1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. You're listening to the 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live weekdays at ten am 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: Eastern on Apple car Play and Android Auto with the 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business App. Listen on demand wherever you get your podcasts, 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: or watch us live on YouTube. 6 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: Steve Menushan is apparently targeting a purchase of TikTok from 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 2: his Chinese parent company. This comes a day after House 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 2: lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill that would ban the widely 9 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: popular social media app in the US. Quite interesting, particularly 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 2: after he led that buyout of a NYCB. 11 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 3: I know, and I think it's even more interesting about 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 3: it is because there was that whole issue with NYCB earlier. 13 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 3: It cause a lot of concern about regional banking, a 14 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 3: lot of concern about TikTok and the minds of teenagers 15 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 3: all across the country and politicians. 16 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 2: So let's go to Dan Ives. He joins US managing 17 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: director and senior equity analyst ever at Web Securities. He 18 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: always has opinions about these things. Hey, Dan, I guess 19 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 2: it's twofold. What do you think about manution leading a 20 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 2: group of investors to buy TikTok let's just start there. 21 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 4: He's gonna join the long list, right, I mean, others 22 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 4: haven't talked. If you a strategic financial you're gonna have 23 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 4: a long list of buyers from Big TAC as well 24 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 4: as outside looking to get TikTok because it's a unique 25 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 4: golden asset that no one ever thought would become available. 26 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 4: We still believe only a twenty five percent chance this 27 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 4: ban actually happened. 28 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 3: So what's gonna be the big sticking point for that 29 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 3: kind of a bet? Is it the algorithm? 30 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 4: It's all about the source code is not gonna lead 31 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 4: by dance in China. Are not gonna allow the source 32 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 4: code and the algorithm to go to a US company, 33 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 4: And that's buying an F one car without the engine. 34 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 4: That's the fundamental issue here is that because of the 35 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 4: source code, it makes us extremely complex. The value is 36 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 4: vastly different without the source code. 37 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: Well, then here's my question in terms of what the 38 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 2: government will allow. It's like, well, the government like a 39 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,399 Speaker 2: minus led investor takeover. Will the government like a Netflix 40 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 2: or a Netflix I'm in, a meta or another social 41 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: media company buying TikTok, like if you divest, like they 42 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 2: have to be okay, with who's going to buy it? 43 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 5: What do you think the devil's in. 44 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 4: The details, right, I mean the problem is, Look, this 45 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 4: is all a third rail issue. It's great theater in 46 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 4: DC in front of the microphones. The reality is the 47 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 4: selling and ban of TikTok. First, besides First Amendment, what 48 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 4: could happen to other social media. There's a huge ripple effect, 49 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 4: the negative retaliatory from China as well as ultimately, how 50 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 4: could you sell this without the source code? And that 51 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 4: and Bye Dance in Beijing are not going to allow 52 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 4: source code to be sold. 53 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 5: And that's the issue. 54 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 4: Shoot for Senate, I mean, the Shumer you even let 55 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 4: this get on the floor, that's going to be the problem. 56 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 4: It's very good for grand standing, but the reality of 57 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 4: it is very complex. 58 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 3: I mean, and you add to that that Congress really 59 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 3: just has not done well in the past of turning 60 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 3: denunciations of these perceived tech abuses into law. I mean, 61 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 3: you think about things about protecting children online, anti trust authority, 62 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 3: data privacy. This is not something that has come into 63 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 3: really forceful law. So I mean there's a chance this 64 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 3: might just all fall apart anyway. 65 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 5: That's why it goes. But like all the work. 66 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 4: We've done twenty five percent chans a ban actually happens 67 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 4: because to Alex to your point, Okay, so now a 68 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 4: ban happens the twenty five percent chance, how do you 69 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 4: sell it? So you're forcing them to they don't have 70 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 4: to sell without source code. 71 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 5: Then who's going to buy it? And then it comes 72 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 5: down to this. 73 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 4: Now let's say it gets sold to Microsoft, to Oracle, 74 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 4: then is there anti trust issues from a government perspective? 75 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 5: The problem is you can't put Genie back in the bottle. 76 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 4: This is going to have huge complications because TikTok as 77 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 4: well as the precedent and even the Spider Web in 78 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 4: terms of how it gets sold. 79 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 2: How much do you think TikTok's worth? Like, let's just 80 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: game it out. 81 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,799 Speaker 4: One hundred billion with the source code, without the source code, 82 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 4: thirty to forty billion. 83 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 2: Wow, that is a big, big, big, big difference. So 84 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 2: what do you watching next for it? Then? Like, what's 85 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 2: the next trigger point for you? 86 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 6: Well? 87 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 4: I think now the soap opera, we'll see that in 88 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 4: the two or two area. So it does it actually 89 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 4: get to the Senate for what negotiations go behind the scenes? 90 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 5: You have one hundred and fifty. 91 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 4: Million users, So you know you're in election year too, 92 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 4: So it goes back to that third rail issue. Voting 93 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 4: down TikTok as a ban not good for the eighteen 94 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 4: twenty four year old vote. 95 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 5: So that's we got to see how this all puts out. 96 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 4: Obviously Trump on one side, by none the other in 97 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 4: terms of TikTok ban book, Manutian has the first shot 98 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 4: across the bout in terms of you know, looking for 99 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 4: you know, potential to line up as buyers. Others are 100 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 4: clearly behind the scenes doing the same thing. But it's 101 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 4: all a game of high stakes poker right now playing out. 102 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 3: So on the assumption that somehow this algorithm and the 103 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 3: source code does become part of the sale, who do 104 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 3: you think is the best strategic fit for this as 105 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 3: a buyer. 106 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 4: Look, there's a better chance of me playing in March 107 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 4: Madness next week than this being sold with source code. 108 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 5: And that's what you never know. 109 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 2: Man, they could never. 110 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 4: Again and again three pointer decent but but look, but 111 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 4: the point is, you never know in terms of now 112 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 4: what Beijing and byte Dance are thinking to now even 113 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:46,840 Speaker 4: to just trajector you this out, what's do they do 114 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 4: it without source code and there's buyers. 115 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 5: Then the question is. 116 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 4: Where does it is a big tact Is it a 117 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 4: consortium like Ammunition other financial buyers? And this is gonna 118 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 4: be just despite whoever regulatory it'll get, It'll go through 119 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 4: the court system. And I think that's how this is 120 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,359 Speaker 4: all going to play out, is there's a huge ripple 121 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 4: effect unintended consequences when you go down this path. 122 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 2: Before I let you go, I got to ask Tesla. 123 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: We talked about it earlier in the hour after that 124 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 2: downgrade yesterday over at Wells Fargo, saying that it's a 125 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: growth company with no growth, Uh correct, accurate, not accurate? 126 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 4: Look for now, I mean clearly going through massive headwinds 127 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 4: in China, but we've never called Tesla for the last 128 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 4: decade in terms of the next thirty days sixty days. 129 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 4: On the other side, growth is still going to be 130 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 4: massive ev leadership AI. That's what we continue to be 131 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 4: bullish here. But no doubt it is a white knuckle 132 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 4: period that we're going through in you know, especially in 133 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 4: China for Tesla, and that's why bears are all coming 134 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 4: out of hibernation. 135 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, so what do you think is next for them 136 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 3: in the next two quarters or so in terms of 137 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 3: analysts coming out with dimmer views on it. 138 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, clearly numbers are getting caught. 139 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 4: A lot that's getting probably, But it comes down to, 140 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 4: like they got away out the goalpost. Are the price 141 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 4: cuts done? We just came back from Asia. I think 142 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 4: ninety five percent price cuts are done. If they put 143 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 4: a line to stand, their street starts to look through 144 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 4: second half of the year into next year, and I 145 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 4: think then we sort of bought them out. It's also 146 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 4: about Musk the twenty five percent ownership I think at 147 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 4: the shareholder me and they formally go to Texas from Delaware. 148 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 4: That continues to also be an overhang over the stock. 149 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 4: I think a lot of that gets resolved. We've been 150 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 4: here before. I don't view this as really the end 151 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 4: of the Tessa growth story. 152 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just sort of like delayed kind of thing. 153 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 2: Hate real quick twenty seconds in video headed into their 154 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 2: GTCAI conference, what do you think. 155 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 4: The godfather of Ai Jensen I think continues to is 156 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 4: going to show behind the curtains just what's coming and 157 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 4: because they're going to continue to lead the revolution. And 158 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 4: this is not a nineteen ninety nine moment, it's a 159 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 4: nineteen ninety five and get out the popcorn parties you started. 160 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 2: That's how you love Dana Ives. He gives you those 161 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 2: wonderful soundbites. Dan Ives of Rodwood Bush. We appreciate your time. Today. 162 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live 163 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on applecar. 164 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 6: Play and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business Act. 165 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our 166 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: flagship New York station, Just say Alexa play Bloomberg eleven thirty. 167 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 2: So one stock to watch is US Steel. It's down 168 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: another one point three percent today. President Biden says that 169 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 2: US Steel should stay in American owned and operate a company. 170 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 2: This is nip On Steel over in Japan is trying 171 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: to buy the company. JP Morgan now saying that it 172 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: is possible that Cleveland Cliffs could rebid for US Steel. 173 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 2: So it's a lot. It's a lot happening. At the 174 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 2: end of the day, is we need the steal. We 175 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 2: want to produce it. Prices are not that great, therefore 176 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 2: the consolidation therefore a backstop. Who better to talk to 177 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Intelligence A senior analyst. He covers basic materials for 178 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 2: US right here at Bloomberg Richard, How did this whole thing? 179 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 2: I don't want to say fall apart, because it hasn't 180 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 2: fallen apart, but like what happened? 181 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 7: Really? 182 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 8: Politics? 183 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 2: Oh, that's so weird. 184 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 8: If you look at US steel is located in Pennsylvania. 185 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 8: Biden won Pennsylvania by a little over eight thousand votes 186 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 8: last election twenty twenty. Steel Union members in Pennsylvania are 187 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 8: about seven hundred and fifty thou Union members in Pennsylvania, and. 188 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 2: They don't necessarily want this deal to go through. 189 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 8: And the union does not want the deal go through. 190 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,079 Speaker 8: And you also had Trump come out saying that he would. 191 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 9: Block the deal. 192 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 8: You know, there's three or four you know, I'm not 193 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 8: a election expert, but there's three or four critical states 194 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 8: that probably will flip the election. In Pennsylvania's probably. 195 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 9: One of them. 196 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 3: So I guess I'm sort of wondering, knowing that that 197 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 3: is the politics of the situation, what was the motivation 198 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 3: to bring the deal in the first place. 199 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 8: The motivation is if you look at the US steel 200 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 8: market is actually with the Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act, 201 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 8: is actually probably one of the more higher growth steel 202 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 8: markets across the world. And Nippon Steel has said that 203 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 8: they want to get to one hundred million tons of 204 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,559 Speaker 8: steel production a year. This was kind of helped them 205 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:33,959 Speaker 8: along that goal. 206 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,079 Speaker 2: Without them though, could they not do it? And is 207 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 2: it because it's just expensive to get it done or 208 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 2: is it because the prices are low so their margins 209 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 2: are not great? 210 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 8: Not quite falling? 211 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 2: Oh that if the Japanese company Nippon Steel went away, 212 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 2: and they you need all this product here in the 213 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 2: US to help satisfy all the infrastructure acting the chips 214 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 2: act without a buyer, why can't you still just do 215 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 2: it on their own? 216 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 5: Is no? 217 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 8: US still can't do it on their own? 218 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 2: Can Okay? 219 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 8: And they have outlined a plan to get there, to 220 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 8: improve their assets and build up. You know, they're building 221 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 8: another plant in Arkansas, Big River Steel too, which they 222 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 8: built you know, but back in August, Cliffs kind of 223 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 8: put them in play. Cliffs came in with an offer 224 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 8: for thirty five dollars a share, kind of put US steel, 225 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 8: you know, said that they had to evaluate strategic alternatives, 226 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:32,679 Speaker 8: spent a few months doing this, and then came up 227 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 8: with where Nippon was the highest bidder. 228 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 3: So, I guess if you've got these competing bids for it. 229 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 3: I mean, what's the expectation for how long this can 230 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 3: go on? 231 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 8: Well, it's it's currently under reviewed by SYPHIUS, which is 232 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 8: the Committee for Foreign Investment in the US. Syphius deals with 233 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 8: national security, so as people said, their deliberations are shrouded 234 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 8: in secrecy. So you know, initially, when when we looked 235 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 8: at the deal and we saw the union opposition, we said, 236 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 8: what they should do is US steal and NIPHN should 237 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 8: slow walk the deal locked approval get passed the November 238 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 8: fifth election, and then maybe, you know, politicians attentions turn elsewhere. 239 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 2: Is it possible that US steal says all right later 240 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 2: and like the and they're just going to go on 241 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 2: their own way. 242 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 8: I don't think suareholders would appreciate that appen. 243 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 2: So now they're like, okay, we want to get right right. 244 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 8: I mean the steal, you know, the stock was traded 245 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 8: like in the mid twenties, and you got a deal 246 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 8: for fifty five dollars a share. 247 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 2: You want to take that, you want to get something. 248 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 2: I guess my question is, let's pretend that the the 249 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 2: nip On deal falls through. Let's say Cleveland Clips comes 250 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 2: back in and rebids, right, and the company's like, all right, 251 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: I guess we're up for sale. Is the US government 252 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 2: going to like that deal? Because that's gonna that's gonna 253 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 2: be antitrust concern right. 254 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 8: That's so it's just from national securities to anti trust concerns. 255 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 8: And also the other thing one of the areas of 256 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 8: anti trust would would come on our scrutiny. US still 257 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 8: and clean Cliffs are two of the biggest players to 258 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 8: the auto industry, so you have, you know, the auto companies, 259 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,839 Speaker 8: you know, not happy with the deal there. 260 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 3: So to go back though to the politics of it, 261 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 3: just thinking through some of the opposition to the npon bid, 262 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 3: because a lot of that had to do with the 263 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 3: objection from the steel workers. So if you think of 264 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 3: it of an American bidder coming in, do you think 265 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 3: that's an easier that's an easier thing for steel workers 266 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 3: to accept? 267 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 8: Well, it's you know, Cleveland Cliffs is has a very 268 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,319 Speaker 8: good relationship with the steel workers union, so that's why 269 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 8: the union has been favoring Cleveland Cliffs. In fact, in 270 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 8: the in the union agreements, there's a thing called right 271 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 8: to bid where if a be under a with the 272 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 8: US steel has a contract with the steel union gets 273 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 8: acquired by somebody, the union has a right to bid. 274 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 8: So in this whole escapade, the US steel Workers Union 275 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 8: assign their right to bid to cliffs, so favoring cliffs 276 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 8: and things along those lines. 277 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 10: Can I just ask, like, what's the fear of a 278 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 10: foreign company owning US steel? I mean, they're gonna nip 279 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 10: on steel is going to pack it up and move 280 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 10: it to. 281 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 2: Japan because Japan is supposed to be like a friendly 282 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 2: country like well, and it's. 283 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 10: Not like they're going to like raise prices to the 284 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 10: point where they're going to shoot themselves in the foot 285 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 10: to like have sales decline. I mean what it's now 286 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 10: part of this is jingoistic, is that agreed? 287 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 8: And also Japan is the biggest number the number one 288 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 8: a foreign direct investor in the United States. US has 289 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 8: over five trillion dollars a foreign direct investment. Japan accounts 290 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 8: for fifteen percent of it. It's the biggest foreign direct 291 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 8: investor in the United States. So on that it doesn't 292 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 8: really make sense either. 293 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 2: Hence just pointing out the whole union politicking of it. Okay, 294 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 2: so what do you think actually happens? Best guess? 295 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 8: Best guess I think you got a lots smart people 296 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 8: and at both companies. 297 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 5: I think. 298 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 8: I, like I said earlier, I would slow walk the. 299 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,479 Speaker 2: Deal and get something. 300 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 8: Passed the elections and see what happens. You're probably going 301 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 8: to have to pay the union a little bit more 302 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 8: to get them on board. But Nippon still just could 303 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 8: deal two to three days ago with the unions in Japan, 304 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 8: so obviously they realized the worker landscape of wages are 305 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 8: going up. 306 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 3: Oh you know what, I wonder if the financing picture 307 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 3: will be a little bit easier if they cancel walk 308 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 3: the deal and get it past the election, because looking 309 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 3: at the FED dot plot, we could have had a 310 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 3: couple of industry cuts by then, so maybe it'll be 311 00:15:58,840 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 3: a bit cheaper. 312 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 8: They have everything all right align you know, companies have 313 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 8: you know, signed up to provide them the fifteen billion 314 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 8: dollars that don't need to buy all. 315 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 2: Right, So banks have broadening out for a second, what 316 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 2: is steel demand like right now globally and in the US, 317 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 2: and how prices because if you want to find one 318 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 2: ticker for steel prices, good luck, it is such a 319 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 2: regional market. Yeah, give me the landscape. 320 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 8: No steel prices are you know, what we had was 321 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 8: kind of an interesting year. Usually you have steel prices 322 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 8: at the beginning of the year increase because of seasonality. 323 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 8: Obviously constructions construction is the biggest market summer, it's easier 324 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 8: to do construction. 325 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 11: Everybody's buying steel. 326 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 8: What happened is that auto workers strike last year. Everybody 327 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 8: held off buying steel because they thought steel prices would 328 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 8: really go down because the auto workers strike was rumored 329 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 8: to be prolonged. And really what happened is the auto 330 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 8: workers strike didn't have as much effect as people thought. 331 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 8: Everybody rushed back to the market and really pulled in 332 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 8: pricing at the end of last year, so you had 333 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 8: kind of that peak of pricing rather than coming in 334 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 8: the first quarter. Actually prices peak back at the end 335 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 8: of January. They've it looks like now they're probably've hit 336 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 8: a bottom. Both New Core and Cliffs that come out 337 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 8: with announcements that you know, eight hundred and twenty five 338 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 8: dollars a ton we want and eight forty respectively, So 339 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 8: that's kind of stopped the free falling prices. You have 340 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 8: a lot uncertainty. What I would characterize across the world 341 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 8: is hand the mouth buying. You're just buying what you need. 342 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 8: You're not taking any speculative risk or anything like that 343 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 8: to build up inventoris. 344 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 2: Hi, Richard, thanks a lot. We super appreciate it. Richard Burg, 345 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Intelligence, Senior analyst on US Steel. 346 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence podcast. Catch us live 347 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on Affo car Playing and 348 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,439 Speaker 1: broun Otto with the bloom Bird Business app. Listen on 349 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: demand wherever you get your podcasts, or watch us live 350 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: on YouTube. 351 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 2: So let's get to the retail sales here. That disappointed 352 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 2: and this just goes to my point. I tell everyone 353 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 2: I'm on a budget and no one believes me, and 354 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 2: yet these sales prove that it's true. Just putting that 355 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 2: out there. Jill Blanchard is president of Enterprise Client Solutions 356 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 2: over at Advantage At Solutions and she joins US. So 357 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 2: I'm looking at Control Group flat for February back out autos, 358 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 2: back out gas just up by three tenths. You also 359 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 2: had January revised lower. What's the state of the economy 360 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 2: When you look at consumption, you look at retail. 361 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 12: So hello, thanks for having me back. I was listening 362 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 12: before Happy Friday Eve. It still continues to be a 363 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 12: struggle for consumers out there when we look at things 364 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,479 Speaker 12: like in consumer package, because the prices are still up 365 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 12: six point eight percent. 366 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 11: Versus last year. 367 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 12: The good news is that in the recent Advantage Outlook survey, 368 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 12: manufacturers fifty percent said that they don't have plans to 369 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 12: increase prices, but we do have a that plan to 370 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 12: increase prices on non core items, so think of things 371 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 12: like a. 372 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 11: Smaller size package or a low fat version. 373 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 12: Where we really get concerned is with the value priced brands, 374 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,360 Speaker 12: and so those are the lower price brands that typically 375 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 12: compete with like a private brand. Those those brands have 376 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 12: increased their prices one point five points higher than a 377 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 12: mainstream price or a premium price, and so essentially is 378 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 12: the rising of the floor further squeezing consumers. 379 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,399 Speaker 3: So it's interesting, you've got the cheaper stuff is getting 380 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 3: more expensive, and then you've got continued triflation. It sounds like, 381 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 3: so you know, how much more of this can consumers take? 382 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 3: Because you know, at the same time you've got an 383 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 3: incredibly strong job market, so something's got to give. 384 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 9: I would have thought at some point. 385 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 12: We do see a lot of give actually out there 386 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 12: in the form of a few things. 387 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 11: One is trade down right or pare down. 388 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 12: And so we see consumers you know, pairing down whether 389 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 12: they're buying a you know, a used luxury car instead 390 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 12: of a new luxury car, or they're trying to make 391 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 12: meals at home instead of going out, and so we 392 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 12: see a lot of shifting in that spending to lower 393 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 12: price things. We see consumers buying more private brand boys. 394 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 12: They're having a really good day. In fact, to seventy 395 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 12: five percent of retailers say that they're number one growth 396 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 12: strategy is private brand. We see consumers buying things on promotions, 397 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 12: so we're definitely seeing a big shift in behavior. Promotions 398 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 12: are a top strategy for manufacturers and for retailers, but 399 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 12: they've got to be really careful not to sacrifice tomorrow 400 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 12: by giving away today. And consumers are becoming more disloyal 401 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 12: to brands because they're waiting for brands to be on 402 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 12: sale or switching to a brand to be on sale. 403 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 12: I mean, consumers new loyalty is disloyalty. 404 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 2: That is such an interesting point because you've basically described 405 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 2: my entire shopping habit for discretionary So I wanted to 406 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 2: go to the point of sort of the macro and 407 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 2: then the retail. So let's just pretend we get three 408 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 2: or four rate cuts this year, right, does a consumer 409 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 2: all of a sudden go out and spend a lot? 410 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 2: Is their pent up demand in this area that you. 411 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 12: See, No, I don't see. I don't see the consumers 412 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 12: going out and spending more. Consumers are going to continue 413 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 12: to well, actually they might tick up a little bit 414 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 12: on the out of home spending. So think of things 415 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,360 Speaker 12: like the big ticket items like a car or vacation, 416 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,920 Speaker 12: a home remodel. That might tick up a little bit, 417 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 12: but those are such big priced items that consumers really 418 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 12: have been pairing that down or foregoing that in lieu 419 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:33,479 Speaker 12: of in home activities, in lieu of affordable indulgences. So 420 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,640 Speaker 12: think of things like getting your nails done at home 421 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 12: instead of a spot. 422 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 11: So I could see a little bit, but not a lot. 423 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 3: So I guess what's next for retail because it doesn't 424 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 3: sound like a particularly you know, enthusiastic outlook there for 425 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 3: the consumer. 426 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 12: Yeah, I mean both both manufacturers and retailers are really 427 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 12: struggling to find a path to win for both of 428 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 12: them as well as consumers. 429 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 11: As I said upfront, it's a super challenging environment. 430 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 12: Retailers have to find the right way to promote, and 431 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 12: when they all have the same strategy, it's hard to win. 432 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 12: And pretty much when you talk to any company out there, 433 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 12: they've got a plan to win in an environment that's 434 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 12: largely going to be stable flat to down. So they 435 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 12: truly have to find a differentiated way to meet that 436 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 12: consumer where they need to be met to win, whether 437 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 12: that's a differentiated way with products, which is also pretty interesting. 438 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 12: If you look at retailers, over forty percent plan to 439 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 12: carry less products, but higher performing retailers carrying more product, 440 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 12: which really speaks to consumers valuing choice and differentiation. So 441 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 12: lots of different strategies, it's really going to be challenging 442 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 12: to find the right one to win. 443 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I would find it to be so hard, like 444 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 2: so much that you have to anticipate and then stock 445 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,400 Speaker 2: up and then if not, you're looking at eighty eighty 446 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 2: five ninety percent discounts, which I love, but can't be 447 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 2: good for an investor. Who would you say has a 448 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,400 Speaker 2: good strategy, Like, what's a good formula to emulate. 449 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 4: You? 450 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 11: Right now? We see consumers. 451 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 12: I talked about consumers pairing down. I think discount retailers 452 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 12: are having a really good day and it's making it 453 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 12: pretty challenging for mainstream retailers. So mainstream retailers need to 454 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 12: look at why consumers are going there. 455 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 11: Is it? 456 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 12: Is it purely priced? Is it the ability to one 457 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 12: stop shop? Is it the ability to you know, the 458 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 12: the environment of the retailers, So retailers need to look 459 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 12: at or is it their online strategy? So lots of 460 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 12: different things to look at, But who's winning are largely 461 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 12: discount retailers. 462 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 3: You know, could you give us a sense of the 463 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 3: bigger picture here for consumers because you know, I've certainly 464 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 3: read a lot about consumers moving away from stuff and 465 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,399 Speaker 3: towards experiences. But everything is so expensive right now, so 466 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 3: you know, for you're mentioning that it's the discounters that 467 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 3: are winning, but that's a very you know, sort of 468 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 3: centraded area in retail. 469 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 9: I would have thought, So, you know. 470 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 3: Is the thought there that retail is just perhaps too big. 471 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 12: That retail too big? Now I think it's more that 472 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:15,399 Speaker 12: retail is really varied. So I would say, in response 473 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 12: to your question about what does this mean for consumers, 474 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 12: consumers behavior today is so drastically different than it used 475 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 12: to be in twenty nineteen in terms of. 476 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 11: You know, what we buy, how we buy, and when 477 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 11: we buy. 478 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 12: Think of online, think of discount, think of of you know, of. 479 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 11: Being in the. 480 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,880 Speaker 12: Home versus outside the home. So the future for consumers 481 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:42,479 Speaker 12: is that continued shift, you know, towards more value based living. 482 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,919 Speaker 12: I'd say one thing that we talk about often is 483 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 12: the is the baking aisle. And twenty nineteen in the 484 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 12: grocery store that ale gather dust, and now it is 485 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 12: the hot spot. Over twenty twenty and twenty twenty one, 486 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 12: we actually created a lot of bakers, and today it's 487 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 12: really one of the fastest growing aisles in the store. 488 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 2: I did the baking thing before and then during the 489 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:06,439 Speaker 2: you were ahead of the curve. I was ahead of 490 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 2: the curve, says no one ever. 491 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 10: But what is it the bake? What is it? You 492 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 10: bake like a chocolate I happen to love chocolate cake, 493 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 10: so I actually. 494 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 2: Have a fantastic chocolate cake recipe that is super east. 495 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 10: I don't want the recipe. 496 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 2: I'm going to give it to you. I'll bake it 497 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 2: at some point. But I actually do like baking, like 498 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 2: bread and clastants and things like that. But anyway, that 499 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: was hard to do U during the pandemic before we 500 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 2: let you go. So I gotta say, I go out 501 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 2: to eat, you know, two adults and a kid, and 502 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 2: it's like three hundred dollars. It's bananas. And I'm not 503 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 2: talking like a super fancy restaurant, like I'm talking like 504 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 2: the neighborhood place. At what point do you think that 505 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 2: that's going to top out? And then we're gonna see 506 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 2: people sort of readjust and then all of a sudden 507 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 2: the stay at home stuff comes back. 508 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 12: Yeah, I'm right right now, out of home food prices 509 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 12: are are higher in terms of their increases than in 510 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 12: home and so it really is making it challenging for 511 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 12: families to do more things outside the home. That has 512 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 12: already contributed to increased in home consumption, which will continue 513 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 12: to grow if we if we continue to see the 514 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 12: outside the home food prices elevate. 515 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 3: That's really interesting because I feel like restaurants are just 516 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 3: getting so squeezed. They've got the staffing issues, they've got 517 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 3: the food costs, and so consumers just want to break. 518 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,880 Speaker 3: But you know, cooking at home is has its own 519 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 3: challenges and you know, you're mentioning the point about food 520 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 3: at home and people are so pressed for time. It's 521 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 3: kind of like one of those things, how do you 522 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 3: trade that down? 523 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 12: I sometimes feel like the world that we're living in 524 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 12: today is so circular, right, So the cost have increased everywhere, 525 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 12: and it continues to go to be passed around. Right, 526 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,360 Speaker 12: So restaurants are paying more for their for their products, 527 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 12: for transportation and distribution of the products, for their labor, 528 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 12: and they're having to pass as much as they can 529 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 12: onto consumers who in turn can't really afford that and 530 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 12: are cutting back, and so it continues to have a 531 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 12: circular effect on the overall economy. 532 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,359 Speaker 2: Well, great stuff, Jill, really appreciate it. Thank you so much. 533 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 2: Jill Blanchard, President of Enterprise Client Solutions for Advantage Solutions 534 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 2: time other weeker retail sales. 535 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live 536 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on applecar. 537 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 6: Play and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app. 538 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 1: You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our 539 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: flagship New York station, Just Say Alexa Play Bloomberg eleven thirty. 540 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 2: Blackstone President John Gray was in Rome tough gig attending 541 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,919 Speaker 2: the Bank of America Global Investor Summit conference, and here 542 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 2: was the headline, Time to buy real estate as prices 543 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,120 Speaker 2: are at bottom, he says, quote the perception so negative, 544 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 2: and yet the value decline has occurred. So when you 545 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 2: get into this bottoming period, that's when you want to move. 546 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 2: Let's get another perspective here. Lisa Nie is managing partner 547 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 2: and head of real Estate over at Eisner Amper. She 548 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 2: joins us here in the studio, is that true? I mean, 549 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 2: who's going to disagree with John Gray, like clearly talking 550 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 2: your book for Blackstone too, but price is bottom, time 551 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 2: to buy? 552 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 13: Well, first of all, thank you for having me. So 553 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 13: his perspective is correct. And so what happened when Signature 554 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 13: Bank went out and brought its portfolio out to market. 555 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 13: The prices were at a really good rate for people 556 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 13: to come in and take the opportunities and go purchase 557 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 13: all those great assets that were in that portfolio. And 558 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 13: so he was one of the companies that went out 559 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 13: and was looking at those portfolios. So there's plenty of 560 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 13: opportunities for that careful investor to go out and there 561 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 13: is capital to go out there, whether you're saying it's 562 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 13: a distressed asset or a really good investment. The market 563 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 13: is set to go out and have an influx of 564 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 13: capital within commercial real estate, whichever sector it is. So 565 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 13: never going to disagree with him. He certainly is accurate 566 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 13: on that one. And again it's for that investor who's 567 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 13: making sure that they're really doing their due diligence and 568 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 13: their background, making sure that the interest rates and the 569 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 13: cash flows make sense. That's always first and foremost. 570 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 9: I mean, I for one, definitely would not want to 571 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 9: disagree with him. 572 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 3: But one question I would have is the whole reason 573 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 3: why we're in this commercial real estate crisis is because 574 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 3: of the shift to working from home, and so is 575 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 3: that crisis over? I mean, it still seems to me 576 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 3: that you know, personal anecdote only, but the subway isn't 577 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 3: nearly as full as it used to be, even though 578 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 3: it's picked up a little bit. I mean, if people 579 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 3: are still working from home, there's still quite a lot 580 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 3: of risk there for somebody trying to get in at 581 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 3: these low prices. 582 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 13: Yeah, so real estate is cyclical, So every asset class 583 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 13: goes through its highs and lows. It was retail, now 584 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 13: it's we're at the lows of office, we're going to 585 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 13: see some inflections and some differentiation within a multifamily as well. 586 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 13: And when we look at what work from home concept did. 587 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 13: I'm looking around here today and I'm seeing a great 588 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 13: amount of activity where people are collaboration. And if you 589 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 13: look back, I think two or three years ago, all 590 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 13: the big tech companies that everyone gets to work from home, 591 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 13: and they've changed their statements. They're coming and saying we 592 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 13: want you back two to three days. And when you 593 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 13: look at an office lease, you're leasing office space for 594 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 13: five days, but. 595 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 9: You're getting it for seven. 596 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 13: And so it's just changing how you're looking at office 597 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 13: and looking at some of the buildings that are out 598 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 13: there in the marketplace, those older buildings that need some 599 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 13: adaptive reuse. We're going to need that regardless of where 600 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 13: we were in this cycle. 601 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you think there's people out here now, you 602 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 2: just wait till the snacks come up around two. It's 603 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 2: like a people wait online for that stuff. So to 604 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 2: that point, just in terms of the capital being out there, 605 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 2: do you notice the bid ask like, have we resolved 606 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 2: for that gap yet or is that still to come. 607 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 11: So that it hasn't been resolved. 608 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 13: And what's happening is because of the banks and their 609 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 13: underwriting and regulations, they're unable to go in and provide 610 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 13: a capital at at a rate that's worthy of the 611 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 13: what's being underwritten. So who's coming in the rescue capital, 612 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 13: which is people who are opportunistic, So you're going to 613 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 13: come in as a preferred equity or a mess lender, 614 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 13: or you know, at a higher rate. 615 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 2: And so those interest rates, if you're that. 616 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 13: Really discerned investor, is going to be very good for you, 617 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 13: but it's not going to be great for the owners 618 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 13: and they're not going to get their cash flow back. 619 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 13: So the rates right now for the rescue is really 620 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 13: really high, So we're not at that time. Well, we've 621 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 13: seen some preferred equity coming in between eighteen and twenty percent. 622 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 13: That's very Remember those are for some distress deals that 623 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 13: might need that rescuing and they just don't want to 624 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 13: get back the properties. 625 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 9: What's it going to take to broaden this out? But 626 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,240 Speaker 9: YEWND non rescue deals. 627 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 11: What's it going to take? 628 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 13: So it's we have to wait to see, as you 629 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 13: mentioned before, what the Feds are going to be doing 630 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 13: later in the year where interest rates are going to 631 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 13: be who's going to be providing that capital? Is it 632 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 13: going to be the banks getting back into the market. 633 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 13: So once if the banks go back in and they're 634 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 13: at a better point where we can pencil out. 635 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 9: Some deals, it could take. 636 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 13: It could just be a wait and see approach. Also, 637 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 13: there's not a lot of trading going on, so people 638 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 13: really don't have the true understanding what valuations are right now. 639 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 13: So time's going to tell, and we really don't know 640 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 13: where we're going to end up in the long term 641 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 13: because consumer behavior is still so different than any one 642 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 13: has anticipated in the past. 643 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 2: So let's broaden out then and talk about say reshoring, onshoring, 644 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 2: near shoring, all that stuff and logistics we were supposed 645 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 2: to see like a ton of data centers, build, a 646 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 2: ton of logistics, and then a ton of factories built. 647 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 2: Are we still seeing all of those three things happen? 648 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 13: So I love the fact that you brought up the 649 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 13: concept near shoring, which is now Canada and Mexico really 650 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 13: is coming in because so it's going to really change 651 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,239 Speaker 13: the landscape of where those industry and those warehouses were 652 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 13: being built before they were built on the East and 653 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 13: West coast. Now you're going to see them having to 654 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 13: be built northern and southern because that's where the cheaper 655 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 13: containers are going to be able to be brought in. 656 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 13: Because so Mexico, which was our largest importer export of 657 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 13: this year, and Canada coming in. So it's going to 658 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 13: change where those industrial cities have been historically in the US, 659 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 13: and it's going to change the landscape. So once you 660 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 13: change the north and the south with the industries, you're 661 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 13: also for an industrial center. Multi family is going to change. 662 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 13: Commercial office center's going to change there. So to really 663 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 13: look at where we are in the and those cycles 664 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 13: could be really interesting when you're looking at the concept 665 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 13: of near shoring versus right shoring. 666 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 9: It's interesting. 667 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 3: Can we shift gears a little bit to talk to 668 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 3: us about a subject very near to my heart, which 669 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 3: is residential realize, Oh, yes. 670 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 2: We always go there. 671 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 9: We always go there. 672 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 10: We just take out an ad, you know, looking. 673 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 2: She's looking to buy. It's not the best process. 674 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 9: I might have a house, help me out, don't's get 675 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 9: a house? 676 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 2: Some long house applies coming online? Okay, cheap though, there 677 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 2: you go. 678 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 9: So what's the outlook? What am I looking for here? 679 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 9: So I think you have it? 680 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 13: Spot on is so the people who have the homes 681 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 13: would be looking to go. We have no place to 682 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 13: go to to sell, and so for us to replace 683 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 13: our homes is there's no place for us to go 684 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 13: at a low cost of capital. And so that's why 685 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 13: that housing market is so difficult and why pricing is 686 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 13: still so high for residential for single family homes. And 687 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 13: if you look and you look at Biden's bill that 688 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 13: he's proposing out there, when he's talking about housing, they 689 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 13: are very well aware that we have we are do 690 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 13: not have enough supply for the demand of single family homes. 691 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,320 Speaker 13: And so you are not alone with your frustrations. But 692 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 13: for people who could be potential buyers, we're sitting and 693 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 13: waiting because we. 694 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 2: Don't know where our next home is going to be. 695 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 13: And that's not helping your story at all. 696 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:21,439 Speaker 2: So I'm yeah, she pain, she feels your. 697 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 10: Pain on it and a three twenty five, I think 698 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 10: we're staying put. 699 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 2: Really, yeah, we can't replace it. 700 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,120 Speaker 10: That's that's really what My mortgage is higher. My toll 701 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 10: bills are higher than my mortgage. 702 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 2: But that's a reflection how you feel about your toll bills. 703 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,439 Speaker 10: No, it's it's true though, no, I know it's true, 704 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 10: but I. 705 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:38,760 Speaker 2: Also feel like you like to complain about toll. 706 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 10: Bills, which is like a complain about everything. 707 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 2: That's also fair. All Right, Lisa, thanks a lot, really 708 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 2: great stuff. Definitely come back. Love that conversation. Lisa Nee, 709 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 2: managing partner and head of real estate over at Eisner Amper. 710 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live 711 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 1: week days at ten am Eastern on Apple car. 712 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,720 Speaker 6: Play and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business. 713 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 1: You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our 714 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:07,359 Speaker 1: flagship New York station, Just Say Alexa playing Bloomberg eleven thirty. 715 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 2: Let's go now to Tesla. So that stock is down 716 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 2: by another three percent. Let me just let me just 717 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 2: see if I can pull up how bad it's been 718 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 2: for Tesla, because I gotta say it has not been 719 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 2: very good. The news from yesterday, of course, as well 720 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 2: as Fargo con Langen says it'll be zero growth in 721 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,399 Speaker 2: sales volume for the ev maker this year. So can 722 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 2: you be a company that's growth company if you have 723 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,240 Speaker 2: no growth in sales? And that stock has just really 724 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 2: had a tough run of it, down eighteen percent just 725 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 2: so far this month. Steve Mann is Global Auto's industrial's 726 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 2: research analyst. He's standing by for Steve. What do you 727 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 2: think growth company with no growth? 728 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:41,759 Speaker 1: Oh? 729 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,720 Speaker 7: I'm I tend to be more optimistic about the company. 730 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:48,400 Speaker 7: I really like the stuff they're doing behind the scenes 731 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:53,320 Speaker 7: with AI with full self driving, the optimist robot. I 732 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 7: think the company is pretty much set up vertically integrated 733 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 7: to actually succeed, So I'm not as negative. But there 734 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 7: is a valley right that the company's going through right now. 735 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,959 Speaker 7: The problem is, you know, where is the bottom. 736 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:10,320 Speaker 10: Of that valley? 737 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 7: Because prices for their cars just keeps coming down. You know. 738 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 3: One of the issues that Elon Musk has faced with 739 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 3: Tesla is what he gets out of cutting prices. And 740 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 3: I wondered if you could talk a little bit about 741 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:24,399 Speaker 3: what you think he's going to be able to earn 742 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,400 Speaker 3: if he thinks that he's going to be able to 743 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 3: institute more if he thinks he's gonna be able to 744 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 3: get more sales with lowering prices. 745 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so. 746 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 7: I mean, the you know, pricing is pretty elastic. I 747 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 7: think he will get some sales. The question is is 748 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:43,800 Speaker 7: how far and how much price cutting can he do 749 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 7: from now on? Well, their gross margins are still in 750 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 7: the mid teens. They still have room. I think relative 751 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 7: to the legacy automakers, their margins are still relatively healthy. 752 00:36:56,000 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 7: The issue is China. China's hype competitive market. Their main 753 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 7: rival is BID. They're continue to cut prices, and if 754 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,880 Speaker 7: they do cut prices in China, they really have to 755 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:12,160 Speaker 7: do the same elsewhere in the world to eliminate the 756 00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 7: arbitrage that can actually occur if there's a price difference 757 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:16,279 Speaker 7: across the world. 758 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:19,480 Speaker 2: So here's my question. I hear that it's not as 759 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:22,879 Speaker 2: desperate as maybe Wells Fargo is saying, but we're still 760 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:26,840 Speaker 2: looking at an estimated price startings multiple at fifty four times, 761 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 2: So is it worth that much based on everything we've 762 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 2: just talked about, do we need to rewrate that in 763 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:33,200 Speaker 2: a more significant way? 764 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:34,400 Speaker 6: We do. 765 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:36,960 Speaker 7: I think we're in a cycle where we're going to 766 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 7: see some rerating. But long term, what I'm really excited 767 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:45,560 Speaker 7: about is the company is actually very vertically integrated. They're 768 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 7: actually behaving like an Apple where they're trying to create 769 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,279 Speaker 7: an ecosystem. We haven't seen it yet, but it's an 770 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 7: interesting thing. There's doing a lot of interesting things with manufacturing, 771 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 7: with their FSD and how it creates value for the 772 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:04,359 Speaker 7: long term owners of the vehicle over time, and that's 773 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 7: you know, I don't think the market wants to look 774 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,800 Speaker 7: at that right now given the slowdown in EV sales. 775 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 7: But again, like I said earlier, we're in that valley 776 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:16,320 Speaker 7: and there is I think light at the end of 777 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,759 Speaker 7: the tunnel. But you know, where are we at? Are 778 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:21,919 Speaker 7: we at the bottom of the valley? That's the main question. 779 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: I don't. 780 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:23,759 Speaker 7: I don't think we're there yet. 781 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:25,719 Speaker 3: I want to pick up on your point, you know 782 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 3: that we don't think we're that we're there yet because 783 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:31,280 Speaker 3: I feel like there might be more to come from analysts, 784 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 3: potentially more people souring on Tessa. 785 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:36,280 Speaker 9: But do you agree on that or what's your expectation 786 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:37,600 Speaker 9: for the coming core I do. 787 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,799 Speaker 7: I do. If you look at consensus earning, the range 788 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:44,320 Speaker 7: is very wide. I think there's still still very bollish 789 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:47,480 Speaker 7: people out there, bullish analysts out there that's going to 790 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 7: have to bring down earnings to more a little bit 791 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 7: more realistic to the current growth rate that we're seeing, 792 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 7: especially in the US market. 793 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:58,800 Speaker 2: When do you think we then get to the valley? 794 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 2: And what is the vale? 795 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 7: I think the I think one thing that we have 796 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 7: to keep track of, and that's what we're doing as well, 797 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 7: is a slowdown in price cuts. You know, we may 798 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 7: be starting to see that at the moment because price cutting, 799 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 7: the additional sales from price cutting is actually shrinking. That 800 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 7: gap is shrinking, So I do see it. We're closer 801 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 7: to that than maybe six months ago. So hopefully, you know, 802 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:32,960 Speaker 7: by midyear, second half the year, we can see some 803 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:34,760 Speaker 7: relief in price cutting. 804 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:38,719 Speaker 3: Talk a little bit about Tesla's margins, because we've got 805 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:41,840 Speaker 3: some analysis. It says that Tesla aims to slash production 806 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,040 Speaker 3: costs by about fifty percent, but maybe that's going to 807 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 3: be wind up being more about like thirty three percent. 808 00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 9: What do you think about that? 809 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:50,960 Speaker 10: Yeah, I think their target. 810 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:53,720 Speaker 7: I think their target of fifty percent is a stretch target, 811 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:57,359 Speaker 7: especially as you know, as they ramp up the model too. 812 00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 7: This is the fifty percent that they're referring to, and 813 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:02,800 Speaker 7: cost cutting is really on their next generation of vehicles, 814 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:07,800 Speaker 7: the model too, and you know, they've done a huge, 815 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:12,400 Speaker 7: significant revolutionary change to how they built vehicles. You know, 816 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:16,520 Speaker 7: you haven't seen that since Toyota introduced the lean manufacturing 817 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:21,480 Speaker 7: in nineteen fifties. So the cutting price cutting of fifty 818 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 7: percent likely unrealistic. Unrealistic, especially as they ramp up production 819 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:30,280 Speaker 7: in twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six. You know, maybe 820 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:33,400 Speaker 7: beyond twenty twenty six, we may get to fifty percent, 821 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 7: but that's a little bit far out there to really forecast. 822 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 2: So, Steve, I was interested in what you said about 823 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:41,560 Speaker 2: Apple in terms of sort of being all things to 824 00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:44,839 Speaker 2: all people in one area. Right, So does that mean 825 00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:47,400 Speaker 2: and I know that Apple is a harbor company, but 826 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,799 Speaker 2: they really want to be a services company, Like they 827 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:51,720 Speaker 2: want that to take up a lot of their space 828 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:53,799 Speaker 2: in terms of earnings and their revenue. Right makes sense? 829 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:54,239 Speaker 6: Right? 830 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:56,200 Speaker 2: Do you think the Tesla's going to do the same thing? 831 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:58,600 Speaker 2: Like they're going to get you know, your solar panel 832 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 2: and they're going to get services from that. And I 833 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:02,120 Speaker 2: appreciate the tests is a little bit different than your 834 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:04,400 Speaker 2: battery storage and then your car, Like is that the 835 00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:06,200 Speaker 2: company's going to be in twenty years? 836 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:09,399 Speaker 7: I you know, if you look at all the things 837 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 7: that they do, right, the solar panel you just mentioned, 838 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:16,680 Speaker 7: the Starlink satellite system, you know those all can be 839 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:21,360 Speaker 7: connected where you know, I can imagine where Tesla not 840 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 7: only you know, you have the uber or lift model 841 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:28,800 Speaker 7: that you know, robotaxi model, but you know, these cars 842 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 7: are actually carrying heavy, high capacity batteries that you know, 843 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:37,080 Speaker 7: it can be moved around, redistribute power around, and you 844 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,960 Speaker 7: have the star Link system really connected to these vehicles 845 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:42,719 Speaker 7: to really manage that in a more efficient way. So, 846 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,279 Speaker 7: you know, we haven't really talked about energy. We only 847 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:48,239 Speaker 7: you know, I think the market really are focused on 848 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 7: the current EV sales and how are they going to 849 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,600 Speaker 7: roll out the self full self driving, but the you know, 850 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 7: long term, the next step could be you know, managing 851 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 7: power with these mobile batteries that are in these cars. 852 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 3: Can you talk a little bit more about demand for 853 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 3: electric vehicles? And part of the thing I'm wondering about 854 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 3: is if you see that Tesla is going to need 855 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:15,480 Speaker 3: a very particular policy environment in order to see sales 856 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 3: continuing to pick up, and you know, in particular we've 857 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:20,400 Speaker 3: got the election coming up, a potential change of administration. 858 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:22,880 Speaker 3: Is there anything to think about there for what that 859 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:23,920 Speaker 3: would mean for Tesla? 860 00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:28,479 Speaker 7: Actually, I think Tesla have a unique benefit where they're 861 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:32,160 Speaker 7: actually a very global company already, Like they have a 862 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:36,280 Speaker 7: third of sales in the US, third in Asia, mostly China, 863 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:40,400 Speaker 7: and then third in Europe, so they're very diversified regionally, 864 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 7: So I don't think they really need any specific policy 865 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:49,640 Speaker 7: push from the US, you know, with their model to 866 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:53,759 Speaker 7: their next gen vehicle coming out in twenty twenty twenty 867 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 7: five and twenty twenty six, that will really resonate to 868 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 7: a lot of the emerging markets around world. So US 869 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 7: is an important market, but I think their aim is 870 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,799 Speaker 7: really go even more global. 871 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:11,680 Speaker 2: Hybrids. Is hybrid is going to be a consistent thorn 872 00:43:11,719 --> 00:43:13,440 Speaker 2: in tesla side or we think we overcome that. 873 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:19,279 Speaker 7: I think the world's gonna see a mix of powertrain 874 00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:24,840 Speaker 7: to really get to kind of net zero emissions. So 875 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 7: I think in the US, I think, you know, plug 876 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:32,319 Speaker 7: in hybrids will play a bigger role, potentially bigger role. 877 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:34,920 Speaker 7: But I think the rest of the world we're going 878 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:40,360 Speaker 7: to see, you know, significant growth in Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia, 879 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:44,320 Speaker 7: continued growth in China, Europe. You're kind of between the 880 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,880 Speaker 7: US and Asia. I think there's still a big enough space, 881 00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:52,399 Speaker 7: a big enough market the pie. I think the pie 882 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 7: for battery electric vehicles will continue to grow and absorb 883 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,879 Speaker 7: some of the newer competition that we're seeing from test 884 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:01,440 Speaker 7: that Tesla is facing. 885 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 2: See, we're gonna leave it there. Steve Mann, Bloomberg Intelligence 886 00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:07,480 Speaker 2: Automotive Analysts joining us. Really good stuff. Okay, so I 887 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:09,120 Speaker 2: know you're in the market to buy home, but what 888 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:10,719 Speaker 2: would it take you to buy a Tesla or an 889 00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:12,280 Speaker 2: ev Hibar. 890 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,680 Speaker 3: I think the charging situation is just too horrible, Like 891 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 3: there's just not enough around anywhere in New York City. 892 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:20,239 Speaker 9: Well, no, I take that back. 893 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 3: There's a lot of man Henan, but you get to 894 00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:23,360 Speaker 3: the out of Burrows and it gets a lot more tricky. 895 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:25,279 Speaker 2: There is a lot coming up in Brooklyn, like you 896 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:27,960 Speaker 2: can see dedicated charging spots. But I'm also in Parkslope, 897 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 2: so that would make a lot more sense. But I 898 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:33,360 Speaker 2: wonder too, is that we put so much emphasis on 899 00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:35,600 Speaker 2: the evs and we missed the hybrid there. And I 900 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:37,400 Speaker 2: feel like we're all playing a little bit of catchup 901 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,720 Speaker 2: because you can make an argument that while John Tucker 902 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:42,960 Speaker 2: waits for his hydrogen car, that you know a hybrid 903 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:43,760 Speaker 2: makes good sense. 904 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:47,560 Speaker 10: Yeah, I'm not disagreeing with you, right, just don't have 905 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:50,759 Speaker 10: any money, so I'm spending so much on my bathroom. 906 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,120 Speaker 9: Oh yeah, Well you've got to pick your poison. 907 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:53,120 Speaker 1: Don't you. 908 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:56,160 Speaker 2: That's true. One big purchase in the house, you do 909 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:56,360 Speaker 2: in the. 910 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:58,240 Speaker 10: Bath environmentally friendly bathroom. 911 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:00,919 Speaker 9: Well, it's gonna be a This could be really tough 912 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:01,720 Speaker 9: to get that fixed. 913 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:05,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true. No floating toilets, no floating sings. I'm 914 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:06,560 Speaker 2: really glad we work that out. 915 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:11,560 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast, available on apples, Spotify, 916 00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:14,919 Speaker 1: and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Listen live each 917 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:18,120 Speaker 1: weekday ten am to noon Eastern on Bloomberg dot com, 918 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:21,839 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, tune In, and the Bloomberg Business app. 919 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:24,960 Speaker 1: You can also watch us live every weekday on YouTube 920 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:27,000 Speaker 1: and always on the Bloomberg terminal