Invest in Washington Lunacy With GLD, SLV

by Michael Shulman | June 30, 2011 4:15 am

A strategy idea for options trading investors.

Washington, my friends, is slowly but surely losing its mind. You see I live here, so I see it and feel it and fear it with more intensity every day. The pace of lunacy is quickening. And with this growing insanity there is money to be made.

The two political parties cannot agree on raising the debt ceiling limit, due to be hit on August 2. The first Treasury bond auction of thirty day notes is next week —  11:30 a.m. on Wednesday July 6. Bond buyers, for the first time in history, will be uncertain when they will get repaid.

Wall Street is not focused on this auction — they are focused on what will happen on August 2 if the ceiling on US debt is not lifted and the US Treasury runs out of cash to pay bills and bond holders. They are ignoring warnings by the bond ratings agencies about US debt and the possibility a credit downgrade could come before that August 2 date. And, Washington being what it is, all the players are assuming they have until midnight August 1 to cut a deal – with the assumption being the Democrats will go for more deficit reduction and the Republicans will agree to lift the debt ceiling.

Think about it — as early as next week the markets cold feel the impact of the debt ceiling crisis. They may, they may not.

First, what is so bad about a credit downgrade?

The distrust of Treasuries has already started. The cost of insuring US Treasury debt through the purchase of credit default swaps has risen 700% in the past year.

At present Wall Street finds a default unthinkable. Politicians are using this attitude to push the country and the world financial system to the brink. One totally mad politician now running for president believes the US can hit the debt ceiling, run out of cash for all bills and just pay bondholders first. As if the credit ratings agencies and credit markets and all financial counterparties to any risk around the world would not react. It is this kind of lunatic thinking, driven by politics and not problem solving, that makes July a time to make money if and when the crisis unfolds.

There are three sets of plays:

I still find it hard to believe the nation has been placed on this path. Just make sure if there is a real crisis, you do not have regrets about missed profits because of the road not taken.

Michael Shulman uses simple trading tactics to make solid, profitable investments in falling stocks in his Short-Side Trader[4] service.

Endnotes:

  1. SLV: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=SLV
  2. FXY: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=FXY
  3. TBT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=TBT
  4. Short-Side Trader: https://investorplace.com/order/?sid=WRC165

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2011/06/debt-ceiling-slv-gld-tbt-fxy/