Archive - Dec 2014

December 31st

Tyler Durden's picture

Saudi King Abdullah Hospitalization Sends Stocks Tumbling But It's Oil That Is Suddenly Paying Attention





Earlier today, Saudi Arabia's stock market fell sharply with the Tadawul All Share Index plunging following a Saudi state TV report that King Abdullah had been admitted to hospital for tests. As shown in the chart report, the index tumbled as much as 6% lower in the minutes after the Saudi Press Agency report which quoted a brief royal court statement. But while the ill king of the King, aged 90, is hardly news to the discounting stock market, a few more nuanced interpertation of not just what happens if and when the King passes away but what Saudi succession looks like, is much more relevant for oil - especially now that Saudi Arabia has unilaterally decided to tear apart OPEC in its push to put US shale producers out of business.

 

Tim Knight from Slope of Hope's picture

Best of Slope 2014 (Final)





Here is the third and final part of my retrospective with links to what I believe are the best posts of 2014 at Slope of Hope:

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Existing Home Sales Revised Lower (Again), Midwest Slumps For 6th Month In A Row





While existing home sales rose 0.8% (beating the 0.5% expectation) MoM in November, once again previous data was revised lower. On an unadjusted basis however, YoY home sales rose at only 1.7% - missing expectations of 2.6% growth. The Midwest region saw existing home sales drop again - for the 6th month in a row, down over 5% in that period.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Chicago PMI MIsses, Drops To 5-Month Lows





Only 1 of MNI's Chicago Business Barometer components rose in December as the headline index tumbled from October's multi-year highs at 66.2 to today's December print of 58.3 - lowest in 5 months and missing expectations for the 2nd month in a row. While new orders, prices paid, and production all fell, employment (the sole improvment) rose.

 

GoldCore's picture

Diversify With “Physical Precious Metals Stored Outside The U.S.” – Faber





Dr Marc Faber, respected economic historian and author of the respected monthly newsletter, the ‘Gloom, Boom and Doom Report’, has warned that 2015 is set to be very volatile, urged international diversification and owning “physical precious metals stored outside the U.S.”

 

Tyler Durden's picture

"Non-Political" Draghi Demands Full Federalization Of Europe, Centralized Stock Market





With GREXIT once again knocking on the Euro's door, Mario Draghi has come out swinging (or jawboning). As Reuters reports, the non-political, non-meddling, completely independent central bank chief explains, structural reforms were needed to "ensure that each country is better off permanently belonging to the euro area," adding that Euro zone countries must "complete" their monetary union by integrating economic policies further and working towards a capital markets union. Brussels Uber Alles... (or else "the threat of an exit (from the euro) whose consequences would ultimately hit all members").

 

Tyler Durden's picture

50-Year NYSE Veteran Art Cashin Unleashes New Year's Poem - From ISIS To The Ice Bucket Challenge





Hot on the heels of his Xmas Poem, 50-year NYSE veteran Art Cashin, UBS Director of Floor Operations, has unveiled his New Year's Poem summarizing the year behind and looking at the year ahead. From ISIS to The Ice Bucket Challenge and from Joan Rivers' death to Kim Jung Un's life, Cashin covers it all...

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Crude Carnage Resumes: WTI $52 Handle - New Cycle Lows, Here's Why





Just 3 short days ago, energy stocks were surging and oil was - according to the mainstream media - "stabilizing." Today, we plumb new cycle lows, with WTI back below $53 as every rally is to be sold for now... While no one can resist the temptation to call the bottom in oil, the recoupling of oil-dependent energy stocks from oil appears to the no-brainer trade of January... Here are 3 potential reasons for today's drop.

 

Pivotfarm's picture

OIL breaks support level, US changing the rules on exports





What's next for the US and international OIL producers? How will the STRONG US $ impact 4th quarter numbers?

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Initial Jobless Claims Rise 17k, End 2014 At Same Level As In July





It appears the glorious trend of decling initial jobless claims has run its course. For the last 5 months, initial claims have oscillated around the crucial-to-the-narrative 300k level - breaking the constant downtrend of the last 4-5 years. Today's 298k print, up 17k from last week, is the same level seen in the 3rd week of July. This is the highest 6mo. rise in initial claims since the middle of the Polar Vortex.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Frontrunning: December 31





  • Behind the Scenes at Sony as Hacking Crisis Unfolded (WSJ)
  • Oil Set for Biggest Slump Since 2008 as OPEC Battles U.S. Shale (BBG)
  • Praet Warning of Oil Effects Signals Higher Chance of ECB QE (BBG)
  • U.S. Opening Door to More Oil Exports Seen Foiling OPEC Strategy (BBG)
  • Venezuela confirms recession, inflation hits 63.6 percent in Nov (Reuters)
  • U.S. to station 150 armored vehicles in Europe (Reuters)
  • China Stocks Rise to Finish Off Big Year (WSJ)
  • RBS Suspends Bonuses of 18 Traders Amid FX Rigging Fine (BBG)
 

Tyler Durden's picture

Futures Up In Light Volume On Renewed ECB QE Hopes As Crude Slides Again





While the last trading day of 2014 will be important if only to see if Dow 18,000 can be recaptured on what is sure to be the lowest volume in years, don't expect much help from Brent which continues to slide and was down nearly 3% at $56.20 or WTI which is also flirting with the $53 level, down almost 2% overnight both set to cap the worst year for the commodity since 2008. Not much should be expected from Treasuries either, set to return over 6% in 2014 - the best performance since 2011 - crushing the latest hoard of bond shorts all of which got the Treasury move in 2014 epically wrong, which will close early at 2 pm. Which means that the HFT algos will once again be driven off the illiquid USDJPY correlation, where low volume will mean 5-10 pip moves today should be the norm, as well as European stocks, whose Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.3% earlier on the latest round of jawboning by an ECB member, this time Dutchman Peter Praet, who said in an interview with German newspaper Boersen-Zeitung that lower oil prices increasingly risk de-anchoring inflation expectations, indicating that quantitative easing is becoming more likely.

 

Gold Standard Institute's picture

Going All-In On a Weak Argument





I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that we gold advocates have gone all in. We have made one argument for gold...

 
Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!