"BOOM!" (More Obfuscation)
The Market Ticker ® - Commentary on The Capital Markets
Posted 2009-07-01 15:35
by Karl Denninger
in Banking System
Ignore this thread
"BOOM!" (More Obfuscation)
 

"Someone" paid 7% for overnight money on the Fed Trading system last night (that "someone" was a bank, by the way.)

This will be claimed to be "ordinary" end of quarter distortions for closing the books.

Don't believe it for a second.

Let's put this in plain language: The discount window is open for any bank that has good collateral at less than 1/10th of that interest rate. 

Therefore there is absolutely no reason for any institution to go into the Fed Funds market for overnight money at 7% unless they have no good collateral to post against it and thus cannot go to the window.

So who is it?  No idea.  And while the amount borrowed overnight at that rate may be tiny, that's not the point - the point is that the last time we saw anything that dramatic was just before it all went "boom" last year.

Yes, I'm sure that end-of-quarter had something to do with it.  In fact, I'd be stunned if it did not.

However, as I noted, there's no reason for anyone to pay that if they have good collateral to post at the discount window, given that you can do so for 1/10th or less the price.

Keep your nose to the ground and your eyes open. 

Someone (or more than one someone) is in trouble.

Discussion below (registration required to post)
 

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User Info "BOOM!" (More Obfuscation) in forum [Market-Ticker]
Curbyourrisk
Posts: 3590
Incept: 2008-08-19

Farmingdale, NY
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Tick, Tick, Tick,........

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Time is up.

I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no Santa Claus, the tooth fairy does not exist and American justice does not involve the courts.
Sisca
Posts: 304
Incept: 2008-04-17

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This is a wake up call to those still long in this market, to as a minimum reduce positions, or exit entirely. Many people don't short at all, and some refuse to short at what they say are low levels. Fine. Don't.

But don't get caught long in this market either. The downward spiral runs at a much greater speed than the upwards. Months of gains can vanish in a few short weeks, even days.

Keep your gunpowder dry, so you can use it when the time is right. And that time is so definitely not now.

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"If the big spenders get their way, they'll charge everything on your Taxpayer's Express card, and believe me, they never leave home without it."
Ronald Reagan
Mm^^
Posts: 2650
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Green A True American Patriot!
Gone, Baby, Gone
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Quote:
if they have good collateral to post at the discount window


Please define "good collateral" in this context, please. I mean with all the crap they use now and all.........

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"I don't take no ****; I don't give no ****. I ain't in the **** business." Stan S**by, Air Force, retired, Special Insertion (get the pilot OUT now!), guy. He's got MY back, guys. Forever...

Brett
Posts: 2872
Incept: 2008-01-23
Green
His name was Joseph Stack. His name was Joseph Stack......
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What do we anticipate the average and maximum lifespans of those in trouble to be?

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Americans need to stop wasting their time calling their representatives or protesting in Washington DC. Instead, protest in front of the personal homes of Bankster CEO/CFOs,in front of the personal homes of your representative.... They made it personal and so should you.
Raingod
Posts: 1352
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Tastes Like Chicken
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Is there any way to tell the amount of money borrowed?

Also, one thing I've never understood is why there is an "overnight" rate at all. Do banks really borrow money only for one-day periods, and why?

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Still waiting on Bohemian to name a single case filed by the NRA against the federal government, prior to Parker/Heller v. D.C., to expand gun rights in the U.S.A.
Genesis
Posts: 130718
Incept: 2007-06-26
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Brett, if it remains contained, you won't see anything happen.

IF not then the **** will hit the fan at some time in the relatively close future, and may do so in a truly DRAMATIC fashion.

There are some odd ****ing FX things going on the last week or so too, which also implies people trying to juggle cans of nitroglycerine. IF they drop one....

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Implosion
Posts: 3274
Incept: 2008-03-20
Green
99.9 percent of all crash calls are wrong!
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If we close below 924 SPX, then it will be a full daily candle body below the middle bollinger again.

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"You better believe in the PPT! If you haven't by now, you will." - Chummin (2010)
Lemonaid
Posts: 9879
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Green
Metro Detroit
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California as the 8th largest economy in the world blowin' up outta account for sumthin' too I'd reckon smiley

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"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." Ludwig von Mises

Brett
Posts: 2872
Incept: 2008-01-23
Green
His name was Joseph Stack. His name was Joseph Stack......
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Lemonaid, one would effing think. But I am surprised only by the amount of times I am surprised that news like this results in EPIC rallys the day of or following day. (IndyMac, AIG, GM, Chrysler Bks etc...etc...)

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Americans need to stop wasting their time calling their representatives or protesting in Washington DC. Instead, protest in front of the personal homes of Bankster CEO/CFOs,in front of the personal homes of your representative.... They made it personal and so should you.
Ldog
Posts: 320
Incept: 2009-06-11

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Weird moves indeed. It feels like the machines are going at it like a Terminator movie. When the can of nitroglycerin slips...it could be a doozy.
2banana
Posts: 337
Incept: 2008-02-25

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Waiting for:

Disclosure: Shorting the phone book

Centurion
Posts: 76
Incept: 2009-05-14

DFW
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Quote:
There are some odd ****ing FX things going on the last week or so too, which also implies people trying to juggle cans of nitroglycerine


Can you elaborate? Euro/ yen / RMB? / franc? The pound and the ruble looked sort of stable to me last week.

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- If you're not being shot at, it's not a high stress job.
- The right to self-defence is THE basic human right.
- No, I don't know everything .... I'm just REALLY good with Google.
- Trying not to be a tinfoil guy. But can you really blame me after the actions of Fed & Treas?
Genesis
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Admin A True American Patriot!
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Centurion - intraday moves. On a daily it doesn't look so crazy.

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Lakeshorelady
Posts: 5481
Incept: 2007-08-17
Green

Banned
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One can see from the tables (info straight from the FED as linked below) that the collateral requirements are extremely liberal and even consider prior value. For example, last time I really looked at it and I admit it has been awhile, I saw with a liquid CDO, the Fed will lend up to 98% if it's a short-term CDO, up to 96% if it's medium-term, and up to 93% if it's long-term. If the CDO lacks liquidity in the market, the Fed will still accept it and lend up to 85% of its par value.

Another thing I noted last time I studied it, these loans are done at PAR value, no mark to market. So right out of the FED's mouth a subprime loan that is under 60 days late (see link below) will be accepted at 85% of its par value. Consumer credit card type paper, (no collateral behind it) no problem for the window as long as it is NO more than 30 days late

You have to seriously consider keeping your assets in a covered litter box if you no longer have collateral for the FED window

http://www.frbdiscountwindow.org/discoun....

Raingod
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Implosion wrote..
If we close below 924 SPX, then it will be a full daily candle body below the middle bollinger again.

923.33 good enough? (that damn well better be the final number!)

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Still waiting on Bohemian to name a single case filed by the NRA against the federal government, prior to Parker/Heller v. D.C., to expand gun rights in the U.S.A.

Reason: finally should have a final number, sheesh
127001
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Quote:
Also, one thing I've never understood is why there is an "overnight" rate at all. Do banks really borrow money only for one-day periods, and why?


To meet capital ratios - or other cash flow requirements. Kinda like making sure your checks don't bounce. From a banks perspective - if the money isn't doing something it is losing money, so they routinely cut it very close. sometimes they come up short and need to borrow.
Throxxofvron
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Hyper-Speculative Psycho-Facsistic Parabolic Blow-Off
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I smell smoke.

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DIONYSUS: " Thou hast no knowledge of the life thou art leading; thy very existence is now a mystery to thee. " -from 'The Bacchantes' By Euripides “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” -George Orwell
Lakeshorelady
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127
Yeppers, I think everyone gets that but not being able to borrow from the window = Houston, we have a problem
Mm^^
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Gone, Baby, Gone
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Thanks for answer, Lakeshore. Since almost all of the banks have plenty of trash to fork over, which ones would not have anything?

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"I don't take no ****; I don't give no ****. I ain't in the **** business." Stan S**by, Air Force, retired, Special Insertion (get the pilot OUT now!), guy. He's got MY back, guys. Forever...

Ck_dexter
Posts: 3899
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Silver
the south parlor
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not based on anything real, but i think there is something seriously wrong out there, and there is no money left.
and we're ****ed

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"In other words, that the discussion about what is good, what is beautiful, what is noble, what is pure and what is true, could always go on. Why is that important, why would I like to do that? Because that's the only conversation worth having." Christopher Hitchens.
Themortgagedude
Posts: 8849
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Green
saint louis
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dex - there's always money- sometimes you have to pay the vig to get it.

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I'm already visualizing you with duct tape over your mouth.
Rbarreira
Posts: 2826
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Portugal -> Sweden
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Could this be a small bank, or is it only big banks using this borrowing facility?

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In Soviet Russia, the government regulates the banks.
Jaydawg
Posts: 268
Incept: 2009-06-14
Green
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Thanks Karl for the heads up as I am quickly trying to learn and understand what you have been saying in these forums. Correct me if I am wrong last time the rate was up to 7 was October 8, 2008 with an almost 700 point drop in DOW, then again on September 15, 2008 the day Lehman went under. Also September 30, 2008 the rate high was 10 with a 300 point drop in DOW but started a huge sell off into October. Can we assume the high rates usually precedes some bad news?
Genesis
Posts: 130718
Incept: 2007-06-26
Admin A True American Patriot!
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It could be anyone.

The point is that when the Discount Rate is 6% and the O/N vig is 7, ok, whoopie. If its 8, that's iffy.

When the Discount Rate is 0.5% and you pay 7% there is only one reason: Whatever you have won't qual for the discount window. And since they will take ******n near anything, it means YOU ARE ****ED.

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
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