CNBC & Institutional Investor's Delivering Alpha Conference is underway and below are some notes. This post will be updated throughout the day as the various speakers/panels are ongoing:
Delivering Alpha Conference Notes 2016
Paul Singer (Elliott Associates): Said that it's a "very dangerous time in global markets" right now. Argued central bank independence doesn't really exist. Noted that Bank of Japan is basically a top-10 shareholder of various Japanese corporations but the economy hasn't rebounded. Called it insane, "It's not working, but they keep going." Feels that investors are careless about inflation threat. Says sell long-term bonds. "There will come a time when inflation, despite growth suppressive policies can blow through targets and surprise everyone." Says we're basically in the middle of close to a 40 year experiment in how leveraged a system can be, and in how many ways. Thinks gold as a directional asset is underrepresented in portfolios "as the only money and store of value that has stood the test of time that is, in my view, undervalued and underpriced in today's world and sort of is the opposite of confidence in central banks."
Ray Dalio (Bridgewater Associates): Discussed ways to spur economic growth with Timothy Geithner. Dalio says, "We're in a situation where central banks want to drive you out of cash and out of bonds." Called it a dangerous situation, as central banks run out of assets to buy and push investors into riskier assets. Dalio thinks raising rates is risky as it's not priced into the yield curve. "There's only so much you can squeeze out of a debt cycle and we're there, globally."
Jim Chanos (Kynikos Associates): Still short Alibaba (BABA), says they're "buying anything that's for sale, just burning cash." He's also still short Tesla (TSLA) and SolarCity (SCTY). Says the two companies combining basically puts TSLA on a path to potential bankruptcy....
