Our view on global investment markets:

October 2011 The Tip of the Iceberg

Keith Dicker, CFA
Chief Investment Officer
[email protected]
www.IceCapAssetManagement.com

First publication June 2010

October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

berg straight ahead

In the wee hours of April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic cruised through
the Atlantic ocean on a collision course with history. Naturally
everyone knows the story of how the big, old mean iceberg knocked
the socks off the mighty ship. The lack of a well thought out strategy
was the primary reason for this tragedy not the iceberg itself.
Its certainly not lost on us that IceCaps corporate logo is an iceberg.
Besides being a cool logo we do feel the iceberg is a perfect mirror of
global investment markets. On the surface, attractive opportunities
will always exist and appear achievable for everyone. However the
real risks within the market are normally underneath the surface and
should they tilt the market in one direction or another, financial
markets, just like the iceberg can be turned upside down.
How exactly is the global iceberg looking today? Are the risks above
water as many of the big bank investment advisors proclaim or are
they below the surface? At IceCap we are confident that one day
soon, we will wake up to see the most spectacular investment
opportunities of our lifetime, until that day however we must remain
very mindful of the risks below the surface.
Our chart on page 2 shows the most significant risks for financial
markets today. As we plunge deeper into each risk, well explore the
likely outcome and how we expect financial markets to perform.

The Top of the Iceberg its very beautiful up here

We have to say, the continuous unbridled enthusiastic cheerleading
for the stock market to go higher has us puzzled. Yet, many
investment leaders from the big box banks and mainstream media
continue to shout about buying the dip, proclaiming stocks are cheap
as well as touting the merits of the one-size-fits-all balanced fund for
every investor for every occasion.
While we genuinely believe that today this view will lead many to
financial despair, its important to recognise why this view is shared
by the hands that hold the savings for many people in the World.
For starters, many of the industrys largest players simply do not have
the product available nor the expertise available to properly guide
the average person during these dramatic economic times.
While this is no reason to ignore the little guy, perhaps and even
more alarming is that the industrys largest players actually believe
that investors really should buy the dip and employ other successful
strategies from a bygone era.
Either the cognizance to understand the realities of 0% interest rates,
money printing, and a risk free investing game for banks is missing, or
they firmly believe actions by central banks and governments will
save us all.
On the other hand, considering that in 2008 all major countries

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

Chart 1: Global Financial Iceberg

showed no hesitation whatsoever with pushing the average investor and
tax payer under the bus, in return for saving their beloved banks
expecting a similar response this time around, maybe isnt that crazy after
all.
Balanced
Fund
Bull
Market

Buy the
Dip

Buy and
Hold

Occupy Wall
American
European
Street
banks
EFSF
banks
LSAP
derivatives
American
debt Pension
plans
China

If this is the view and reason for the super-enthusiastic bulls, then we see
your point. The slightest potential for a solution to Europe will certainly
provide markets with joy for a few minutes. Then, once this joy wears off
you can prepare for Americas venture into LSAP (which we discuss on page
8), which is certain to launch stocks into outer space.
Should neither of these developments occur, then well need to see
dramatic improvements in the global economy and funding markets for
banks before the next bull market resumes.
The question we do ask however, is how long, economically, and politically
can the bailouts continue? From a pure mathematical perspective, the
exact point in time when there really is too much debt has already passed
for some and is on the horizon for others. Meanwhile, from a pure social
perspective the exact point in time when people finally shout we cant
take this anymore has certainly arrived in Athens and Rome. And unless
the perceived inequalities improve, suspect social unrest will likely grow
further maybe even onto Wall Street.

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

The sign says

Below the surface of the Iceberg - Occupy Wall Street
What initially started in the local cafe with a few people discussing
the merits of monetary & fiscal policy, the fractional reserve banking
system and lobbying reform is slowly turning into a national, make
that, international movement.
While no one can definitively define the Occupy Wall Street
movement, it is spreading around the World faster than a speeding
macchiato. London, New York, Tokyo, Halifax no major financial
centre has been sparred.
How can it be stopped? It must be stopped. Debt must continue to
grow. Banks must not lose money on bad investments. Maybe more
tax breaks will help quell this petty annoyance. If that doesnt work
perhaps discounts on Blackberry purchases, or maybe even
permanent bans on short selling French banks. It must be stopped.
Now, our observation is admittedly cheekish, however we do hope
those on Wall Street, Threadneedle Street and George Street pause
to recognise this growing unease with todays economic unrest is
very real indeed.
To many in the World, the trillions of Dollars, Yen, Euros and Pounds
spent to save the banks has done nothing for the plight of the
average person. Many remain jobless. Many more live in houses
worth less than their mortgage, and many many more are starting to
see the divide between the very rich and everyone else. The
frustration is growing.

Source: The Internet

Exactly how the Occupy Wall Street movement can move the
established status quo is no secret really. Should the protesting
groups grow in size and breadth, some leader, somewhere will take
notice and react. And who knows, maybe the small reaction will
actually be the one that forces the bad debt to be cleansed from the
system.
Until then continue with the signs.

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

Where do we start??
Below the surface of the iceberg - Europe
Our readers know by now that IceCap has been writing and talking
non-stop about Europe for over a year. We forgive you for tuning out
now and then.

Second, youll often hear that Greeces economy and GDP is only 2%
of the total Euro-zone total economy, therefore dont worry about
this little hiccup called Greece. This is a schoolboy error of the worst
kind. Let us explain.

And since the Great Economic Circus of Europe continues to produce

ahhhs and ooohs, it is our duty to update everyone on the facts not
the rumors as they continue to be released and then denied every
hour on the hour.

In a simple way, the GDP for a country represents the total

sales/revenues produced during a given year. It does not account for
any debt or money borrowed. The challenge facing Greece is not
sales/revenue related, rather it is debt related. The country has
simply borrowed too much money and it cannot pay it back.

For starters, lets quickly dismiss the comparisons of Greece to an

American state. Many media outlets and misinformed investment
houses are quick to point out that Greeces annual GDP of about
$300 billion, is similar to that of Maryland. We do agree that should
Maryland quietly or loudly roll into the sea, it certainly wouldnt drag
the other 49 states with them. Therefore, why is Greece such a big
issue for Europe? There are two reasons.
First, Americas 50 states have both a fiscal and political union. They
share the same tax code, monetary policy, heads of state, and
military. Stating the obvious, it is one country plain and simple.
The Euro-zone however consists of 17 countries. They share the same
monetary policy but that is where the similarities end. 17 countries
means 17 different tax codes, 17 different heads of state, and 17
different economies which equals (17x17x17)^3 = 118.6 billion
reasons why the Euro-zone is not the same as America.

Sadly, the problem doesnt end there. The problem becomes even
bigger due to who actually lent Greece this money European banks.
Once you consider how banks are structured, the problem then
becomes bigger still. Banks everywhere around the World borrow
money themselves. In fact, they typically borrow between 10-20x of
what they actually have as equity. Compared to the 4-5x leverage for
the most indebted countries in the World, banks appetite for risk
puts Greece to shame.
To further aggravate the issue, some of the money that European
banks actually own themselves is invested in Greek bonds. When
Greece eventually fails to payback what they owe, these European
banks will suffer losses on their investments and due to their liberal
use of leverage, many of these banks can conceivably be wiped out.

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

We promise to promise
Below the surface of the iceberg - Europe
Mark your calendars for yet another all important European date
with destiny. Ever since the beginning of the end for the Euro-zone
and its currency, one European leader after another has floated an
idea to resolve the debt crisis. As with most ideas, very few are great
ones and make no mistake, the Europeans will have to create a
pretty remarkable idea to solve the already dangerous debt crisis.
Politicians and investment forecasters know the cardinal rule of
predictions never draw a line in the sand. Once the line is drawn,
there is no going back. Well, French President Sarkozy and German
Chancellor Merkel have drawn a line in the sand, and a very big line
at that. For once and for all, on October 23rd or 26th, 2011 at 3:27 PM
this dynamic duo is going to announce THE plan to save the Euro.
THE plan is going to focus on the creation of a super-duper-debtcharged bailout fund to bailout the entire Old World. Fund proceeds
will be used for the following:
1. Provide never ending loans to Greece
2. Secure future loans for bankrupt Ireland and Portugal
3. Special loan backing for Italy & Spain
4. One very big credit card for Belgium
5. Invest unlimited capital with no restrictions, interest or dividend
payments for every European bank
6. Create insurance (for banks only) against any other investment
that loses money

Yes, weve heard all of this before and yes IceCap has gained a few
friends (and saved clients money) at the expense of the Europeans.
Yet apparently, this coming weekend all will be saved without the
slightest loss possible for any European bank.
To fully understand exactly how messrs Sarkozy and Merkel will
achieve this miracle, we ask you to consider the features of the new
and improved EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility):
1. The EFSF is an actual company incorporated in Luxembourg
whose objective is to preserve the Euro-zone
2. All Euro-zone countries including Ireland, Portugal and Greece
promise to provide money EUR 440 billion to the EFSF
3. Should a country be unable to provide money, the remaining
countries will have to promise to provide more
4. Since this promised pool of money will not be enough to bailout
everyone and it is impossible to have the Euro-zone countries
promise more money to the fund, the EFSF will borrow money
using the promised money it doesnt have as collateral
5. Borrowed money will equal between EUR 2 to 2.5 trillion,
bringing the grand total of the EFSF to about EUR 3 Trillion
6. One final point, who will be crazy enough to lend the Europeans
this EUR 2 to 2.5 Trillion? The answer: the Europeans themselves
of course.
7. Ultimately, the EFSF will in effect become another tail wagging
the dog
In the end we doubt the World will see any real form of debt

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

Dexia the strongest European bank ever

restructuring. No one will end up taking true market losses on their bad Stress Test. As we know, these stress tests were designed to help
investments and well simply be back to where we started but with even restore market confidence in the health and stability of the
bigger debts that cannot be repaid.
European financial system.
Naturally, the ever present and always bullish managers will object to our After numerous minutes of number crunching, the European
always lucid analysis. However, before you run off to buy more balanced Union determined that Belgian bank, Dexia was indeed the
mutual funds, lets review the latest results from the European Unions Bank
strongest and safest of all. Yes, this is the same Dexia that
received billions in bailout money from the US Federal Reserve
in 2008 (Editors Note: exactly why the Americans had to bail out
a Belgian bank is a question that requires an answer].
As the table to the left shows, apparently a major bailout
combined with three years of growth was more than enough to
rank Dexia #1 on the European Stability Scale.
Update 2011.10.09 French & Belgian governments announce
that the recent banks stress results were a sham and that Dexia
is actually insolvent and will be taken over by the French and
Belgian governments.
If the #1 rated and safest European bank can go under in a heart
beat, what does it say about any European bank? Or any
European bank confidence building report?
No need to worry, this will all be resolved by this weekend.
Source: ZeroHedge.com

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

Large Scale Asset Purchases

LSAP
Get ready for the next catch-all phrase to grip Wall Street, the media
and your dinner table. By this we refer to LSAP, or Large Scale Asset
Purchases. Last month when the US Federal Reserve announced its
newest strategy to stimulate the economy, we do hope you didnt
think it would be their last.
At some point soon, youll see that Operation Twist was merely the
pause that refreshes for Mr. Bernanke and the Federal Reserve. The
pause is necessary as it does provide these hard-at-work central
bankers the opportunity to catch their breath before they announce
that their next strategy will involve purchasing corporate bonds and
possibly stocks.
This is significant for investors everywhere. If you enjoyed the shortterm boosts to your stock and commodity portfolio caused by
Quantitative Easing I and II, the 3rd version will likely be a major sugar
high. And, as we are all prudent investors, be sure to have some cash
ready for this next event which will likely occur early in the new year.
The Bank of England
Long before the Worlds economic power shifted to the USA, the
global economic powerhouse was England. As the sun never set on
the British empire, its many influences are still with us today. As many
of you read this we know you are smiling as you privately thank the
British for their most influential contribution to the World the
sandwich. However, while Britain is certainly a nation of sandwiches,
it also home to the venerable Bank of England (BOE).

With the Americans and Europeans hogging all of the spotlight

recently, its no surprise that the announcement by the BOE to launch
their second version of money printing flew largely under the radar.
In 2008, the BOE printed $350 billion to help their economy. Fast
forward to today and youll see that the global economic slowdown is
having a strained effect on the U.K.s export markets. And, when
combined with the funding strains resulting from the Euro-zone debt
crisis, it is little wonder the BOE decided to try and kick-start its
economy once again. This time, the BOE will be printing about $120
billion to help move things along.
The Bank of Canada
Mark Carney potentially received a major boost to his resume.
Currently the Bank of Canada exists only to fight inflation, and they
have done a marvelous job of meeting this objective over the years.
Now however, the Canadian government is starting to explore
opportunities to expand this mandate to include the right to
respond to economic shocks or dangerous buildups of credit
(source: CTV News). What does this mean for the average Canadian?
Well besides potentially elevating Mr. Carney to the same celebrity
status as the money printers from the US, Europe, Britain and Japan,
it will all but ensure youll have something else to talk about between
periods of the latest hockey game.
Stay tuned.

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

Ghost Cities
Below the surface of the iceberg China
In response to the economic devastation caused by the 2008-09
market collapse, the US and Europe has been wasting billions of
dollars in non-productive investment schemes (cash for clunkers,
housing rebates, subsidized lattes). China however took a completely
different approach. Instead of trying to encourage Chinese banks to
lend, Beijing simply demanded their banks lend. And lend they did.
Total Chinese bank loan growth has increased over 60% since 2008.
One thing is for sure, while the rest of the World has stagnated, there
has been no lack of capital or liquidity in China.
But at what price? By now, many are familiar with the Chinese ghost
cities entire brand spanking new cities with not one resident to be
found. There are also many more empty buildings and shopping
malls, as well as carless bridges.
In economic parlay, we refer to these as capital investments. Capital
investments are good as they normally create a long-term return to
the economy. However, in exchange for stimulating its economy and
avoiding social upheaval, the Chinese has used capital investment as
a tool to subsidize an immediate slow down in the global economy.
Unfortunately, this over investment was meant to mask over a lack of
domestic demand and to provide a bridge until the Western World
recovered. Yet, with the Western recovery no where in sight the
Chinese are now faced with too many empty cities and a huge pile of
bad loans starting to accumulate within their banking system.

Granted, compared to any other country in the World, Chinese

economic growth is miles ahead. However, a Chinese economy
slowing from 13% growth to 9% is the same as America slowing
from 3% to 1%. Just as 1% stall speed growth isnt creating enough
jobs in America, 9% growth wont be enough in China. Maybe well
see an Occupy Tiananmen Square rally soon enough, or maybe not.
With all of the distractions coming from Europe it is very easy to
forget about the slowdown and banking problems in China. Keep
your eye on this ball.
Defined Benefit Pension plans
For all of our defined benefit manager readers, we do offer our
sincere empathy, after all there is noooooo way you will ever meet
your 6%+ assumed rate of return criteria. With long-term rates below
4%, and every equity risk premium model being distorted due to
short-term rates at 0%, the faintest hope of achieving anything near
6% or [gulp] higher is a stretch at best.
For all of you stock pickers out there, we subtlety suggest you check
up on every companys unfunded pension liabilities (dont worry
about unfunded healthcare liabilities as they are unimportant to the
accounting World, for now). We do acknowledge Halloween is just
around the corner and certainly do not mean to frighten anyone,
however this non-headline topic is a very big concern for every plan
sponsor. If Europe should ever fade from the spotlight we know the
pension problem will become front and centre news.

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October 2011

The Tip of the Iceberg

A cautious bunch
Our strategy
Weve had some great conversations recently with clients,
prospective clients and media outlets. During these exchanges, our
strategy and perspective hasnt changed. Since IceCap was first
launched as a firm we have maintained that the best strategy for
today is one focused on capital preservation. There will be amazing
opportunities to make ridiculous amounts of money, however that
time isnt today.

If youd like to chat further about our view and our unique investment
solutions, please feel to contact:
John Corney at [email protected] or
Keith Dicker at [email protected].
Thank you for sharing your time with us.

Meanwhile, we continue to exist in a binary investment World with

daily 4% intraday market swings due undoubtedly to the hourly
rumor mill emanating from Brussels.
Ultimately, we will see a resolution to the global debt crisis, and then
you can certainly be assured IceCap will be the market cheerleader.
However, until then well remain a cautious bunch, constantly
analyzing the threats below the surface of the iceberg. During this
time, well continue to preserve capital for our clients.

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