Archive - Jul 2015 - Story

What if Syriza were not just a particularly fluffy breed of miniature Europoodle but actual honest-to-goodness revolutionaries, ready to do whatever it takes? How would they act differently? And what would be the result? Given that the price is so high, perhaps it would be better after all if we just sat quietly, allowed the rich get richer as the poor get poorer, watched listlessly as the environment got completely destroyed by capitalist industrialists in blind pursuit of profit, and eventually curled up, kissed our sweet asses good-bye and died? Good luck selling that idea to young radicalized hotheads who have nothing to lose - except maybe you, if you happen to stand in their way as they change the world!

For all the back-patting exuberance over manipulated record high stock prices and record periods of illusory job gains, it appears the administration and its Obamanomics forgot one important thing - the children! As USA Today reports, a higher percentage of children live in poverty now than did during the Great Recession, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation released Tuesday.

When Janet Yellen speaks, investors buy stocks (whether she tells you stock valuations are 'substantialy stretched' or not). When Warren Buffett speaks, investors listen... so when his favorite indicator is flashing a huge "sell signal" trading 80% 'expensive' to its long-term average, perhaps, as BofAML suggests, it is time to listen.

George Clooney has just released to promote his new non-profit, entitled THE SENTRY - an initiative that "seeks to disrupt and ultimately dismantle the networks of perpetrators, facilitators, and enablers who fund and profit from America’s deadliest conflicts." Eliminating genocide sounds like an incredibly noble cause; however, in order to do so, Mr. Clooney’s aim is break down financial privacy. The road to tyranny is always paved with the stones of good intentions. Because no matter how many financial regulations get passed, and no matter how far the dictators are chased by Mr. Clooney on his white horse, the fact remains that bad people will always find the resources to do bad things. And in the meantime, the crusade to save the world only serves to make everyone else less free.

The company which was carrying the fate of not only the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 on its shoulders had taken the stairs up, and just took the elevator down.

"I held in my hand the Holy Grail for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The most influential economic mind of the twentieth century provided the CME with the intellectual foundation upon which to build its financial superstructure."

Unleash the talking head spin...

"The only thing we have to fear is the lack of fear itself..."

The one line item everyone looks for in every Greek forecast is what its debt will be now that reality is finally allowed to creep in. We have dutifully highlighted it on the chart below: it is now expected to hit 238% by 2018. But it was another number that caught our attention: Citi's estimate for Greek HICP (inflation) in 2017. 22.5%  In other words, Citi predicts that by 2017 Greece will have hyperinflation even if it remains in the Eurozone.

Surprise! Just days after the 'deal' to bring world peace a little closer amid much crowing by the Obama administration (ahead of Congress' 60-day decision process), Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday vowed to defy American policies in a speech punctuated by chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". As Reuters reports, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the speech was "if it is the policy, it's very disturbing, it's very troubling," seemingly surprised at the rhetoric.

You don’t hear it much, but the S&P 500 has been a bit of a “One trick pony” in 2015. No, it isn’t the 4% weighting in Apple that makes it such; it is the combination of a 15% weighting in Health Care AND that sector’s 12.9% return year to date.  When you compare the S&P 500’s price return year to date of 3.37%, you can see that the Health Care sector’s contribution is essentially just over half the market’s price return for 2015 (12.9 times 15% is 1.90 of that 3.37). Layer on the fact that 5 of the 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 are still down on the year: Materials (-2.7%), Industrials (-2.9%), Telecomm (-0.7%), Utilities (-8.6%) and Energy (-9.7%). 

In the latest example of what happens when circular funding schemes begin to trip over each other, National Bank of Greece has refused to participate in an auction for paper issued by the bailout fund which is set to recapitalize the Greek banking sector. 

President of Greek Banks Association Louka Katseli appealed at the citizens to return their money to the banks. “Banks are absolutely trustworthy,” Katseli told Mega TV, “Let’s all help our economy... If you take your money out of your chests and houses – which are not safe in any case – and deposit at banks, this will enhance liquidity.” Katseli’s appeal triggered laughter among Greeks with one exclaiming “Ah sure! Banks will never see my money again, I prefer to buy tonnes of peanuts with it.”