BACKDOC: YES, THE POINT IS THEY (China) ARE NO LONGER PEGGED SOLELY TO THE DOLLAR!
THIS WILL AFFECT MARKETS ONCE THEY FIGURE THIS OUT!
LOOK FOR CURRENCY TRADERS THAT HAVE BEEN SHORTING THE YUAN TO RUN TO THE HILLS!
FRANKIE! FRANKIE! THIS IS WHERE THE YUAN BEGINS ITS RISE!
THE NEXT QUESTION FOR ME IS ARE WE CLOSE TO THAT GLOBAL REALITY VALUE?
NOT LIKELY SINCE MARKETS WILL BEGIN TO ADJUST TO THIS MASSIVE MOVE FROM CHINA AND THE SOON ARRIVAL OF THE DIGITAL, NEW REALITY!
DOC IMO
BACKDOC: THANKS TO WALKINGSTICK FOR THIS ARTICLE!
Walkingstick: ‘The central bank is neither god nor a magician …’ China’s central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan breaks silence over the yuan
There’s no basis for continued depreciation of the currency, says the governor of the People’s Bank of China
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 13 February, 2016, 11:57pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 14 February, 2016, 9:07am
After months of silence, China’s central bank chief, has finally broken his silence over Beijing’s currency policy and assured the public there is no basis for the yuan’s continued depreciation.
Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), also rejected rumours it would tighten capital controls.
In an interview published by mainland financial magazine, Caixin, two days before the mainland’s financial markets reopen on Monday, Zhou addressed concerns over China’s dwindling foreign reserves, which last month fell to the lowest levels since 2012.
“It is normal for foreign reserves to rise and fall as long as the fundamentals face no problems,” Zhou said in his first public comments on the bank’s rationale and strategies, in the face of multiple challenges since it devalued the renminbi by 2 per cent in August.
The PBOC has pumped in money to stabilise the yuan because of pressure following the economic slowdown and continued capital outflow, which has depleted China’s foreign reserves. Holdings fell by US$99.5 billion in January to US$3.23 trillion.
Zhou said China had no intention of tightening capital controls as it would be hard to implement, given the size of China’s international trade and businesses abroad. The level of capital outflow in recent months was normal.
“Capital outflow and capital flight are two different concepts.”
He said speculators were targeting China and that “China would not let the market sentiment be dominated by these speculative forces”.
He also made no mention of billionaire investor George Soros, who has been in a war of words with Chinese state media for weeks after suggesting the mainland’s economy was heading for a hard landing.
The PBOC would be cautious when using resources to fight international speculators, Zhou said. “It does not mean we must take direct action whenever they come,” he said, adding that a more flexible yuan would help China face speculators’ pressure by effectively using “our ammunition while minimising costs”.
His remarks could help to stabilise the market and provide global investors with a clearer idea of the central bank’s stance towards the yuan exchange rate, said ANZ Banking senior economist Raymond Yeung Yue-ting.
Zhou also responded to criticism of the PBOC’s lack of transparency and poor communication. “The central bank is neither god nor a magician who can turn uncertainties to certainties,” Zhou said. “Sometimes, the central bank has to say, ‘Sorry, we have to wait for new data’.”
The bank would use a basket of currencies as reference and carefully manage any daily volatility in the yuan against the dollar, as well as using a wider range of macro-economic data, he said. “The yuan is basically stable against a basket of currencies… there is no basis for devaluation.”
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/ … bank-chief
Mountainman: Well there is ONLY ONE WAY for them to be STABILIZED after “FEARS” of their RESERVES Burning UP….So to Speak….= A DEPEG…..Also IMO….The WORDS Used MAY be MEASURED/CALCULATED for The BIG BANG!!!!!!!!
BACKDOC: BINGO
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BACKDOC: MY GOODNESS THUNDER WE KEEP SEEING THAT THEME OVER AND OVER AGAIN DON’T WE ????? IMPLEMENTATION!
DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: Russian Envoy: Moscow to open credit line for Iran
Moscow is going to provide Iran with a line of credit,’ Alexander Mantytsky told the Islamic Republic News Agency. However, he pointed out that the amount of credit has not been disclosed so far.
Referring to the removal of international sanctions against Iran, Mantytsky said the new developments show that Iran and Russia are opening new horizons in their economic ties.
Figures show that trade exchanges between Tehran and Moscow stand at 1.6 billion dollars, he said.
The bilateral trade could grow two-folds following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA), he added.
The JCPOA was first proposed by Russia to the P5+1 group of countries and an agreement was achieved mostly because of the diplomatic efforts by the Kremlin.
‘Even during the imposition of sanctions against Iran by Europe and the United States, Russia never stopped to cooperate with Iran,’ the Russian envoy in Afghanistan said.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81961831/
Mountainman: So In Other WORDS…….IT”S IN THE BAG BOYS…..HIGH (8)….RIGHT ON……Thanks…Because WE are So “CONFIDENT” about this…..
Well YOU KNOW…..RUSSIA/IRAN…..GOLDEN TRIANGLE…..It’s….ALL “GOLDEN” from HERE!!!!!!!!
Honeybunny: SO FROM EAST TO WEST!?
BACKDOC: THATS RIGHT HONEY! HEE HEE……JUST LIKE FRANK SAID!
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BACKDOC: SERIOUSLY, THEY HAVN”T MET SINCE MARCH OF 2015?
WHY NOW? MMMM…….ACTIONS MEAN THINGS!
Mountainman: Hey……..Is That “WHY”……..they say……..”ACTIONS SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS”!!!!!!!!
Thunderhawk: CBI’s 55th annual general assembly convenes
The 55th annual general assembly of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) was attended by President Hassan Rouhani and bank officials on Saturday.
The CBI general assembly made an assessment of the bank’s financial operations during the past Iranian Calendar year, ended March 19, 2015.
In addition to this, the participants overviewed the balance sheet, financial statements and previous enactments made during the period by the CBI general assembly.
CBI Governor, Valiollah Seif also presented his report.
Other participants included Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, Minister of Industry Mine and Trade, Ali Tayyebnia, Minister of Economy and Finance, Mohammad Nahavandian, Presidential Chief of Staff and Hossein Fereydoun, President’s advisor.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81961549/
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Hoot: five more days people and it will be the 18th,,,,,question is will we have our rv by then
BACKDOC: ONLY IF IRAN IS RIGHT! THEY ARE THE ONES THAT SAID IT WE JUST FOUND IT!
ACTIONS ARE DEFINITELY SUPPORTING THESE STATEMENTS FOR SURE BUT WE JUST STUDY ACTIONS!
ACTIONS MEAN THINGS! DOC IMO
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BACKDOC: THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE TO STUDY!
THE FIRST THING I REALLY NOTICED WAS NOT HOW INCREDIBLE IRANS POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH IS AS IT RE-ENTERS THE WORLD, BUT SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID ABOUT ITS NEIGHBOR.
SAUDI ARABIA HAS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL GDP IN SPITE OF ITS RELIANCE ON OIL AND GAS!
THIS CONFIRMS MY HOPES THAT S.A. COULD HAVE A CURRENCY OF COMPATIBILITY WITH IRAN AND IRAQ!
OF COURSE MR. LONELY WILL TAKE THE STAGE AND GIVE A BOW ONCE ITS DIVERSIFICATION SETS IN!
IRAN THOUGH WILL CERTAINLY BE A PLAYER AS WE CAN SEE HERE.
IT WILL BE A MAJOR COMPETITOR IN THE REGION IF THEY KEEP THEIR NOSE CLEAN!
WHAT I FIND MOST INTERESTING IS HOW UNDERVALUED THEIR PURCHASING POWER IS!
DOWN 70% DUE TO SANCTIONS! WOW!
WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE THAT VALUE BY BUYING THEIR CURRENCY BEFORE ITS REPRICED FOR THE NEW REALITY!
TRULY A NO BRAINER! IF CHATTY IRAN IS RIGHT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE LONG TO DIVERSIFY YOUR CURRENCY PORTFOLIO! DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: Iran: disproving fallacies, accepting challenges
Iran’s historic nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions should bring the country back into the global community.
Oliver Bell, portfolio manager for T. Rowe Price’s Global Frontier Markets Equity Strategy, and Mark Lawrence, investment analyst for frontier and emerging markets, went on a fact-finding mission prior to the lifting of sanctions, Troweprice reported.
The following is part of the report they recently published after their visit:
Our first trip to the country was a real eye-opener and exposed many of our biases as wrong. From the smooth, welcoming breeze through customs, to our three days of one-to-one meetings and excursions outside the hotel, we realized how many of our conceptions were untrue.
In reality, Iran appeared like Turkey—Tehran being a very cosmopolitan city with a much more liberal attitude than we expected, with women appearing fully integrated into society.
Importantly, the country is educated, entrepreneurial and asset rich, but remains cash flow poor because of the sanctions that have been in place since 1979. With those sanctions being lifted, there is much to like as an international investor.
> Economy of Size…
Iran is the second-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region after Saudi Arabia, with a GDP of $406.3 billion in 2014 (roughly the same size as Thailand). Its GDP grew by 3% in 2014 after two years of recession, boosted by the President Hassan Rouhani administration’s strategy of reform and foreign engagement.
The government has put in place a strategy aiming for an economy unencumbered by sanctions, improved science and technology, reform of some state-owned enterprises, reform of the banking and financial sector, and allocation of oil revenues to policy priorities. Public and quasi-state enterprises dominate.
The World Bank viewed the medium-term outlook as positive if nuclear-related sanctions were eased and the government enacted reform. It sees growth decelerating from 3% in 2014 to 1.9% in 2015 (based on the Iranian calendar year, which runs from March). However, now that sanctions have been lifted before the beginning of the 2016 Iranian calendar year, it projects real GDP could rise to 5.8% in 2016 and 6.7% in 2017.
The International Monetary Fund forecasts real GDP growth of up to 5.5% in 2016-17 and 2017-18, settling at around 3.5% to 4% per annum thereafter.
The IMF sees Iran boosting global oil production by 600,000 barrels per day in 2016, based on the rollback of EU and UN sanctions, rising to 1.2 million bpd over the medium term. That would be equivalent to approximately half of global oil demand growth in 2016.
Inflation has dropped from a peak of 45% in 2012 to the low tens today due to tough monetary policy. We expect interest rates to fall and potentially one more large adjustment in the Iranian rial/dollar exchange rate from the current 35,000-odd rial/dollar.
As banks reconnect to the outside world post-sanctions, capital flows should follow, while oil can only increase its importance within the economy.
> …But in Need of Finance
A number of executives told us that the Iranian government was out of cash and that the country needs to issue more debt. It certainly has a liquidity issue and needs further capabilities in risk management (there are currently no rating agencies) and legal frameworks (bankruptcies and liquidations cannot be easily facilitated) to meet this demand.
Longstanding state involvement combined with several years of sanctions has left the banking sector in a relatively weak state. The banks we met with were heavily exposed to non-core assets in real estate, franchises, equities, etc., probably due to restricted investment alternatives imposed by sanctions.
Compared with other emerging market and Persian Gulf peers, credit penetration is at the higher end of the range at 67%. However, the sector is highly fragmented, with the five largest banks accounting for just one-third of the system assets. This relatively crowded market may help explain the comparatively low profitability, alongside the apparently elevated level of unproductive delinquent loans.
Tehran Stock Exchange features 540 listed companies on the main bourse, $120 billion market cap, $40 billion turnover volume per day and a somewhat staggering 107 brokers. The daily limit up/down is set at 5%. Exchange-traded funds were launched in 2013 and 11 are currently listed on TSE. The index trades at 6x P/E (having been as low as 4x to 5x P/E) and an average dividend yield of 14%.
A huge government-led privatization drive in 2006 put a wide range of corporates back into the private sector. The top 10 listed companies account for 50% of the TSE’s market cap, with seven of those having been registered as part of the government privatization programs.
> A Resourceful Nation
During our visit, it struck us that Iran is already operating pretty well despite sanctions. It has developed smaller-ticket items itself or has shipped from neighboring countries. The shops were fully loaded with goods, many items that you would buy in the West.
Most products are also much cheaper as the Iranian rial has undergone two large devaluations—in 2002 by almost 80% (against the US dollar) and in 2013 by 50%, resulting in the overall real depreciation of 50% since 2000.
Measured on purchasing power parity, the value of the rial is 30% of what is implied by the PPP levels calculated by the IMF (goods are 70% cheaper than the comparable basket in the US.
We believe there is money to be made for first movers coming into the market in early 2016. Longer term, the road looks more uneven and the chances of having stranded investments are just as likely.
The purpose of the trip was to acquaint ourselves with Iran and its idiosyncrasies, which we have done in part but need more time with companies and government officials to become truly comfortable investing.
The banking system does cause concerns as it is undercapitalized and has a high rate of nonperforming loans, and there is no plan for recapitalization yet. However, there is a lot of interest from foreign capital and many of the Iranian banks are already talking to international banks.
The oil and mining sectors dominate the economy and the stock market and is desperate for capital/foreign cooperation. Therefore, there is a narrow, rich seam to play in the stock market, and it may be a crowded trade.
Also, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps is a major force in the economy, with stakes in a wide network of state-owned and quasi-state businesses and influence in the private sector.
Issues such as business transparency and corruption are also central in the development of any frontier economy. In transparency terms, Transparency International’s 2014 Global Corruption Index ranked Iran 136 out of 175 countries. Meanwhile, in the World Bank’s 2015 Doing Business survey of 189 countries, Iran ranked 130.
Last Great Frontier Market
However, interest in Iran will only grow going forward because of its reintegration into the global economy, its huge hydrocarbon power and its positive demographics (which will be key to future growth prospects).
Iran has also historically been seen as part of the “Next-11” (a term coined by Goldman Sachs) group of countries that have the potential to become significant emerging market economies.
Institutional investors, however, will probably face some challenges in areas of liquidity and corporate governance. Challenges such as these are not uncommon as markets open up and there are always areas for experienced investors to uncover neglected companies with healthy or improving operations.
Ultimately, with a focus on quality, investment in Iran could prove rewarding, especially given the very low valuation starting point. In addition, with Iran being one of the last great frontier markets left to invest in, it could potentially provide one of the final pieces of the investment puzzle for some investors.
(Financial Tribune)
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81962513/
BACKDOC: YES WE KNOW YOU’RE IN A HURRY TO SHOW OFF CHINA! (see article below)
EVEN THOUGH YOU WILL BE POWERFUL THE NEW ASSET BACKED CURRENCY WILL BE SAVED FOR LAST!
ALL OTHER ASSET BACKED CURRENCIES WILL START TO SHOW UP BUT WHEN THE US UNVEILS ITS POWER THE WORLD WILL SHUTTER! DOC IMO
Mountainman: YES…….This Is PROOF THINGS have been Going On BEHIND and IN FRONT of CLOSED/OPEN Doors……..IMO……??? ”
….
Thunderhawk: Chinese put out billboard ads announcing renminbi as new world currency
When I arrived to Bangkok the other day, coming down the motorway from the airport I saw a huge billboard—and it floored me, reports Sovereignman.
The billboard was from the Bank of China. It said: “RMB: New Choice; The World Currency”
Given that the Bank of China is more than 70% owned by the government of the People’s Republic of China, I find this very significant.
It means that China is literally advertising its currency overseas, and it’s making sure that everyone landing at one of the world’s busiest airports sees it. They know that the future belongs to them and they’re flaunting it.
And it’s true. The renminbi’s importance in global trade and as a reserve currency is increasing exponentially, with renminbi trading hubs popping up all over the world, from Singapore to London to Geneva to Frankfurt to Toronto.
Multinational companies such as McDonald’s are now issuing bonds in renminbi, and even sovereign governments are issuing debt denominated in renminbi, including the UK.
Almost every major global player out there, be it governments or major multinationals, is positioning itself for the renminbi to become the dominant reserve currency.
But here’s the thing. Nothing goes up and down in a straight line. And China is in deep trouble right now. The economy is slowing down and the enormous debt bubble is starting to burst.
A lot of people, including the richest man in Asia, are starting to move their money out of the country.
So while the long-term trend is pretty clear – China becoming the dominant economic and financial superpower – the short-term is going to look incredibly rocky.
We talk about this in today’s short podcast with Sovereign Man’s Chief Investment Strategist, Tim Staermose, which includes a few ways to actually make money from China’s short-term unwinding.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/2016/feb/14 … d-currency
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BACKDOC: WELL, WHEN YOU CHANGE CURRENCY VALUE LIKE THEY JUST DID WE WILL SEE A SERIOUS MARKET MOVER FOR SURE LIKE I SAID! WOW!
Thunderhawk: China ‘catch-up’ sell-off expected after Lunar New Year holiday ends
Markets are bracing for a “catch-up” sell-off by Chinese traders as the world’s second-largest economy resumes trading on Monday.
A week’s break for Chinese Lunar New Year could have been a week of reprieve for financial markets, which have been speculating wildly on Chinese currency devaluation and demand.
Instead, last week saw savage sell-offs in global banking stocks, and continued volatility.
Asian shares performed miserably and this risk-off sentiment is likely to channel through to Chinese markets, says research by Credit Suisse.
The Nikkei 225 slumped 11 per cent last week, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (tightly correlated to the mainland’s movements) reopened after a three-day New Year break down 3.85 per cent. CSI300 futures are pointing to a drop of 20 points.
“Under such a turbulent environment, combined with the Chinese stock market’s own plunges in January, Monday’s reopening may bring in heavy volatility to Chinese stocks,” said Renee Mu, currency analyst at DailyFX.
Aussie stocks are set to open higher after the rally in US and European stocks on Friday, led by financials and miners. But with such large declines globally over the week, a rocky start to Chinese trading could put pressure on Australian stocks.
“Given the Australian market is predominantly banks and miners, expect a strong open locally,” said Matt Felsman, private wealth adviser at APP Securities.
“However, with such declines globally last week, we wait as China may need to play “catch-up”, which could dampen our enthusiasm.”
Yuan strength questioned
During the holiday week, the Chinese offshore yuan performed well, strengthening 0.51 per cent against the US dollar due to a smaller than expected drop in China’s foreign currency reserves, combined with US Federal Reserve boss Janet Yellen’s testimony that negative interest rates are not out of the question.
But Heng Koon How, senior currency strategist with Credit Suisse, thinks investor sentiment will remain negative towards the world’s second-largest economy.
“We think this offshore yuan strength is overdone; Chinese mainland equities will likely see a heavy correction lower when the market reopens on Monday and that will lead to offshore yuan weakness,” Mr Heng said.
“In addition, the latest $US99.5 billion contraction in China’s foreign reserves for January will likely keep global investors concerned over ongoing capital outflows from China. We reiterate our negative view of both the offshore yuan and onshore yuan and see a return in weakness next week.”
With US and Canadian markets closed on Monday for a national holiday, Japanese GDP and industrial production figures will dominate the news cycle. Analysts expect fourth-quarter Japanese GDP estimates to show a quarter-on-quarter growth rate of -0.3 per cent. Investors will also be keenly watching Chinese trade figures for January, released on Tuesday, for evidence the decline in exports and imports may be moderating.
However Kathy Lien, managing director fo FX strategy at BK Asset Management, said Chinese authorities could help smooth market jitters.
“The government could help shore up confidence by tweaking the data to show less weakness or more strength,” she said in a note.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/china/ch … mtnqb.html
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Thunderhawk: Backdoc Alert
Dy oil minister: NIOC ships 4 million barrels oil for Europe
Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Rokneddin Javadi said on Saturday that some four million barrels of Iran’s crude oil will be shipped for Europe by the next 24 hours.
He said that two million barrels has been purchased by French Total Company and the other two million barrels by two Russian and Spanish companies.
Javadi said that the Russian company will ship oil to its refinery in Romania.
Iran had already declared that in post-sanctions era will increase its oil export in two phases one million bpd.
Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh said following his visit to Italy and France that contract to sell 160,000 barrels crude oil to Total will be executed on February 16, 2016.
He called Italian Oil Companies of Eni and Saras as traditional customers of Iranian oil, which will purchase oil in post-sanctions era.
Iran intends to offer discount to retake its European share from rivals.
Before intensification of sanctions, Iran exported 500,000 bpd oil to Europe, which later it reduced to 100,000 bpd.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81962280/
Mountainman: You know HAWK……I feel VERY FORTUNATE to be A part of WHAT and WHY We are SEEING the MARKETS/GLOBAL REALITY Unfold……
It is SURREAL for Me…..EVERYONE Here for ALL The INPUT/OUTPUT……and FRANK/ALL Teams…….”GENERATIONS” Will THANK YOU……And MOST of Them/Us Will HELP Many!!!!!!!!
Thunderhawk: ON BEHALF OF DOC AND MYSELF
WE HOPE YOU FOUND THIS SESSION HELPFUL
WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHARE ALL WE FIND
AND GIVE OUR ANALYSIS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK FRANK FOR MAKING US A PART OF THIS AMAZING TEAM
WE ARE HONORED AND HUMBLED TO BE HERE
THANK YOU ALL
Blessings in Christ
ThunderHawk
