http://profitableinvestingtips.com/profitable-investing-tips/is-this-the-largest-transfer-of-wealth-in-the-history-of-the-world
Is This the Largest Transfer of Wealth in the History of the World?
A Bank of America analyst says that the low price of oil effectively moves $2 Trillion a year from oil producers to consumers and is one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history. Bloomberg Business reports the story.
Optimists argue that cheap oil is a good thing for consumers and commodity-sensitive businesses, while pessimists point to the hit to energy-related investment and possible spillover into the financial system.
A new note from Francisco Blanch at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, however, puts the oil move into a much bigger perspective, arguing that a sustained price plunge “will push back $3 trillion a year from oil producers to global consumers, setting the stage for one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history.”
What is the spinoff of low oil prices and the huge transfer of wealth that it entails?
Blanch and his team already see evidence that the fall in the price of crude is having a positive impact on demand, and say that it could accelerate even further if prices don’t pick up.
Meanwhile, in emerging markets, where much of the story of late has been about disappointing economic growth, Blanch still sees huge upside potential in terms of automobile penetration and consumption.
Take China for example, where the strategist sees the oil plunge helping to fuel a boom in SUV sales: “Moreover, the low oil price is encouraging Chinese consumers to buy increasingly larger cars. Sales of SUVs, the heaviest passenger vehicles category, are up 60 percent year-on-year in the last three months, while overall passenger vehicle sales are growing robustly at 22 percent.”