Tag Archives: newsletter

Shortly before I was on Bloomberg TV today, Leadsom withdrew from the Tory leadership context, leaving May, who favored remaining the EU, as the likely successor of Cameron.  Leadsom had been trailing May even before her controversial weekend comments. Sterling shot up to almost $1.3020, and as was the case last week, there appeared to be a wall of sterling sellers lurking there.  Sterling was trading below $1.29...

Gold With both stocks and US Treasury prices at all time highs the market is sensing that something has to give, and that something may just be more QE, which likely explains the move higher in gold to coincide with both risk and risk-haven assets. As of moments ago, gold rose above $1,370, and was back to levels not seen since 2014. Curiously, the move higher is taking place after Friday’s “stellar” jobs report,...

Swiss Franc Click to enlarge. Brexit Amid a better if not strong risk appetite, sterling has rallied two cents from yesterday’s lows near $1.28 to poke through the $1.30 level in the European morning. Click to enlarge. United Kingdom It was helped by an industrial production report that was better than expected. Industrial and manufacturing output fell 0.5% in May. This was around half of the expected decline...

Summary Don’t be fooled, the yuan has fallen more against its basket that against the dollar this year. It is not clear what China means by stable. Market forces appear to be moving in the same direction as officials wish. Here are two Great Graphics that portray two time series: the dollar-yuan exchange rate and the yuan against a trade-weighted basket.  The first chart comes from a highly reputable...

Forex has been the big banks secret gold mine, supporting their other losing operations (like normal banking business, lending, etc.).  To a large extent this has been unraveling, and this SIBOR lawsuit is another attack on their risk free profit center (FX).  Read the entire lawsuit released by Elite E Services here in full.  More than 50 unknown defendants and about 20 known FX banks are named in the case, submitted...

Investec Switzerland. Swiss stocks, dislodged in 2015 as a haven from European volatility, have seen the status restored following Brexit — so much that some investors are balking at valuations. After trailing shares from Germany to France and Italy for most the past year, the Swiss Market Index is finding a new appeal in the fallout of the U.K. vote to leave the European Union. Investors buying up...

Swiss Franc Once again the SNB was heavily intervening and the pound fell against both euro and CHF.Thanks to SNB interventions, the Euro did not even dip under 1.08. Click to enlarge. Brexit What a difference a few days make.  Many saw last week’s equity market advance a sign that Brexit anxiety was overdone. However, quarter-end position adjustments appear to have been misread.  Equity markets are falling now....

Summary The IMF identified three banks that posted the most significant systemic risks. It has been overshadowed by new pressure on Italy’s banks, and. Three UK commercial real estate funds have been frozen to prevent redemptions. The conventional narrative has it backward. It worries about the threats to stability emanating from the periphery in Europe.  Policymakers, investors, and economists still refer to...

Following James Traub’s mind-numbingly-elitist rebuttal of the democratic rights of “we, the people” in favor of allowing “they, the elite” to ensure the average joe doesn’t run with scissors, “It’s time for the elites to rise up against the ignorant masses.” The Brexit has laid bare the political schism of our time. It’s not about the left vs. the right; it’s about the sane vs. the mindlessly angry… The Guardian’s...

FX Rates No fundamental development can compare with the UK decision to leave the EU. It has set off a chain reaction whose outcome is still far from clear.   Sterling is firm, alongside most of the major and emerging market currencies today.  Sterling narrowly edged above yesterday’s highs to reach almost $1.3425 before encountering selling pressure. Click to enlarge. Equity fund managers may find themselves over...