Since you directed this at me….
I realize you were part of the Silicon Valley banking in its heyday When making longshot bets with VC guys was a big payoff. Companies that had no earnings were doubling and tripling every year or more On pure speculation. money was being splashed on crazy speculative stuff and the stock market would just suck it up.
Those days are over.…or cut way back….at least for now. In fact many of those high flyers with no earnings are going to go under. My bet is that when the list of - Yes- Sketchy loans comes out that SVB is holding, it will be an eye opener.
We cannot just gloss over fundamentals…this is a bank…not some speculative high tech fund where folks realize their money is invested in higher risk assets. Depositors in banks use that money, many need it liquid and available …and they EXPECT to get their money back…not have it hanging out there.
The bank can’t hold a 30 year note paying +/-2% to maturity…they have to mark to market…those bonds dropped like a rock leaving them under capitalized….the regulators would have had to step in…though in this political environment…all bets are off.
If one is invested in a Cathie Woods ETF, they understand there will be risk. This bank was in deals with startup companies incurring huge losses that were far riskier than even her investments.
My bet- and call me if you want to make a friendly wager- grin….
Is that when the list of risk assets that SVB was carrying comes out, the legit finance publications like WSJ will essentially blast them for those Risky loans.
Maybe lunch at our half way point? I have to warn you I’m a big eater. Grin