Archive - Feb 2012 - Blog entry

Since the summer of 2010, the way gold was viewed and used by the overall market has changed.   For much of the period from Jan 1, 2008 until June 30, 2010 for example, gold (GC) has had an inconsistent relationship, in correlation terms, relative to the S&P 500 (SPY).  There were times during this period when it moved in the opposite direction, but much of this time it moved in the same direction as the market.  This can be seen in the first chart shown.

Vegas means comedy, tragedy, happiness and sadness all at the same time.--Artie Lange

€65 billion—20% of GDP—have been yanked out of Greek bank accounts, and political positioning for the “afterwards” has begun....

Not only is the large bank-GSE cartel preventing millions of Americans from refinancing, but these same cartel players are also thwarting Fed monetary policy and hurting all our economic prospects.

Watch out for the Rhino. 

Football is war--George Carlin

If last week's tax data is indicative of what's ahead this month, the "good news" won't be sustained.

No one wants war ...

What the heck is going on in Europe, and why are the peripheral countries putting up with it?

My favorite football introductory book is an out-of-print book by Joe Namath, FOOTBALL for Young Players and Parents.  You may enjoy my favorite lines as you get in the mood for the Super Bowl

While “Rates low thru ’14? was the gist of the headline – over 1/3 of the participants see ’15 and beyond as appropriate.  The implications are severe from multiple fronts - a few to think about:

Daily news.

The macro environment for home improvement stocks continues to be favorable.   Credit standards have eased somewhat over the past few months and with the Federal Reserves new “operation twist” program, it has driven down interest rates even further.  This has created a much more favorable backdrop for home owners wishing to refinance.   It appears for owners who are refinancing, some of the dollars that are being saved in a such a deal are being reinvested in their homes.  Home improvement retailers in recent quarters have all told the same story, that people are shying away from big projects and instead are spending money on smaller ticket items to improve their home.

Oh, you just don't get it...