The week ended on January 25, 2025, interesting news items to look at this week are:
1. Intention and Realization: 4 days after the inauguration of Trump, the mist begins to clear as to how Trump’s playbook will run. If we follow the money, DXY (US$ Index) has decidedly turned weaker from a high of 110.17 to Friday’s close of 107.47 ( a drop of 2.4% within 11 days). (Fig. 1).
The bucket list of Trump is long and drawn out but with many conflicting desires, Trump must prioritize. It is clear that Trump’s team’s own assessment is US, at its current state of health is in no position to fight Russia and China until her internal affliction is first remedied. Let’s analyze the many data points that allowed the many analysts to draw on the foregoing conclusion.
(i) In Trump’s inauguration speech and subsequent vast array of Executive Orders, Foreign Policy Issues are hardly dealt with. In order not to exhibit weakness Trump created smoke screens like renaming Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. Trump also freezes all foreign aid including all military aid except to Israel and Egypt and quietly thrown Ukraine under the bus. (Fig. 2)
It is clear that in Trump 2.0, he learns his lessons from his first term defeat and intends initially to remove all obstacles and challenges from the Deep State. With only two years until the mid-term election, battles that are not 100% guaranteed of a solid victory, Trump will defer to deflect counter attacks by the Deep State. Hence we see Trump revokes the security clearance of a litany of ex staffers belonging to the Deep State, like John Boltan (hangers on who are in the know and acted as a go between the shadowy area of politics). (Fig. 3)
(ii) First Salvo Against the Deep State - DOJ: In a piece by Tyler Durden of Zerohedge, Trump’s first salvo was DOJ. Intelligence, Investigation and Prosecution are the strongholds of the Deep State emanating from the traditions of Free Masonry and expectantly that is where the internal war began. (Fig. 4).
(iii) Lineup of Hatchet Man in Trump’s cabinet: There is certainly method in Trump’s madness. He appointed Rubio as Secretary of State, a war hawk but as US top diplomat Rubio cannot visit China because of China’s sanction. (Fig. 5).
So the negotiations with a peer enemy is restricted to Trump, Musk and Bessent. Rubio’s job is to clean up the swamp left behind by Hilary and Blinken and if he does not concentrate on his assigned role, he will be find himself in the waste bin quickly. A second hatchet man is Defence Secretary candidate Hegseth, a man who could not even name a single country within ASEAN. (Fig. 6).
Not that we should be too surprised because Trump also called Spain, a member of NATO a BRICS nation. (Fig. 7).
(iv) Trump goes to war with the Federal Reserve (Fig. 8): In quick succession, Trump mounted an attack on the Federal Reserve and try to force the Fed to bend the knee.
Ignoring the loud blasts over the megaphone diplomacy, Trump’s MAGA is prioritized as to draining the swap from within, build up fortress America through bait and hook for US Corporations to onshore manufacturing, and to reduce Federal Expenditures particularly those programs that Democrats derived their votes. To do that income tax cuts is needed as a stimuli and to be part financed by an increase in tariffs. The immediate consequence will be a further rise in deficits before efficiency kicks in for an overall lowering of Federal Spending. Trump’s rhetoric is an lowering of interest rates as early as February 2025. The immediate market reaction after Trump declared his intentions at the Davos World Economic Forum was an acknowledgement of his intent but rejects his methodology as workable. The FX value of USD precipitously dropped but interest rates on both Duration Treasuries (Fig. 9)
and Short Term Bill Rates went up a notch (Fig. 10)
As we look back at various US initiatives like Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, QUAD 4, CHIPS and Science Act, we invariably found these programs like many others are now walking dead. By comparison, China announced “Make in China 2025” in 2015 and despite all the road blocks and trip wires set up by US, was deemed a mission success by none other than Western establishment media. (Fig. 11).
The number one and number two economies in the world both have very many smart people and I suppose the difference is in the case of US, all the programs need to be proven within 2 years but China has 10 years to cultivate the desire result. As I recall my time in Venture Capital investing, out of 100 projects, 70 to 85 usually goes belly up, 10 in the walking wounded league, 5 will pay the rent but just one to two hits will be enough to fund all the efforts and pay the bonuses. When public servants decide to abandon their roles in protecting and nourishing an ecosystem for talents to grow but directly employing public funds as risks capital, it is usually too little too late. In the context of the much hyped AI competition, Artificial Analysis just posted on X that China’s DeepSeek is just as powerful as OpenAI but 25X cheaper. (Fig. 12).
What there is left of the US high tech stocks and economy when the final AI bubble bursts?
2. Major Shifts in Financial Markets for the period December 31, 2024 to January 25, 2025.
Key Financial Asset Category Performance: (Fig. 13)
Ruble (+12.27%), Bitcoin (+12.09%), Uranium (+10.13%), Copper (+7.56%), Silver (+6.10%), Gold (+5.56%), Dow (+4.67%), S&P500 (+3.86%), Nasdaq (+3.68%), Oil (+3.68%), AUD (+1.97%), Euro (+1.34%), Jpy (+0.81%), Rmb (0.77%), GBP (-0.25%) and USD Index (-0.95%). As mist begins to clear on US political and economic directions, various asset classes are adjusting to the new found reality of Intentions and Realization. Be advised to protect yourselves from the fallout.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.