Archive - Apr 28, 2014

Conflict with Russia may have a “massively bullish impact on gold prices.” The concept of MAD or mutually assured destruction was what prevented war between the superpowers during the Cold War. Today, there appears to be a lack of awareness regarding the risk of mutually assured economic destruction.

Owners of high-growth, high-beta stocks could not find a buyer for any of their crap today some mid-afternoon shenanigans between AUDJPY, VIX, and more utterly useless Russian headlines meant those same owners of high-growth, high-beta stocks were beating buyers away with a shitty stick. Pandora is a great example of the chaos (today's swings down 2%, up 4%, down 11%, then up 6%) as today's action in the so-called "market" was anything but human. The buying panic lifted the S&P, Dow, and Trannies briefly into the green for April but very late-day weakness left only the Trannies green for April.  We just hope the desperate BTFWWIII'ers didn't use up all their BTFTuesday ammo...

The first rip was a "standard" VIX-based, AUDJPY-based ramp to VWAP to save the big boys and allow orders out but that rapidly escalated into a panic buying spree as headlines hit that yet another in a long-series of de-escalation optimisms...

RUSSIAN TROOPS RETURNED TO BASE FROM UKRAINE BORDER: IFX
RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER SHOIGU TOLD U.S. DEFENCE SECRETARY HAGEL RUSSIA IS OPEN TO CONTACTS WITH ALL SIDES TO SEEK TO DEFUSE TENSION OVER UKRAINE

Think about it... we know what Russia wants, we know what they need to defise the situation and we know the US/West won't accept it... so "we" buy the fucking dip anyway..?

The circus never left Neoclown town...

Presenting: the proverbial elephant in the room.

What you have to realize is that this trend is inevitable... we are hopelessly lost in a declining spiral vortex of debt and corruption that will only change with war and civil unrest.

The last time Goldman Sachs urged clients to "sell", it was gold - and in the next quarter, they were the largest acquirer of the precious metal via ETFs. So when the muppet-murdering bank suggests this morning that, while "we have been caught in choppy action" there is a slow awakening of Treasury bears and recommends shifting from a neutral to short-duration position in bonds... one can't help but wonder just what the bank will do with all the bonds clients sell to them...

The real problem with Piketty's taxation/social welfare solution to wealth inequality is that it does nothing to change the source of systemic inequality, debt-based neofeudalism and neocolonialism.

Momentum, or high-growth hope, stocks are making fresh lows of the February Tarullo Top as this morning's mysterious buying panic sparked by housing data has relapsed into aggressive selling pressure. The Russell 2000 has broken below its 200DMA once again - a critical support level - and Nasdaq and Trannies ar emaking new lows from Friday. Momentum, or high-growth hope, stocks are making fresh lows of the February Tarullo Top as this morning's mysterious buying panic sparked by housing data has relapsed into aggressive selling pressure. The Pharma frenzy is fading fast also. The Russell 2000 has broken below its 200DMA once again - a critical support level - and Nasdaq and Trannies are making new lows from Friday. All US equity indices are now in the red for April.

Yellen is evidently aware that stocks are bubbling. As Fed Chairman she cannot admit it (no Central Banker will ever say the markets are in a bubble), but the signs that she is aware of this are present.

NY Republican Congressman, and former FBI agent (ironically), Michael Grimm - who became infamous for threatening an NY1 reporter "I'll throw you off the fucking balcony... I'll break you in half" - has been indicted on campaign finance charges as well as mail, wire, and healthcare fraud. Oh and since he seemed such a trustworthy and honest chap after his apology for the prevous threats, he is also being charged with perjury after lying about all the other shit he did... Welcome to American politics... As AP reports, he has pleaded not guilty to the 20-count federal indictment.

Last week, Chinese police, after 60 years of operating unarmed, got their first guns. But nowehere is it clearer just how nervous the Chinese authorities are getting about the restless natives than in the following series of photos posted moments ago on Sina, showing security forces in China's Urumqi province learning how to use... bayonets?

It seems the US and EU sanctions escalation has done nothing to calm the tensions between Ukrainians and pro-Russian forces in Donetsk, where according to report ultranationalists from Kiev are involved in a skirmish with local riot police. As the following clip suggests... "rocks and missiles are being thrown from both sides - there are injuries and scenes of absolute brutality as both sides clash."

Spot the nation that just had "major sanctions" handed down to it...

Just a few brief days ago, Weibo IPO'd "successfully" at the bottom-end of its range ($17) and exploded higher - "proving" that Candy Crush (or take your pick of recent IPO failures) were all one-offs and that 'quality' companies were still in demand. Fast forward 6 days and Weibo just entered a bear-market - down dramatically from its highs over $24 and is nearing its IPO price. There's no data, no news - just selling, in size. Investors stashing cash away for another pop in Alibaba's forthcoming IPO perhaps? Not if market conditions continue to look like this...