A Review of the Most Important Global Events in June by Monthly Barometer
The fate of the Eurozone lies to a considerable degree in the hands of the European Central Bank (ECB). But can it do enough? Earlier this month, the ECB announced a set of measures to prevent deflation, ranging from negative deposit rates to a package of cheap loans...
Wholesale Funding, Rehypothecation, Precious Metals and Pricing: Are We Counting the Cost?
In a recent article Bloomberg reported the following pertaining to the gold market in China: “China’s chief auditor discovered 94.4 billion yuan ($15.2 billion) of loans backed by falsified gold transactions, adding to signs of possible fraud in commodities financing...
Weekly Market Update
Data out of the US was mild at best this week. Regardless the Dow and S&P 500 posted small losses while the Nasdaq gained. Q1 GDP was revised down to -2.9%, a wide miss from the expected -2% and the original -1% posted. Mortgage data, durable goods orders and...
Weekly Selections from Monthly Barometer
5 insightful op-eds or articles to help make sense of today’s world Yao Yang, “China’s Real-Estate Wrongs” (Project Syndicate, June 20, 2014) Chinese property prices are one of today’s most prominent global risks, a caveat which The Monthly Barometer has been voicing...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Equities in the US returned to posting gains this week despite data that continues to portray a mixed recovery. Fed Chairwoman Yellen indicated a growing consensus in the FOMC of moving up the timeline for the first rate increase but lowering...
Weekly Selections from Monthly Barometer
5 insightful op-eds or articles to help make sense of today’s world Nauro Campos, “Football in the Time of Protest” (VOX, June 13, 2014) The FIFA World Cup has just started. In this short article, the economist analyzes why protests will co-exist with partying. Rent...
Energy Assets, and the Redrawing of Maps: Shifting Strategies & the Markets’ Reaction
How could ISIS, a group of few thousand radical Islamists (a.k.a. Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham) be able to gain control of such vital areas and threaten energy, geopolitical, and geoeconomic stability? Are we in the process of seeing the map of the Middle East...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Stocks in the US ended their positive run with a down week. Data such as retail sales and consumer confidence were disappointing relative to expectations. Escalated turmoil in Iraq and Syria cooled risk taking sentiment. Energy markets saw big gains on...
Weekly Selections from Monthly Barometer
5 insightful op-eds or articles to help make sense of today’s world Adair Turner, “The Great Credit Impediment” (Project Syndicate, June 7, 2014) Lord Turner - a powerful voice on global financial matters - ponders whether low credit growth reflects low demand or...
The Romantic Economic Landscape: And They All Shall Have Prizes
The past two weeks have been quite historical. Let’s review some facts and ponder about the direction of the markets in the foreseeable future. Euroskeptics won major battles in several countries demonstrating the failure of a leadership that has created a sclerotic...
