Markets..

Everything running surprisingly smoothly at present.. long may it last. We know the consensus was very negative on the recent lows. We also know fund redemptions have been severe and that companies are sitting on cash heavy balance sheets. These positive factors seem to be holding up and the market and the momentum is to …

Euro Farce… cont.. (Update – ECB Lowers Rates & Greece Cancels Referendum)

ECB has just announced it is lowering interest rates.. This is almost entirely due to the ever increasing spread to German bunds we are witnessing in the debt markets. The measure will assist but its no where near enough.. And, better than a soap opera, 48hrs after announcing a Greek referendum on the bailout, its …

45.8m Americans Recieving Food Stamps – A New Record Aug 2011

GDP apparently increasing as unemployment rises and incomes fall. The latest food stamp data shows an 8.1% increase yoy in the number of Americans receiving food benefits as their incomes are insufficient to feed themselves. Its an interesting two tier system where over half the American population pay no income taxes at all now. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-01/u-s-food-stamp-use-reaches-record-45-8-million-usda-says.html …

Weekly Technical Update.. & Comments..

UBS still insisting the bounce is intact and to buy the dips so long as sp500 cash stays above 1220 on a closing basis. Weekly01-11 Well, we are at 1218 on the sp500 cash now and below this on futures. We are therefore at a key level now which is repeating across currencies and other …

Weekly Economic Data.. 28th Oct..

An excellent report from WF this week.. the data in the US is mixed but the latest GDP forecasts improved.. (GDP always rises in a positive inflation environment as governments understate inflation and therefore over state GDP growth. The oldest trick in the book of course). Wonderfully WF picks up on the ‘financial repression’ strategy. …

‘Equities The Only Show in Town’.. Due to Unlimited Monetary Expansion

Further to the post from a month ago.. http://www.capitalsynthesis.tech/international-equities-the-only-show-in-town/ Today was not about the European news flow. Today was simply a tiny portion of the wall of capital that is resting in cash and bonds entering the equity markets. Participants in cash are beginning to see the future and that future is all about a …

Debt vs Guarantee – The Latest ‘Off Balance Sheet’ Euro Ponzi Scheme..

Throughout our history it is said that the most effective ponzi schemes are the ones that no one can understand. If you can present a complex ponzi scheme to an investor that is near panic with fear or greed you will be able to run your ponzi scheme. The scheme works as the goal of …

Weekly Economic Indicators (WF) -14th Oct 2011

We continue to see no ‘off the cliff’ sort of declines in the leading economic indicators. Just as there was a disconnect earlier in the year as regards the weakening data and high equity valuations so too, on the lows of 2 weeks ago, there was a disconnect between the weak (though not disasterous) economic …

Weekly Economic Indicators (WF) – 7th Oct 2011

We are continuing to see a softening of the data rather than falling off a cliff data coming through. Well’s reviews the various reports, provides a snap shot international perspective and a mini tribute to Steve Jobs. WF-Economic-10072011 In my mind we have the ‘natural’ cycle that demands governments and consumers pay down debt and …

Households Increasingly Allocate Capital to Bonds & Cash

We have got the bounce in equities with all those different indexes bang at their supports as indicated. CRB etc.. I have leverage in my main investment account and ‘loaded the boat’ as said in the forum pages. (For clarity i do still have pockets of cash which i will allocate on market opportunities and …

‘Tax The Rich’ Is the Developed World’s New Mantra

http://www.businessinsider.com/italy-announces-higher-taxes-2011-9 http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/sep/16/spain-raises-tax-on-rich http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-proposes-new-taxes-on-wealthy-for-half-of-debt-plan/2011/09/19/gIQATnkNfK_story.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/ireland-business-blog-with-lisa-ocarroll/2011/jul/27/property-tax-ireland-poll-tax http://business.financialpost.com/2011/08/24/france-cuts-growth-forecasts-raises-taxes-on-rich/ Name a DM country and you will see initiatives to tax the ‘rich’. Democracies merely rely on the majority verdict. If the majority want to expropriate everything from one or other group they can and often vote it through especially if media services pump the political spin. I flagged this …