Financial Sense

A Profit Tool & Strategy
for Coping with The Cartel

by DeepCaster LLC, deepcaster.com | August 14, 2009

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“The only thing more certain than Death and Taxes is that when anyone from the Federal Reserve speaks or writes, it is with the specific purpose of misguiding the public,” John Pugsley, Chairman, The Sovereign Society

Savvy Investors and Traders now have a relatively new Tool to help them combat the Fed-led Cartel’s* market manipulations (see below), and especially in the Markets typically targeted by The Cartel – Precious Metals and Strategic Commodities.

We refer to Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in General and particularly, to the 200% and 300% Leverage ETFs. But by themselves these ETF’s are only a tool. Thus we also offer a strategy for profiting and protecting from Cartel Interventions. But first consider the ETF tool.

The 300% leverage ETF’s are Exciting Newcomers to the Exchange Traded Funds Territory in recent months.

These Funds seek leveraged investment results which are triple that, on a daily basis, of the underlying benchmark index, in the case of the ‘Long’ Funds, and triple the Inverse of the underlying benchmark index in the case of the ‘Short’ funds.

Clearly, a Major Positive of such Exchange Traded Funds is the substantial avoidance of the Time and Risk Premium decay inherent in Options. By substantially eliminating that Premium decay, one barrier to Profit is removed.

Clearly, also, a Major Negative is that the losses which result from an incorrect (see below) judgment about the direction of a particular Market Sector are magnified threefold or more with potentially catastrophic results.

Yet in our view these Triple Funds have their place, and not just for hedging, but for profit plays as well (cf. our experience below), but for sophisticated investors only.

A benefit in using these funds is that precise timing becomes somewhat less important, provided one gets the Direction of the next major move right.

Another major advantage -- particularly in today’s Markets in which ‘Buy and Hold’ rarely works anymore -- is that one can profit whether markets rise or decline. When we last checked there were about as many 300% leverage inverse (i.e. short) funds, as there are “long” funds.

Indeed, in considering these Funds it is essential to seriously digest the Disclaimer introducing the Prospectus of Direxion Funds (the major provider of these 3x Funds) as well as to read the Prospectus which states, in pertinent part:

“…each Fund offered in this Prospectus seeks daily leveraged investment results. The return of each Fund for periods longer than a single day, especially in periods of market volatility, may be completely uncorrelated to the return of the Fund’s benchmark for such longer period…”

The statement that these Funds seek “daily leveraged investments results” is especially important. In our experience, holding these ETF’s for longer than a day or two may well result in the performance not achieving a triple leverage of the benchmark performance. This is not necessarily a negative, but is a factor which should be taken into consideration when speculating with these Funds.

Indeed, if the benchmark index moves in the direction one does not expect; one can be worse off, much worse off, than one might naively expect.

This is due to the effects of compounding, also known as beta slippage. Consider a hypothetical ETF that promises twice the return of an index. Let’s say you buy a share of the ETF for $100 while the underlying index is at 10,000.

If the index goes up 10% the next day to 11,000, your ETF will go up 20%, to $120. If the index goes from 11,000 back down to 10,000 the next day, that’s a decline of 9.09%, which means that the EFT will go down twice this much, or 18.18%.

A decline of 18.18% from the $120 price of the ETF will leave it at $98.18. So even though the index ended up right back where it started, the ETF is down 1.82%! i.e. more than one might naively expect.

But, remember, this 1.82% loss happened because the investor “bet” wrong on direction.

The investor bet the Market would rise when, in fact it whipsawed.

And remember also that if the Index does move in the direction the Investor expects, then returns can be better than he might naively expect, also due to compounding. Over time this can compensate for losses due to moves in the “wrong” direction.

As well, losses from the compounding problem (example above) may well be less than those one would have suffered had one suffered time and risk premium erosion inherent in holding options on the same index. Bottom line: while there is no free lunch, some lunches are better bargains than others. A speculation is a speculation and leveraged ETF’s are most definitely speculative vehicles.

Thus, our view is ‘So what if triple leverage results are not achieved if the triple leverage ETF is held for longer than a day or two?!’ We recently profitably concluded a speculative experiment of sorts in our Deepcaster High Potential Speculator Portfolio. About 6 months ago we recommended a triple leverage long equities fund. And just a few days ago we recommended it be liquidated for a 43% profit in just over six months, about an 80% return annualized!

So we repeat: “So what if it did not achieve 300% of the Index’s gain because it was held for more than a few days?! It did provide leverage for a juicy return in just a few months.”

Having recounted this we must emphasize that there are risks associated with these funds which are not explicitly addressed in the Direxion Disclaimer.

A list of these 300% Leverage Long and Short Funds, as well as their symbols, is contained in Deepcaster’s June, 2009 Letter available in the ‘Latest Letter’ cache at www.deepcaster.com.

II. Background and Guidelines for The Profit Strategy.
The advent of 200% and 300% Funds with the aforementioned advantages (and risks!) puts sophisticated investors and traders in a better position to benefit from the following Strategy:

But A Key Fact is Ordinary Investors/Taxpayers/Consumers are 70% of the U.S. GDP. Until that massive Sector is significantly helped, there can be no long term sustainable economic recovery or market rally. We need a “Bottom Up” Recovery Strategy, because the “Trickle Down” one is doomed to fail (see “The Financial Crisis Solution” (11/26/08) in the ‘Articles by Deepcaster’ cache at www.deepcaster.com.

In this regard, consider that the Bailout Schemes and Stimulus/Spending Bills are all “funded” primarily through borrowing (by U.S. Taxpayers, from the private for-profit U.S. Federal Reserve); but it was excessive borrowing and the accompanying Toxic OTC Derivatives Creation which (and especially the employment of inadequately secured Credit Default Swaps, all encouraged by the private for-profit Fed whose policies) were the prime cause of our current crises in the first place. Yet this proliferating paper is already finding its way into the equities markets, serving as fuel for the spring and early summer Rally. Deepcaster forecasts which Sectors should be most helped by this capital infusion in his latest Letter and Alert at www.deepcaster.com.

Yet, the U.S. Taxpayer is repeatedly asked to borrow, at interest, even more Trillions (which the private for-profit Fed prints for free out of thin air or with a few keystrokes) from the private for-profit Fed to fund bailouts of (mere congressmen and Taxpayers are not told which) private financial institutions. Several of these have gone on to award tens of millions in bonuses to their employees.

Perhaps the most important dangerous consequence of these Trillions in borrowing is the fact that this debt can never be repaid without destroying the U.S. Dollar in the long run, a consideration which must be addressed to achieve protection and profit. Consider the following Realities:

In fact, the U.S. Government’s (Taxpayer’s) Debt Burden has grown far beyond its capacity ever to repay without a dramatic degradation in the purchasing power of the World’s Reserve Currency, the U.S. Dollar. That is because trillions more U.S. Dollars must be printed and borrowed by the U.S. Taxpayer from the private-for-profit U.S. Fed to meet ongoing obligations.

Of course, U.S. Taxpayers must pay “interest” to the private-for-profit U.S. Federal Reserve on those borrowings, thus further increasing the impossibly high debt burden.

Indeed, given that the present value of all the downstream-unfunded U.S. Government liabilities was (at the end of 2008) well in excess of $60 trillion, a further dramatic destruction of the purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar is “baked into the cake over the next very few years.” One of the several negative consequences of the ensuing crises will be the further impoverishment of those reliant on U.S. Dollar income - - mainly the U.S. Taxpayer/Consumer, and many investors around the world.

Thus one consequence of these Fed-facilitated credit and monetary excesses is that the economic and investment landscape has now been seriously damaged for many years to come.

In fact, no Lasting Remedy for the Financial and Economic Crises can be achieved unless small businesses and the typical U.S. Consumer/Taxpayer/Debtor is restored to at least some degree of economic health and is thus able to continue paying mortgage and other credit obligations. But no significant help has yet been provided to the typical Consumer/Taxpayer/Debtor or small business by the Obama Administration or The Fed and their situation is worsening daily.

Of course, as the ongoing Crises indicate, believing the claim that “The System has been saved” by the 2008 bailouts of Favored Financial Institutions is Delusional. In fact, the Bailouts have done no such thing, but have mainly served to “Save the Bacon” and/or line the pockets of the Reckless and Greedy Wealthy in certain Fed-Favored Financial Institutions.

Thus, given the continuing deteriorating health of the economy and the consumer, coupled with 20% (and increasing) Real U.S. Unemployment (see below), more defaults and a continuation of the ongoing economic and financial crises are sure to come.

Specifically, the aforementioned will continue to cause defaults in the vast ($592 Trillion see (www.bis.org) dark OTC Derivatives Markets and increasing weakness in the Economy and Equities Markets. (see below)

In sum, the deterioration of the Economy and Markets has only just begun and will likely take three to four years to bottom.

The aggregate effect is that we will be tortured by the threat of Systemic Collapse for years. Thus, the Assumption that the Strategy of investing-as-usual to “Buy and Hold” for the long-term, will generate profit will, in many cases, be an utterly false and profitless Fantasy.

As the Real Numbers mentioned below demonstrate, our ongoing economic and financial crisis is not merely a “normal” business cycle Recession, but a System-Threatening Crisis. Indeed, we have entered into a Depression. (see below)

It is thus another Naïve and False Assumption that the Official Figures accurately reflect the state of the Economy and Markets - - for example, that the current Recession is merely a normal “business cycle” phenomenon.

Making matters worse, Investors and citizens-at-large are misled by Official Statistics which have been gimmicked, as shadowstats.com demonstrates. All of the following Genuine Numbers are calculated by shadowstats.com, which calculates them according to traditional methods used in the 1980s, and early 1990s, before The Political Adjustments currently being utilized began.

Consider the following Real Numbers from shadowstats:

U.S. Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) actually averaged about 11% annualized for much of 2008, rather than the 5% to 6% figures, which have been reported as Official Statistics. Thus, the consumer must cope with diminished purchasing power and the threat or reality of job loss.

Though Official Figures show CPI dropping to 0% in early 2009, the July 2009 report reveals that Real CPI was still about 6% annualized.

U.S. Unemployment has (according to Official Numbers) been ranging 4% to 6% from 1995 to 2007, spiking “only” to about just under 7% in late 2008 and 9.4% in mid 2009. In fact, Real U.S. Unemployment in 2009 is now about 20.6% and is still increasing. Thus the consumer (70% of U.S. GDP, we reiterate) is increasingly unemployed, under-employed, and indebted.

Indeed, regarding the gimmicked Official Unemployment numbers released August 27, 2009

“Underlying economic series, shy of the related seasonal distortions in new claims for unemployment and the ISM manufacturing index, are consistent with a monthly July jobs loss in excess of 600,000, and a further increase in the unemployment rate…

The July 2009 seasonally-adjusted U.3 unemployment rate showed a statistically-insignificant decrease, to 9.36% +/- 0.23% (95% confidence interval), from 9.51% in June. Unadjusted U.3 held at 9.7% in July. The broader June U.6 unemployment rate eased to an adjusted 16.3% (16.8% unadjusted), from 16.5% (16.8% unadjusted) in June.

During the Clinton Administration, "discouraged workers" — those who had given up looking for a job because there were no jobs to be had — were redefined so as to be counted only if they had been "discouraged" for less than a year. This time qualification defined away the long-term discouraged workers. Adding them back into the total unemployed, unemployment in line with common experience — as estimated by the SGS-Alternate Unemployment Measure — held at about 20.6% in July.”

John Williams’ Shadow Government Statistics, Flash Update, August 7, 2009
As well, the Delusion of Economic Growth claimed by Official Statistics is just that - - a Delusion. Real GDP growth has been negative since 2004. Indeed, in mid 2009 GDP “growth” is a negative 5.9% according to the August 1, 2009. (shadowstats.com) Thus the consumer is faced with a deteriorating economy, as well as diminishing job prospects and purchasing power.

As well, the 2008 U.S, Federal Deficit, rather than being about $1 trillion as reported officially, is over $5 trillion if one includes Social Security and Medicare. And, if downstream-unfunded U.S. obligations are included, the U.S. National Debt is nearly $70 trillion and rising!

In sum, Deepcaster agrees with Shadowstats conclusion that ‘the U.S. Economy is in a Multiple-Dip Depression.”

But knowing the Real Numbers is essential to profiting and protection.

Knowing these Real Numbers facilitated Deepcaster’s recommending “Opportunities in the Impending Perfect Storm” - - the title of his early September, 2008 (pre-Crash) Article warning of the impending Crash (available in the Articles Cache at www.deepcaster.com) and his making five short (and subsequently quite profitable) recommendations to subscribers at about that time.

Bailout/Stimulus Realities

In the meantime however, the paper infusion of hundreds of billions of Taxpayer Funds mainly into the Globalist Mega Banks (several of whom are likely shareholders of the private for-profit Federal Reserve) can provide substantial profit opportunities for Investors.

Considering the overall situation, the trillions of U.S. Dollars in total commitments and guarantees provided by the U.S. and United Kingdom are equivalent to 90% of their GDPs. This staggering number primary reflects the magnitude of the paper provided mainly to the mega financial institutions. The trillions provided by U.S. and United Kingdom Central Banks has been widely reported.

But the fact that these Trillions have benefited primarily the Mega Financial Institutions, to the detriment of the smaller banks, Investors and Consumers who are paying for it all has been less well reported. Professor Morici’s recent article entitled “Taxing Granny to Pay Goldman Sachs” says it all.

But this Monetary and Credit Expansion Deluge does provide the Profit Opportunity we describe below. First, though we address another “Elephant in the Room.” Reality essential to understand in order to implement a successful Profit and Protection Strategy. -- OTC Dark Derivatives.

OTC Dark Derivatives

As Deepcaster has pointed out on several occasions, the explosion of over-the-counter (i.e. not exchange traded and therefore “dark”) derivatives, now total $592 Trillion, according to the last publicized accounting by the Bank for International Settlements (The Central Bankers Bank). This dwarfs the nearly $60 trillion in current notional value of Exchange Traded (i.e. publicly traded) derivatives. Taken together there are nearly three-quarters of a quadrillion in Derivatives outstanding. Note also that this “Dark” Market is ten Times larger than the public Market!

That is over ten times the amount of the entire Annual Global Product. Yet OTC Derivatives are not publicly traded. Therefore, if a substantial number of parties to those derivatives default as they began to do in 2008, we have increasing Systematic Risk.

Yet as Deepcaster pointed out in his January, 2009 Letter available at www.deepcaster.com, these derivatives and infusion of money and credit provide two significant opportunities for profit, provided one can reduce the inherent risks:

1
*We encourage those who doubt the scope and power of Overt and Covert Interventions by a Fed-led Cartel of Key Central Bankers and Favored Financial Institutions to read Deepcaster’s December, 2008 Letter containing a summary overview of Intervention entitled “A Strategy for Profiting from the Cartel’s Dark Interventions & Evolving Techniques” and Deepcaster’s July, 2009 Letter entitled "A Strategy For Profiting From The Cartel’s Dark Interventions & Evolving Techniques - II" in the “Latest Letter” Cache at www.deepcaster.com. Also consider the substantial evidence collected by the Gold AntiTrust Action Committee at www.gata.org for information on precious metals price manipulation. Virtually all of the evidence for Intervention has been gleaned from publicly available records. Deepcaster’s profitable recommendations displayed at www.deepcaster.com have been facilitated by attention to these “Interventionals.”
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Thus it is appropriate to review the profit Potential inherent in monitoring the interventionals and in the massive infusion of paper into the economy.

The Fed-led Cartel’s Covert Interventions work to periodically take down Precious Metals prices, control the levels of Equities Markets and manipulate the price of Crude Oil and other Strategic Assets. The Cartel apparently employs at least three vehicles to conduct their Covert Market Interventions.

For details on each of these three Vehicles and on this Interventional Regime in general, see Deepcaster’s December, 2008 Letter and July, 2008 Letter referred above at www.deepcaster.com.

Three (of several) key negative consequences of this Overt and Covert Interventional Regime are that:

However if one regularly tracks The Interventionals, as Deepcaster does, it provides one an edge in investment and Trading decisions. See Deepcaster’s Front Page (www.deepcaster.com) for details.

III. The Strategy – Guidelines for Identifying Opportunities for Profit and Protection

Educate yourself about the realities of the marketplace using Alternative Data Sources such as Deepcaster, Gold Anti-Trust Committee (www.gata.org), and shadowstats.com. Gathering and staying attuned to authentic information regarding the marketplace can save one much financial grief as well as positioning one for profit.

As well, such investors may not have thought systematically about how one copes with and profits from such Intervention and Data Manipulation.

Consider one example of Cartel Intervention: the Traditional and Legitimate Safe Haven from inflation, deflation, and risk, is Gold. Yet, Gold has, during the recent periods of extreme financial market turmoil, been taken down in price from its highs of over $1000/oz down to around the mid-$700 level (e.g. 2008) when it should have skyrocketed.

In early March, 2008 Gold was over $1000/oz. when the Bear Stearns Crisis revealed the fragility of the Financial System. Gold should surely have skyrocketed then. Instead, it was brutally taken down. Were its price not manipulated, Deepcaster’s view is that its price would be over $3,000.00 per ounce today.

Deepcaster and others, including the Gold AntiTrust Action Committee, have offered considerable evidence that the Cartel* of Central Bankers and Favored Financial Institutions are the culprits behind these dramatic and devastating Takedowns. See Deepcaster’s Alert of 12/25/07 “A Strategy for Profiting from Cartel Intervention in Gold, Silver, Crude Oil and Other Tangible Assets Markets” in the Alerts Cache at www.deepcaster.com.

But there is a Profitable Refuge from Market Intervention and Data Manipulation. That Profitable Refuge lies in the Strategy described in the aforementioned Alert, certain characteristics of which we outline here:

The Blossoming of the 200% 300% (and other) leveraged ‘short’ and ‘long’ ETF’s described above provide a superb opportunity to go short and long with ease, but not, as we explain above, without risk.

For example, a Major Motivation of the U.S. Federal Reserve and other key Central Banks is the protection and enhancement of the legitimacy of their Treasury Securities and Fiat Currencies as Measures and Stores of Value. Therefore, one can understand that one of their Major Goals will be to attempt de-legitimize Gold, Silver and the Strategic Commodities, including especially Crude Oil, as Stores and Measures of Value. With this in mind, the periodic takedowns of Gold and Silver and, since July, 2008, of Crude Oil, become understandable. Moreover, such an insight applied daily to the market can result in a tremendous edge in understanding market performance, present and future.

Moreover, regarding the assets at The Cartel’s disposal, if one tracks the Repurchase Agreement and TSLF Pools regularly, as Deepcaster does, and is aware of the other Interventional tools that The Cartel has at its disposal, then one gains a considerable edge.

Conclusion:

The Rampant Monetary Inflation reflected in M3 and in the various bailouts and loans is measured in the trillions of Dollars. And this tremendously increased monetary base is available to temporarily inflate the paper value of the Equities and other Markets, when money managers first think the markets have a chance for a sustained (for a few months only) Rally, and, when The Cartel Interventional Regime “agrees” with them.

Thus, given that the financial system and key heavyweight investors are awash with printed and borrowed money, after a brief correction, certain Key Sectors should again explode upward until the long-term negative Economic and Financial Fundamentals drag them down again. Of course, this will not happen in one fell swoop, it will happen in Spurts, the forecast timing of which we set forth in our Latest Letter and Alerts available at www.deepcaster.com.

Caveat and Conclusion: Until demonstrated otherwise, a continuation of the recent rally is nonetheless a ‘Bear Market Rally’. Such Bear Market Rallies are treacherous and often rapidly reverse themselves, turning gains into losses. Thus, it is especially important to monitor the Interventionals, as well as the Fundamentals and Technicals, very closely!

"Note: Deepcaster provides a list of 'Frontier' ETFs, and identifies one with especially great potential, in his latest Alert, posted in the 'Alerts Cache' at www.deepcaster.com."

3

Source: Bank for International Settlements
www.bis.org, Path: Statistics > Derivatives > Table 19

 

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