Banking fragility has worried @BillAckman for decades.
A 28-year old Ackman “from New York City” once asked Buffett about Salomon Bros’ 30:1 leverage at $BRK 1994 AGM.
That risk profile catalyzed the GFC in 2007-09.
Now he’s worried about systemic risk again.
A short 🧵👇.
1. Perhaps this line of investigation contributed to Bill’s famously successful short of $MBIA and its GFC implosion…
Or his observation that CDS spreads might blow out during early days of COVID…
And who knows how he’s positioned now?
But we know he’s worried…
Read on.👇
2. Bill is on an absolute heater, tweeting every day about his worries.
At core, he seems to make 4 KEY CLAIMS:
Claim 1:
Depositors can’t be expected to analyze bank balance sheet risks more effectively than full-time banking regulators.
Deposits should be guaranteed.
3. CRE
Claim 2:
While rising rates, via declining security prices, initially smashed a MTM dent in bank balance sheets (eg $SIVB)…
…high rates ultimately cause credit performance issues (ie, loan defaults).
This will be most acute in CRE loans, like NYC office buildings.
4. Bank Costs
Claim 3:
Cash depositors, especially uninsureds, are waking up to the new rate environment - they won’t accept 0% interest checking going forward.
This is forcing banks to compete by paying rate, hurting banks’ ability to heal via profits.
🏦 💰
5. Too Big To Fail
Claim 4:
Regional Banks facilitate local business growth and our unique US economic outperformance.
The current system of a few TBTF banks creates a 2-tier system, where large depositors will naturally migrate to the TBTFs (or brokerages), hurting regionals.
6. Collectively, these risks are driving Bill’s repeated calls for regulators to:
A) Guarantee all deposits (reducing incentives to move and the risk of abrupt funding cost pressure on regionals);
B) Pause further rate increases while monitoring funding and credit performance.
I don’t always agree with Bill, but I always listen.
He’s thought deeply about these issues for 30+ yrs, with a track record of repeatedly profiting from danger.
Tease, question, challenge? Sure.
But don’t ignore.
-End
Like, RT & Follow for more knowledge bombs like this👇
Capital One is a bellwether for the middle-class American consumer.
It sees who is spending what, where, and when.
$COF reported earnings today, providing early data that both supports and challenges the narratives around consumer behavior after Liberation Day.
🧵👇 1/x
2. Consumer Spending
Trends were stable through 3/31, but since then:
- iPhones: very modest consumer electronics "pull forward" $AAPL
- Autos: noteworthy spend uptick as consumers try to "get ahead of tariff impacts."
- Travel & Entertainment: T&E spend "growth" is easing, especially airlines (unclear if this means overall spend is down or it's growing slower)
3. Macro Forecast
Despite Q1 consumer credit performance being above previous expectations, $COF assumes a negative impact in its go-forward modeling and is watching "very very closely" to see if it's being conservative enough.
It chose to release less from allowances than it otherwise would have, due to "downside economic risks and greater uncertainty."
On the surface, the deal values @X flat to Twitter’s 2022 takeout value, despite massive underperformance on financial metrics.
Sounds like a win of sorts for X shareholders… 🥇
…BUT 1/x 🧵👇
…it is a stock deal and X owners will now own 29% of combinedco, shifting from a near-pureplay social media bet in a HIGHLY strategic asset to an AI bet that’s very much on the cum plus a diluted share in Twitter.
Yes, xAI is a powerful model.
But not unusually so.
2/x
xAI has de minimis revenue, is hemorrhaging cash, & its prospective business opportunity seems VERY difficult given the relevant competition:
a) has a head start;
b) is murderers row; and
c) has existing business and GTM strategies to build on.
3/x
Today we learned while the voice of the people may be the voice of the gods, in Delaware there’s only one true god:
And her name is Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick. 1/x 🧵👇
Below is a brief thread breaking down her denial of Elon’s request for $55 billion in $TSLA stock.
2. Her original January 2024 ruling highlighted several flaws in the years old shareholder vote that was meant to award Elon massive stock compensation, if he delivered massive value to $TSLA shareholders.
Her determination wiped out Musk’s entire equity grant, stating Tesla failed to follow required procedures, which invalidated the original vote from years ago to grant the compensation package.
3. Tesla asked her to review her ruling.
Then, this past summer, Tesla held a new shareholder vote to (re)affirm the prior flawed compensation package.
Today’s 103 page decision responded to that request AND was meant to decide how much the plaintiffs’ lawyers should be paid.
Mrs. B founded Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1937 with $500 of savings, selling 90% to Warren Buffett’s $BRK 50 years later for $55 million.
Even at 94-years old, she continued to work 70 hour weeks, pricing rugs and carpets from memory. 🧵👇
“We like managers who are in love with their business…who feel like I do - I want to tap dance when I get to the office,” is how Buffett answered Adam Smith’s question about the Berkshire Hathaway culture. 1/x
Mrs B barely spoke English when she started NFM; she sought a $75 business loan and was denied.
50 years later, what did she think of the doubters?
“I still hate them. Anybody who does you dirty, you should never forgive and forget.” ☠️
- Rose Blumkin at 94 years young
Mrs. B had uncommon sense:
“God blessed me: anything I do, I make money.”
Mrs. B’s daughter on growing up:
“The customer was God - that came first and we came next,” she laughingly shared.