Citi Phibro Selloff Shows Government Sham

by Chidem Kurdas

You’d think that the federal government wants Citigroup to return to financial health—if for no other reason to recoup the $45 billion of taxpayer money spent to shore up the bank in the credit freeze. You’d think the government wants a real effort to boost efficiency and profits. You’d be wrong.

What the Feds chose is a political charade. The pay czar objects to the $100 million compensation due to Citi’s star energy trader. Since the trader is contractually entitled to a share of the profits from Phibro, the phenomenally profitable energy trading subsidiary, there is no legal way not to pay him. So instead Citi is pressured to sell Phibro.

The bank complies. Occidental Petroleum snaps up the business at a bargain basement price. The WSJ quotes Occidental’s president as saying, “If you’ve got to sell, why should I pay a premium? What leverage does the seller have?” The lucky buyer added that Citi would never sell Phibro if it weren’t for pressure by the government.

Citi’s balance sheet is now in worse shape. It lost one of the few businesses that made money last year and had to sell under the worst possible circumstances, created by the government. Instead of slimming down by gradually getting rid of inefficient divisions so as to become a better-run company, the bank was forced to almost give away a valuable asset. And this to make it look like the government combated excessive pay.

Commodity Politics

Chidem Kurdas

President Obama’s choice to head the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Gary Gensler, reassured members of Congress that he is committed to fighting speculation.  Thus continues the political game that started in early 2008 when oil prices climbed to $148 a barrel. Pundits and politicians blamed financial speculators.

The price of oil collapsed in the second half of 2008 as soon as it became clear that the demand was shrinking and would continue to do so because of the global economic slump. Here’s a surprise: the price of oil is determined by supply and demand. The economic downturn had a dramatic impact not only on current worldwide demand but expectations as to future demand.

You’d think that as the facts sank in, charges that speculators drove up prices would end. But these days vowing to fight evil speculators makes good show and Mr. Gensler had to demonstrate that he’s with the agenda handed to him by Mr. Obama, which is “regulating some of the unsound practices and excessive leverage that helped cause this crisis.”

The word speculator might conjure up the image of shady figures operating on the edge of the law. Nothing could be further from reality. The so-called commodity speculators are mainly institutions such as public and private pension funds and university endowments.