US Equity and Bond investors had a tough day.  The reason?  According to most pundits, the proximate cause was the S&P downgrade of UK debt.  Many observers decided that the US might be next.

Bill Gross of PIMCO weighed in.

Accrued Interest writes in this article, Bill Gross:  Do you trust him? as follows:

No one outside PIMCO knows their position, but Gross is a savvy guy, so he is not speaking to hurt his own fund.

Jon C. Ogg points out that none of this is new information.  Writing in his article, Did Bill Gross Short Sell Stocks & Bonds Via U.S. “AAA” Rating Comments?, he notes the following:

The Irony

There is an exquisite irony in worrying about the S&P downgrade.  This is a company vilified by nearly everyone for the failure to recognize the subprime risk, lamely giving AAA ratings to assets now viewed as “toxic waste.”

All of a sudden, we are viewing these guys as the brilliant analysts who know the potential for nations to pay back debt.  Really?

There is a serious public policy issue about government “bailouts” and the debt required.  It is a matter of discussion among many serious economists.  We do not pretend to offer an answer–not yet.  At “A Dash” we are (informed) consumers of such information.

While we are still evaluating the arguments, we can state a preliminary conclusion:  The S&P ratings will not be our first choice.

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