1 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. I'm Tom Keene with 2 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: David Gura. Daily we bring you insight from the best 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: of economics, finance, investment, and international relations. Find Bloomberg Surveillance 4 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Bloomberg dot Com, and of course, 5 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: on the Bloomberg Gabrielle Santos, as I mentioned, is here 6 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: with this from GPM Funds. She's the chief global strategist 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: and we're happy to have her here. She's drinking hot 8 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: coffee because the Holy East Coast is free. I was 9 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: noticing that hockey season Tom Keene has wandered in the 10 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: studio and his Montreal Canadians jersey. Um, he's he's ready 11 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: for hockey season. Uh. When you look at uh, the 12 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: markets have been down, up, down, but not going rocketing 13 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: higher as they have been as we get deeper and 14 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: deeper into tax reform. Is that because people are holding 15 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: their breath at this point? Or has sentiment kind of turned? 16 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: This was a discussion that we were having on Bloomberg 17 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,199 Speaker 1: Television yesterday and what did you miss? Um? Has sentiment turned? 18 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: Are we now thinking maybe it won't pass until you've 19 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: got to start pricing that in or is it too early. 20 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: So I think that one of the first questions is 21 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: is corporate tax reform priceton already we would say I 22 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: not really know. Um that the rally we've seen so 23 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: far this year has been much more about the trends, 24 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: the good global trends we're seeing in terms of growth 25 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: and earnings as well as stability and energy as well 26 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: as the dollar, rather than some huge expectation of corporate 27 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: tax reform happening. So I don't think it's on an 28 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: unwind of expectations around tax or anything like that. It 29 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: could be something just innocuous, like investors wanting to take 30 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: a little bit of profit off the table, right, especially 31 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: receptors that how done super well this year, like technology, 32 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: which is the sector for example, that was down yesterday, 33 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,959 Speaker 1: rather than something really really bad. I'm also when a 34 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: lot is going to get wrapped up in December, we 35 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: have tax reform will either pass or won't get could 36 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: get delayed. But you've got the possibility of a government shutdown, 37 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: and you get the dead ceiling which will be attached 38 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: to that even if it's not solved. And it's the 39 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: end of the year and it's been a heck of 40 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: a year. So are people actually going to invest in December? 41 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: Are we going to start seeing people get cautious and 42 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: say I'm gonna do that and I'm gonna take the 43 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: month off. I'm not sure. I think it depends on 44 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: where you've been so far this year. If if you've 45 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: been in the market the entire year, maybe you do 46 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: kind of trimmed down a little bit. Your your position 47 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: has probably gone a little bit too big. By now 48 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: right we're up fift percent. But for those investors that 49 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: still haven't participated in the market, and there are actually 50 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: a lot of them, maybe there is still a desire 51 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: to get in the market. And we talked about selling 52 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 1: May and go away, and Mike, your question is dead on. 53 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: I mean, sell you know, before Thanksgiving and run run. 54 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: Let's come back to that in a minute. Good morning. 55 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: If you want Bloomberg surveillance in institutions people that are behind, 56 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: is there a level of panic this year that I 57 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: need to catch up in six weeks. I've never bought 58 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: that song and dance, but it's always there to people 59 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 1: actually do that. For institutional clients, I would say, especially 60 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: when it comes to equities, that they've been pretty well 61 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: positioned going into the year. What makes me think much 62 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: more about people wanting to actually chase or participate in 63 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: this performance is much more in the individual level, where 64 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: so many investors for the last eight nine years have 65 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: still not participated in the rally. So I think there's 66 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: this sense of, oh my gosh, I'm not participating in 67 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: this enthusiasm rally. The way this works is as on 68 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: the West Side two nights ago, and I walked in 69 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: the Apple store because I walked by it and there 70 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: was the iPhone X and I held it my hand. Wow, 71 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: wow Wow. So do I come out the triple leverage 72 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: all cash fun and like you know, double margin Apple 73 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: to get myself to January to December? Idea? The problem 74 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: is is going to take every penny you made this 75 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: year to buy an iphoned Doug cass is going in 76 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: Florida top of market right there. Tom, We're starting to hear. 77 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,280 Speaker 1: It's interesting because you're talking about all these people who 78 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: haven't participated, and of course the old saws once retail 79 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: comes in, it's over. But you're starting to see some 80 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: of the pros talk about not necessarily a correction or 81 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: anything like that, but that maybe we're gonna top out 82 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: for a little while. I noted, uh, and I have 83 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: the I brought the story in here somewhere, and I 84 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: can't find it right now. But people are looking at 85 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: high yield and how it's kind of rolled over, and 86 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: they say that's a sign that the stock market is 87 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: going to start coming to an end as well. Are 88 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: you seeing any of those tea leaves that you're starting 89 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: to say, hey, maybe there's something to look at here 90 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 1: coming to an end? No, I mean, it's always about 91 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: the kind of earnings growth we're seeing, which is still 92 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: incredibly solid even pre any sort of corporate tax reform implementation, 93 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: which is which is really a great sign um, and 94 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 1: that's really the fundamental driver of the market, right, So 95 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: as long as the economy keeps growing, earnings keep growing, 96 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: the market should continue to grind higher. But I do 97 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: think that we should be expecting some sort of correction, 98 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: absolutely right. The average going back to would be to 99 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: have a ten percent correction every single year, and the 100 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: maximum we've had this year has been three percent. So 101 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: definitely a correction would be very possible. Probabilities high, but 102 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: we don't think this is the end of what we 103 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: think is a much more secular ble market. Do you think, 104 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: because it's been so long that if we did get 105 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: a correction, it could be magnified by fear. You know, 106 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: people who've seen nothing but stocks go up for a 107 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: long time start to get nervous and and pull back 108 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: more than the otherwise would. Or the pro is going 109 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: to come in and save us and say O time 110 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: to buy. Well, we'll do our best. But I do 111 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: think that sentiment is has improved a lot this year. 112 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: I think whenever we got to pull back last year, 113 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: the year before even there was this feeling that maybe 114 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: there's a recession around the corner, maybe there's something I 115 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: should be worried about with emerging markets. So the pullbacks 116 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: felt very, very rapid and fearful. Uh. And where we 117 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: are today is much better comfort with the global economy 118 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: with stability, and so I actually think that sentiments is 119 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: a little bit better this time around going into any 120 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: sort of altility as I'm going to protect you from 121 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: the general Council. I know, Mr Diamond Hanks on everywhere 122 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: you say, can you buy the banks here? The financial 123 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: sector is one of our favorite sectors along with technology. 124 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: So there's a laundry list to tell me about the 125 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 1: Mike McKee wants to know about the yield curve. All right, 126 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: so we've got for the financial sector. We've got a 127 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: growing economy, so credit growth should continue being decently good. 128 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: Number two, we do believe that the yield curve is 129 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: going to stop flattening at this incessant rate we've been 130 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: seeing for the past couple of weeks, which has been 131 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: a little bit of a headwind here in the short 132 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: term UM. And then lastly, there is this underlying current 133 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: of smarter regulation that I don't know is getting necessarily 134 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: the due amount of air time, which help our pros. 135 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: Here two tends of vanilla curve. Which curve do you 136 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: look at to gauge financial forecasting? We look at the 137 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: two tens. You look at the two tends to decide 138 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: what Bank of America is doing, or bank or whatever. 139 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: We look at it as as an indication of what's 140 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: happening with the yield curve. UM, and what we have 141 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: been seeing for the past couple of weeks is a 142 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: very what to us seems like a very surprising flattening 143 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: of the yield curve. Now, we don't think that this 144 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: is all of a sudden going to go to a 145 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: completely flat or even inverted yield curve. As I was saying, 146 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: we do think that this is due for a pause 147 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: and a bit of a reversal here before we let 148 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: you go very quickly, new FED coming in next year, 149 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: causing you to think about anything differently. Not at the moment. 150 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: We do think we'll continue with the kind of pace 151 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: we've seen. This year should look pretty similar unless we 152 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: get some sort of overheating in the economy or big 153 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: tarn and inflation, which we don't expect. Um if we 154 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: don't three rate hikes, continuing to wind down the balance sheet. 155 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: I've got a wonderful email that just came in that 156 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: disagrees with you. And this is the debate over earnings 157 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: driven market versus valuation driving market. That's a great nuance. 158 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:32,959 Speaker 1: You have to come back and we have to talk 159 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,839 Speaker 1: about and this has been an earnings driven market though 160 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: this this year. This should be a great conversation, Michael. 161 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: We get gabriel As Santos with Douglas Cass, put us 162 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: a differing view, put it down for a couple of hours, 163 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: and we'll duck Cass and Gabriel a scientists together would 164 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: be smart, smart, smart they live in two different worlds. 165 00:08:51,360 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: Thank you Mr Cass for that observation, well researched. Joining 166 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: sound Stephen Ratner with will advise, that's what should point 167 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: out that he manages the four one k of Michael Bloomberg, 168 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: who has a modest amount to do with this seven 169 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: hundred dollars a year and as far oh one k. Well, 170 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: they wanted to they wanted to adjust that this is 171 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: a limited liability corporation. I guess the limited partnership. Well, 172 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: this is a subject of not inconsequential interest. We'll have 173 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: to see how the rights are, but it's not out 174 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: of the question. We don't want to talk about Michael's money, 175 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: but it does matter to a lot of people who 176 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,719 Speaker 1: are not small businesses. Well, the whole thing is is 177 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,719 Speaker 1: a little bit crazy because they're going to have to 178 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: try to write these rules and somehow distinguished between all 179 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: the hedge funds, all the private equity guys, all the 180 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: people UH present company included, perhaps who could just simply 181 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: turn ourselves into a pass through to be eat the system. 182 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: I want to back up, you were the cars are, etcetera. 183 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: I know you hate that phrase. I don't care. You 184 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: were the cars are, and you had to herd cats 185 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: across many institutions in Washington. If you were the texts are. Now, 186 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: given your tangible, real world experience in the trenches of 187 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: the Beltway, what would you do is texts are? Well? 188 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: For first of all, I was able to succeed is 189 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: cars are because I didn't have to deal with Congress. 190 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: Taxes you have to go to Congress. But let's assume, 191 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: let's assume you don't look. There's no doubt that the 192 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: tax code is riddled with problems. The corporate side of 193 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: the tax code creates all the wrong incentives, all kinds 194 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: of distancentives to invest here, to locate here. You would 195 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: certainly change that. Around the personal side, there's a certain 196 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: number of deductions, uh, certain of loophole's. You know, the 197 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 1: six Tax Act did a pretty good job, still amazingly enough, 198 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: of cleaning out the worst of the shelters. So I 199 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: would I would eliminate a bunch of individual deductions. I 200 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: would fix the corporate tax code. I would try to 201 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: lower rates, but I would do it on a deficit 202 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 1: neutral basis. And I knew I knew you were going 203 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: knew I was going to say, I've seen a single article, 204 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:09,599 Speaker 1: Tax Policy Center, Joint Tax all the other experts on this. 205 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 1: That's a pipe dream to be deficit neutral, right, Why 206 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: is that a pipe dree I'm asking you. I'm asking you. No, Look, 207 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: it's not a pipe dream. It's easy enough to do. 208 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: You just have to not cut some taxes as much. 209 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: And and the problem is that the deficit has been 210 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 1: going is going up at the moment on the order 211 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: of the say very round numbers a hundred billion dollars 212 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: a year. We're on the wrong end of the expansionary cycle. 213 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: This is not a time for a stimulative tax cut. 214 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,319 Speaker 1: It's just not in here. Yeah, I want to follow 215 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: on that because obviously you spent all your time looking 216 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: at financial markets. What's the danger that we see interest 217 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: rates rise more than they should because you've raised the 218 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: deficits significantly, and then you run into a problem where 219 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 1: you're working against yourself. Well, well, by definition, interest rates 220 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: full rise more than the otherwise would have. It has to. 221 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: It's just math. But what the but what the sort 222 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 1: of uh conservatives for lack of a better word, want 223 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: you know want in fact is a tighter fed policy 224 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: and a lucio fiscal policy that that was the recipe 225 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: back in the Reagan years, and it's the recipe again today. 226 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 1: I don't particularly see the argument for piling on more 227 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: debt that we're going to leave to our kids. Okay, 228 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: but within that tandem to review, they want a bigger deficit. 229 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: What do you mean by tighter FED policy? They want 230 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: more rate hikes, they want a more restrictive monetary policy. Sure. 231 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 1: I mean, if you look at the tailor rule and 232 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: what low rate don it's low rate Janet, low rate Donald, 233 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 1: it's but Janet is leaving and Donald absolutely is a 234 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: low rate guy. But I didn't say I didn't say Donald. 235 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: I said the conservatives, the traditional sort of fairly hard 236 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 1: right conservatives. They hated the Quei. They want that gone 237 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: and done. They think rate should have gone up sooner, 238 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: keeven Kevin Warsh. They have power in Steve Ratner's Washington 239 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: to the conservatives of know. What's what's so interesting is 240 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: that the president made his choice and uh and I 241 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: wrote a p about it, one of the one much 242 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: to my happy surprise, he actually picked the right guy, 243 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: and he made it. He took a stand against Mike Pence, 244 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: who wanted John Taylor, against the traditional conservatives who wanted 245 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: uh John Kevin Worsher, John Taylor type, and he picked 246 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: someone who's, you know, not that different from Janet Yellen 247 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,839 Speaker 1: and that's great. Well, where do they go from here? 248 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: Do you think? Do they continue with traditional um, well 249 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: known kinds of people or do they put a Trump 250 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,719 Speaker 1: agenda in there into the Fed? I don't, I don't know. 251 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: You know, sometimes it becomes like Noah's Ark, where if 252 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: you give one faction somebody, then you have to give 253 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: the other faction somebody to exactly that's exactly you need 254 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,599 Speaker 1: a Republican um. So we'll see where it goes. But 255 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: the chairman, as you know, uh, the last time a 256 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: chairman was outvoted was Bill Miller in seventy something or another. 257 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: I was actually covering it back then. So the chairman 258 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: wheel is enormous power, enormous influence. Don't you hate it? Tom? 259 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,559 Speaker 1: And he knows more about reporting than we do. I 260 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: don't know more, but I did it for a good while. 261 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,839 Speaker 1: William Miller is a lot of people. But this is 262 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: that brings up a good point, Steve. Right now, the 263 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: collective memory of Washington is about one election ago. They 264 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: really don't have a memory of vulgar. They don't have 265 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: a memory that nobody. They don't have a memory of 266 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: mckchesley Martin. I mean, there's there's really no historical memory 267 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: that is that that is true on tax reform, What 268 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: should we look for next? We've had the Senate trot 269 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: out what are you looking for into the weekend of 270 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: the Sunday talk shows and then into the holiday season. 271 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: I'm not sure too well. They certainly hope to pass 272 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: something in the holiday season. I look at what we're 273 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: obviously looking for is to see uh in individual senators 274 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: and then the Republicans who are in the bluer states 275 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: where there are state and local tax deduction issues there 276 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: that Peter called Peter King has made his position clear, 277 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: But to why watch these swing voters, because it's gonna 278 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: be like healthcare, We're gonna have to they're gonna have 279 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: to be counting votes, and they're gonna have to be 280 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: counting votes in the House this time as well as 281 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: the Senate. The House wasn't so hard for them last time. 282 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: But there are a number of Republicans. Some people say 283 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: it's twenty, some thirty, some thirty some forty. We don't 284 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: know who who could well be influenced by the salt issue. 285 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: And then on the Senate side, it's, you know, it's 286 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: a bit of a director set. You've got you've got 287 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: to you've got to assemble fifty and if you and 288 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: if one drops out, you've got to find another one 289 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: and put in their place. So the trade off between 290 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: the estate tax and the other kinds of things, Corker 291 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: and his deficit concerns, they're gonna have to try to 292 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: juggle all that and come up with fifty votes. And 293 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: that's what we're gonna be watching. Well, since you come 294 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: from both worlds political and financial, um, do you think 295 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: that this is uh going to be a situation where 296 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: Republicans are so desperate for a win it won't matter 297 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: what's in the bill, They'll just pass something. I think 298 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 1: if we're up to the White House, that would be 299 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: the case. And probably even the leadership they are desperate 300 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: for a bill because if they don't get this bill done, 301 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: and perhaps if they don't get this bill done this year, 302 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: then they could end up going to the eighteen elections 303 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: with nothing, and that is something that terrifies the leadership. 304 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: The rank and file. They have to worry about their 305 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: own skins. They're not worried so much about the party 306 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: because I let me say one last thing. The Virginia 307 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: results and all the other results that happened that day 308 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: could be a watershed here because it was a message 309 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: and it may well influence a number of Republicans who 310 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: are on the edge as to whether vote for another 311 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: program that, by the time it's over, in my prediction, 312 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: will be as unpopular as their healthcare play. And Steve, 313 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: this is the distrust that Mike brought up on passers 314 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: at the beginning. Mike and Steve, have you got nothing 315 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: to do this weekend? Out in East Hampton South, there's 316 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: a thirty million dollar unit, and the headline here and 317 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: thirty million dollars is it's two thousand eight square feet, 318 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: uh two bedroom to bath. So the headline here is 319 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: it's on three point six acres, which is how you 320 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: get out to thirty million dollars. Rob Urban has a 321 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: phenomenal Bloomberg story how they're already game in the system. 322 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: They're gonna turn vacation homes into investment properties to get 323 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 1: around the legislation. Our audience believes the fancy guys like 324 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: you and others are going to gain the system. Why 325 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 1: will that not happen? Uh, it will happen, and it 326 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 1: always happens. And the problem with this tax bill is 327 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: that in some ways it makes it more complicated than 328 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: less because of the past. Through is because of all 329 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: these rules, and if you really genuinely wanted to reform 330 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: the tax code, you'd get rid of a lot of 331 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: this stuff that allows people to game the system. But 332 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: they're not doing that. Mike, this property says you. Actually 333 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: it's idyllic. It's an idyllic property. Well, I read that. 334 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 1: When I read the Senate bill last night. My first 335 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: thought was I should incorporate as a limited partnership or 336 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: limited liability corporation and buy a house through the corporation 337 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: because the state and local tax deduction remains for companies 338 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: even though individuals losing. So, I mean, you can see 339 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: the route to gaming this just laid out. We're trying 340 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: to give you perspective on some of these events, including 341 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: tax reform now, and really get away from the cliches 342 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: that are out there. You can do that with Stephen 343 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: Ratner will It Advisors, Michael, When you start us off, well, 344 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: I was going to ask him a non tax question 345 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: because I noted the story, and and you had Harvard 346 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: football coach on yesterday to Murphy, there's a possibility of 347 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: a seven way tie in the eight team IVY League 348 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: in football this year for first place. There's only one 349 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: team that's winless at the bottom of the conference that 350 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:37,439 Speaker 1: cannot possibly tie Brown University. Now Brown University graduates. Stephen 351 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: Ratner is with you've done your homework. You know when 352 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 1: I was at Brown, we were pretty much winless. The 353 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: only team that was worse was Columbia, And so I 354 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 1: guess we're right back where we started from. Tom Tom, 355 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:52,959 Speaker 1: and I well, Columbia three and two started from they 356 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: have they have turned things around. We were doing college 357 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 1: football today since we we thought we would. We get 358 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 1: your contribution in there. Thank you for sharing um the 359 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 1: the The distinguished journalist John Hartwood from The New York 360 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: Times and a competitor of ours, did an interview yesterday 361 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 1: with Gary Kohne in which Gary Cohne suggested that the 362 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: tax reform plan will be a perfect example of trickle 363 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: down economics. By helping the rich and businesses, it will 364 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: mean higher pay for the average worker. From what you've seen, 365 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: do you think there's any truth to that, well, you know, look, 366 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,160 Speaker 1: there's a little bit of truth to it. But it's 367 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:40,120 Speaker 1: now been hotly debated or relitigated within the economics community 368 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: for the last few weeks, as you guys have undoubtedly 369 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: followed and saw on it, and I think by far 370 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 1: the better argument is that the is that the share 371 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: of any kind of corporate tax cut that would actually 372 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: go to the workers versus go to the capitalists like 373 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: myself is very small. This idea that it's going to 374 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: raise family incomes by four thousand dollars, and all this, 375 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: I think has been has been thoroughly and completely proven 376 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:07,719 Speaker 1: to be ridiculous. So does it Who gets something out 377 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: of this? Obviously there's a lot in there for Donald 378 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: Trump and his family, but who else? Owners of capital 379 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: get a lot out of this? And if you want 380 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: to know why the stock market is up seventeen percent 381 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: or wherever it is at the moment for the year, 382 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:21,640 Speaker 1: a lot of this obviously, and part of why it's 383 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: been week the last few days as anticipation of a 384 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: significant corporate rate cut that would flow right down directly 385 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: to the EPs line, ray share prices and those of 386 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: us who own shares, which is a relatively small fraction 387 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: of the country would be a good bit better off. 388 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: The debate I find extraordinary, and it is to me 389 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: a debate of a plutocracy. Are we a national plutocracy? 390 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: It's interesting, I think, and this is gonna sound very partisan, 391 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,479 Speaker 1: but I think the Republicans have managed to operate as 392 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: a plutocracy while pretending that they are something else that 393 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: there for the middle class, that they want to help 394 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: the average American, they want to help the forgotten Trump voter, whatever. 395 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: But as we saw in healthcare, people didn't ultimately buy it. 396 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: And I think in the case of tax reform, as 397 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: this unfolds, as you get more and more dispassionate and 398 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: now you know nonpartisan analyses from Tax Policy Center and 399 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,639 Speaker 1: Committee for Responsible Federal Budget and people like that, I 400 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: think that the public will figure out that there is 401 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: nothing in this tax plan for them of any consequence. 402 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: Greg Ville leads is the Zack Seos today with the 403 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,680 Speaker 1: basic idea after Virginia that Republicans are in panic, and 404 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: there's levels of panic that I understand. Virginia's its own demographics. 405 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: Can you extrapolate political Virginia to the rest of the 406 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: Republican nation, Well, I think there's two. I think there's 407 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: two implications that I mentioned. First, as I said earlier, 408 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 1: I think they are in panic. I think Virginia is 409 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: not unique, it's a it's actually a purple state. It's 410 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: very reflective of the country, and I think this is 411 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: what happened there, I think is scary to many Republican legislators, 412 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: and I think it is going to lead them to 413 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: be more careful and how how blindly they simply follow 414 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: these silly policies. And then secondly, yes, the House of 415 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,200 Speaker 1: Representatives is jerrymannerd. We all know that. But there have 416 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: been studies done that if the Democrats get say a 417 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: three percent higher votes share than the Republicans, they could 418 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: take the House. And right now, if you look at 419 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: the polls, the public is giving the Democrats a much 420 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: higher votes share than that. So I think there is 421 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 1: I think there's a better than fifty fifty chance at 422 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: the House flips, and if the House flips, the game changes. 423 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: When when as an investor do you start taking that 424 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: into account? Look, this is, this is you know, this 425 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 1: is we need an hour for this, and it's a 426 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: very complicated. It's very complicated work. It's very complicated. We've 427 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: studied this bullmarket endlessly and I could argue both sides 428 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: of it, but yeah, we take it into account. We're 429 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: being cautious, we're being careful. We're not plunging into into 430 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: deep water. Thank you guys, fun as always, great Mike, 431 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: what did you take out of it? I mean, to me, 432 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: it's it's I don't know. I still don't understand how 433 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,680 Speaker 1: they get this done before twelve three? You I just 434 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: can't get there, can you? Um? Well, I think the 435 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 1: argument is that they're so desperate to get something done 436 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 1: that they will make compromises they might not otherwise make. 437 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: The biggest one you gotta try to figure out how 438 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 1: they're gonna do is the state and local tax deduction. 439 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: Because the Republicans in the House in California, New Jersey, 440 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 1: New York states like that, they can't vote for it 441 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: or I mean, they're signing their own political death ward. 442 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: So how do you compromise on that and then make 443 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: up the differences of the money that you lose? How 444 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 1: I go to Mr Rattlers comment on one point five 445 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,880 Speaker 1: trillion dollar whole, and then you even go from there, 446 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: I mean, how do they how do they get there? 447 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: They've gotten there in the last twenty four hours. I 448 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: believe they modeled out something at one point four or 449 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 1: five trillion or something. Sure that will change by the 450 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: time we end the show today. Michael McKeon for David, 451 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:04,360 Speaker 1: I'm Tim Keene and to be honest on a November, cold, 452 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: November morning, Michael, it's too late to be the book 453 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: of the year, but this is without question the lead 454 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: candidate to be my book of next summer. How Global 455 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: Currencies Work, Past, Present, in future. A gentleman of named 456 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,960 Speaker 1: Harold James at Princeton University just says this could be 457 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: the new standard. This is the book that everyone on 458 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: Global Wall Street will be reading in two thousand eighteen. Mike, 459 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: you will go on an airplane and up in fancy class. 460 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: There will be one, two and three copies of this 461 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: for needed airplane reading. I can Green, mel and T 462 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 1: two How Global Currencies Work Berry Iken Green joins us, 463 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: the esteemed historian from Berkeley Berry. How does this book 464 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: differ from exorbitant Privilege? How does it differ from your 465 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: classics Golden Fetters and globalizing capital? Uh? Thank you for 466 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,440 Speaker 1: bringing it to your your audiences. Attempt and Tom it 467 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: differs in two ways. Number one, it is more systematic 468 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: about the evidence, so the book is full of facts 469 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: and figures, new ones, both historic and current, about the 470 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: roles of the dollar and its rivals. And number two 471 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 1: are views of the future have changed, so we're more 472 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: optimistic about the Euro. I think people have been too 473 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: pessimistic about the prospects of the Euro as a global currency. 474 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: On the other hand, were more guarded or cautious about 475 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: the Chinese. Friendly and b Your book has a cover 476 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: of an E. Howard watch company, Boston, Massachusetts. I'm going 477 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: to say an ancient movement of of a pocket watch. 478 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: Is it a well running Swiss watch system? Does the 479 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 1: system work well? The system is still ticking. Um, I 480 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: think uh, we have to worry about the stability of 481 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: the mechanism. Um. Things could go wrong to undermine confidence 482 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: in the dollar, from another debt ceiling embrolio to UH 483 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: foreign policy problems between the US and its allies. I 484 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: do think the Euro has put the worst behind it, 485 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 1: but the Chinese still have big challenges in terms of 486 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: currency internationalization that they have insolved, and how the world 487 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: will cope with three with multiple global currencies. Only time 488 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: will tell how being how has the world been coping 489 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 1: so far? I mean, the Chinese got into the to 490 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: the SDR basket at the i m F last year, 491 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: doesn't seem to have made a whole lot of difference. 492 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: As near as I can tell. The amount of men 493 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 1: be traded UM has gone down over the last year. 494 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: You're right, Michael, that it's still a dollar centered, dollar 495 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:59,360 Speaker 1: centric world. That the Renman b has made negative progress, 496 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 1: if you will, not only in terms of foreign exchange trading, 497 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: but on every other metric of global currency nous. The 498 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: Chinese haven't yet built deep in liquid markets. Uh. The 499 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:20,680 Speaker 1: overnight announcement about bank internationalization will help, but it won't 500 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: solve that problem at a stroke. And they have a 501 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: big problem in terms of stability. The market is volatile 502 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: and confidence that people inevitably have questions about contract enforcement 503 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 1: and rule of law in China. What do you think 504 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: of the decision today by the Chinese to open up 505 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: to the their financial system to outsiders. Is that going 506 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:48,120 Speaker 1: to materially change the use of their ENMNB or people 507 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: still gonna want to just um convert because capital controls. 508 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: You know, they can't trust the Chinese. You can put 509 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 1: bring your money in, but you might not be able 510 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,360 Speaker 1: to bring it back out. I don't think it will 511 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 1: materially change anything in the short run. It will take 512 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: time for foreign banks to come in and purchase majority stakes. 513 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 1: That fact will take more time to change the behavior 514 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 1: of the banks and how they relate to the state 515 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 1: and to state owned enterprises. So the experience of other 516 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 1: countries has shown that foreign bank presence is a good thing. 517 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:31,119 Speaker 1: It's a stabilizing thing that helps with market liquidity and stability. 518 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 1: But not overnight. Well then, um, how soon or you know, 519 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: do we at all see the Chinese currency gain enough 520 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: market share that we talked about it seriously as a 521 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: third global reserve currency. If you asked me six or 522 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: seven years ago when I put out that booking sort 523 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: but and privilege, I would have probably hazarded the guests 524 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 1: within within a decade. I'm more guarded now. I think 525 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: it will take a generation before the Renman b begins 526 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: to play the kind of global role that the dollar does. 527 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: Arry I con agreed with us the professor of Berkeley, 528 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:17,120 Speaker 1: right down the hall from Brad DeLong, how global currencies 529 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: work past present in future. How often do you run 530 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: into Brad DeLong? Are you like two ships passing in 531 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 1: the night. Are you having coffee every morning arguing with 532 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: each other? No, we passed mainly in the hallway in 533 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 1: the seminar room, but um Brad ducks into my office. 534 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,960 Speaker 1: That's not an argument. But it's so long, uh discussions. 535 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: So that's really one of the pleasures of being academic. 536 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: We have time and we have those colleagues. Interesting. Interesting 537 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: Barry with the question that Mike head there on on 538 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: what we're doing with the dollar? Where do we stand 539 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: on our fiscal moment in this United States? You know 540 00:29:54,880 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 1: Reagan deficit GDP. Now we're out paste depends you measure 541 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: in folks, But we've piled on a lot of debt. 542 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: Does that give pause to bury Ion Green? It gives 543 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: me great pause. I'm not a believer that there is 544 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: some threshold level of debt like GDP, after which you 545 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: you reach a tipping point. But I do think we 546 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: need to be worried about the longer term fiscal projections 547 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: put out by the CBO and others, about social security liabilities, 548 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: about state and local pension liabilities. So given that, given 549 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: that we're in a near full employment economy, now is 550 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 1: not the time to be cutting taxes and incurring another 551 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: one five killion dollars of debt. There's a an argument 552 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: made that that level um came by the book. This 553 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: time it's different by Ken Rogoff and Company, that the 554 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 1: US is serve exempt from that. We're we're the exception 555 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: to the rule because there's economy like US and we 556 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 1: have the world's reserve currency. Do you do you put 557 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: much credence in that? Is that part of the reason 558 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: you are less worried. I think we do have more 559 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 1: room to run because we have this additional source of 560 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: demand for our treasury bonds, which is foreign central banks 561 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: and global investors, until we get to the point where 562 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: that fan drives up in a confidence crisis. So we're 563 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 1: not exempt from the eventual confidence crisis if if we 564 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: court it. Very I can read with us as we celebrate, 565 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: as he mentioned, a detailed book, a dense book, and 566 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 1: I mean that in a good way, how global currencies 567 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 1: work past president in future. To give you the idea 568 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: of the scope and scale, Professor I Can Green and 569 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 1: his team open with Angus Madison and Mr Kindleberger Charles 570 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: Kindleberger of m I T, two of the giants of 571 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: the history of all the stuff we talk about UH, 572 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: and it's really just an immediate read as he goes 573 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: from currency to currency prospects for the Renminbi, the role 574 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: of currencies in foreign trade, which maybe Mike is something 575 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: we can talk about. We are with very Green and 576 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: Berkeley truly in celebration of our global currencies work, past, present, 577 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: in future. Very unquantitative tightening your lecturing at Berkeley right now, 578 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: what does that phrase mean? If we have a move 579 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: from QA, are we going to something like quantitative tightening? 580 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 1: If we were about to see the FED and other 581 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: central banks actively shrinking their balance sheets and selling securities 582 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 1: they hold into the markets, then yes, I think we 583 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: would worry about quantitative tidening, tightening and big negative impacts 584 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: on securities markets. But the fact of the matter is 585 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: there simply allowing UH securities to roll over, their roll 586 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: off their portfolios as they mature, and they're not actively 587 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: selling into the market. So I wouldn't I wouldn't at 588 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: this point, And guess what Ben Bernanke says, Yeah, Um, 589 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: there is still some concern though about you know, we 590 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: saw rates come down when the FED was buying security, 591 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: so why shouldn't rates go up? When they are no 592 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 1: longer buying them, and to a certain extent probably uh 593 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: selling them. Well, the FEDS stopped buying quite some time ago. 594 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 1: Now they're you know, they're talking about balance sheet reduction. Uh. 595 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 1: And the issue is are they going to do it 596 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: actively or passively? And for all intents and purposes, the 597 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: answer is passively, so you're not worried about rates moving 598 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: higher or in a destabilizing manner. I don't think the 599 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: FED would be the trigger for them moving higher. If 600 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 1: there was news about the labor market, for example, in 601 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: wage just began to take off, that would be a 602 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: different story. But the FED would not be the trigger 603 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: for them. Professor, we have models that we've all learned, 604 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: and some like you have learned them better than and 605 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 1: most everyone else. I'll go back to Hicks I s 606 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:17,280 Speaker 1: LM model just as one classic economic system maybe marshal 607 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 1: of years ago. Did those models work now? Or is 608 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 1: Barry Ike and Green's international system become so supple, so rapid, 609 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: so fast that the traditional models just don't work. We 610 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: really had a wake up call in two thousand seven, 611 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: two and eight that the models work imperfectly. I would 612 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: defend those old school models. Is pretty pretty much still 613 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:51,800 Speaker 1: the best thing going, but I would be reluctant to 614 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: hang my hat on them. I think progress is being 615 00:34:55,640 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: made through big data and computation and applying microeconomic data 616 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 1: to macro economic questions. So that's a different kind of modeling. 617 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:10,720 Speaker 1: I'm wondering, Um, we were we were just talking about 618 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: we were kidding, well kidding, but we're talking about Shohaio Tani, 619 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 1: the Japanese baseball player. But I'm wondering it has been 620 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 1: wondering about the end at this point. The President was 621 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,400 Speaker 1: just over there and he's talking with Shinzo Abi, and 622 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 1: you know, it just seems like Japan is treading water. Um, 623 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: they don't get any better, they don't get any worse. Uh, 624 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: their personal you know, their per capita GDP gets a 625 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 1: little bit better, so people remain relatively happy. And yet um, 626 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: the end still is one of the most used currencies 627 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 1: in the world, and is everybody's out of the dollar 628 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,840 Speaker 1: favorite haven. Does that continue over the long term we 629 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:50,399 Speaker 1: were talking about, you know what happens with the red 630 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,320 Speaker 1: nd B. Does the end continue to be play the 631 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 1: role that it has played? If there ultimately is the 632 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:03,359 Speaker 1: um the Japanese debt crisis that some people have been 633 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: betting on in that we don't make or trade for 634 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: decades now, then the end falls out of favor. But 635 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: I think if Japan continues to cruise along under the 636 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 1: radar where they wrote decently given their demographics, where the 637 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 1: central bank does begin to bring inflation up towards two, 638 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,800 Speaker 1: then I think the yen remains where it is not 639 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 1: the leading global currency but one of the players. Very 640 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 1: thank you so much, Professor Green. Folks out with the 641 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: jewel with ar Nold, Bill and Olivia should do how 642 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,919 Speaker 1: global currencies work past present in future. There's two kind 643 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:46,279 Speaker 1: of Iken Green books. There's sort of a thicker wandering book, 644 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: which are fabulous, they're all great books. And then there 645 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,680 Speaker 1: this is a new addition to that series of shorter 646 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: dnser two hundred page jewels with an emphasis on the 647 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: word denser and the reason. But read these if you 648 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:05,960 Speaker 1: learn something every three pages. It's written that tightly, and 649 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: you see that. Michael mckeeon how global Currencies work. I 650 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,560 Speaker 1: hate Michael Barry, hate Berry. I can Green because instead 651 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 1: of watching Lions Browns, I have to read How Global 652 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:21,200 Speaker 1: Currencies Work this weekend. Well, you can read the book 653 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: because all you need is like a quarter just to 654 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 1: see the lions. Did see the lions? And I can 655 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,880 Speaker 1: watch it with a sound off. Maybe I'll get through it. 656 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:31,359 Speaker 1: Berry Green, thank you so much how global currencies work. 657 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Bloomberg Surveillance podcast. Subscribe and 658 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 1: listen to interviews on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, or whichever podcast 659 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 1: platform you prefer. I'm on Twitter at Tom Keene. David 660 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 1: Gura is at David Gura. Before the podcast, you can 661 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:00,759 Speaker 1: always catch us worldwide. I'm Bloomberg Radio