Archive - Oct 2014

Nope, no deleveraging here...

The Bank of Korea - South Korea’s central bank - released data that says South Korean domestic deposits have reached 16.19 billion Chinese renminbi in July this year, which is a 55-fold increase from the same period last year when renminbi deposits accounted for only 290 million. The signs are clearly all there. Everyone realizes that the present system is on its way out and are taking appropriate measures. The Russians, the Germans, the French, the Brits, the Canadians, the Koreans…

Given our previous comments that "air traffic is the driver," it is perhaps not surprising that the Obama administration announced Wednesday that airline passengers arriving from the three West African countries experiencing an unprecedented Ebola outbreak will now be screened for potential exposure to the deadly disease when they arrive at five major U.S. airports. The screening will include having their temperatures taken. As AP's Alicia Caldwell explains, here are five things you need to know about the screenings...

While he still holds many stocks, Billionaire investor Carl Icahn joins the ranks of many of his billionaire market-watchers and is "hedging with S&P Puts," because he is "concerned about the whole economy." As he explains in this brief clip, "you can't keep an economy up just from The Fed," and with The Fed withdrawing from its money-printing largesse, Icahn concludes, a big correction "is definitely coming, it's just a matter of when."

Holding the line of America's political leaders with regard the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the US, NY Mayor Bill de Blasio explained today "there is no cause for alarm." However, in his next breath, as Bloomberg reports, he announced that America's most-populous US city is increasing vigilance against the Ebola virus by involving every agency that interacts with the public. De Blasio called the meeting after the death yesterday in Dallas of Thomas Eric Duncan, "to make sure that if anyone does present themselves with symptoms, we have a clear protocol on how to handle the situation." Meanwhile, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told reporters today in Trenton, "we're not ready at airports yet but we will be."

Following yesterday's diuscussion of the fact in the Land of The Free, Property Rights rank 36th in the world, we thought it fascinating that, as Rasmussen finds, 70% Oppose Police Seizure of Property Without A Criminal Conviction - Americans strongly believe someone needs to be convicted of a crime before their property can be seized, even though that’s contrary to current federal law and police practice. Which means a rather stunning 30% of Americans believe it is fine...

At the end of the day, the Fed with its misguided theories have demolished capitalism: the single most powerful form of wealth generation in the history of mankind. All the Fed has really accomplished is leverage the entire financial by an even greater amount… which has set the stage for a collapse that will make 2008 look like a picnic.

First a secret "Doomsday book", and now this?

"Global growth is really bad! Hooray!" That was the verdict of US markets yesterday, as the Fed minutes “revealed” (to use the breathless phrasing of mainstream financial media) a “growing concern” with the damaging impact of European torpor and a stronger dollar on US growth, and it’s a perfect example of why I’ve called a top in the Narrative of Central Bank Omnipotence. What’s interesting to us though is not this latest success of the Narrative of Fed Omnipotence. No, what’s interesting to me is this week’s failure of the Narrative of ECB Omnipotence.

WTI Crude oil has now entered a bear market, down over 20% from its June highs (and energy stocks are not off the lows) edging closer and closer to 28 month lows. Meanwhile, gold prices have risen for 4 days in a row - the longest winning streak in 7 months...

It's different this time... and not in a good way. Real intraday range volatility over the last 2 weeks is breaking out - at its highest in 3 years...

Screening With a Thermometer Is Guaranteed to Fail …