You made me promises promises
You knew you’d never keep
Promises promises
Why do I believe
All of your promises
You knew you’d never keep – Naked Eyes
Wow – what a party!
The former Vice-Chairman of Goldman Sachs (Draghi) says everything is fixed and the global markets go flying – what’s not to trust? Would anyone form GS ever lie to us? Would GS be involved in manipulating the Global Markets – of course not!
Now that I’ve fulfilled my obligation to get my mother back unharmed – let’s get real. Draghi said the violent spike in bond yields in recent days was hampering “the functioning of the monetary policy transmission channels” – the EXACT expression used to justify each of the ECB’s previous market interventions.
Yields on Spanish two-year debt plunged 72 basis points to 5.47% in barely an hour, with comparable moves on Italian debt – easing the pressure before a string of debt auctions in Rome over coming days. The MIB index of stocks in Milan surged by 5.6%. Madrid’s IBEX rose 6%, the biggest jump in two years, led by an explosive rise in bank shares. Mr Draghi’s comments came as Spain claimed backing from France and Germany for activation of the eurozone’s rescue fund (EFSF) to buy Spanish bonds, though this would require calling the Bundestag’s finance committee back from holiday for a vote. Action by the EFSF would provide “political cover” for the ECB to join the fray in a two-pronged attack. “We’re firing on all cylinders: that is what has ignited the markets,” said Hans Redeker, currency chief at Morgan Stanley.
Joint statements from Madrid, Paris and Berlin said market turbulence “does not reflect the fundamentals of the Spanish economy, or the sustainability of its public debt“. According to Ambrose Pritchard, “the wording seems scripted to clear the way for intervention.” Of course, now it’s time to put up or shut up as the Fed meets next week and the ECB has their pre-holiday meeting next week as well…
