Finance

Evidence Shows Politicians and Wall Street CEOs Expected the Market Crash Well Before Covid-19

04/04/2020 by Idelto Editor

The coronavirus outbreak has sent shockwaves through the world’s economy and this has caused politicians and central bankers to react in various ways. However, global market leaders, Wall Street CEOs and hedge fund managers had one of the best years in more than a decade since the 2008 financial crisis. In fact, evidence shows that the bureaucracy and the modern banking cartel knew a crash was on the horizon, as the covid-19 crisis was simply the pin that popped the balloon.

Also read: IMF Declares Global Recession, 80 Countries Request Help, Trillions of Dollars Needed

American Fascists Knew the Bubble Would Pop – Stocks Were Massively Overvalued, Bonds Manipulated

Toward the end of 2019 market players and Wall Street’s top CEOs discussed whether or not the U.S. was facing a recession in 2020. This was after the stock market, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average broke records last year. A few months before the coronavirus started spreading wildly, central banks like the Federal Reserve were already slashing rates and funneling billions into the hands of private banks. It’s almost as if the elite knew the bubble would pop in 2020, as bonds were manipulated by banks and stocks were massively overvalued. In fact, a majority of bankers predicted that 2020 would suffer from a really bad recession that could be worse than the last economic fallout. Central banks started easing up on monetary policy and created vast amounts of stimulus throughout the months of August, September, and October of last year.

When 2020 started, the smoke signals were everywhere, as hedge fund managers and strategists warned that the stock market was extremely overvalued. On January 14, financial experts reported on how the stock market has never been this big relative to the economy. “Such elevated valuations in past periods have weighed on equity returns over the subsequent five years and lowered the odds of positive outcomes,” Goldman Sachs strategist Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani noted in the company’s 2020 outlook. “That the bulk of last year’s returns came from higher valuations, and not growth in earnings, only compounds investors’ concerns,” Mossavar-Rahmani added. Despite, the warnings of a massive stock market bubble, a few Wall Street execs continued to shill company shares that many people had deemed “overpriced.”

The Leveraged House of Cards – $532 Trillion in Global Derivatives Markets

Additionally, analysts also cautioned retail investors about how far apart Wall Street trading and the real world economy really is compared to the hyped up news headlines. Markets today are made up of algorithms, futures, options, high-frequency trading, and passive funds and there’s whopping $532 trillion in global derivatives markets. Most of the time stock market derivatives are not even traded by real people, as estimates note that 75% of all trades are computer-driven.

Moreover, derivatives like futures and options are usually not dealing with the physical goods themselves and they are simply trading pieces of paper that represent corn, oil, gold, and other commodities. The reason the derivatives markets could be frightening is due to the large separation from real-world goods. Megabanks and financial institutions did not learn from their prior mistakes and many of them are highly leveraged with derivatives products today. This means when real-world prices crash, highly leveraged institutions suffer major losses when spot prices are extremely turbulent like they were in 2008.

History Repeats

For centuries now, a number of people have been aware that the politicians and central banks have manipulated and ruined global economies. The U.S. is a perfect example of how the American bureaucracy and Wall Street moguls from the ‘House of Morgan’ destroyed the nation’s economy by introducing a fraudulent Ponzi system. History shows that the banker families in the early 1900s are the very same banking families who run the country’s finances today. The fraudulent banking cartel is likely the direct cause of all of the economic destruction modern Americans have seen in the last three decades.

The Wall Street crashes in 1907, 1929 and in the early ‘30s, all stemmed from the greed and fraudulent activities invoked by the House of Morgan, otherwise known as the ‘Money Trust.’ Members of the Money Trust included the families of JP Morgan, JD Rockefeller and a small group of finance moguls. Morgan’s empire consisted of U.S. Steel, General Electric, International Mercantile Marine, International Harvester, AT&T, and approximately 21 railroads. Interestingly, during the Great Depression years, a slew of politicians and financiers stepped down months before the crash and many large firms restructured.

January 2020 Saw the Most CEO Resignations in the U.S. – 219 Corporate Leaders Abruptly Step Down

The 2020 crash which started on March 12, otherwise known as ‘Black Thursday,’ was a surprise for most Americans watching the stock market that day. However, today’s Wall Streeters, hedge fund managers, politicians, and bankers didn’t seem surprised by the bubble bursting at all. In fact, one could assume that the banking cartel and the American bureaucracy knew exactly when the crash was coming. One of the biggest signs of the elite knowing the crisis was imminent was how Q4 2019 had the most CEOs step down in years as 1,300 top executives left in November 2019.

CEOs from mega-companies and financial institutions stepped down in record numbers again in December 2019. The public also witnessed the same trend in January and February, as January 2020 set a record for the most CEO departures in America recorded in a 30-day time span. 219 major chief execs unexpectedly left their positions with little to no warnings. Even though some of these CEOs ran these companies for decades, they stepped down abruptly. Disney’s CEO Bob Iger stepped down, Adam Bierman from Medmen suddenly up and left, and Mandy Ginsberg of Tinder and Match Group stepped away from her firm’s as well. The list of noteworthy CEOs who stepped down is quite exhaustive, but includes people like Hulu’s Randy Freer, Mastercard’s Ajay Banga, IBM’s Ginni Rometty, Tmobile’s John Legere, Harley Davidson’s Matt Levatich, Linkedin’s Jeff Weiner, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Salesforce’s Keith Block, Lbrand’s (Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Pink) Leslie Wexner, and many more well known chief executives.

American Bureaucrats Jump Ship Before the Senate’s Private Briefing

The protectors of today’s corporatists and monopolies, otherwise known as U.S. politicians, were also scrutinized for knowing about the economic impact in advance. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) was accused of sharing insider information and she dumped millions in shares after the Senate’s coronavirus briefing took place.

Loeffler wasn’t the only bureaucrat accused of dumping on the stock markets before ‘Black Thursday,’ as U.S. representatives like North Carolina’s Richard Burr, California’s Dianne Feinstein, and Oklahoma’s James Inhofe all sold stocks before the Senate’s classified briefing on January 24. None of these politicians or corporatists warned the general public of a looming stock market crash.

Cryptocurrency Solutions – The Need to Separate Money from the State Has Never Been More Apparent

Cryptocurrency advocates have been warning about the monetary manipulation for well over a decade and many bitcoiners predicted these events. The money system has been fraudulent for a very long time and digital currencies like bitcoin could transform the world’s monetary system for the better. Reading this article should tell you that there is no free market within the United States and the capitalism that exists is really cronyism mixed with manipulative profits.

Concepts like cryptocurrencies and free markets are becoming more enticing to people every single day. The reason for this trend is largely because central bankers and politicians are making it blatantly obvious that they are screwing society. The elite knowing about the mid-March stock market fallout well beforehand should be no surprise to those who understand the collusion between the state and central banks. More than ever, activists and free market advocates wholeheartedly believe that the desire to separate money from the state is a goal worth fighting for. Especially since we have solid proof of fraudulent behavior from our so-called representatives and banking institutions.

What do you think about politicians and the elite knowing about the crash well before covid-19? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The post Evidence Shows Politicians and Wall Street CEOs Expected the Market Crash Well Before Covid-19 appeared first on Bitcoin News.

Homeowners Can’t Pay: US Lenders Prepare for Catastrophic Real Estate Market

03/04/2020 by Idelto Editor

The coronavirus has managed to seep into every facet of the global economy and it seems nothing will escape its financial wrath. During the last two weeks as unemployment levels have skyrocketed in the U.S.; analysts, economists, and wealth managers have been warning about another subprime mortgage crisis. Most of these observers believe there’s no doubt the real estate market will collapse again, as economists understand that the loss of jobs, wages, and severe reduction of business activity has devastated the American economy.

Also read: US Real Estate in Jeopardy – Analysts Predict Housing Market Crash to 29-Year Lows

Real Estate Industry Will Suffer from Unemployed Homeowners Who Can’t Pay Loans and Renters Who Can’t Pay Landlords

There are a number of individuals and organizations that predict the covid-19 economy will destroy the American housing market and it might be far worse than the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. One of the biggest reasons people think that the real estate economy is about to be hit hard is because of the number of U.S. citizens that are unemployed right now. This has caused mortgage borrowers to stop paying loans due to not having funds. Debtors who are landlords are suffering too, as renters cannot come up with the money to pay monthly rent expenses because they are out of work. At the time of publication, estimates note that roughly 40% of New York tenants may not be able to pay their rent this month which in turn hurts the landlord paying the mortgage.

Estimates from Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi note that 30% of Americans with mortgages might not be able to pay their loans. Zandi says that figure is around 15 million American households and it could grow worse if the economy is shut down through the summer months. Property owners and renters are concerned about the unpredictable economy and a great majority of earners are seeing a smaller paycheck thanks to fewer shifts, hours, and layoffs across the board.

The U.S. government’s safety nets are not working and the ones that are available only cover a fraction of homeowners. Many Americans are upset because government-backed home loans through the FHA, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and the VA are allowing deferred payments for mortgages. In some instances, these lenders are allowing up to a year of deferred payments. But government-backed loans only cover 60% of the nation and the 40% leftover have traditional real estate loans with banks.

What’s the break lease policy at the moment if they don’t offer a rental reduction? If we can’t afford rent anymore do we just say to our real estate agent like… ‘here’s my notice sorry?’ I’m 5 months into a 1 year lease.

— Michael Beveridge (@mickyb273) April 3, 2020

The Airbnb Bubble: Some Airbnb Super Hosts Have 10+ Mortgages

Similarly, property owners who rent might not get monthly payments for a very long time. As individuals in the U.S. are finding themselves out of work, they can’t pay the rent to their landlords. Some renters and politicians in various states are calling for an emergency rent freeze and eviction moratorium until the covid-19 threat is behind us.

Landlords with mortgages could be crushed as the Rental Housing Finance Survey (RHFS) estimates there are more than 22.5 million rental properties nationwide. Some economists think that super hosts from Airbnb could cause the housing market to buckle as well, thanks to the unwinding Airbnb rental economy. Mega or ‘super hosts’ are Airbnb landlords who mortgaged multiple homes in order to profit on the platform’s rental market.

“Watch the real estate market, my neighbor is an Airbnb super host,” tweeted Spencer Noon. She is on forums with other hosts [and] many of them have 10+ mortgages. 0 guests are booking their properties [and] they are running out of cash.”

From Predicting a ‘Booming Spring Real Estate Market’ to a ‘Catastrophic Buying Season’

Even small banks and real estate lenders are being told by the government they have no idea how long the industry shut down will last. “Nobody has any sense of how long this might last,” explained Andrew Jakabovics, an executive from Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit affordable housing group. “The forbearance program allows everybody to press pause on their current circumstances and take a deep breath. Then we can look at what the world might look like in six or 12 months from now and plan for that.”

On March 21, news.Bitcoin.com reported on how Lendingtree’s chief economist Tendayi Kapfidze predicted a complete “shutdown in the housing market.” Today, Kapfidze says with the government in “bailout everyone mode,” they probably will try to stop mass foreclosures. “I expect policymakers to do whatever they can to hold the line on a financial crisis,” Kapfidze told the press. “And that means preventing foreclosures by any means necessary,” he added.

In addition to the looming subprime mortgage crisis; office, retail, industrial, and multi-family homeowners invested a lot of upfront funds expecting a good season in the spring. “If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how quickly everything can change. Just weeks ago, mortgage lenders were predicting the biggest spring in years for home sales and mortgage refinances,” Bloomberg’s recent real estate coverage explains. Meanwhile, on April 2nd, financial publications wrote: “Real estate spring buying season could be catastrophic.”

Even the President Is Looking for a Loan Deferral

Throughout the covid-19 economy, wealth managers and economists are curious about which safe-haven asset will society be confident in during the financial meltdown. While many predict precious metals will be the avenue, history shows that during the 2007-2008 subprime mortgage crisis bullion markets were manipulated by central banks.

Reports highlight that Donald Trump’s company has asked Trump’s biggest lender, Deutsche Bank, for some leniency toward repaying some of his loans. “These days everybody is working together,” explained Eric Trump, the U.S. president’s son, and executive of the family business. “Tenants are working with landlords, landlords are working with banks. The whole world is working together as we fight through this pandemic.”

The current black swan event, covid-19 may call for a black swan asset like bitcoin because it’s not manipulated as easily as real estate property and precious metals. Traditionally, investing in real estate outperforms a myriad of other investment assets, but cryptocurrencies have outshined property investment by a longshot. In fact, in contrast to real estate investment which gained 70-100% in ten years, BTC gained 8.9 million percent over the last decade.

Moreover, analysts can clearly see that office, retail, industrial, and multi-family investors will take a big hit from the covid-19 economy. Even U.S. President Donald Trump is having issues coming up with funds to pay for his Florida properties and his administration asked Deutsche Bank and Palm Beach County to give him leniency.

What do you think about the real estate industry’s hardships in the near future? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The post Homeowners Can’t Pay: US Lenders Prepare for Catastrophic Real Estate Market appeared first on Bitcoin News.

Financial Bazookas Revealed – Market Strategists Believe the Fed Will Purchase Stocks Soon

01/04/2020 by Idelto Editor

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies may be the only free-market assets left not manipulated by central banks like the U.S. Federal Reserve. Since the covid-19 outbreak, the Fed has unleashed a massive arsenal of monetary weapons to combat the effects on the economy. After the significant rate cuts, quantitative easing (QE), and buying mortgage-backed securities, analysts believe the Fed could start purchasing stocks in order to quell the economy.

Also read: US Mortgage Industry Could Collapse as Housing Crisis Looms, Experts Say

The Fed Is Deploying More Than Just a Monetary Policy Bazooka, It’s Unleashing the Whole Arsenal

On Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve threw another tool into the financial system by announcing an international repo option in order to curb investors from panic-selling Treasuries. Since the covid-19 outbreak started spreading rapidly throughout the nation, the economy has been hit hard by numerous industry shutdowns across the U.S. After closing borders and shutting down major U.S. industries, the Fed has tried to save the American economy by using a variety of monetary schemes. The Fed has introduced rate cuts, quantitative easing (QE), foreign currency swap lines, discount windows, a Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF), a Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), and a Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility (SMCCF). The aforementioned list just scratches the surface when it comes to the newly introduced schemes the Fed has initiated since the covid-19 outbreak.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the bank’s board of directors have unleashed the big guns citing the covid-19 outbreak as the primary reason to throw unlimited amounts of money at private banks. The Federal Reserve said on March 26 that the central bank recognizes that small financial institutions may need additional time to submit “certain regulatory reports in light of staffing priorities and disruptions caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (covid-19).” In order to give Wall Street some leniency, the Fed “will not take action against a financial institution with $5 billion or less in total assets for submitting its March 31, 2020.”

The Fed also invoked a Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMFLF) and bought $185 billion in mortgage-backed securities. However, all these moves have not helped stock and commodity markets and the mortgage-backed securities purchase threatened the U.S. real estate market. After the Fed bought the mortgage securities it caused a massive margin call and put hundreds of lenders at risk and without capital.

To those of you wondering what the US stock market will do on any given day, just remember, the Fed has unlimited purchasing power to buy it all up. They have 100 percent full control over stocks and they will do whatever they please with it. Goodbye price discovery. The end.

— Heidi (@blockchainchick) March 26, 2020

Despite the adverse effects on the housing market, the Fed is still attempting to insulate the American economy with the central bank’s parlor tricks. The Fed’s new international repo is an unprecedented move by the central bank, as it will provide foreign central banks with the ability to get USD in exchange for U.S. Treasuries. In addition to the international repo, the Fed also revealed it established a temporary FIMA Repo Facility (FRF) to “help support the smooth functioning of financial markets.”

Fed has printed trillion of $ to do what?

To purchase financial assets

-They already are largest holders of real estate in the world
-Have already pushed the short term yields into negative
-They will soon buy out stocks

Don’t fall for dead cat bounce#Buyeroflastresort

— Vinay Jaiswal (@vinayjazzi) March 31, 2020

The Fed’s Next Step Could Be Purchasing Large Quantities of Stocks

Now economists and investors think the Fed’s next move will see the central bank purchasing stocks. Because the American economy is in turmoil, market analysts say that the Fed will likely use this approach soon to bolster the financial system. “If there were any major dislocations, it is clear that they will go into whatever nook and cranny in the market that starts to choke,” chief market strategist at Prudential Financial, Quincy Krosby, told the media on Sunday. The Prudential executive further stated:

We know that when you have choking in one part of the market, you have choking in another part of the market that leads to dislocation. As soon as you cross that line, you are now facing something else that you could conceivably buy.

Members of the Federal Reserve and the Shadow Open Market Committee have already discussed the possibility of the Fed buying stocks to help the economy. Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren told the committee on March 6 that he thinks the U.S. should “allow the central bank to purchase a broader range of securities or assets.”

The Perfect Storm for Digital Assets Like Bitcoin

Cryptocurrency participants believe that the current economy is the “perfect storm” for censorship-resistant and a mathematically probable financial system. Bitcoin has a lot of benefits to a society that has been having significant problems doing what they want with their own money. In the last six months alone, news.Bitcoin.com has reported on governments and banks in countries like the U.S., Egypt, Lebanon, India, and Germany limiting cash withdrawals. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin have better properties than gold during an economic crisis, as analysts have questioned gold’s alleged ‘safe-haven’ status since the 2007-2008 financial catastrophe. It’s a well known that central banks oversaturated bullion markets during those years by using bullion-bank repos just like they do with Treasuries today.

Cryptocurrency markets did decline with everything else under the sun on March 12th, otherwise known as ‘Black Thursday.’ The decline has made people assume that BTC and other digital assets have a strong correlation with stocks and equities right now. However, historical data shows digital asset markets have always been non-correlated with stocks, commodities, and equities. A higher correlation during a black swan event (covid-19) doesn’t equate to both markets being tethered together whenever economic environments change.

As the Fed and central banks worldwide pull out every tool they have in the monetary policy toolbox, bitcoiners understand that digital assets cannot be manipulated as easily as fiat currency, property investments, precious metals, and the stock markets. If you have never read or heard about the positive benefits and economic freedom bitcoin can provide, get started today with some of our educational resources.

What do you think about the Fed possibly buying stocks next? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The post Financial Bazookas Revealed – Market Strategists Believe the Fed Will Purchase Stocks Soon appeared first on Bitcoin News.

How to Quickly Cash Out From Crypto to Fiat

26/03/2020 by Idelto Editor

There are many reasons why you might seek to liquidate your digital assets into fiat currency, be it to pay a bill, buy a meal, or cover an emergency. When needs must, speed is of the essence; no one has time to wait three days for a bank wire to clear. For those occasions when rapid exchange is essential, here are four fast crypto-fiat options.

Also read: Privacy Browser Brave Integrates Cryptocurrency Trading Through Binance

Cut and Run: Quick Cash Out Considerations

“Cashing out” can mean different things to different people. For some, cashing out means circumventing the banking system (and invasive KYC) by discreetly exchanging crypto for tender they can hold in their hands. Of course, the seller first has to handle the legwork of finding a cash-for-crypto buyer whom they can meet in person. And then there are security concerns: what measures do you have in place to ensure you don’t get ripped off?

Even if you’re content to accept digital transfer of funds, you’ll need to decide which currency you want to be paid in, how much you’re prepared to lose in fees, and whether to favor bank transfer, Paypal, or another online payment option. If you’re in the midst of a major cash crisis, you must also consider the time it takes for funds to clear: while domestic wire transfers are reasonably fast, international bank transfers can take 3-5 business days. Here are some of the quickest crypto cashout options currently available.

Metal Pay

Founded in 2017, Metal Pay is a money transfer app that acts as a gentle onramp to the world of virtual currencies – while also letting crypto-holders cash out. The process is simple: users download the app, which links to their mobile number, then complete KYC before entering their bank account details. From here, they can buy, sell, send, receive and convert between 24 cryptocurrencies including BTC and ETH, directly from their device. This week, TRX was added to that list, enabling Tron’s native token to be purchased using fiat currency by debit card or a linked bank checking account.

Insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Metal Pay imposes withdrawal limits of $10,000 per day, $100,000 per month, and $1.2M a year, but converting crypto to cash is straightforward. Just know that transfers made before 7 pm ET on business days typically show up in your bank the following business day (although they can take up to three business days), and that withdrawals to debit cards are normally the same day (but can theoretically take a business day to complete). Modest withdrawal fees are denominated in crypto and detailed here.

Localcryptos

The main attraction of Localcryptos (formerly Localethereum) is that it lets users cash out their crypto peer-to-peer, minus the headache of draconian KYC/AML processes. A reputation system keeps buyers and sellers in check, while the noncustodial escrow service means shysters can’t make off with your BTC or ETH without paying you.

Using Localcryptos couldn’t be easier. At the top of the homepage, click ‘Browse,’ then select which crypto you’re buying/selling along with your preferred payment method (bank transfer, cash in person, Paypal, Revolut, etc), location and currency. You’ll be shown a list of buyers/sellers along with their profile blurbs and prices. All that’s left to do is open dialogue with one of them (chats are encrypted), agree a trade, and – if you’re the one cashing out – fund the escrow account. When the stipulated amount hits your account, click “Release Escrow” to seal the deal. Incidentally, the platform charges a 0.25% fee to “makers” (the person who places the offer listing) and 0.75% for the taker (the person responding to the offer).

Wirex

Like Metal Pay, Wirex is a mobile money app, only the firm’s based in London, not San Francisco. As for the setup process, it’s virtually identical to Metal Pay and there are 10 supported cryptocurrencies at the time of writing including an MTL-esque native token called WXT.

If you want to cash out crypto using the app, it’s easy to do so: just go into your crypto account and hit ‘Exchange’ to convert your balance into the fiat currency of your choice. You can convert up to $50,000 per day and spend the money using your Wirex card; alternatively, you can withdraw from an ATM. If you prefer to cash out directly to a bank account, Wirex automatically claims a 1% fee and there’s a $15 charge for SWIFT transfers. If you’re a Coinbase Card holder, meanwhile, you can now fund your Google Pay using the crypto card, enabling contactless payments at the swipe of a smartphone.

Revolut

Revolut is a popular mobile banking platform in Europe, and a direct competitor to Wirex. One reason you might choose Revolut over Wirex when seeking to cash out is the number of supported fiat currencies: well over 100 compared to Wirex’s three. Revolut requires a one-off payment of $9.99 for prepaid (Premium) debit cards, whereas Wirex cards entail a monthly cost of $1.50. One drawback with Revolut is that it doesn’t allow you to deposit cryptocurrency from an external source; you can only cash out crypto you have already bought in-app or received from another Revolut user.

To cash out your crypto, you’ll have to exchange it to fiat in-app (there’s a 1% fee outside foreign exchange market hours; it’s free otherwise), then use the app to send funds to a bank account. GBP transfers to a British bank normally take seconds but can theoretically take up to three business days; EUR transfers to accounts domiciled in SEPA typically take up to two working days; and international transfers can take up to five days. As for the fee for this service, you are notified in-app at the point of transfer. In the UK, it’s 20p for a local transfer over and above your plan’s allowance, and £3 for international transfers.

Whether you use a crypto-fiat banking service like Wirex, Metal Pay or Revolut, a P2P marketplace such as Localcryptos, a wallet with integrated two-way fiat-crypto capacity like Trastra, or a crypto exchange such as Coinbase, there are many ways to turn your cryptocurrency into filthy fiat. You can even have your cake and eat it by obtaining a cash loan while using digital assets as collateral. Whatever option you choose, be aware of the withdrawal limits, fees and waiting times. When you need cash quick, concessions in the rate you receive are likely.

What options do you recommend for quickly swapping from crypto to fiat? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post How to Quickly Cash Out From Crypto to Fiat appeared first on Bitcoin News.

World’s Largest Banks Losing Stock Value During Weeks Marked by Pandemic

25/03/2020 by Idelto Editor

The spreading coronavirus infection is taking a toll on the global economy and traditional financial institutions are already hurting. The world’s largest banks have seen their stocks losing value over the past weeks and months while facing cash withdrawal pressure and preparing to deal with a shrinking asset base.

Also read: US Cash Crisis: Withdrawal Limits Spark Bank Run Fear

China’s ‘Big Four’ See Their Stocks Tumble

No one has a clear idea where this is going or what comes next for the planet’s financial system. What’s obvious, however, is that some of its elements are already under stress. Reports of banks imposing withdrawal limits in parts of the U.S. indicate a cash crisis is brewing. New interest rate cuts, more money printing and the flight of capital towards assets they don’t manage, such as cryptocurrencies, are going to limit the value banks have under their control.

China, where the covid-19 outbreak started, is home to the world’s largest banking sector in terms of assets. In mid-2019, the official figure stood at over $40 trillion, despite liquidity problems with some small regional banks and a credit crunch on the interbank market that required intervention from the People’s Bank of China. The big four state-owned commercial banks, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of China, are topping the 100 largest banks list, according to the latest edition of the S&P Global Market Intelligence report.

These financial behemoths have been watching the prices of their stocks drop over the last few months. From this year’s high of 6.01 yuan (approx. $0.85) in early January, ICBC shares are now trading at a little over 5.10 yuan ($0.72), and CCB stocks dropped from 7.49 yuan ($1.06) on Nov. 7 to a low of 6.17 yuan ($0.87) this past Monday, before bouncing back to 6.37 yuan ($0.90) on March 25.

The shares of the other two major Chinese banks also lost value, especially during the last month as authorities were struggling to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus and deal with the economic fallout of the epidemic. Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, another Asian banking giant, saw a steep decline in the value of its shares, from 566 yen ($5.08) on Feb. 21 to 384 yen ($3.45) on March 19. Its shares are currently trading for around 450 yen ($4.04).

Western Banks Affected by the Spreading Virus

The last several weeks brought similar results for the leading banking institutions in the United States, which now has over 50,000 confirmed covid-19 cases. JP Morgan’s stock fell to $79.03 from $137.49 per share on Feb. 20. Bank of America shares dropped from a monthly high of close to $33 to around $18 on the first day of the week before rising back to around $20 on Tuesday, when stock markets reacted to the Federal Reserve’s latest announcement. The Fed pledged to an open-ended quantitative easing in response to the economic challenges posed by the epidemic.

Other banks that have been hurt by the crisis which led to a slowdown in economic activity around the world include the European HSBC and BNP Paribas. The shares of the London-based investment bank and financial services holding company, which were selling for over $35 about a month ago, started this week at a little over $28. Paris-headquartered BNP Paribas saw its stocks plunge by almost 50% to €25.43 ($27.40), from €48.70 ($52.69) on Feb. 25. Deutsche Bank’s shares registered similar losses, dropping from close to €9 ($9.74) in late February to a monthly low of under €5 ($5.39) in mid-March.

What do you think of the world’s leading banks losing stock value? Tell us in the comments section below.

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