Culture Wars and The New Asia
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Risk Commentary
For those individuals who grew up during the Great Depression (i.e., many of our parents or grandparents), the underlying assumption in many actions was one of self-sufficiency. If one could not afford something, one did not buy it. Debt other than a manageable mortgage on one’s home was to be avoided and living within one’s means was imperative. With the passing of many of the Depression generation, also passing are the philosophies which had served them well. Taking their place is a generation which has a completely different view of the world, which has widespread implications for anyone involved in finance.
Before proceeding, we believe successful investors are best served by not passing judgement on the relative appeal of various generations or groups, but rather to understand shifts and implications on investments. Regarding the Culture Wars, it is becoming increasingly clear that the old rules of finance are being set aside to better fit the views of the rising generation. For example, it is doubtful that during the later part of the 20th century that the Executive Branch would impose a multi-month moratorium on evictions and student loan payments while simultaneously providing massive support payments to citizens. The recent extensions of both programs are indications of the shifting priorities. Another manifestation of the same phenomenon is the rise of the MMT concept (Modern Monetary Theory), which at its core suggests that deficits are irrelevant; it is doubtful that such a theory would gain much traction with the Depression era generation. Regarding the relevancy for investors, the impact of the new approach is becoming painfully obvious. For example, for landlords, a six month or more curtailment of some rental income without the curtailment of related expenses/payments such as mortgage payments, property taxes, upkeep and other payments has caused havoc for some. On the student loan front, a multi-month curtailment of cash payments is likely to cause massive disruption for some.
Perhaps the larger issue is whether the recent actions represent a permanent shift in the underpinning of the economy. While too early to know, it is probably safe to assume that whoever is in power in Washington, there will be a continued shift in long-accepted contractual arrangements. Our expectations are that the forgiveness of student debt is likely to be on the agenda in the near future, and after that, some housing subsidy or advances for home purchases. Perhaps parts of the EU are the template of what’s to come if there is a continuation of current trends.
The New Asia
The past couple of weeks have witnessed some material declines in China-related stocks based on Beijing’s crack down on various sectors of their economy. Actions include a $2.8 billion antitrust fine on Alibaba, suspension of Ant Group’s $34.5 billion IPO, a cybersecurity probe on Chinese ride-hailing service Didi, and a review of 34 companies including Tencent and ByteDance regarding anti-monopoly rules. Recently profits for educational firms have been prohibited, along with gaming for children 12 years of age or younger. The upshot of these actions was a $1T decline in the value of US-listed, China-based firms. So what has changed, and more importantly, what are the possible future actions? From our perspective, China is now less concerned about investors (both domestic and international) and more concerned about maintaining control (particularly in the tech/ social media sectors) and adjusting society to the mold which it believes best fits the country’s needs. Regarding the question of why now – perhaps Xi has a greater degree of autonomy than recent prior administrations and perhaps it also reflects the pending delisting of some Chinese companies from US exchanges based on revised accounting independence rules. Simultaneously, the old practice of preventing major bankruptcies appears to be gone with the problems of Evergrande. Most importantly, for the areas which might be hit next, our view is that the casino firms are vulnerable as are any areas considered strategically important.
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