Global Asset Allocation, Politics & Governance, Ecstrat

John-Paul Smith

Global Asset Allocation, Politics & Governance

Ecstrat

Ecstrat is a consultancy advising on asset allocation between global equity markets, with a focus on the intersection of governments, geopolitics, governance and markets.
 
Over the past few years and more especially since the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), investors have become more focused on short-term market movements and real-time returns and have consequently neglected the analysis of the underlying structural themes that underpin longer term performance.
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More specifically we believe that the evolution of governance-based relationships between investors, controlling shareholders, labour and the state is one of the primary determinants of both relative and absolute performance between individual equity markets.
 
We will endeavour to provide investors with some of the context surrounding governance-related issues which encompass many different disciplines including history, economics and political science, as well as the financial metrics which are the most obvious manifestation of the structural characteristics of each market.
 
We will pay particular attention to the shifts and potential inflection points for governance in individual markets as these are often the best lead indicators for both economic and market performance.

Cross Asset Strategy

Our bearish outlook for 2016 predicated on the rising risk of a “sudden stop” for China and uncontrolled FX depreciation across EM is unfortunately starting to play out; although markets currently feel very oversold and could rally sharply over the short term, we believe that there is further downside for EM equities in absolute and relative terms over the remainder of the year.

Our bearish outlook for 2016 predicated on the rising risk of a “sudden stop” for China and uncontrolled FX depreciation across EM is unfortunately starting to play out; although markets currently feel very oversold and could rally sharply over the short term, we believe that there is further downside for EM equities in absolute and relative terms over the remainder of the year.

Transport Sector, China and Asia-focused Research

Charles De Trenck

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

My father, an old school broker, banker and adviser for over 40 years, used to tell me as a child that one of the most important relationships to follow was the triangular relationship between the dollar, gold and oil. I always kept the lesson close to heart, and it has been my go to for market reality tests again and again. Over the years I have added equities to the relationship. Perhaps also because they mean a little more today. I don’t know. It was this constant triangulation of price and value that got me into the EUR around 2000 and out again a few years back. And for better or worse, that has kept my equity exposure low in recent years. In 2010-11, however the triangulation led to some insights on gold versus equities which panned out clearly enough. But the analysis now shows something just as volatile if not more.I mapped out some of the relationships in two easy charts going back to the 1960s in order to view the big swings. ... Added at the end are some quick updates on credit watch names making their way into equities. TK Group companies just got a high profile lashing from Morgan Stanley (despite an embarrassing target price change!)

My father, an old school broker, banker and adviser for over 40 years, used to tell me as a child that one of the most important relationships to follow was the triangular relationship between the dollar, gold and oil. I always kept the lesson close to heart, and it has been my go to for market reality tests again and again. Over the years I have added equities to the relationship. Perhaps also because they mean a little more today. I don’t know. It was this constant triangulation of price and value that got me into the EUR around 2000 and out again a few years back. And for better or worse, that has kept my equity exposure low in recent years. In 2010-11, however the triangulation led to some insights on gold versus equities which panned out clearly enough. But the analysis now shows something just as volatile if not more.I mapped out some of the relationships in two easy charts going back to the 1960s in order to view the big swings. ... Added at the end are some quick updates on credit watch names making their way into equities. TK Group companies just got a high profile lashing from Morgan Stanley (despite an embarrassing target price change!)

Triangulating Oil Back to 60s (And Shipping Credit Watch Updates...)

Hao Wang, CFA

We have quite a few market surprises this year, especially from China, not to mention those from Middle East. Here I would like to mention a <a href="http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2016-01/04/nw.D110000renmrb_20160104_1-02.htm" target="_blank">very important article</a> published on the front page and the whole second page on People's Daily on Jan 4th. Though the article is only in Chinese and not covered by most of the foreign media, it gives probably the best explanation of the so-called supply-side reform and more importantly the intentions of top leaders on economic policies. Given that most of…

We have quite a few market surprises this year, especially from China, not to mention those from Middle East. Here I would like to mention a very important article published on the front page and the whole second page on People's Daily on Jan 4th. Though the article is only in Chinese and not covered by most of the foreign media, it gives probably the best explanation of the so-called supply-side reform and more importantly the intentions of top leaders on economic policies. Given that most of…

What You Might Have Missed but Should Not on China's Supply-Side Reform

EM PM, Ecstrat

Emad Mostaque

EM PM

The Middle East has already hit the headlines in 2016 as the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran deteriorated further after the execution of 47 convicts including Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.While some claim this is the latest manifestation of a historic Sunni-Shia hatred, digging deeper shows other, more important factors at work that could determine the fallout for the region.

The Middle East has already hit the headlines in 2016 as the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran deteriorated further after the execution of 47 convicts including Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.While some claim this is the latest manifestation of a historic Sunni-Shia hatred, digging deeper shows other, more important factors at work that could determine the fallout for the region.

This is a very short note on my top 5 trade recommendations in 2016 after the close of 2015 based on my previous note of 2016 outlook (i.e. be aggressive in Q1 but defensive thereafter). The basis are higher commodities prices led by copper, crude and some bulk, and relatively weaker USD. <figure class="editor-figure"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/004/820/original/Fig6.png?1451718588" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="4820"><figcaption class="figcaption">Top five macro trades in 2016Q1</figcaption></figure>In the above trade recommendations, you also have levels of profit target and stop loss. They are ranked by the ratio of reward/risk. Going forward I will keep updating levels…

This is a very short note on my top 5 trade recommendations in 2016 after the close of 2015 based on my previous note of 2016 outlook (i.e. be aggressive in Q1 but defensive thereafter). The basis are higher commodities prices led by copper, crude and some bulk, and relatively weaker USD. Top five macro trades in 2016Q1In the above trade recommendations, you also have levels of profit target and stop loss. They are ranked by the ratio of reward/risk. Going forward I will keep updating levels…

China

Sinopec Oilfield Service Corporation provides oilfield services. The services include geophysics, drilling engineering, logging and mud logging, special downhole operations, engineering construction, oil field service and offshore oil projects.

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Sinopec Oilfield Service H (1033 HK)

China and the EM Ugly Contest

Our bearish outlook for 2016 predicated on the rising risk of a “sudden stop” for China and uncontrolled FX depreciation across EM is unfortunately...

John-Paul Smith

Triangulating Oil Back to 60s (And Shipping Credit Watch Updates...)

My father, an old school broker, banker and adviser for over 40 years, used to tell me as a child that one of the most important relationships to...

Charles De Trenck

What You Might Have Missed but Should Not on China's Supply-Side Reform

We have quite a few market surprises this year, especially from China, not to mention those from Middle East. Here I would like to mention a very...

Hao Wang, CFA

The Sunni-Shia Canard

The Middle East has already hit the headlines in 2016 as the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran deteriorated further after the execution of...

Emad Mostaque

Top 5 Macro Trades in 2016Q1

This is a very short note on my top 5 trade recommendations in 2016 after the close of 2015 based on my previous note of 2016 outlook (i.e. be...

Hao Wang, CFA

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