1 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Penel Podcast. I'm Paul Swinge. You, 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: along with my co host Lisa Brahma wits each day 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: we bring you the most noteworthy and useful interviews for 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: you and your money. Whether at the grocery store or 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: the trading floor, find a Bloomberg penl podcast on Apple 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg dot com. Apple driving lower down two point 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: four per cent. What's interesting is that Wall Street analysts, 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: notorious for their bullishness, have turned bearish largely about Apple 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: and haven't been this pessimistic about Apple in a very 11 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: long time, multi decades. Joining us now, John Butler, senior 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: Telecom Services and Equipment analysts for Bloomberg Intelligence here in 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: our Bloomberg Interactive Broker's Studios to John, why have Wall 14 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: Street cell side analysts gotten so bearish on Apple? Honestly, Lisa, 15 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: I think it's a whole subset of factors at work 16 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: right now. Um, you know, we're still in the midst 17 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:06,199 Speaker 1: of this trade turmoil with China, and my concern is that, 18 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: you know, some of the tensions we've had with with 19 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: Beijing and some of the issues with Huawei have fueled 20 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: nationalist buying sentiment among the Chinese consumers. And keep in 21 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: mind that China is well over n of Apple sales 22 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: in any given quarters, so it's a big important region 23 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: for them. And I think if we continue to see weakness, 24 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: they're stemming from that nationalist sentiment. Uh, that's an issue. 25 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: And also I think that the departure of chief designer 26 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: Johnny i've Is is a big concern, you know, because 27 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: well he was the face of the brand, you know, 28 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: whenever they launched new iPhones, I this front and center 29 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: in presenting the new product. He is an industrial designer 30 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: with um you know, a real folk us on every 31 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: little detail. And so the question is can the new 32 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: team that's taking over that was trained by him really 33 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: fill those huge shoes? And I think there's a question 34 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: mark around that, and so you know, it's just and 35 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: you couple that with the with the mature status of 36 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: the smartphone market itself. The global market looks like the 37 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 1: PC market. You know, it's growing low single digit in 38 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: a good year. And so you know the question is 39 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: will Apple and make that pivot to services? I think yes, 40 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: But how quickly is really on people's minds right now. 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: So I think it's all those factors. Just to give 42 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: you a sense of the names behind this, rosen Platt 43 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: Securities downgraded the company to sell today, joining New Street 44 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: Research and HSPC, which had previously lowered the ratings in 45 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: this dock to sell uh in April and in January, 46 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: and also on the iPhone, just to give you a sense, 47 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,679 Speaker 1: more than sixty Apple's revenue last year was related to 48 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: the iPhone coming from China. Key question for people who 49 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: want to feel a little bit bullish and Apple after 50 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: a twenty seven and a half percent gain so far 51 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: year to date, what could drive the company higher at 52 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: this point? So a couple of things. Number One, it's 53 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 1: a cyclical growth story. Now. I think people have been 54 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: sort of slow to realize that those glory days of 55 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: sustained quarter and in quarter out growth for Apple is over. 56 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: They're going to have good years in bad and we're 57 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: currently going through a tough year in terms of iPhone sales. 58 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: But I think we're going to come into a good year, 59 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: or the advent of a good year, let's say for 60 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: iPhone sales starting a year from September, when we see 61 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: what I hope will be the first five G I 62 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: phone hit the market. UM, So iPhone sales are tough 63 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: right now. We'll get into next year the comps begin 64 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: to ease, because they'll be the growth will be in 65 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: compar harrison to this year, which so far has been 66 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: very difficult. The bar will be lower. The bar will 67 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: be lower more easily, and we'll get that new five 68 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: G phone hopefully. Talking about five G and talking about networks, 69 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: there was another bit of tech news that I'd love 70 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: to get your views on. There was a rumor that 71 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: Google was in the running to acquire Dish Network UH 72 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: possibly part of Dish Network, to create that fourth carrier. 73 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: And this comes as T Mobile and Dish we're trying 74 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: to have a tie up at the antitrust concerns, they're 75 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: Google now denying it. What's the latest. This is interesting 76 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: to me because Google has flirted with the wireless market 77 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: BEFO with Google five, which is basically their whole saling 78 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: UH network UM carriage from a T and T Verizon 79 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: sprint from a major carrier, reselling it as Google Fly. 80 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: So they have an interest in the business. They've toyed 81 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: with it. Could they become a carrier in partnership with 82 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: Dish or would they have an interest doing so maybe. 83 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: My my first thought when I saw the news was though, 84 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: why would they want to become so heavily regulated? Right? 85 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: Because Google or Amazon or whoever, they've both been rumored 86 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: if you get into the wireless business in a big way, 87 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: you're you're you threatened with regulation by the federal government, 88 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: right because telecoms a regulated business, wire line more so 89 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 1: than wireless. But I think in coming years wireless is 90 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: going to become more heavily regulated, and so I don't 91 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: know why they would want to step into that world, 92 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: but from from that angle, but then again, they're an 93 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: ad company, and if you believe the Internet is going mobile, 94 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: which I do, internet advertising is going mobile. So if 95 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: you actually own the subscribers, you can get a lot 96 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: of data from that subscriber base, perform analytics on it, 97 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: and get higher rates for your advertising. So I think 98 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: from Google standpoint, that would be the rationale to buy 99 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 1: into it. So this, of course, just to give you 100 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: some sense of the details. Here, New York Post reporting 101 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: uh that Alphabet was recently in talks with Dish Network 102 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: about creating a fourth US mobile carrier, and this would 103 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: stem from the the whole issue of whether to create 104 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: a new network UH stemming from the T Mobile UH 105 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: Sprint tie up and Google saying no, this isn't happening. Well, 106 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: let's clarify for a sex. So Dish has already said 107 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: they're going to build a five G wireless network from scratch, 108 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: but with the T Mobile Sprint deal under pressure from regulators, 109 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: one of the concessions is rumored to be the sale 110 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: of Sprints prepaid business and that would open the lane 111 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: for Dish and Goal to get into the business. John 112 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: Butler always a pleasure, so much to talk about. John 113 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: Butler is senior Telecom Services and Equipment Analyst with the 114 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Intelligence. There is a big question as in a 115 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: number of investors focus on companies and say, hey, we 116 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: want you to do the right thing. What does it 117 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: mean to do the right thing? And joining us now 118 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: in our Bloomberg Interactive Broker Studios is Joey Bergstein, chief 119 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: executive officer of Seventh Generation. He normally is based in Burlington, Vermont, 120 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: but here in New York today Seventh Generation. Of course, 121 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: if you ever have had a child and bought diapers 122 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: for them and want them to be more environmentally sustainable. 123 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: UH seventh Generation has that as well as cleaning products 124 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: and other household items. Joey, I want to start with 125 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: I know that you have been very active in lobbying 126 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: for responsible environmental policy is in Washington, d C. What 127 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: is the most basic step that companies could currently take 128 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: to make themselves better for the environment. I think the 129 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: most important thing is for companies to take accountability for 130 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: the impact they're having on the world around us. So 131 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: we as a company, we've got a mission which is 132 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: about transforming the world into a healthier and more sustainable 133 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: and more equitable place for the next seven generations. It's 134 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: not just about selling more eco friendly home and personal 135 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: care products. Of course that's really important, UM, But what 136 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 1: we really want companies to do, and starting with ourselves, 137 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: is to take accountability for the impact that we have 138 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: on the world. So starting with an internal carbon tax, 139 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: taxing yourself on the pollution that you're putting out into 140 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,199 Speaker 1: the world around us, taking a stance in the industry, 141 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: and trying to have an impact to move to move 142 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: all companies to take that kind of a stance. We 143 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: think that there's what we know that there's a real 144 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: consensus today not just around climate change, with climate scientists 145 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: have a consensus on, but that the economists around us 146 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: also have reached a consensus that the best way to 147 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: address climate change is in fact through carbon pricing, which 148 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: is very simply just companies being held accountable for the 149 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: pollution that they create. How much do you feel like 150 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: an outlier in terms of a company taking these actions, 151 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: because we've heard from a number of big companies, whether 152 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: it's Nestly or or or Coca Cola, that they're trying 153 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:23,599 Speaker 1: to do the same. I mean, do you feel like 154 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: there is an earnest effort on behalf of the world's 155 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: biggest corporations to do what you're doing. Yeah, Well, rather 156 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: than outlier, I prefer to think about us as a 157 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: pioneer um. But interestingly, we were with the Series, which 158 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 1: is a tremendous organization that's pulling the business voice together 159 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 1: around the need for climate change. We were together in 160 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: d C. There's over a hundred CEOs getting together to 161 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: to talk about the change that we need to create. 162 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: It represented over three trillion dollars worth of revenue, over 163 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 1: seven hundred thousand employees represented. So I would say we 164 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: are definitely not at the fringe that more and more 165 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: businesses are waking up of the need to actually take 166 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: these kinds of stances and have an impact on the 167 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,079 Speaker 1: world around us. So what are some of the next 168 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,079 Speaker 1: innovations that you expect with respect to both housing products 169 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: as well as how to create them in a sustainable manner. Yeah, 170 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: I think, um, there's a lot of innovation around how 171 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: do we reduce the impact that we're having around in 172 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: the world around us, particularly around plastic and eliminating the plastics. UM. 173 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: We're doing some work right now in concentrating our laundry 174 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: detergent uh into a for the for the same amount 175 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: of loads of sixty six loads delivered through twenty three 176 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: instead of a hundred ounces, So that means less plastic 177 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: less um uh sorry, seventy less weight, sixty less plastic, 178 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: fifty less water. All those things reduce the environmental footprint 179 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: of the products that we sell. And want to see 180 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: other companies taking similar conds of stances. Could you see 181 00:10:55,520 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: a realistic scenario in which UH consumer good companies did 182 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: eliminate plastics in their future? I think so. I think yeah, 183 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: I think, well, we're seeing it's not going to happen 184 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: in the in tomorrow. Um, but I think we're seeing 185 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: companies across the spectrum looking at how can they eliminate 186 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: the plastics is the single use plastics associated with the 187 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:20,599 Speaker 1: products that they make. The issue, though, is not necessarily 188 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: just plastic. The issue is plastic waste and really creating 189 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: systemic solutions to address the waste that we're all faced 190 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: with today and to take that out of the world 191 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: around us, meaning basically coming up with innovative ways to recycle. 192 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: Is that the idea, I think so in making recycling systemic. 193 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: So today only about thirty percent of plastic gets recycled 194 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: in this country, if we can move it up to 195 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: that addresses a huge amount of the issues that we 196 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,719 Speaker 1: are that we're faced with today. Just real quickly here, 197 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: I'm wondering, how do you pair the idea of having 198 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 1: this important mission while squaring that with making money and 199 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 1: offering products that people want to buy and you know, 200 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: trying to have the highest quality of goods. I think 201 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: that you go hand in hand. I think people really 202 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: respect companies that are taking a stance and doing the 203 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: right thing, that are a champion for their rights, and 204 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: we see that paying back with with loyalty, with people 205 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: really appreciating our brand or products and the difference that 206 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: we're trying to make in the world. And I think 207 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: when you stand up for consumers, they stand up for you. 208 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: Joey Berkstein, thank you so much for being with us. 209 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: Thank you. Joey Bergstein is chief executive officer of Seventh Generation. 210 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: Joining us here in New York. We are watching Deutsche 211 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: Bank shares off earlier lows, which had been down nearly 212 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: seven percent. I'm looking at the A d R S 213 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: American Depository receipts right now. Shares in the US trading 214 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: down five point two percent as those eighteen thousand job 215 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: cuts begin. Joining us now from London. A Lisa Martin 216 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: newsy a columnist ring Finance for Bloomberg Opinion. A. Lisa, 217 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being with us. Before we 218 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: get into the details of the plan. What is the 219 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: mood like that you're hearing about among some of the 220 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: people who are being told today they will no longer 221 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: be working at Deutsche Bank. I think it feels a 222 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: little bit like Deutsche Bank's Lehman moment, where you have 223 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:25,079 Speaker 1: hordes of traders and bankers that are being told to 224 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: go as the bank starts cutting these eighteen thousand jobs, 225 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 1: so in total, about twenty of the global workforce. Um. So, yes, 226 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 1: that that's kind of how it feels internally at the moment, 227 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: and it contrasts with a somewhat upbeat tone that the 228 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: management has tried to convey today. They're keen to show 229 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: the bankers finding is reinventing itself. It's finding its new 230 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: north star, so to speak, which is going to be 231 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: you know, significantly away from the trading floor. So Alisa, 232 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: why our shareholders not buying this? Why are they? Why 233 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: are they selling this news? And you're seeing it in 234 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: the bonds too that were initially higher but now they're lower. 235 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: Why is everybody so pessimistic about the efficacy of this plan? 236 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 1: I think there are a couple of things going on here. 237 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: First of all, there has been a drip feed of 238 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 1: information for the last three or four weeks about what 239 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: this plan would look like. So you know, there was 240 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: a little bit of news um in terms of the 241 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: magnitude of the bad bank and the the you know, 242 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: the potential for how much the bank can return to 243 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: shareholders over time, So that should have provided some obside. 244 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: But I think a lot of the expectations have already 245 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: been priced in, and secondly, I think investors are concerned 246 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: about the credibility of this plan with regards to the 247 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: execution risk. There's a lot that needs to happen for 248 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: this to work. The downsizing of the of the bad 249 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: bank needs to happen um and revenue at the core 250 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: bank or the bits and pieces that Deutsche Bank can 251 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: tells to maintain, also needs to grow. And that where 252 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: you know the bank has failed miserably over the last 253 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: few years, is to grow revenue. So I think investors 254 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: are pricing in those concerns as a day progressive. So 255 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: where does Deutsche Bank plan to increase revenue, especially as 256 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: they cut their equities unit almost entirely and uh in 257 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: at least stick with their debt unit that has actually 258 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: underperformed recently. That's right, I mean, I think one way 259 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: to describe it will be a sort of pivot away 260 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: from servicing financial services clients such as hedge funds, to 261 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: a greater focus on on servicing customers such as German companies. 262 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: This is basically seeing the bank going back to its 263 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 1: routes to where you know, to what it was doing 264 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: when it was founded in eighteen seventy, which is financing 265 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: German industry. UM, so it's going to be more of 266 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: a corporate lender, and equally it's going to be trying 267 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: to expand existing businesses in private banking, wealth management and 268 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: asset management. One saving grace, potentially for Deutsche Bank is 269 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: that reaffirming its mission as a German lender catering to 270 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: German companies, perhaps they will get increasing backing from the 271 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: German government and there will be pressure on companies in 272 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: that nation to really rely more heavily on Deutsche Bank 273 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: for some of the things that they need done. Do 274 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: you think that that's a positive for Deutsche Bank going 275 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: from here? I think, I mean, that's an interesting question. 276 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: One of the analysts asked on on the call earlier. 277 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: You know, why is it that they expected to make 278 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: more money to grow in Germany? How can they possibly 279 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: beginning market share? But obviously they are, you know, a 280 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: large German bank to begin with. Um. You know, that 281 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: might reflect partly the fact that they have been um 282 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: less focused on some of the clients, particularly the small 283 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: and medium sized businesses, and also but also some greater 284 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: confidence from clients that the bank is you know is 285 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: here to stay, it's stable, and it's going to be 286 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: looking after them because you know, its effectively shunned those 287 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: types of customers for ver long time. Just real quick here, Lisa, 288 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: in twenty seconds, Which banks are gonna be the biggest 289 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: gainers from Deutsche Bank's exit of certain businesses. Must keep 290 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: your eyes on bm he, of course, which has a 291 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 1: preliminary agreement to take on a part. We don't know 292 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 1: how much of the equity business, so we'll definitely want 293 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: to hear more about that over the coming days. Elsa 294 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: Martin News, thank you so much for being with us. 295 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: Alisa Martin News is a columnist covering finance for Bloomberg Opinion. 296 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: Coming to us from London. Definitely a somber day on 297 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: Deutsche Bank floors, where people are packing up their things, 298 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: getting notices saying that they will no longer have a 299 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: job at the bank as it cuts nearly one fifth 300 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 1: of its workforce in an attempt to shore up its 301 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: profitability and create a leaner and more sustainable UH framework 302 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: to go forward with. When there's too much gloom and 303 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: doom among fund managers, some people point to a jobless 304 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: rate in the United States that is near it's all 305 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: time lows. The question is do those numbers really reflect reality. 306 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: Joining us now is Lakshman than He is co founder 307 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: and chief operating officer of the Economic Cycle Research Institute. 308 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: He's also a Bloomberg Opinion calumnist who penned a column 309 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: I found fascinating the myth of the tight US labor market. So, Lakshman, 310 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being with us. Can you 311 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: start by why do you call the tight US labor 312 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: market a myth? Well, a, Lisa, thanks thanks for having me. 313 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: And the reason I call it a myth, well, look, 314 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: it's a it's a ten year long expansion. There's been 315 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 1: a lot of jobs growth over those ten years. Uh. 316 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: And that is all well and good. I'm not taking 317 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: anything away from that. But at aquery Economic Cycle Research Institute, 318 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: we're studying cycles, you know, the the acceleration and the 319 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: deceleration in the economy, and we currently are in a slowdown. 320 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 1: We're growth is actually decelerating and and it's possible for 321 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: that to happen even when you have the unemployment rate 322 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: near half century lows. And and that's what we were 323 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 1: getting at in the op ed that we penned that 324 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 1: came out on Friday and right in the in the 325 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: wake of a of a stronger than expected jobs report. 326 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 1: So why do we say that. We say that because 327 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 1: we're looking at a lot of different coincident measures of 328 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:36,920 Speaker 1: employment activity, and collectively they're actually decelerating. If you look 329 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 1: past the headlines of the unemployment rate or even the 330 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: headline jobs growth numbers, you can see that. And that's 331 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: what we present, uh in that op ed. So there's 332 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: a question that I had as I read the piece, 333 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,959 Speaker 1: which is the labor force and understanding, uh, you know 334 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 1: how big it is, the direction of it, and what 335 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 1: the underemployed or unemployed population is of people who are 336 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: of working age who just have bowed out or have 337 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: gotten discouraged. Do you have a sense of that? Yeah, 338 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: and so um for listeners and and and for everybody, 339 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: just a couple of basics. There's all these different types 340 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: of employment statistics. That non farm payrolls number you hear 341 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: is from the Establishment Survey. When we get into the 342 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,400 Speaker 1: labor force, we were looking at the household survey and 343 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: UM through May, which is the data that we had 344 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: when we were writing the op ed. The household survey 345 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: showed the number of unemployed had dropped by over four 346 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: hundred thousand, or six and a half percent this year. 347 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: Uh and the number of employed had also fallen by 348 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: a couple of hundred thousand over the same time frames. 349 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: So the sum total four hundred and six hundred was 350 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 1: showing the labor force had actually dropped by almost six 351 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: hundred thousand, or a third of one percent this year. 352 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: Now with the June data in hand, um, we see 353 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 1: that it's not quite as large of a drop, but 354 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: it's still dropping by about a quarter of a million 355 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: this year. When that is showing weakness. Is that weakness? 356 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: I mean could that be people retiring? Because there is 357 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 1: an aging workforce in population the United States? I mean, 358 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: how do you determine what that means? Sure? Sure? No, no, no, Well, 359 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: months and months, there's just gyrations and data. So you 360 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: are wanting to look at longer term trends with people 361 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 1: retiring and other structural shifts in the labor force. That's 362 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: over many, many years. The timeframe that we're operating with 363 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: when we're looking at cyclical moves is on the order 364 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 1: of a few quarters. And that's why we're saying, hey, 365 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: if you look at this year in the jobs data, 366 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: you see deceleration when you look at don't pick on anyone, 367 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: look at them all together, which is what we do 368 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: in a coincident employment index. And we see that that's 369 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,880 Speaker 1: been d ccelerating its growth rate. It's still growing, it's 370 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: growing slower. And there's there's another statistic out there, UM 371 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: that I think is almost UM more important, although it 372 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: gets UM very very little attention. UH. And and that's 373 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: this UH. It's also from the Labor Department. It's the 374 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: Quarterly Census of Employment in Wages. And so unlike the 375 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,640 Speaker 1: Jobs Report, which are surveys right there, you're you're trying 376 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: to very quickly count UM, how much has happened in 377 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 1: the past month. This quarterly census it's it's it's less frequent, 378 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: so they can actually go out and count rather than 379 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: surveying UM. And we believe that and it actually shows 380 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: you a truer trend of what's going on. And and 381 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: for listeners and for everybody to understand, when they do 382 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:59,120 Speaker 1: the benchmark revisions to the establishment survey data, the headline 383 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: data that everybody he's off of, they revise it to 384 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: agree with the quarterly census. And you know, I know 385 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: a lot of guests don't come on and say we 386 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 1: should look at this half year old data because everybody 387 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: is very fixated on the freshest data. What happened with 388 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: the jobs report? Um, but here it's very very telling. 389 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: And what you see is that this they call it 390 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: the qc e W or the Quarterly Census Employment and Wages, 391 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 1: and it shows a sharp deceleration in jobs growth. So, um, 392 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 1: right now, it's probably it's it's it's it's suggesting that 393 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: the establishment survey is overstating the real numbers by about 394 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: So that's again, we're still growing. We're just not growing 395 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: as fast as these headlines are saying. We're actually decelerating. 396 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: And it's that rate of change which is super important 397 00:23:55,840 --> 00:24:00,159 Speaker 1: for business managers or i'd say investors, you know, is 398 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: that's going to be related to um profits growth. Yeah, 399 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: so lax one, just just about a minute here, I'm wondering, 400 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,400 Speaker 1: can you look into your crystal ball. Given the deceleration, 401 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: it still isn't bad. We're still growing. What does that 402 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: mean in terms of when the economic cycle will end 403 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,479 Speaker 1: or you know, whether we're actually running out of steam 404 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: enough to enter some sort of downturn in the near future. Well, okay, 405 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: so we're decelerating. This is the fourth growth rate cycle slowdown, 406 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: which will include slowdowns in jobs since the recession. We 407 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: had one in eleven sixteen and we're having one now. 408 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:42,479 Speaker 1: So right there, you see that it doesn't have to end. 409 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,919 Speaker 1: The slowdown does not have to end in recession. Although 410 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: every time you have a slowdown, by definition, your recession 411 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: risk is starting to rise. So I know a lot 412 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: of people have said that, you know, they think of 413 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,639 Speaker 1: recession is this year, next year whenever. We don't see 414 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: We don't even forecast that way. We look at our 415 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,400 Speaker 1: leading indexes to see if a window of vulnerability has 416 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: opened up where any shock can cause a hippis into recession. 417 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: That hasn't happened yet, but until the leading indicators turned 418 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 1: back up, we have to remain super village vigilant and 419 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: we're doing that. So more bottom line is more slow 420 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: down ahead, but a recession is not guaranteed yet. Lakshmanatan, 421 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being with us. He's co 422 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: founder and chief operating officer of the Economic Cycle Research Institute, 423 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: also a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. His latest column, which came 424 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: out Friday, The myth of the tight US labor market. 425 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Bloomberg PANL podcast. You can 426 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: subscribe and listen to interviews at Apple Podcasts or whatever 427 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,959 Speaker 1: podcast platform you prefer. Paul Sweeney, I'm on Twitter at 428 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: pt Sweeney. I'm Lisa bram Woyds. I'm on Twitter at 429 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: Lisa bramwo wits one before the podcast, you can always 430 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: catch us worldwide on Bloomberg Radio