1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Let's get to our guest David Ko, talk c io 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: and chairman of Cumberland Advisers. David, these are pretty uh 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: pretty interesting times. One of our our guests on the 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: show last week, Ellen Hazen, created this interesting image of 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: of the of the Fed's job in trying to achieve 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: a soft landing. She said it was akin to landing 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: a seven forty seven on an aircraft carrier. That job 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: is too tough. Sell. My goodness, I don't know what 9 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: it's like to land a seven forty seven on an 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: aircraft carrier. Well I can. I can tell you this. 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: It's you need seventy feet of runway and you know 12 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: most aircraft carriers only around a thousand feet. I would 13 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: say the metaphor certainly is worthwhile to consider. My gosh, 14 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: look at the lineup for the FED, and to me, 15 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: the FED has moved to diminished forward guidance. They say 16 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: they'll fight inflation, bring it down. They say they have 17 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 1: to do that. You quoted earlier in the show. You 18 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: quoted j Pal. The question is this two percent target, 19 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: which you don't hear about very much anymore, because a 20 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: two percent target would require a really rough go on 21 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: interest rates and economic pain, and one you might have 22 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: Larry Summers saying we have to do it. It's easy 23 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: for him to do. It's a heck of a lot 24 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 1: harder for the FIT. In the face of the turmoil 25 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: in the world. Brian Stephen, the world is upside down 26 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: and backwards with food and fire, war and the FEDS 27 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: not responsible for any of those things. Well, David Steve, 28 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: here does is I mean, does J. Powell have enough 29 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: ammunition if we want to continue the aircraft carrier metaphor? Here? 30 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: Do they have enough weapons to kind of counter pricing 31 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: increases caused by those shocks you're talking about it, Well, 32 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: he's got the weapons. The FED has a weapon. It 33 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: can raise the short term interest rate, it can force 34 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: the adjustment of other factors, it can shrink its balance sheet, 35 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 1: and essentially it's doing those things. It has to maintain 36 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: financial stability. That is critical now in a global financial 37 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: sanctions and payments war, and we're in it in the 38 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: United States is the leading player in the global financial 39 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: sanctions and payments war versus Russia and their allies. So 40 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: that's a role the FED cannot diminish. David doing you 41 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 1: think that even if the FED could be nuanced and 42 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: nimble to try to do this. It just won't have 43 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: the luxury because it it cannot risk not succeeding. So 44 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: as a result, it's kind of virtually guaranteed the FED 45 00:02:55,360 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: will overshoot. It will overshoot the mark, and so you 46 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: know you're looking at a tough, tough sledding ahead. I 47 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: think so, um, I agree with you. The FED faces 48 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: the classic definition of a Hobson's choice. It can't win 49 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: no matter what it does, and it's trying to find 50 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: some way to mitigate the damage which it cannot do. 51 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: It the recognition of inflation having to be squashed, so 52 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: ex expectations are reduced. So, David, you evoked Hobson's choice. 53 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: Obviously what Doug just mentioned about the dilemma, if you 54 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: will that J. Powell and company have you know, on 55 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: top of course of another possible seventy five basis point 56 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: rate hike, we have softening housing market. I just came 57 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: back from the States. I've seen it even soften in hot, 58 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: red hot Seattle tech companies. They're curbing hiring, unemployment claims 59 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: inching up. Can J. Powell avoid of recession even though 60 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: they say they're going to execute or likely to execute 61 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: us off landing. I don't think so. I don't see 62 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: how the Fed will not say we're going to have 63 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: a severe recession. My gosh, that would put so much turmoil. 64 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: So the conversations will always say, maybe a little mild, 65 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: maybe a little slow down. I don't see how we 66 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 1: don't have a serious slowdown. They're gonna raise rates. The 67 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: forecasts and estimates are certainly seventy five and after that 68 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: maybe twice more before the end of the year. We're 69 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: going above three in the FED funds rate by the 70 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: end of this year. And we're slowing, as you just described. 71 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: The only thing with that's working is the one mile 72 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: swim in the Hudson River that Denise talked about. Well, 73 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: a little slowing, a little slowing is okay as long 74 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: as you don't, you know, go too far over edge. 75 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: Right now, we've got earnings, which is a little distracting. 76 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a pleasant distraction, but the earning season 77 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: once it passes, investors will refocus on the macro and 78 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: and so you know, you have to look at whether 79 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: or not growth is slowing faster than inflation, or inflation 80 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: is slowing faster, and how do you measure it? Oh 81 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: my gosh, this is a tough race because no matter 82 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: who wins, you don't like it. And my estimates are 83 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: we're going to be disappointed in the earnings. You listed 84 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: some of the big ones, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, I mean 85 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: we got a hundred and seventy companies coming this week. 86 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: I suspect we're not going to like them as a group. 87 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: And number two, we're going to look at them and say, gee, 88 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: that was the second quarter and the second quarter portens 89 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: continuing weakness in the third quarter. Are we going to 90 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: have three negative GDP quarters in a row? And I'm 91 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: really worried about proff margins because we're coming off this 92 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: widening of profit margins. We're in our portfolio, in the 93 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,559 Speaker 1: US equity E T S portfolio, we are twenty eight 94 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: percent cash today. That is very high for US. And 95 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: we have focused on sectors. Were overweighted in aerospace, defense, 96 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 1: were overweighted healthcare. We are underweight the banks. There's reason 97 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 1: to be very cautious here, we think, David, what's your 98 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: take on whether China can contribute even within the next 99 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: year to global growth. I just came from bustling Seattle, 100 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: as I said, arriving into Hong Kong last night to 101 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: has Matt Dystopia. It's it's a complete opposite picture on 102 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: the COVID front here in this part of the world. 103 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: We do know, of course COVID zero added to inflation 104 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: because of the supply chain constraints, but growth it's very 105 00:06:57,839 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: hard to find right now in China. Would you agree? 106 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: I absolutely agree, and I really think the questions, thank you, 107 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: it's profound because the engine of turnaround will come out 108 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: of Asia, China and other economies. And when it happens, 109 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: I believe we can become very bullish and optimistic on 110 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: world recovery. But we're not there yet. Uh. There's lots 111 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: of potential Korea, Vietnam. Uh, if Japan can get past 112 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: another COVID surge and start to adjust its monetary policy, 113 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: I don't see how that happens so after Corona retires, 114 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: but that's what it's gonna take. Well, that's what makes 115 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: city groups called kind of interesting saying that the Chinese 116 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: economy bottomed in May and they're turning bullish on Chinese equities. 117 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: It seems like you disagree. No, No, I think I 118 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: think if you're forward looking at six to nine months 119 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: and you want to poss aition position in China because 120 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: the likelihood is you're going to get a bounce in 121 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: Asia and China is to beg engine in Asia. So 122 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: I believe that's a risk worth taking. All right. It's 123 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: great to finish on a positive note, David, thanks so 124 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: much for joining us on a Sunday evening for you, 125 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: David co Talks, CEO and chairman of Cumberland Advisors,