Category: US Dollar
The analysis published under this category are as follows.Thursday, July 17, 2008
Australian Dollar Looking Over Extended Against US Dollar / Currencies / US Dollar
There is little doubt about the powerful run in Aussie—for good reason: 1) Strong economic growth, and 2) Highest yield among the major currencies.
Most analysts believe the next stop is par, or 1.000 against the US dollar. Another panic run out of the dollar likely leads to par. But on technicals alone (granted not too useful in a fear-driven market) the Aussie looks extended and due for a breather. Risk/reward!!
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
US Government to Intervene to Prevent US Dollar Collapse / Currencies / US Dollar
While risk appetite has increased with equity markets having a renewed bout of misplaced exuberance, this is likely to be short lived as equity markets experience another dead cat bounce. Barclays reports overnight that their “sentiment-based equity risk indicator remains within extremely bearish territory, and suggests that equities may continue to sell-off aggressively.”Poor returns and volatility in equity markets internationally is leading to safe haven diversification into gold. With the outlook for equities and bonds looking increasingly uncertain (especially in the light of the onward march of inflation in the U.S. and internationally), gold is set to continue to outperform other major asset classes for the foreseeable future.
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Wednesday, July 02, 2008
US Dollar on Edge of BREAKDOWN, Gold on Verge of BREAKOUT / Currencies / US Dollar
The US Dollar is on the edge of the chasm again. The nonsense has been cast aside about a bank recovery, a housing stabilization, and an economy that can withstand a spillover. How incredible it is to see grown adults accept such marketing and promotional drivel. Wake up and smell the blood! The US financial and economic system has never been so vulnerable in almost a century. What we see now is far more dangerous than the 1970 decade, characterized by vast cost shocks. Back then, China was not a player. Its current presence puts a price ceiling on finished product pricing power, and even more importantly, on wages broadly in the labor market. Households cannot afford higher prices, as bankruptcy pain escalates.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, June 27, 2008
Fed Intervention Will Not Stop the US Dollar's Slide / Currencies / US Dollar
This week the Federal Reserve took a step closer to acknowledging reality. Unfortunately it didn't let that admission move it from a policy course firmly guided by fantasy. In its policy statement, Bernanke & Co. took the important step in noting that inflation expectations had taken hold in the country at large. However, in asserting that it expects inflation to moderate this year and next, the Fed gave no indications that these heightened expectations are gaining traction within the Open market Committee itself. As a result, it signaled no likelihood that it was actually prepared to do something to fight a problem which it doesn't really believe exists in the first place.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, June 20, 2008
US Current Account Deficit is Still A Drag On the US Dollar / Currencies / US Dollar
Lost amidst recent data on inflation, the rise in oil prices, a deepening crisis in the housing market and the uncanny ability of Goldman-Sachs to outperform market expectations was the deterioration of the current account balance in Q1'08. The U.S. current-account deficit increased to $176.4 billion in the first quarter of 2008 vs. the $167.2 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2007. The primary catalyst for the increase was a decline in earnings from foreign investments and the sharp increase in the cost of imported oil. Should such an unsustainable and large deficit continue to persist, the value of the dollar over time could see another sharp adjustment due to the combination of global macroeconomic imbalance and the unwise economic domestic economic policies pursued in the US over the past few years.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
US Economic Disappointments Point to a Continuing Rebound in the Euro / Currencies / US Dollar
Activity may be quiet in today's US data calendar so it is time to further shed light on next week's key events. Sunday's emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia between oil producers and consumers, combined with next Wednesday's FOMC decision may serve as a powerful recipe for a lasting dollar rebound and effective containment of oil price increases, especially for the US, Europe and Japan.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Truth of the US Dollar Devaluation Behind Bernanke's Words / Currencies / US Dollar
This week we have seen a textbook verbal campaign touch off a long-awaited rally in the Dollar, firmly supported by data to suggest that the Federal Reserve should at least hold a hard line on rates. We have even heard some Federal Reserve governors, most notably Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser calling for an immediate increase in interest rates. It has been my opinion since we first heard this verbal campaign begin nearly two months ago that the Fed's goal was to do nothing but talk. So far, I have not been disappointed. Here are some notable quotes from this week:Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
US Dollar Lifted by Talk of Intervention / Currencies / US Dollar
Gold closed at $867.80 in New York and was down $27 and silver closed at $16.57 down 58 cents. Gold has risen in Asia overnight and in early European trading this morning is up some 0.5%. Further consolidation between $850 and $950 is needed and the 200 day moving average at $855 is likely to provide good support (especially with oil up 2% today).Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
CPR for the Dieing US Dollar / Currencies / US Dollar
Perhaps we should institute DNR rather than CPR. Two days ago Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke shocked the world by commenting on his concerns regarding the fall of the US Dollar. In past policy, the Fed refrained from discussing the US currency; US dollar commentary was supposed to have been within the exclusive purview of the US Treasury. But it is now clear that the Fed is making up the rules as it goes. The remarks have had the intended result of resuscitating the buck, a welcomed response, according to today's Wall Street Journal editorial, "The Buck Stops Where," "because the price of gold and oil have fallen in each of the last two days." In this election year, there is a coordinated effort among the Treasury, the Fed, and regulatory agencies to beat down the price of commodities. If only it were that easy.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Bernanke's Feeble Attempt to Boost the US Dollar Lasts for Just 24hours / Currencies / US Dollar
It is becoming increasingly obvious to everyone that in the world of central bankers there is only one credibility champ.
Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke warned about the price pressures caused by a weak dollar and emphasized inflation concerns in a speech on Wednesday, sparking a dollar rally and many pats on the back.
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Friday, June 06, 2008
The US Fed's Strong US Dollar Policy / Currencies / US Dollar
Ever since Robert Rubin began the tradition in the mid-1990s, it has been a significant element of the Treasury Secretary's job description to continuously state that a strong dollar is in the national interest. It is widely regarded that such utterances, if repeated often enough, can constitute the sum total of what is still laughingly known as the nation's “strong dollar policy.”Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Climate Change Conundrum…Global Warming or Cooling? and US Dollar Update / Currencies / US Dollar
The effects of burning huge quantities of oil around the globe has been going on for over 100 years and now the bio-feedback mechanisms are just starting to be noticed. Trends such as this take hundreds or thousands of years to revert back to the mean. A present, oil shortages along with many other commodities are now in Contango, which is putting pressure on longer term pricing for those wishing to secure raw materials for production purposes (e.g. steel for cars, oats for cereal etc.).Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Ben Bernanke Puts Markets on Notice that US Dollar Will Be Defended / Currencies / US Dollar
"...Ben Bernanke's speech in Barcelona this week hardly marks a new strong Dollar policy..."
BEN BERNANKE put the wind up Dollar bears, Gold bulls and just about everyone else in the currency markets for a whole hour on Tuesday.
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Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Has the US Dollar Bottomed? / Currencies / US Dollar
Jack Crooks writes: It's my job to analyze the markets, turn them upside down, inside out, and always consider both sides of the story.
That's the only way to make informed trading decisions, and to make sure the odds are tipped in your favor as much as possible.
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Monday, June 02, 2008
Go Away in May, Come Back and Sell Today … / Currencies / US Dollar
We’re sure you’ve heard this before: “Sell in May and go away!” It’s the media’s cute way of explaining the relatively low interest and falling prices during the summertime. Mostly because they believe anybody who’s anybody is off sunning themselves on the beach or out at a ballgame somewhere.
Well, we’ve got a new little ditty for you: “Go Away in May, Come Back and Sell Today!”
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Monday, May 26, 2008
Stocks and Oil Point to New US Dollar Low / Currencies / US Dollar
Jack Crooks writes: Just when nibbling at a dollar rally started to look safe — bam! The real world of rising risk reared its ugly head again.
Two markets that reflect risk are the stock market and crude oil. The stock market because it's the quintessential risk asset class. And crude because higher prices threaten economic growth and add to inflation expectations.
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Friday, May 23, 2008
US Dollar Crisis Not Oil Crisis / Economics / US Dollar
It's unfortunate that the Supreme Court, in its ruling this week that U.S. currency is unfair to the blind, did not make the next logical step and declare it unfair to everyone who buys gasoline.
In their search for explanations as to why oil has surged past $130 per barrel, Washington, Wall Street, and the financial media are as clueless as cavemen after a freak summer snow storm.
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Dow and the Dollar Tracking Tightly–Is US Dollar Test of Lows on the Cards? / Currencies / US Dollar
More evidence the dollar is not immune to risk. Stocks getting clobbered today for a host of reasons—choose your poison. Lately the dollar and the stock market have been moving closely together. Higher stocks equal higher dollar and vice versa. Is a test of the dollar lows in the cards? The run back into gold and continued move in commodities has the look of safe haven.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
How the Recession Will Impact the US Dollar / Currencies / US Dollar
Jack Crooks writes: Too severe, or not too severe; that is the question. I'm talking about the U.S. recession that we're already in, about to be in, or hoping to avoid.
At this point it depends a lot on how you approach the subject, but assuming for a moment that recession is inevitable, analysts and economists are asking: How much will growth contract? Can Mr. U.S. consumer muddle through, or will he stumble and fall? And how much have financial markets already discounted an official recession?
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Australian Dollar vs. New Zealand Dollar: No Longer a One Way Bet Against the US Dollar / Currencies / US Dollar
There’ve been a couple noticeable changes since the U.S. dollar index marked its most recent all‐time low on March 17th. Traders’ and investors’ appetite has been all mixed up.
The euro continued to rally to the $1.60 mark before falling about 5% versus the buck. It’s yet to recover. And I imagine this pair is under heavy scrutiny in determining the legitimacy of the dollar’s rally.
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