So what's the tail risk...

China published an ultimatum to Taiwan last week on People's Daily

translate.google.com/translate?hl=&…
So far Taiwan has pretended not to understand it, claiming it to be virtue messaging for mainlanders, and thus has brushed it off.

I've checked with friends in Beijing. no one paid attention to the ultimatum. it was not intended for mainlanders.
In terms of time frame, that ultimatum is usually issued several months before any real action.

There are still a few events that could prevent the situation from reaching the point of no return. I will cover it when new information emerges.
There are many vulnerabilities in Taiwan economy to a potential blockade

For example, 30% of its power generation relies on LNG. and reportedly it only has a stockpile capacity of 7 days.

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More from @Barton_options

29 Sep
our CDC and WH are now pushing for “younger kids have lowest risk of spreading COVID19”, based on extrapolated data from spring and summer when schools are CLOSED.
In contrast, major cities in China, e.g. Shanghai, impose stricter quarantine rules for school kids for their upcoming holiday week:
non-student adult can travel domestically without restrictions, while school kids who leave their residence city have 14-day mandatory quarantine
Part of their risk management:

Adults can be quickly traced and notified with their cell phone QR systems, should an outbreak occur

School kids don’t have cell phones, are more prone to asymptomatic spread, and are packed in classrooms with poorer ventilation (higher risk)
Read 4 tweets
29 Sep
The podcast is out! Watch this episode with @badams78 on recent market moves and on COVID19 vaccines.
An important question is what vaccines to take if you have a choice. Prof. Florian Krammer did an excellent review of major vaccines that are likely to be available soon here.

The best combo right now are

Pfizer mRNA and Novavax.

Pfizer mRNA (two doses) likely to be available sooner than other vaccine candidate (other than Moderna).

Novavax induces really high antibody response (so could be very good booster shot in a year).
Read 8 tweets
21 Sep
There are three distinct pictures of Chinese economy.

The version in US media/social media is getting close to the Soviet version in the 70s/80s

The version in domestic Chinese media is like the US in the go-go days of the late 90s

both images serve domestic political purposes
The 3rd version is the blueprint/plan agreed upon by the ruling elite in China, which they talk about occasionally.

To me, this 3rd version appears strikingly similar to what FDR-Henry Morgenthau executed in the 30s-40s for the US.
I found this fascinating, because how this unfolds will definitely affect the standing of USD in the next 20 years and they've decided to use an American strategy to compete with America.

will expand on this topic after I wrap up a couple of projects at hand.
Read 4 tweets
18 Sep
Fed QE/QT vs SPX (Oct outlook)

B/S continue to expand with large volatility (4 steps forward, 3 steps back). mid-month expansion in Sept will be cancelled by EOM MBS QT in Sept.

Starting in Oct, we should see a more regular pattern, as BOJ&ECB finish their swap-line unwind.
SPX has been lagging B/S by 3-5 days, it will be interesting to see if the trend continues.

Fiscal & monetary & earning season will add to each other in mid Oct..
Fiscal deficit spending (gray cruve) is back to the old monthly pattern (i.e. little stimulus money), with large EOM/BOM peaks and a few smaller peaks in the middle of the month. Will the stock follow?
Read 4 tweets
5 Sep
1/ America has been in a political crisis for a while, but it's not the left vs. the right.

It's the extremists vs the moderate.

Vote for the extremist or the moderate (consensus builder)? Your call.
2/ Extremists on the right and on the left are actually symbiotic (at this stage of marginalizing moderates). Without each other, their positions would be too radical for most of the voter to accept.

Extremists from the both sides want to burn down the institution of America.
3/ and their goal is to keep/gain power, the rest is just lip service.

I am hoping for the best, but it is time to prepare for the worst (not saying the market will crash, even venezuela stock market keeps making new highs).
Read 5 tweets
3 Sep
1/ Sweden/Germany had low spread of COVID right now, not because of some magic T-cell immunity, but the result of keeping their R0 below the percolation threshold by diligent contact tracing (Germany) or by luck (Sweden).

Percolation phenomenon of a pandemic is a known idea
2/ Because the spread of COVID19 is driven largely by super-spreaders, R0 is likely not a constant but highly dependent on the density and super-spreading power of superspreader candidates.
3/ consider a map of total population. overlapping blue areas denote people affected by superspreader *candidates* (having tons of high-risk social contacts, but not yet COVID-infected)

too many or too big the big blue dots get (right panel), a single infection can spread to ...
Read 12 tweets

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