Fed Chairman Powell opens the central bank’s annual Jackson Hole symposium Friday with a speech on the challenges for monetary policy. A deglobalization shock ignited by President Trump’s trade policy; super low interest rates, including $16.7-N in negative-yielding bonds; a never-ending presidential assault on the Fed; and a rising risk of a US and worldwide […]
Monday, President Trump stepped up his assault on the Fed, urging it to cut interest rates by a full percentage point to aid global growth while complaining the “dollar is so strong that it is sadly hurting other parts of the world.” “The Fed Rate, over a fairly short period of time, should be reduced […]
US producer prices increased moderately in July, lifted by a rebound in the cost of energy products, while underlying producer inflation retreated, which could allow the Fed to cut interest rates again next month. The benign inflation report from the Labor Department on Friday could boost expectations for a half-percentage-point cut at the Fed’s 17-18 Sept. policy […]
The Secret is to slice your steak against the grain. Maybe you have heard this before, but the Big Q is what does it mean? It all has to do with the direction of the meat’s muscle fibers. If you look closely at your steak or, any piece of meat, for that matter, you will notice lines that […]
$MS, $GS Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts said Monday that they now expect the Federal Reserve to cut rates in September and then again in October. “Trade’s ‘simmer’ has begun to boil, business sentiment and capex have softened further, global growth remains weak and inflation expectations have fallen,” while the gap between 3-month US3MT=RR and 10-year […]
Wednesday, President Trump said the Federal Reserve must cut rates “bigger and faster” for the United States to be competitive against other countries. The stock market reversed and finished mixed with a Very Bullish bias. Wall Street likes cheap money “Our problem is a Federal Reserve that is too proud to admit their mistake of […]
$SPY Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Powell cut U.S. interest rates calling the move an insurance policy against the effects of “simmering” trade tensions, may need to buy more coverage after the United States late Monday designated China a currency manipulator. The move by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin starts a formal process to address […]
FLASH: Fed policy makers reportedly are being forced to cut interest rates because of the European Central Bank’s much-lower policy rate. If losing demand to Europe weakens US growth and threatens to push inflation too low, US rates also must also fall. “The ECB’s policy rate, at minus 0.4%, is already nearly 3 percentage points […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX The FOMC cut interest rates as widely expected Wednesday, but Chairman Powell said he did not view the move as the start of a lengthy series of rate cuts. Fed Chairman Powell cited global weakness, trade tensions and a desire to boost too-low inflation in explaining the central bank’s decision […]
$GLD, $XAU Gold prices rose Friday, after slipping to more than 1-week lows in the prior session, as soft US inflation numbers offset better-than-expected Q-2 economic growth that kept bets alive for an interest rate cut next week. Spot gold was last seen up 0.4% at $1,419.10 oz Friday, but still on track for the […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: Wall Street Liked the Trade News and Earnings Reports Moving this Market S&P 500 closes above 3000, boosted by encouraging trade news and positive earnings, guidance from widely-held companies High-level trade talks will reportedly continue in China next week from Monday to Wednesday 10 of 11 S&P 500 sectors […]
$SPY The US stock market finished lower last week on relatively low volume and volatility. Perhaps it was the pre-conceived negative earnings expectations due to reports released before the results season started that fueled the lackluster price action. Perhaps it was options expiration. Uncertainty over the size of the expected Fed rate cut at the […]
The Fed’s FOMC is set to cut interest rates by at least 25 basis points at its policy meeting at the end of this month. Will it settle on a cautious approach or be aggressive to monetary easing despite political pressure for deeper stimulus is the Big Q. There is a case for an aggressive […]
The Fed is widely expected to reduce interest rates late this month. That probably means its campaign to shrink its balance sheet is over, leaving the central bank with trillions of dollars more than before the Y 2008 financial crisis. Beginning a decade ago in a bid to fight the Great Recession, the Fed by […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: Fed’s Bullard: Rate Cut Will ‘Ratify’ What People Already Expect An interest rate cut may be necessary now, but that does not mean the Fed is on a path to dramatically lower rates, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Friday. Mr. Bullard, who argued unsuccessfully for such an […]
Friday, President Trump renewed his criticism of the Fed, complaining that the US is paying “much higher interest rates” than other countries, even as central bankers prepare for a meeting later this month at which they are widely expected to ease policy. “Because of the faulty thought process we have going for us at the […]
FLASH: Fed policymakers need to add stimulus early to deal with too-low inflation when rates are near zero and cannot wait for economic disaster to unfold, a Key Fed policymaker said Thursday. In what will likely be read as a strong argument in favor of quick action by the Fed to cut rates this month, […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX The gauge of equities finished flat to unchanged Tuesday, as US Treasury yields moved higher on a stronger-than-anticipated report on US retail sales raised the possibility the Fed might adopt a less Dovish stance. The S&P 500 lost 0.3% Tuesday, led lower by shares of energy and technology companies, while […]
US retail sales increased more than expected in June, pointing to strong consumer spending. The Key takeaway from the report is that it was a solid report overall The report from the Commerce Department on Tuesday did not change market expectations that the FOMC will cut interest rates this month for the 1 st time in a […]
We have just learned that the Fed is debating the risks and benefits of letting the US economy run “a little hotter,” balancing the good it could do for workers against the possibility it could end in a recession, Atlanta Federal Reserve bank president Raphael Bostic said Tuesday. “We do think about this in terms […]
President Trump wants the Fed to lower interest rates at a time when he may be sizing up his 2 latest picks for Fed governor as successors to Chairman Powell. If the Fed “knew what it was doing” it would cut rates, President Trump told reporters before he boarded Air Force One back to DC […]
Friday, President Trump reaffirmed his view that a Fed interest rate cut would help the US economy grow more quickly, and said Fed does not know what they are doing. Growth “would be like a rocket ship” if the Fed eased, President Trump told reporters at the White House Friday as he prepared to travel to […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX Tuesday, a Fed policymaker expressed skepticism that an interest rate cut is the right move until there are more signs the economy is moving to a truly weaker path. “I prefer to gather more information before considering a change in our monetary policy stance,” Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said in […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: This Bull Market in stock is the longest on record. The S&P 500 Index marked a record closing high Thursday, buoyed by Wall Street’s expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates as soon as July to keep the US-China trade dispute from stalling economic growth. The Fed left […]
FLASH: The market is leading the Fed Funds rate lower, signaling a rate cut soon. “We have tracked the Fed’s interest rates decisions for years,” writes Steven Hochberg, Elliot Wave theorist. In December, he wrote an article titled “Interest Rates Win Again as Fed Follows the Market,” where he observed that although most pundits believe that central […]
FLASH: Wednesday’s projections open the door for the Fed to lower rates in short order if the economy weakens, or US trade disputes with China and other nations escalate. Fed held interest rates steady Wednesday but signaled possible rate cuts of as much as half a percentage point over the remainder of this year, as […]
Tuesday, Wite House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said President Trump is not considering any changes to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s status following a report that the White House had explored the possibility of demoting him. Mr. Kudlow spoke to reporters at the White House ahead of the FOMC’s meeting this week that comes on the […]
Monday, President Trump’s Administration cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, after President Trump blasted the 3 countries because thousands of their citizens had sought asylum at the US border with Mexico. US lawmakers who opposed the plan said it is cruel to cut off aid to countries […]
$SPY, $SPX The FOMC meeting next week is shaping up as pivotal for Wall Street, with stocks primed for a selloff should the Fed fail to take an even more Dovish tilt after policymakers raised expectations for a rate cut in recent weeks. The benchmark S&P 500 has rallied more than 5% so far this […]
$XAU, $GLD, $USD Mr. Market started seriously pricing in the possibility of interest rate cuts. To be fair, the signal came from the Top of the economic politburo that matters that being the Federal Reserve. Speaking at an event at the Chicago Fed last Tuesday, Chairman Jerome Powell hinted that the Fed would likely cut […]
$DIA, $SPY, $SOX, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow predicts the US economy will maintain 3% pace without a China trade deal. “The US economy is very strong, I think we are in pretty good shape and I think we’ll maintain a 3% growth pace this year,” said Mr. Kudlow, who […]
$JPM, $GS, BAC, The weak May NFPs report is push the Fed closer to cutting interest rates soon if not sooner. While a reduction when policy makers meets later this month cannot be ruled out, Fed watchers said their base case is for the FOMC to stand pat. But they said the abrupt slowdown in […]
Under President Trump the US economy is continuing to grow, despite a jobs report that showed job growth had slowed down sharply in May while wages rose less than expected. “We have had extraordinary job growth over the past couple of years, record job growth,” VP Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff Marc Short told reporters. “Unemployment is at a […]
$DIA,$SPY, $SOX, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: The technology sector was the biggest boost to the S&P with a 3.3% advance, led by gains in Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Wall Street’s 3 major indexes rallied Tuesday to clock their biggest one-day gains in five months after Fed Chairman Powell left the door open for a […]
$DIA, $SPY, $SOX, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: Growing expectations for the Fed to cut rates to address slower growth and muted inflation; 2-yr yield drops 12 bpts to 1.83% . St. Louis Fed President James Bullard (FOMC Voter) said that slower economic growth could be sharper-than-expected due to the trade uncertainty. Mr. Bullard added that […]
$DIA, $SPY, $SOX, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: The S&P 500 reclaimed its 200-Day MA (2776) after falling below the Key technical mark during the day and bouncing Wednesday US stocks declined Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and NAS Comp closing just above Key support marks, as worries that a lengthy US-China trade war would crimp […]
$DIA, $SPY, $SOX, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: This economic expansion is set to become longest in US history, according to the latest leading-indicators data. The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the US increased 0.2% in April to 112.1, following a 0.3% increase in March, and a 0.2% increase in February. “The US LEI rose […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: Global equities declined Wednesday, capping a 3-day winning streak after the Fed held rates steady as expected, but comments from Fed Chairman Powell cast doubt on whether the central bank’s next move would be a rate cut, as expected. The Fed left its Key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and […]
FLASH: White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow says the Fed should still cut interest rates despite strong economic growth in Q-1. The government said GDP, expanded by 3.2% in Q-1 of this year, which the veteran financial guru and former Ronald Reagan adviser called “a blow out number.” “The inflation rate continues to slip lower […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: The majority of Fed officials last month believed that economic conditions would likely warrant keeping its Dovish monetary policy unchanged for the rest of this year. Several officials said their view could shift in either direction based on incoming data, according to minutes of the meeting released Wednesday. Weaker growth […]
$DIA, $SPY,$QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX FLASH: S&P 500 marks its Best Quarter since 2009 Friday the US stock market liked what it heard: The US and China held “constructive” trade talks in Beijing this week, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the White House. Trade talks will continue next week in Washington with China’s Vice […]
The Fed’s Key reversal on rate increases along with weak economic data has left a part of the US Treasury yield curve close to levels at which the FOMC has in the past been prompted to cut rates. The Fed last Wednesday brought its 3-year drive to tighten monetary policy to an abrupt end, abandoning […]
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ President James Bullard applauded the shift away from its policy of raising interest rates, saying that should help to ensure a solid US economy for the next 2 years. “I think it set us up for a very good couple of years here,” Mr. Bullard said in a TV […]
China will step up fiscal spending this year to support its economy, focusing on further cuts in taxes and fees for small firms, finance ministry officials said Wednesday. Mounting US trade tariff pressure on the world’s 2nd-biggest economy pushed growth last year to its lowest since Y 1990 even as Beijing stepped up stimulus measures […]
Falling Crude Oil Prices Great for US Consumers and Emerging Markets $USO, $OIL, $UGA, $USD US Holiday shoppers should enjoy more spending power thanks to the recent dive in Crude Oil prices. While this fall in Crude Oil prices does not yet match the Ys 2014-2016 fall to $26 bbl, the current decline should soon […]
President Trump Sees a 10% Tax Cut for Middle-income Americans President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House as he left on a campaign trip to Texas, said Monday his Administration planned to produce a resolution within two weeks calling for a 10% tax cut for middle-income people. “We are putting in a […]
President Trump Asks His Cabinet for 5% Cut in Next Year’s Budget Dubbing it the “nickel plan,” President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he’s asking every Cabinet Secretary to cut their next-year’s budgets by 5%. “Get rid of the fat. Get rid of the waste,” President Trump told members of his Cabinet during a meeting […]
President Trump is “Guiding Hottest Economy in World” The US National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said America’s economy is leading the rest of the world by returning to a basic approach of cutting taxes and burdensome regulation to allow businesses to freely flourish with government oppression. “The U.S. is the hottest economy in the […]
More Tax Cut Legislation on ‘Fast Track’ House Republicans unveiled a Y 2019 budget proposal Tuesday to send a message to their core supporters that repealing Barack Obamacare, cutting taxes and partially privatizing Medicare remain high on their agenda. The budget, which claims to balance by Y 2027 through $8-T in spending cuts, seeks to […]
US Economy Can Handle Trump Budget Deficits The US economy can handle the trillion-dollar deficits that are forecast to result from President Trump’s budget proposal released Monday. “The deficit is going to be 5.5% of GDP for FY 2019. Over 10 years, it’s going to average about 3.5% ,” economist Larry Kudlow said pointing out […]
Alrosa Finds Giant Gem Quality Pink Diamond MCX:ALRS, $BID Russia’s Alrosa (MCX:ALRS), the world’s #1 diamond producer by output in carats, has unearthed 27.85-carat Pink precious stone the company believes could be the most expensive it has ever found. Alrosa is trying to decide on whether to sell this Pink stone as a rough diamond, or cut […]
Tax Reform: Mr. President, “Keep it simple” One of the most enduring lessons from the American healthcare fiasco is that to win a political battle it is best to keep the message simple. If there are too many moving parts to a plan, if Americans don’t understand what the politicians are doing, or if there […]
A 5 to 10% Pullback in the Market will be Bullish And Low Inflation in the US is Like a Tax Cut for the Economy Economist Larry Kudlow, a former adviser to President Ronald Reagan, said he is Bullish stocks because profits are rising, inflation is low and consumer confidence is high. “I’m very Bullish […]
‘Draining the Swamp’, President Trump to Revamp State President Donald Trump has plans to revamp the State Department “My suspicion is that within the White House, particularly amongst the nationalist faction… that this seems to actually be a concerted effort to diminish the role of the State Department in U.S. foreign policy and hamper its […]
Chances of Rate Hike Falls as Fed Cuts Debt Fed officials have indicated they will begin to reduce the central bank’s $4.5-T of Treasury and mortgage debt. The debt was bought from banks for several years after the Y 2008 financial crisis as a way of pushing down interest rates to help the economy recover. […]
The Trump Tax Cut Signals “the War against American Business is Over” US President Donald Trump’s proposed tax cuts will boost incentives for Americans to work, invest and save, good on Donald Trump. “The War against business is over,” Larry Kudlow said in an interview Wednesday. “The biggest single missing ingredient in tax policy over […]
The World Diamond Industry 2017 $RIO, $BHO, $NGLOY, $LUCRF, $GMDMF, $BID, $TIF As the diamond industry enters Y 2017, Q-1 demand for rough has been stronger relative to Q-4 2016 and also relative to a year ago. The US is the largest diamond jewelry market in the world representing 45% of global demand. Christmas season Y […]
Monday, President Donald Trump Vowed to Cut Regulations & Taxes $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Monday, US President Donald Trump met with a dozen American manufacturers at the White House, pledging to slash regulations and cut corporate taxes, but warning them he would impose taxes on imports if they move production outside the country. President Trump, […]
President Trump Would Cut Tax Rates Across The Board Donald Trump’s tax plan cuts taxes for all Americans with an emphasis on the middle class, his economic policy adviser Wilbur Ross said Tuesday on TV. A President Trump would slash rates across the board, Mr. Ross said “He wants to cut taxes for everybody,” Mr. […]
China Slashes Crude Oil Refinery Output on Sluggish Prices $OIL, $SHI, $PTR China’s Crude Oil output fell 9.9% Y-Y in August, the biggest monthly fall since Y 2003 as refineries slashed production amid sluggish global Crude Oil prices, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Monday. Imports have trended upward after private refineries were […]
