Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/30/2011 16:24 -0500
With the S&P 500 cash index closing down for the year (admittedly by the smallest of fractions), we look across asset classes and notable markets as we reflect on an increasingly intervention-driven and gap-heavy highly correlated global investing framework. UK Gilts, 10Y Treasuries, Gold, and Oil outperformed (rebased to USD terms) while Greek bonds, Copper, Emerging Market stocks, and Asia Ex-Japan stocks underperformed. The Dollar closed almost 1% higher on the year, the EUR down 2.6% versus the USD as the CRB Commodity Index closed -6.67% for the year. Japanese stocks and bonds had a tough year as US investment grade bonds outperformed high yield bonds. There is much to discuss and we open the thread for any and all discussions...
Global markets compared...(click to enlarge)...

An important grouping that many paid attention to is Gold vs TSYs vs Stocks...

Global Stock Indices...YTD performance...

While the S&P managed to close marginally down for the year, the sectors' performance was very diverse...

FX markets saw plenty of vol but ended with convergence as the all-powerful USD moved everything - except for the JPY which gained 8.1% YTD (and obviously swissy had the craziest of runs in the year)...

European AAA Sovereign spreads exploded and dispersed as clearly France and Austria are being priced 'differently'...

And evidently the desperate need for USD liquidity is highlighted best with the now ubiquitous EUR-USD basis swap spread...

Of course comparing VIX (actually the 3rd month VIX futures contract here) with implied correlation gives us a sense for the demand for macro protection versus micro protection...its clear that while VIX has dropped recently (as is its tendency at year-end) it is considerably elevated from a year ago and implied correlation is hugely higher signaling a demand for protection remains high as fear is still here.

Global markets compared...(click to enlarge)...

An important grouping that many paid attention to is Gold vs TSYs vs Stocks...

Global Stock Indices...YTD performance...

While the S&P managed to close marginally down for the year, the sectors' performance was very diverse...

FX markets saw plenty of vol but ended with convergence as the all-powerful USD moved everything - except for the JPY which gained 8.1% YTD (and obviously swissy had the craziest of runs in the year)...

European AAA Sovereign spreads exploded and dispersed as clearly France and Austria are being priced 'differently'...

And evidently the desperate need for USD liquidity is highlighted best with the now ubiquitous EUR-USD basis swap spread...

Of course comparing VIX (actually the 3rd month VIX futures contract here) with implied correlation gives us a sense for the demand for macro protection versus micro protection...its clear that while VIX has dropped recently (as is its tendency at year-end) it is considerably elevated from a year ago and implied correlation is hugely higher signaling a demand for protection remains high as fear is still here.


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