Entrepreneurship may seem like a young person’s game, not True! When we are young, in the US we have the freedom to fail and more time to recover from unsuccessful ventures. But, as we grow older, many tend to become more risk averse. Now, though, there are several reasons people can/should consider starting a small […]
Demand for loans softened among US businesses and households in Q-4 of Y 2018, while banks tightened lending standards for commercial real estate, according to a survey of bank officers that gave worrisome signs for the economic outlook. The Fed Monday released its Quarterly survey of senior loan officers. The survey also showed banks had […]
$GLD The rise in gold purchases by central banks to the highest since Y 1967 helped push global demand for the metal up 4% last year, the World Gold Council (WGC) said Thursday. The world consumed 4,345.1 tonnes of gold in Y 2018, up from 4,159.9 tonnes in Y 2017, the WGC said in its […]
US treasury traders are bracing for heightened volatility next week as Fed Chairman Jerome Powell ushers in a new era of press conferences after every meeting, while the US and China meet again for trade talks. The FOMC is expected to keep interest rates unchanged following the 9 hikes since Y 2015. But investors see […]
$GS Goldman Sachs’ (NYSE:GS) CEO David Solomon said he sees good prospects for underwriting this year, while downplaying concern that growth in the leveraged-loan market is a risk for big banks, saying the US economy is ‘just fine’. “If the market environment continues to be what we see today, I think we’ll have a relatively […]
$GLD, $SLV, $USD There are Key elements set up to extend Gold’s from just after the Y 2008 global recession to the precious Yellow metals Y 2011 all time high, signalling a comeback this year. Gold Bugs are looking for a break out of its 5 year range, and technically it looks as though that […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $GLD, $VXX Trade tensions should not disturb your portfolio’s peace of mind. To help prevent your portfolio from becoming “trade war collateral,” consider diversifying your assets to minimize exposure. Assets like physical Gold and Silver are historically known to perform well during turmoil in such dust ups. Recently, Jim Cramer urged investors frightened […]
Iran Resisting US Sanctions, Continues to Export Crude Oil $OIL Iran will continue to export Crude Oil despite US sanctions, which are part of a psychological war doomed to failure, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Monday. By reimposing sanctions on OPEC’s 3rd biggest crude producer, Washington wants to force Tehran to drop its ballistic missile […]
Banks Will Feel Pain Once Crude Oil Price Fall Below $50 bbl $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $USO, $VXX The S&P 500 gained 1.1% Thursday to snap a 5-session losing streak. US-China trade optimism and strength from tech stocks, Banks can handle the energy-linked loans they have extended just as long as Crude Oil prices don’t drop […]
Warren Buffett Putting Cash to Work $BRK.A, $BRK.B, $JPM, $ORCL, $TRV, $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A & BRK.B) Wednesday said it had taken stakes in JPMorgan Chase & Co., Oracle Corp. and Travelers Cos., as the conglomerate puts some of its sidelined cash to work. As of 30 September Berkshire […]
S&P 500 Falls 54.79 pts, Breaking 200-Day Moving Average on Tech Selloff $SPY, $DIA, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX A broad sell-off in technology companies drove US stocks sharply lower Monday, as Apple, Amazon, Goldman Sachs and other big names fell. Banks and consumer-focused companies and media and communications stocks also took heavy losses. Bond trading was […]
The Big Q: Is Debt Good or Bad? The Big A: Yes & Yes Debt is future spending driven forward in time. It lets you buy something now for which you do not have the cash “yet”. Whether it is smart or not depends on what one buys. Many people, businesses, and governments borrow because […]
Chinese Investors Sentiment is Very Weak, Conditions Abroad Have Little Influence $ALMMF, $CHL, $PTR Market sentiment is very weak. President Xi’s government is struggling to dispel such gloom and talk stock prices back up with promises of tax cuts, more bank lending and a media campaign. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index sank 30% from January […]
Iran says it is Selling all of the Crude Oil it Needs to Despite US Sanctions $OIL, $USO Tuesday, Iran said it had so far been able to sell as much Crude Oil as it needs despite US pressure, but it urged European countries opposed to US sanctions to do more to shield Iran. Monday, […]
The US Sanction Against Iran Have ‘Kicked In’ The Trump Administration’s tough new sanctions on Iran took effect early Monday but 8 major importers of Iranian Crude Oil were spared from immediate penalties. The sanctions target Iran’s energy, financial and shipping sectors and are aimed at crippling the country’s economy following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal […]
Gold Buying by Central Banks Hits Highest Mark in 3 Years $GLD Global demand for gold rose in Q-3 compared to the same period a year ago as resurgent buying from central banks and retail consumers balanced huge outflows from exchange traded funds, the World Gold Council said on Thursday. Demand totaled 964.3 tonnes, up […]
Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd (OTCQX:MTAFF) Closing on Gold Royalty Acquisition $MTAFF, $GLGDF, $RGLD, $FNV,$WPM HeffX-LTN views Metalla, a new entry, in this coming commodities cycle as a good risk-off bet. Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd’s (OTCQX:MTAFF) CEO Brett Heath announced Monday, that the company is proceeding to close its acquisition of the 2% net smelter […]
The Cost of Bank Consumer Loans is Falling $JPM, $C, $WFC, $BAC, $V, $MA. $GS Readers are asking the Big Q: Why when interest rates tick up are consumer loan cost ticking down? The Big A: When interest rates tick higher, consumers carrying too much debt start to default, that is the assumption, but Americans […]
Crude Oil at $100 bbl and the World’s Economy: Who Wins, Who Loses $OIL, $USO, $UGA Crude Oil prices are now begetting forecasts of a return to $100 bbl for the 1st time since Y 2014, creating both winners and losers in the world economy. Exporters of Black Gold would enjoy bumper returns, giving a […]
The World’s Central Bank’s Demand for Gold at 3-year Highs $GLD, $GBP, $EUR, $CNY The world’s Central banks’ demand for gold reached a three year high, rising 8% during 1-H of Y 2018 compared to the same frame last year, according to a World Gold Council (WGC) market update on central bank buying activity released […]
Judge Kavanaugh’s Accuser’s Lawyers Rejects Offers to Testify as ‘Unfair’ Ms. Lisa Banks, the #metoo Democrat activist lawyer for the woman who accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault said Senate Republicans are acting unfairly by moving ahead with a hearing Monday, 24 September without investigating the matter further, as the Dems political […]
President Trump to Chair the Security Council Meeting on Iran US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says President Donald Trump will Chair the Security Council meeting on Iran during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York this month. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Tuesday that the meeting will address “violations of international […]
Elon Musk, Not Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Engaged Morgan Stanley to Assist in ‘420’ Proposal $TSLA, $MS, $GS Elon Musk, 47 anni, has engaged Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) to assist him in his potential bid to take Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) private. Morgan Stanley is advising Mr. Musk, not Tesla, its board or a special board committee formed to to […]
The Turkish Lira is in Recovery Mode Turkey’s Lira finally recovered as the country’s central bank moved to ease pressure on the currency, triggering a 7% surge to 6.4 per USD TRYTOM=D3. The Lira lost almost 10% Monday alone and has lost more than 40% of its value so far in Y 2018 as the country […]
US Bank Shares Off on Fears of Turkey’s Lira Dive $GS, $BAC, $BK Monday, US bank shares fell for a 3rd straight session running as investor appetite for risk weakened on worries that a currency crisis in Turkey would spread to other countries. The Turkish Lira has collapsed on concerns about President Tayyip Erdogan’s increasing […]
US Economic Growth Forecast The WS-J’s monthly survey of private economists see now the average estimate for US economic growth this year to have increased to 3R, up from projections of 2.9% last month and 2.4% a year ago. The survey of private economists also expects the unemployment rate falling to 3.6% by June 2019, which would be […]
US Sanction on Russia Causes rouble to Sink Friday, Russia warned the US that it would regard any move to curb the activities of its banks as a declaration of economic war which it would retaliate against, stepping up a war of words with Washington over newly imposed sanctions. The warning, from Prime Minister Dmitry […]
Many US Industries Will Thrive During Trade Tensions $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX,$ VXX Several US industries are set to withstand the trade dust-up or even thrive, according to US financial services firm Cowen and Company. China’s recent revisions to tariffs have a clear benefit to luxury retailers, Cowen analysts said in its report. While the […]
Big Banks Pass Fed ‘Stress Test’, Financial Sector Finishes Higher $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX Shares in the biggest US banks rose Friday after the Fed completed its annual stress test giving financial institutions the go-ahead for plans to return capital to investors through dividends and buybacks. The S&P 500 bank sector index was last […]
Forex Traders Overwhelm Emerging Markets’ Central Bankers $DXY, $OIL, $GLD, $SLV Selloff forces EM central banks to raise interest rates Currencies have struggled to find a floor despite rate moves Central banks in emerging economies are losing the battle with markets as their efforts to shield their currencies struggle for traction, suggesting policy makers have […]
Bitcoin (BTCUSD) Traded Flat on the Day $BTCUSD,$SQ, $IBM, $MSFT, $AMZN, $ORCL Monday, Bitcoin continued traded near and around $6,500 in a low-volume session. Total 24-hr trading volume was only at about $3.4-B into Monday afternoon, marking a 4th-straight day that volume hasn’t topped $4-B. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at 6,709.9951,+268.18, or +4.16%, as of 5:59a […]
Fed Rewriting the Hussein Obama-era’s Draconian ‘Volcker Rule’ Wednesday, US regulators unveiled a proposal to ease rules reining in banks’ risky trading, outlining changes that will cut compliance costs but falls short of allowing firms to return to their gambling days seen before the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The Fed’s long-anticipated proposal to alter the so-called […]
Uncertainty in the EU, Rattles US Stock Market $DIA, SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Simply put, Italy has fallen out of love with the Euro! The DJIA and S&P 500 posted their biggest 1-day percentage decliners in a month Tuesday as political and financial turmoil in Italy triggered concerns about the stability of the Eurozone, shares of […]
President Trump Dismantled Obama’s ‘Draconian’ Dodd-Frank Law Another pro-business achievement for President Trump. Thursday, President Donald Trump signed into law a measure that loosens Key restraints for banks imposed after the Y 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession. Savoring the legislative triumph, he called it “the next step in America’s unprecedented economic comeback.” The GOP-crafted […]
Consider this…should we believe “this time is different?” $DIA, $GLD, $SLV, $USO Here’s a BEV chart for the Dow Jones going back to January 1982. The BEV plot fell to its -25% line (Dow Jones 777) in August 1982. This was a historic bottom; after it nothing would ever be the same again for the […]
What Is a Fiat Currency System? Banks have always controlled the flow of money within the economy. The central bank is the controller of fiat coins, and these coins were the only currency that facilitated the financial transactions in all economies of the world. But the introduction of cryptocurrency saw the emergence of decentralized currencies […]
Pre-Civil War Fiat Money was Issued Regionally by Private Banks $BTCUSD In the pre-Civil War era, 90% of US money was regionally issued banknotes from private banks. These currencies traded at different rates at different times and places. There were discount books in each town to keep track of how much each currency should be […]
Bitcoin, Using it as Money to Buy Stuff $BTCUSD, $SQ, $MSFT, $EXPE, $DISH, $ETSY Bitcoin is an investment asset, and it is also ‘Money’. And businesses that accepts Bitcoin payments are becoming closer to the mainstream you than you may think. Most people that I talk to look at cryptocurrencies an investment, a tradable asset, a […]
US Economic Growth ‘Robust’ and On Track Strong business borrowing, rising consumer spending, plus tight labor markets indicate the US economy remains on track for continued growth, the Fed reported Wednesday, the risks of a global trade war the only outlier. In its periodic “Beige Book” summary of contacts with businesses in its 12 regional districts, the […]
The ‘Volcker’ Rule Hobbles US Capital Markets Stop asking if the Hussein Obama era Volcker Rule works, it does not. Tuesday, a Key FOMC member in charge of bank supervision said that the Volcker Rule, which limits some speculative bank investments, is working poorly. The testimony before a congressional oversight committee comes amid lobbying efforts […]
Wall Street, the Week in Review $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Wall Street had a good week in terms of gainerss, but volume was light, pointing to a lack of conviction among investors who spent the week digesting MSM’s headlines. The tech-heavy NAS Comp led the major indices higher, adding 2.8%, while the S&P 500 and […]
Blockchain Technology is Driving Innovation in Payments Industry $AXP, $MA, $V, $IBM, $MSFT Blockchain is the innovative technology that is changing payments industry. Industry leaders like American Express, Master Charge and Visa are setting up to use the blockchain technology given its obvious benefits with regard to speed, accuracy, cost effectiveness, security, and more. Companies like […]
Blockchain, “No One Can Own of Control It, Everyone Can Use It” $BTCUSD, $ETHUSD, $IBM, $GOOG, $JPM, $USB, $WMT, $SPOT Blockchain is a technology that no one can own or control but anyone can use, it is the platform for Cryptocurrency. Blockchain as applications for just about any enterprise involved in record-keeping, documentation, registrations and […]
Marijuana Friendly States Seek Meeting with USAG Sessions Treasurers from some marijuana-friendly states have asked for a meeting with US Attorney General Sessions US Marijuana Policy State Treasurers from California, Illinois, Oregon, and Pennsylvania sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions last Thursday seeking a meeting in hopes of resolving conflicts between state and […]
Financials and Technology Lead Market Rebound $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The S&P 500 Index rose 2.7% at the close of trading in New York Monday Chipmakers and Banks led gains as the S&P 500 Index posted its biggest 1-day gainer since August 2015, 20 stocks climbed for each 1 that fell. The bounce erased Friday’s […]
IMF’s Christine Lagarde Urges Bitcoin Regulation $BCTUSD Regulation of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies must be considered now, Germany’s Bundesbank vice president Claudia Buch told Reuters Sunday, though she does not believe they pose a threat to financial stability. Ms. Buch said that speculation on volatile virtual coins and tokens does not pose a systemic threat […]
Readers Keep Asking, “What is Bitcoin Gold Really?” $BTCUSD,$BTG Cryptocurrency forks of various types take place regularly. Even Bitcoin has experienced several different iterations and branches this way, and now 1 of the largest and most discussed Bitcoin forks happened late in Y 2017. Bitcoin Gold was a hard fork of the original open source cryptocurrency which took […]
Bitcoin: The Bulls Vs The Bears $BTCUSD Daily Bitcoin is in the headlines, positive sentiment is intact, and the price is in an uptrend after its recent correction. Currently Bitcoin is trading at: 11,324.9951, +29.9902, or +0.27%, at the close: 12:39p GMT Consider that 59% of last year’s ICO’s have failed or are failing, encouraging some triumphant “I […]
‘Things Continue to Look Up’ for US Economy $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The Fed is carefully raising interest rates against a growing economic background that has cheered up conditions for the nation’s lenders, said Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic. After years of emergency-era monetary policy, Fed officials are “in an increasing-rate environment, […]
Arcane Financial Products That Track VIX Questioned $CBOE, $VXX, $CS, $NMR Wall Street’s most widely followed ‘fear gauge’ of future stock market volatility is being manipulated, causing billions of dollars in losses a year to unwary investors, a law firm representing an “anonymous whistleblower” alleged in a letter to US financial regulators and released Monday. […]
Monetary Policy is the Engine-of-Inflation $DIA, $GLD, $SLV Just 2 Friday’s ago, on January 26th The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) made its latest BEV Zero, new all-time high. Then 9 trading days later on Thursday February 8th it broke below its BEV -10% line in a dramatic fashion. The BEV plot seen below begins at […]
Blockchain Ventures to Achieve Mass Adoption Quickly Major industries adopting blockchain management Among the blockchain industry’s challenges, the Key issue has been achieving mainstream adoption of the disruptive technology. There is strong belief in the technology, as large enterprises and financial institutions are forging ahead with their respective projects. While most blockchain ventures are focused […]
World’s Financial Markets ‘Bloated’ with Liquidity $DIA, $GLD, $SLV As far as the market trends I usually follow went last week, nothing new in the broad stock or precious metals markets, more of the same old stuff. The Dow Jones (DJIA) made another new all-time high Wednesday, the 95th since the November 2016 election. But besides […]
Big Banks See Trump Tax Reform Benefits, Will Pass Them on to Employees and Stakeholders $JPM, $WFC, $BAC, $C, $GS JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) indicated Friday that they expect to see significant future benefits from the recently enacted GOP tax bill, through both lower taxes and increased business. The comments came as the […]
The Trump Bull Market Rally ‘Rages’ $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Wall Street continued The Trump Rally Friday with record closing highs as Q-4 earnings season kicked off with solid results from banks and strong retail sales drove investor optimism about US economic growth. The S&P 500 is enjoying its best 10-day start to a year […]
Marijuana Sector Outlook for 2018 $GWPH, $BTC Medical Marijuana Approvals Should Increase It is expected the US Food and Drug Administration will approve the cannabis-based epilepsy drug Epidiolex from GW Pharmaceuticals Plc. (NASDAQ:GWPH) by the end of Summer 2018. GW Pharmaceuticals Plc is trading at: 132.00, +0.21, or +0.16% after hours: 7:37p EST on 10 January. Vs a […]
Bitcoins are Here to Stay, They are Not Tulip Bulbs $BTCUSD, $CME, $CBOE Bitcoin is here to stay, and when supply is limited and demand increases, the price goes up. And when speculators drive the prices up, we can expect a major correction, after the correction, the real value of Bitcoin will be seen. Y […]
Fine Arts Investing in 2018 and Beyond $BAC, $SCHW Global managed money, US hedge funds and some of the world’s biggest banks have embraced the predictive properties of machine learning to spot patterns and guide their investment decisions. Could this branch of AI (artificial intelligence) be used to divine the vagaries of the fines arts […]
UAE, Saudi Arabia Working on Digital Currencies The 2 Gulf nation’s central banks in the have expressed skepticism about digital currencies The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is working with Saudi Arabia’s central bank to issue a digital currency that would be accepted in cross-border transactions between the 2 Gulf countries, UAE central bank governor Mubarak […]
The Step Sum Boxes for DJIA and Gold $DIA, $GLD, $SLV Once again, the DJIA, aka Dow Jones, closed the week at a new all-time high, another BEV Zero in the Bear’s Eye View chart below. That makes 82 new all-time highs since last November’s Presidential election. That’s 30% of the Dow Jones’ daily closings […]
Bitcoin Futures Trading Enters ‘Mainstream’ Finance $BTCUSD, $CME, $CBOE Currently Bitcoin is trading at: 15,879.9951, +1,810.98, or +12.87% Trading in Bitcoin futures opens Sunday evening in Chicago, as the 1st major US exchange offers a product pegged to the wildly fluctuating cryptocurrency. The currency has risen more than 1,000% this year, and about 80% in the past […]
DJIA Post Another Record, Investors See Tax Cuts Ahead $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The DJIA marked aother record high Monday, with banks and retailers surging and tech falling as investors realigned their portfolios in hopes of benefiting from expected corporate tax cuts. The S&P 500 ended with a small loss after hitting an intra-day all-time […]
Hong Kong Real Estate Defying Gravity $JLL, $HSBC, $JPM Hong Kong’s steaming housing market shows no signs of cooling down anytime soon. Prices in the City have climbed 11% YTD defying skeptics waiting for the bubble to burst and government attempts to rein in the world’s most expensive housing market through a raft of taxes and […]
Recreational Marijuana Legal in California Soon, Banks Will Not Touch Cash Marijuana will likely be a thriving business in California next year, with expected revenue of $5.2-B, but there few banks will take its cash. The recreational use of Marijuana becomes legal on New Year’s Day, and the California itself will collect a much needed […]
Marijuana Stocks Have a Dark Secret The Marijuana industry is growing, and investors are beginning to take notice. According to Cowen & Co., legal Marijuana sales in the US have the opportunity to reach $50-M annually by Y 2026. Analysts are projecting compound annual growth of 26% in North America through Y 2021. Few American […]
Saudi’s Kingdom Holding’s Investment Growth ‘On Hold’ Kingdom Holding’s plan to borrow money to fund new investments is on hold, because owner Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is in criminal detention in Saudi Arabia on anti-corruption charges, according to banking sources familiar with the matter. Kingdom had approached banks to obtain the loan, but the financing […]
China’s $38-T Off-Balance Sheet Items Poses Little Risk $CNY, $UBS, $MCO The Chinese finance sector’s RMB 253-T ($38-T) of off-balance sheet items pose little risk because more than two-thirds of them are relatively harmless components such as custodial funds and untapped credit-card limits, said UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS). Despite the size of the number, a […]
Bitcoin: Buyers Return to Market After Deep Dive Monday $BTCUSD Investing and trading in Bitcoin is not for novices or the feint of heart. Bitcoin halted a 2-day correction as speculators saw a 29% dive from its record high as an excessive response to a technology upgrade being cancelled. The cryptocurrency is currently trading $6,758.9351, […]
The Trump Rally: DJIA Up 29%, as Banks, Tech Shares Soar $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Just 1 year ago, when it was not clear that Republican Donald Trump had upset and defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton to the US Presidency, futures in the DJIA dove nearly 900 points. However, at the close of trading of that […]
Bitcoin, What’s Ahead for the Raging Cryptocurrency $BTCUSD, $MSFT, $JPM, $GS, $TM, $CME, $CBOE Bitcoin’s amazing rise YTD has attracted lots of attention, but most institutional investors are still on the sidelines, as regulators have yet to issue comprehensive rules, and corporations are still only testing blockchain technology. Whether Bitcoin matures or crashes will depend […]
Analyst Calling Bitcoin at $11,000 Each $BTCUSD, $GLD, $CME, $JPM Bullish analyst Ronnie Moas, who says Bitcoin’s market cap will 1 day catch up to Gold at $8-T, is raising his Y 2018 price target for the digital currency to $11,000 from $7,500. Currently Bitcoin is trading at $7,303.21 Vs the USD. “Every day more […]
Banks, Cash Will Be Replaced by Computers & SmartPhones $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Jim Rogers predicts that banks must invest in the financial technology, or “fintech,” or become outdated and replaced. “My children will never walk into a bank when they become adults as by then all the banks along the streets will be replaced […]
Banks Desperate to Stop Cryptocurrencies Like Bitcoin $BTCUSD, $JPM Recently, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM) said publicly that Bitcoin is a fraud that is waiting to blow up. The story came a month after China’s ban on Initial Coin Offer (ICO), an unregulated way of raising financing by cryptocurrency startups. Following the statement, […]
Shareholders, Banks, Partners of The Weinstein Company Loyalty Questioned Things look painful and grim for the Brothers Weinstein. Friday, it was reported that The Weinstein Co aka TWC, the film production company part-owned by Harvey Weinstein, is exploring a sale or shutdown and is unlikely to continue as an independent entity, but the company’s co-Chairman […]
Things Change When Bond Yields Begin to Rise $DIA, $GLD, $SLV Last week the DJIA closed at new all-time highs, with Friday’s close being just a whisker from making it 5 days in a row. Looking at the daily closes for the Dow Jones (Blue Plot below) with its 52Wk High Line (Green Plot), since […]
Bitcoin is an Experiment About “The Payday” Not its Potential as Money $BTCUSD, $IBM Cryptocurrencies are not a store-of-value or a safe-haven for anyone’s money or assets. In the beginning, Bitcoin was something of a revolution to me. The digital currency represented everything from my rebellious youth. It was a decentralized, denationalized, and digital currency […]
This Week’s FOMC Meet May Trigger Stock Rotation $SPY US stock investors could rotate out of high-yielding sectors and into stocks of banks, which would benefit from the next leg up in interest rates, after the FOMC’s policy-setting meeting wraps up Wednesday. If the FOMC gives a nod to rising inflation or focuses its trimmed-down […]
Bitcoin Dives, China Declares Initial Coin Offerings Illegal $BTCUSD Bitcoin dives after the PBOC, China’s central bank, said ICO (initial coin offerings) are illegal and asked that all related fundraising activity to be halted immediately, issuing the strongest regulatory challenge so far to the burgeoning market for digital token sales. Monday,the PBOC on its website […]
Gold Has Broken Through the Psych Resistance at $1300 oz, Next? $GLD Gold has broken the 1,300 0z the Psych resistance mark that has held since October 2016. Today the metal trades at 1,324. This rise is being attributed in part to a weakened USD after the head of the ECB refrained from talking down […]
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has clarified that Malaysian market participants are not allowed to engage in any offshore trading of the ringgit outside Malaysia. Governor Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim said the statement issued by the central bank objecting the introduction of the ringgit futures on the Singapore Stock Exchange was meant for Malaysians. “We want to […]
Fed’s Plan to Cut Bond Holdings Could Be “Very Disruptive” $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX JPMorgan Chase & Co’s (NYSEJPM) Chairman, Jamie Dimon, said Tuesday that the unwinding of Fed’s bond-buying programs is an unprecedented challenge that may be more disruptive than people think. “We’ve never have had QE like this before, we’ve never had unwinding […]
Global Stock Investors Seeing Record Market Highs $DIA, $SPY, $DAX, $DJSH, $N300, $NSEI Year to Date (YTD) investors in global stock markets are seeing record highs. Record marks for the widely-followed country indexes occurred in the context of notably low volatility, adding to investor comfort and a sense of accomplishment. All of this was accompanied […]
Central Banks Turn “Hawkish”, JPY Carry Trade Emerges $GBP, $USD, $EUR, $JPY, $CAD Cable, Loonie and EUR all rose last week on Hawkish comments from central bankers. The BOE Governor Mark Carney said it is not the time of rate hike yet. Then indicated the BOE MPC will start debating raising interest rate in the […]
Shares of Big US Banks Rally on Strong Payout Plans, Tech Falling $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX, $JPM, $KEY Thursday, shares in the biggest US banks rose after they revealed buyback and dividend plans that topped analyst expectations after the Fed approved capital proposals in its annual stress test program. The S&P 500 Bank sector index […]
Marijuana Entrepreneurs See Bitcoin as Banking Answer Legal marijuana companies are turning to Bitcoin, the world’s most popular digital currency, in an effort to get rid of all its cash, as banks stay on the sidelines. The inability to access traditional financial institutions is 1 of the marijuana industry’s biggest impediments. Legal cannabis was a […]
UAE “Blacklist” Squeezing Liquidity of Qatari Banks Qatari banks have around QAR60-B in funding in the form of customer and inter-bank deposits from other GCC states A move by four Arab states to “Blacklist” dozens of figures with alleged links to Qatar could squeeze liquidity at Qatari banks which get a significant amount of their […]
US Stock Market Update + Gold & Silver $DIA, $GLD, $SLV, $OIL As expected, the DJIA saw 2 new all-time highs last week on Thursday and Friday. The Big Q: How much higher can the stock market go? The Big A: On a point basis I really don’t know, could be enough to surprise me. […]
FATCA Must Be ‘Killed” by This GOP Congress The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) imposed a worldwide financial disclosure information regime on every financial institution in the world, it is an international nightmare. There are several major problems with FATCA which are widely discussed and debated. FATCA was passed into law in Y 2010 […]
US Stock Market Marks Record Highs $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The Big Q: Is the the US stock market rising because too much money is chasing too few opportunities? The Trump Trade, or investing in stocks in hopes that the President’s policies will boost economic growth, is not the main driver of this market, says […]
Central Banks are Monetizing Stocks and Bonds $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $GLD, $SLV Following this market is an exercise in frustration. Last week, DJIA (DOW) appeared ready to roll over. I expected the Dow to be closer to its -5% line than its -2.5% line at the close of this week. But, as you can see […]
Gold Is Crisis Insurance $GLD Gold is known as an inflation hedge, but its role as a crisis hedge is even more important. Gold is anti-fragile, to use the term coined by risk analyst and bestselling author Nassim Taleb. When currencies collapse and economies falter, Gold can ensure your survival, financially and literally. Below are […]
President Trump Dumps Dodd-Frank with Executive Order Friday afternoon, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order and 2 memoranda on Friday relating to the Y 2010 Dodd-Frank law, which he described as “damaging … regulations that failed to hold Wall Street firms accountable,” the Washington Examiner reported. The Dodd-Frank law, signed under former President […]
The Trump Rally Extends on Earnings as NAS Post Record Highs $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Thursday, US stocks rallied across the board, as the NAS Comp posted a fresh record high on a round of solid earnings that drove the indexes higher. Major indexes have been ranged since 1 March as they consolidate the strong […]
Dublin, a Future Hub for Financial Firms Fleeing Brexit $BAC, $HSBC, $GS, $MS, $JPM Britain’s plans to leave the EU have a Silver Lining is expanding daily along the banks of the River Liffey, a likely post-Brexit refuge for London’s City banking operations. Dublin’s financial district stretches for nearly a mile on both banks of […]
Bullish Investors Positive About President Trump’s Policies $SPY Stock-market investors worldwide, especially the Bullish ones who have been proven right since 9 November have been richly rewarded, look to be in a gradual transition in their operating outlook. Their environment is moving away from comfortable reliance on central banks that are able and willing to […]
President Trump to Community Bankers, “I will scale back regulations.” President Donald Trump promised in a meeting with community bankers on Thursday to strip away some Dodd-Frank financial regulations and ensure they can continue giving small businesses access to capital. President Trump, joined by National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, […]
Investors Seek Safe Haven from Currency “Pain” in Gold $GLD, $EUR, $JPY, $GBP The other side of declines in the EUR, JPY and GBP in recent months has been a massive increase in gold buying as investors in Asia and Europe try to protect their wealth. The hunger for bullion is so strong that purchases […]
George Soros is Shorting The Trump Rally $SPY Recent SEC filings reveal that George Soros has placed big bets against the stock market. The position is costly, the S&P 500 index is up 9.4% since the November election of President Donald Trump, whom Mr. Soros strongly opposes. Mr. Soros’ bets Vs stocks came in the […]
Fed’s Regulation “Stickler” Resigns, Bank Stocks Lead Trump Rally Extension $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Fed board member Daniel Tarullo, a Key official guiding bank regulation efforts, resigned effective in April The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (exchanged-traded fund) that owns a basket of bank and insurance stocks, added to gains and was up 0.4% after […]
Japan’s US Investment Package to Create 700,000 US Jobs Japan is putting its “hand up” for an investment package it says could generate 700,000 US jobs and help create a $450-B market, to present to US President Donald Trump this week, government sources familiar with the plans said. The 5-part package, to be unveiled when […]