the Scary Descent, May 13 2011

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
In the last two years, one of the most accurate predictors of both long and short-term trends has been FX Concepts’ John Taylor, whose April call for a EURUSD peak of 1.4925 was almost to the dot. Which is why he is either about to cheapen his predictive record by being wrong, or the days of the rally are ending. In a statement very comparable to that from Jeremy Grantham released a few days ago, Taylor tells Bloomberg that: “the rally in higher-yielding assets is coming to an end with Europe’s sovereign debt crisis resurfacing, growth sluggish and banking systems unsteady. “This is the end of the nice slow moving risk rally that has lulled us pleasantly to sleep since the first half of 2009,” Taylor, chairman of New York-based FX Concepts LLC, said in an interview. “This warning is worthy of a brass band and bright lights as the other side of this low volatility rally will most likely be a scary descent that will have a very negative impact on markets. Our statistical models say we are about at the end of the road for risk.” Taylor gives a deadline to his prediction: “Higher-risk assets, such as equities, the euro and emerging market currencies, have either peaked or will do so by end of July.” If Taylor’s previous predictive record is any indication, it may get volatile soon. On the other hand, his forte is FX not stocks, and many other forecasters have been burned (or should have been) at the stake of predicting capital markets in a time of central planning.

From Bloomberg:

Higher-risk assets, such as equities, the euro and emerging market currencies, have either peaked or will do so by end of July, according to Taylor, who manages about $8.5 billion and uses statistical models to help predict future movements in assets. Global investors have tempered their optimism about the U.S. and world economies and plan to put more of their money in cash and less in commodities over the next six months, a Bloomberg survey released today found.

FX Concepts, whose returns last year were the company’s best since 2006, reaped gains in the first half of 2010 betting on a slide in the euro against the dollar and then profited by its rise the rest of the year. At present, the fund is short the common currency, which means it will profit if it declines.

Taylor, who predicted several times since 2010 that the euro will eventually fall to parity versus the dollar, boosted returns by wagering on short term swings higher in the shared European currency. FX Concepts, in a Jan. 27 note, said the euro would move higher in a medium-term trend and in April predicted the currency was poised to reach a technical target of $1.4925.

Taylor had some choice words for Europe:

“There is absolutely statistically no way that Greece can survive,” said Taylor, who just returned from France. “There is a one in 10,000 chance; if the Germans give Greece their money to pay back their debt then they’ll be fine. But there is no way Germany will do that.”

Greek government bonds fell today, pushing the two-year note yield to a record high of 26.77 percent. The bonds have lost investors 11 percent this year.

“As the spread of Greek two-year debt goes absolutely crazy over German, it means that at some point we are going to have to have a crisis,” said Taylor, whose Global Currency fund gained 3.33 percent last month. “And I think it’s very soon.”