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: has become. They started in two thousand nine. Um. I 387 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 1: mean it was very much hand in hand um with 388 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: the government at the time who wanted to to restore 389 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: confidence in the US banking system. Um. But then it 390 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:22,400 Speaker 1: became a big, big federal reserve institution and um. Dan Trullo, 391 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 1: who was in charge of regulation at the Federal Reserve 392 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 1: was a big proponent of this and and led this 393 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: effort for years. So he is out. Um. There will 394 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 1: be new people appointed by Trump to the Fed Um, 395 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: so if those people are are more industry friendly, you know, 396 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: this could get even easier. When you say get even easier, 397 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: you mean to actually change the terms of the stress test. 398 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: For example, have it done every other year for example? 399 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: That is one way and um other ways are um. 400 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: You know, banks have complained a lot about how untransparent 401 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: some portions of this. In other words, that you know 402 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: everybody does their own stress test. They say, okay, if 403 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: there was a big crisis financial economic meltdown, how would 404 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 1: be fair? And then the FED takes those and then 405 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,879 Speaker 1: runs its own calculations using its own secret models. They 406 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,719 Speaker 1: don't tell anyone, and and the banks keep saying, we 407 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:22,120 Speaker 1: never know what you're really looking at, and so more transparency, 408 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: for example, that the Fed starts giving about these things, 409 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: the banks would like that. Well, one thing that we 410 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: know that is transparent is that if you have two 411 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty billion dollars in assets or less, you 412 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,159 Speaker 1: can be exempt from this from parts of it, I 413 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: mean the qualitative section that that I mentioned. The qualitative 414 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: section is where not only the numbers, but they looked 415 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 1: at every risk management tool that the bank's had and 416 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: really cracked down on them, on on small little things 417 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,479 Speaker 1: that they found lacking, which again the banks hated. Uh 418 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: dotcha banks. Trust Bank, which is a very small subsidiary 419 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 1: in the US, kept failing that portion for a few years. Um, 420 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 1: they're not going to be in it this year. But 421 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: Dortche Bank and other big European banks are gonna be 422 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: um consolidated. I mean they have consultated all their US 423 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: operations under one roof according to other federals. And so 424 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: those big consolidated entities in the US will actually come 425 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:20,719 Speaker 1: under the stress test next year. So it will be 426 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: tough for them again. So they will be under the 427 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 1: spotlight once more. Um, and and they might then we 428 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: might see failures there next year. UM. But still as 429 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: we go forward, you know these things are not gonna 430 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: miss harsh. There will be more transparency and the banks 431 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: will probably know better how to deal with them or 432 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: game them. Well. Thanks very much, I know you're gonna 433 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 1: be watching both of those potential scenarios, y'all. I'm an 434 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 1: owner on senior writer Banking and Finance for Bloomberg News, 435 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: speaking about less stressful tests how thirty billion dollars could 436 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 1: be unlocked for bank shareholders. Thanks for listening to the 437 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: Bloomberg P and L podcast. You can subscribe and listen 438 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: to interviews at Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, or whatever podcast platform 439 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 1: you prefer. I'm pim Fox. I'm on Twitter at pim Fox. 440 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: I'm on Twitter at Lisa Abramo wits one. Before the podcast, 441 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: you can always catch us worldwide on Bloomberg Radio