Weekly Market Update
Market Action Compared to last week, global equities are expected to close modestly lower. The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note declined 6 basis points to 1.77% and the price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate Crude oil rose $1.25 to $58.40. Volatility...
Could Political Fragmentation Lead to an Economic & Financial Segmentation? What Could the Consequences Be?
Septimius Severus founded the Roman dynasty that carried his name in the year A.D. 193. That year is known as the “year of the five emperors.” The year began after the erratic rule by Emperor Commodus (who was murdered on the last day of the year 192). His successor...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Amidst the renewed hope for a US-China trade agreement and the receding fears of a recession, major US equity indices are set to close at record highs. The S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite all set record...
The Circus and the Dreams: Paint it Black
Immanuel Kant’s definition of our modern era and of the Age of Enlightenment was that “Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity…The motto of Enlightenment is therefore: Sapere Aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!” However, the...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action The announcement that the United States and China have made progress towards phase one of a trade agreement brought a wave of confidence to the markets. Global equities rallied and the US 10-year Treasury note jumped 22 basis points to 1.93% this week....
Historical Anachronisms and Fallacies: The Vengeance of Complacency
First of all, allow us to start with some clarifications/definitions: Heraclitus Fallacy: The belief that history imposes no constraints. Failing to comprehend the past not only signifies ignorance, but is also idiotic. Parmenides Fallacy: Comparing the present with...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Thanks to a better than expected October for US earnings and a strong employment report, global equities rose this week. Yield on the US 10-year Treasury note fell 10 basis points to 1.71% and a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell a dollar...
Crossroads: At the Intersection of Geopolitics and Geoeconomics
Here is a summary of the most important events that unfolded last month, and which may affect economic, financial and geopolitical issues in the months ahead: North America On October 6th, US President Donald Trump withdrew troops from Syria despite a Turkish...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action This week saw only marginal global equity gains as there were mixed third-quarter earnings results and rather dull Brexit news. As measured by the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), Volatility was down by 7% compared to last week. On...
Shifting Risks and Unintended Consequences for Portfolios: We Live in a Zero-Sum World
We are now under the auspices of a zero-sum game world due to negligible productivity growth rate. Such a shift can be seen as a symptom of trade wars. We believe that the underlying cause can be found in financial manipulations engineered more than twenty years ago....
