The Fright Before Christmas

The Fright Before Christmas 'Twas the week before Christmas



And all through the Street



Not a hedge fund was buying:



Instead--in retreat!







They'd bet big on oil--



Now they weren't in the black,



So they sold off their winners



To take up the slack.







The stock market tone?



Like taps on a bugle:



Down Apple, down Exxon;



Down Chevron and Google.







Through sixty, toward fifty,



The oil price descended;



Sayonara to fracking,



That party seemed ended.







The Saudi oil barons



Had put on a squeeze,



To force US frackers



To fall to their knees.







The banks how they quivered



To fund Bakken field;



And don't even bother



To think of high yield!







It's goodbye to boom times,



Dakota and Texas:



You'll take a big hit,



Best trade in the Lexus.







The big city bankers



Knew they were hurt, too,



So they called in their chits



At the Washington Zoo.







Their minions in Congress



Played games with Dodd-Frank,



And gave Morgan and Citi



A deal that just stank!







A little old rider



So quietly drafted



That none knew the score



Until they were shafted.







The law had told bankers:



Hive off your swap stakes,



So taxpayers won't have to



Bail out their mistakes.







But a twist of an arm,



And a wink of an eye,



Let Congress make sure that



This mandate would die.







A government shutdown



Was thereby curtailed,



But the process revealed



That we were blackmailed!







Banks swore they were acting



For the good of the nation,



But the Journal said greed



Was their main motivation.







If swaps get to stay in



Insured institutions



The banks get best prices--



A perfect solution!







So to maintain big profits,



The banks pulled a fast one;



Pelosi and Warren



Said it won't be the last one!







Next, Senator Cruz tried



A fresh point of order



To tie up the Senate



On the Mexican border.







He said he was willing



To shut D.C. down,



To make sure illegals



Would be run out of town.







But despite (and because of)



The Cruz machinations,



Harry Reid passed the Bill,



And won key nominations.







Obama's executive



Order prevailed;



Merry Christmas, five million;



You're not going to be jailed.







And then, just as wild market swings



Before the next Fed meeting flew,



Came a slew of predictions



Easy money was through.







GDP is up strong



And so is employment,



Why would a quick rate hike



Spoil the enjoyment?







But Europe is slowing,



And China is, too;



And on top of all that,



Greece defied the EU!







There's Putin, there's ISIS,



The Afghanistan War;



But the truth is we've all



Seen this movie before.







The trick of the hedge trade--



Get others to panic



That the Fed will cause stocks



To sink like Titanic







By hinting they plan to



Raise interest rates quickly



When, despite some good data,



The world is still sickly.







The prediction,



Whatever the reason or rhyme,



Was the Fed would no longer



Take "considerable time"







Before they decided



To press on the brakes--



That thought would give most of



Investors the shakes.







They'd part with their holdings



Before the Fed meeting,



Which then would give the hedge funds



A frenzy for feeding!







But the Fed's Janet Yellen



Was steadfast and bold;



She surprised TV pundits



And kept rates on hold!







"Considerable time"



Remained on the table:



Even "patience" was added--



(Just to stick it to Cable?)







Joy reigned in the market



For stocks of all sorts,



As hedge funds moved quickly



To cover their shorts.







On the very same day



The lame duck Obama



Decided to normalize



Dealings with Cuba.







Marco and Jeb said,



We shouldn't take chances;



But Obama had cover



From good old Pope Francis!







The Spirit of Christmas



Was abroad in the land,



If just for an evening;



Who knows what's at hand?







2015



May bring new solutions:



New Congress, new leaders,



New Year's resolutions.







Just be careful next year



Not to give too much cred



To rumors, and phonies,



And all that you've read.







When writing your e-mails,



Don't be a buffoon;



Don't get on the wrong side



Of young Kim Jong-Un.







Things are looking better--



California's turned soggy;



And Europe's still trusting



In Mario Draghi.







And there seems a consensus



What's best for our nation



Would be increasing pay



And a bit more inflation!







The Court will decide



If ObamaCare stays;



One way or the other,



Somebody pays.







But we've kept out Ebola,



When too many panicked;



Let's send more help soon



Across the Atlantic.







Trust nurses and nuns,



Give our kids renewed hope;



And pray CEOs



Get as wise as this Pope.



###





By Terry Connelly, Dean Emeritus, Ageno School of Business, Golden Gate University



Terry Connelly is an economic expert and dean emeritus of the Ageno School of Business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Terry holds a law degree from NYU School of Law and his professional history includes positions with Ernst & Young Australia, the Queensland University of Technology Graduate School of Business, New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, global chief of staff at Salomon Brothers investment banking firm and global head of investment banking at Cowen & Company. In conjunction with Golden Gate University President Dan Angel, Terry co-authored Riptide: The New Normal In Higher Education

Related Post

0 Komentar untuk "The Fright Before Christmas"

 
Copyright © 2014 huffingtonpost - All Rights Reserved
Template By Catatan Info