Kerpal said:
I sure hope you're right, but I don't have a lot of hope. I feel like this country is on its last legs economically.
His not right, he is a 'know all' on markets and trading, yet knows very little.
On the Greek situation, here is the basics, with the vote of confidence already over now and passed.
Tomorrow we have the Greek vote of confidence and as such, this is a potential risk for EUR shorts tomorrow evening (10pm London time).
Indeed, despite the Greek’s government reshuffle PM George Papandreou is considering a referendum on his consolidation course. The Greek press suggested that the promise of a referendum was required getting the package through Parliament on Tuesday. The latest opinion poll showed that 47% of the Greek electorate oppose the consolidation package, while 35% approve the policy of the Greek government. Should Greece head towards a referendum in autumn, as currently considered by the Greek PM, uncertainty will remain high.
EU FinMins are likely to indicate that a new 3-year financial rescue programme will be provided to Greece once the details of the Private Sector Involvement (PSI) are finalised in July (as did Germany and France did Friday). As such, PSI is now becoming the major market focus of the bailout (aside from the Greek political situation above). This ‘PSI’ is what will register as a ‘default’ (even if it is just pushing out maturities, it will still be classified as a default, as well warned by the rating agencies) and is expected given CDS are pricing in nearly 90% chance of default. Further information on specific details of what the PSI will involve is what will likely move markets from here (the more ‘involuntary’ will obviously pressure ‘risk’ broadly and the EUR specifically).
ON PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN GREEK BAILOUT from the words of the FinMins:
"We have to see if this participation is done in an autonomous way by the banks or if national authorities carry out some discussions.
"If we say that this participation is voluntary, then we can't expect that 100 percent (of the banks) will accept ... But there should be a number big enough."
Longer-term hurdles:
Core-peripheral spread widening forces: The other factor potentially working against the EUR is that now is the first time private investors are being involved in the restructuring. The principle that there should be no private capital risk as long as the EFSF is in place until mid 2013 no longer holds. Although the private sector should only voluntarily (Juncker said on Sunday that there will be incentives) contribute to the Greek package it should be now clear to private investors that the bill of unsustainable EMU sovereign debt will not only be paid by core-EMU tax payers, the ECB and the IMF, but as well by private investors in peripheral debt (Chinese support to potentially cease for peripheral bonds; last month TICS data I believe showed a Chinese increase in USTs held for the first time in many months).
Risks to EUR shorts on this front: An increase in EU issued bonds with 10bil supply easily soaked up recently.
German politics - The opposition said that the government would have to organise the ‘chancellor majority’ getting the Greek package through Parliament. There are an increasing number of MP’s belonging to government supporting parties openly opposing the French-German agreement. Deputy opposition leader Oppermann from the SPD said that the government failing organising its own majority would lead to new General elections this autumn. The fact the SPD are now going on a confrontational course, even risking the Greek package failing in Parliament is significant given the SPD has been the most pro European party in Germany. The German Parliament is not expected to vote on the Greek package before September keeping uncertainty in place over the summer months.