Tag Archives: Featured

It has come to my attention that, perhaps, the great stock bull market is done. To most people, a bull market is good, and its end is bad. After all, a rising market signifies a healthy economy. Investors are making money. And it seems to prove that the free market is validated, able to deliver miracles despite Obamacare. Share prices are connected to business productivity, aren’t they? In a free market they are, of course. However—and this cannot be said too often—we don’t have a free...

There is a great lyric in Won’t Get Fooled Again by The Who: Then I’ll get on my knees and prayWe don’t get fooled again Remember last week, when the price of silver spiked? On Thursday that week, the price was moving sideways around $14. Then around 5am (Arizona time), the price began to rise. Before 11am, it had hit $14.38. And then it was all over. The price went downhill from there, the rest of the day and all day Friday. It closed at $13.93. The same thing happened this Thursday, with...

Two weeks into the year and most investors are nursing sizable drawdowns.  The recovery in the US equities on January 14 looked like a potential turning point. However, the coattails proved non-existent, and the bull trap was sprung with new downside momentum established before the weekend. The obvious takeaway is that the current driver is not to be found in New York.   And to be sure, we are not just talking about equities, but during this market meltdown, correlations between various...

Speculative activity in the CME currency futures picked up in the latest reporting period. There were six significant gross position adjustments, which in our work is more than 10k contracts.   The gross short speculative euro position was reduced by 17.9k contracts, leaving 209.6k. Since early December, 53k gross short euro contracts were covered.  During the same time, about 17k gross long contracts were added.   Speculators stayed long the yen for the second consecutive week, and...

The US dollar remains strong against most currencies.  The exceptions are the Japanese yen, Swiss franc and euro though the franc and euro pulled back in the US afternoon before the weekend.  The greenback is still appreciating on a trade-weighted basis, which is the metric that counts in assessing its impact on the overall economy.   The euro, yen and franc strength is not as is often portrayed as some kind of safe haven that is flocked to in turbulent times.  Rather those currencies...

Last week’s market action confirmed clearly its corrective trend. I cannot say more than that, because when systematic risk kicks in the good, the bad, and the ugly all suffer the same slippery fate. Clearly it prophecies a healthy renewal once this bear trend is over, but first this downward phase has to be over-done before there is a capitulation that would signal a key reversal. For now, there is not much to expect. As the market is in the grip of a profit recession on the one side, and...

Several Republican presidential candidates are floating the idea of returning to some form of a gold standard in the U.S., although none have gone into any great detail. So, how might a modern gold standard work? It’s a question that requires us to do more than just look to the past with an eye toward “restoring,” “bringing back,” or “returning to” gold-backed money. Sound money advocates need to also think creatively about how to adapt hard money principles to the current and future needs...

1) The Hong Kong dollar posted its biggest two-day decline since 1992 2) Bank Indonesia restarted its easing cycle, cutting rates for the first time since February 2015 3) Poland’s current Monetary Policy Council (RPP) held its last policy meeting 4) Poland’s president proposed a draft bill on FX loan conversion 5) Russia will reportedly cut budgetary expenditures by 10% due to low oil prices 6) Russia’s central bank has turned more hawkish 7) Argentina officials and debt holdouts met...

There are three developments today, which while not driving the market, are important for many investors.  The first are comments from German Finance Minister Schaeuble and EC President Juncker.  The second is an important development in Poland.   The third are growing problems in Greece. Schaeuble is formally acknowledging what investors have known for some time. The Schengen Agreement, which opens the internal borders in Europe, is at risk.  This agreement pre-dates EMU itself.  So how...

The recovery of US shares and oil yesterday provided short-lived.  Asian shares were dragged lower with the help of Chinese equities.  The 3.5% fall in the Shanghai Composite today brings the year-to-date decline to a little more than 18%. Taiwan, which goes to the polls this weekend ( the opposition that has been critical of the government's pro-China policy is ahead) bucked the trend to post minor gains. European shares are also moving lower, with the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 off more than...