Who Got Nicked at the Pickles Bash?

Time to Admit Inflation is the Problem - Liam Halligan
10 Most Outrageous MP’s Expense Claims - Times
Mr & Mrs Keen MPs £250,000 Expenses Nest Egg - Telegraph

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009

Who Got Nicked at the Pickles Bash?

Following a party thrown by Eric Pickles a drunken fracas took place - inquiring minds want to know who got nicked and had to sober up in the cells?  Been there, done that, got the t-shirt…

Betting on Inflation" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 68, 119); ">Bank of England Pension Fund Surges Betting on Inflation

Guido is one of the small number of British market commentators who does not buy into the deflation scenario - Liam Halligan is another - it is just too convenient an excuse for politicians to print money.

The Bank of England pension fund is managed on behalf of a very select and savvy group of people with access to a lot of market insight - the employees of the central bank.  With great market timing the fund sold out of equities entirely at the end of 2006 cutting a 21.6% holding down to 0.1%, thus avoiding a 35%  drop in UK equities since that time.  Awesome market timing, the fund was consequently up 12% last year when all around markets crashed.

The fund’s holding of Index Linked Gilts has shot up from 25.6% of assets to a 70.7% proportion of assets during the same period.  That is a big bet of the pension pot owned by everyone who works at the Bank of England.  Index Linked Gilts are linked to RPI - the inflation rate - you buy them if you are worried about inflation.  They are a hedge against inflation.

Hold on, if deflation is (as the political elite and their client media commentators claim) the big threat, why is the Bank of England’s pension fund betting 3/5 of the £2.2 billion pot on hedging against inflation?  This is their personal pension fund.  Money talks.

Source : Bank of England Pension Report [pdf]

Hat-tip : Peter Oborne