Opening Bell: 2.6.17
Goldman Sachs Economists Are Starting to Worry About President Trump (BBG)
"Following the election, the positive shift in sentiment among investors, business, and consumers suggested that the probability of tax cuts and easier regulation was seen to be higher than the probability of meaningful restrictions to trade and immigration," Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists led by Alec Phillips wrote in note published late last week. "One month into the year, the balance of risks is somewhat less positive in our view."
Tiger Hedge Funds Become Wall Street Prey (WSJ)
For the year, hedge-fund losses at Tiger Global Management LLC were roughly $900 million from a 15.3% loss. Lee Ainslie’s $11 billion Maverick Capital Ltd. was down more than 10% in its flagship fund. Andreas Halvorsen’s $30 billion Viking Global Investors LP and Stephen Mandel Jr.’s Lone Pine Capital LLC were down 4% and 2% respectively in their main funds, while Coatue Management LLC was up 2%.
‘Hamilton’ Ponzi Schemers’ Victims Said to Include Tudor Jones (BBG)
When U.S. authorities busted a Ponzi scheme that centered on marked-up tickets to the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” last month, prosecutors described phone calls about a “big name” investor who’d demanded his money back. As it turns out, there were several big names -- including billionaires Paul Tudor Jones and Michael Dell, as well as an executive at Och-Ziff Capital Management Group -- among the more than 125 people who had unwittingly poured cash into the sprawling scam, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The $100 Billion Reason Investors Loved Trump’s Bank Order (WSJ)
The six biggest U.S. banks could potentially return more than $100 billion in capital to investors over time through dividends and share buybacks if the Trump administration succeeds in a push to loosen bank regulation. The top six U.S. banks have $101.57 billion in capital in excess of what regulators require them to set aside, according to research from RBC Capital Markets. Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate such capital at around $120 billion across 18 of the largest banks.
Switzerland’s own Trump risk (FT)
The Trump administration has spoken out against alleged currency manipulation from China, Japan and Germany. Yet the country most at risk of meeting the Treasury’s official criteria of currency manipulation is probably Switzerland. The risk of coming into US focus, perhaps as early as 2018, could add to the rationale for the SNB to gradually discontinue market intervention.
Deutsche Bank Buys Ads to Apologize for ‘Serious Errors’ (BBG)
Deutsche Bank AG bought full-page ads in all major German newspapers over the weekend to apologize for “serious errors” after misconduct costs helped tip the company into two years of losses. Legal cases that date back many years cost the Frankfurt-based company “reputation and trust” in addition to about 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) since John Cryan took over as chief executive officer in July 2015, the CEO said in the ad, blaming the “misconduct of a few” employees.
The five worst Super Bowl commercials (WaPo)
Have you ever heard of the uncanny valley? It’s the concept that people like animated characters to have some humanlike characteristics, but if they look too realistic, they become physically repulsive. That’s the scientific explanation for the yucked-out feeling you got when Mr. Clean was grinding up on that mop.
