Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Economic Confidence Index Plunges while Stock Market Makes Record Highs / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Chris_Vermeulen

The Gallup Poll has released an Economic Confidence Index which reflects the sentiment of Americans, as it pertains to the economy.

As the stock market makes new record highs and the housing “bubble” market soars, one would expect that the “average” American would be smiling from ear to ear.   However, the chart below appears to present nothing but gloom and doom.  The Gallup Polls results are dumbfounding the American public as to why this divergence has occurred.  I feel we have touched upon a few points as to why this is occurring.

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

The Yield Curve - 3 Big Stories Not Being Covered With Graham Mehl / Interest-Rates / US Interest Rates

By: Andy_Sutton

It occurred to us as we were laying out the contents of this article that we should probably not assume certain things. This publication has a wide readership, from corporate CEOs to high school students. The former are looking for analysis, the latter to become educated. The topic we are going to tackle in this second installment is a complex one, so some introduction is in order. Therefore, this piece will consist of two parts: an opening introduction, a primer if you will, then the analysis will follow. If you are well-versed in interest rates, bonds, bond yields, and debt, you can probably skip the primer, although we’ve been surprised at the number of people who have subscribed to the misconceptions stated therein.

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

All the Trump men, and Consiglieri / ElectionOracle / US Presidential Election 2016

By: Michael_T_Bucci

Twentieth-century “Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment”, Joseph Goebbels, stressed how best to psychologically control the masses. Abstracted by scholars Jowett and O’Donnell, these principles are:

1. Avoid abstract ideas and appeal to the emotions.

2. Constantly repeat just a few ideas and use stereotyped phrases.

3. Give only one side of the argument.

4. Continuously criticize the opponents.

5. Pick out one special “enemy” for special vilification.

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Precious Metals - Money Always Moves from Weak Hands into Strong Hands / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: The_Gold_Report

Precious metals expert Bob Moriarty advises investors on how they can avoid the disinformation and invest with the smart money. Over the last 15 years I have come to realize just how much disinformation and simply bad information there is available to readers of financial matters. Much of what you watch and hear is simply wrong. People wonder why they consistently lose money and it's simple. The best-informed investor is the most profitable investor. But that's not in terms of quantity of investing information; it has far more to do with quality of investing material. Listen for the signal and learn to ignore the noise.

Monday, August 01, 2016

US Economy - 3 Charts Economists Want to Keep Secret / Economics / US Economy

By: EWI

Despite new all-time highs in the stock market, US economic data is lagging. In fact, real GDP per person just dropped to its lowest level in more than 75 years!

While major news outlets never miss a chance to jump on that latest negative trend from society, they seem reluctant to cover basic economic figures that could spell bad news for millions of Americans. Yet the steady dive in US economic performance has recently become too pronounced to ignore.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Oil Shares Now Attractive for the Long Term / Commodities / Oil Companies

By: The_Energy_Report

Technical analyst Jack Chan charts a new major buy signal for oil stocks.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Why Should The IMF Care About Its Credibility? / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis

By: Raul_I_Meijer

The IMF’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) issued a report a few days ago entitled ‘The IMF and the Crises in Greece, Ireland, and Portugal’. It is so damning for managing director Christine Lagarde and her closest associates, that it’s hard to see, certainly at first blush, how they could all keep their jobs. But don’t be surprised if that is exactly what will happen.

Because organizations like the IMF don’t care much, if at all, about accountability. Their leaders think they are close to untouchable, at least as long as they have the ‘blessing’ of those whose interests they serve. Which in case of the IMF means the world’s major banks and the governments of the richest nations (who also serve the same banks’ interests). And if these don’t like the course set out, a scandal with a chambermaid is easily staged.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Central Bankers Fighting An Unprecedented Global Economic Slowdown / Interest-Rates / Central Banks

By: Gordon_T_Long

The mainstream news sources seem determined to ignore the extent of the global slowdown in trade. Whether exports, imports, industrial production or whatever your preferrred metric, the facts are undeniable. Nevertheless, the mainstream media chooses to refuse to cover it. It begs an obvious question of - why?

Monday, August 01, 2016

Gold Is an Obvious Trade in This Freaking Fantasyland / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: John_Mauldin

JARED DILLIAN writes: I’m watching the Trump phenomenon with some mix of horror and amusement, like I suspect most people are.

I will say up front that I am no fan of Trump. I sincerely wish Gary Johnson would become president, having been a Libertarian long before it was fashionable (and when the candidates were a lot less viable).

Monday, August 01, 2016

The Failed Coup Will Help Turkey Become a Major Power / Politics / Turkey

By: John_Mauldin

GEORGE FRIEDMAN writes: In my book The Next 100 Years, I argued that Turkey is going to become a major regional power. Recent events would seem at odds with this view. But in fact, they confirm it.

Emerging as a regional power puts great pressure on a nation. The shift in external reality causes internal shifts as well. This is what we see in Turkey: a clash between rival factions with diverse visions, a coup of some sort, and for now, a dictatorship.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Former Fed Chairman May Have Given Japan the Answer to Its Debt Problems / Interest-Rates / Global Debt Crisis 2016

By: John_Mauldin

Japan just had its national elections. Voters there do not share the anti-establishment fever that grips the rest of the developed world. They gave Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his allies a solid parliamentary majority. Japanese are either happy with Abenomics or see no better option.

Abe may now have the backing he needs to change Japan’s constitution and its official pacifism policy. This would be less a sign of nationalism than a new economic stimulus tool. Defense spending is expected to more than double. This will give a big boost to Japan’s shipyards, vehicle manufacturing, and electronics industries.

Monday, August 01, 2016

4 Stages of Fiat Monetary Madness / Currencies / Fiat Currency

By: Michael_Pento

There are four stages of fiat money printing that have been used by central banks throughout their horrific history of usurping the market-based value of money and borrowing costs. It is a destructive path that began with going off the gold standard and historically ends in hyperinflation and economic chaos.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Stock Market More Short-Term Uncertainty As Stocks Hover Along Record Highs / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Paul_Rejczak

Briefly: In our opinion, speculative short positions are favored (with stop-loss at 2,210, and profit target at 2,050, S&P 500 index).

Our intraday outlook is bearish, and our short-term outlook is bearish. Our medium-term outlook is now neutral, following S&P 500 index breakout above last year's all-time high:

Intraday outlook (next 24 hours): bearish
Short-term outlook (next 1-2 weeks): bearish
Medium-term outlook (next 1-3 months): neutral
Long-term outlook (next year): neutral

Monday, August 01, 2016

Best Fixed Rate Savings Deals Vanish from Sight! / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts

By: MoneyFacts

Savers have had it rough over the years and with endless cuts decimating the market, some potential investors may not realise that a few best buy savings deals are in fact disappearing altogether.

Indeed, research from Moneyfacts.co.uk can reveal that in July there were 13 best buy savings deals withdrawn entirely from the market, that have yet to be replaced. Some of the best deals have only sat on the shelf for a week* before being closed to new customers, a clear sign that providers can not cope with the onslaught of new savers looking for a home for their cash.

Monday, August 01, 2016

WTI Forecast Pattern Suggests Higher Crude Oil Prices Coming / Commodities / Crude Oil

By: Ken_Ticehurst

WTI having recently topped out at $50 per barrel, is now possibly ending a decent consolidation having moved off its start of the year lows. Our longer term patterns show the strong possibility of a rise to $60+ during the second half of this year before a further decline in to 2017.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Financial Markets May Become Disruptive! / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2016

By: Brad_Gudgeon

My biggest concern regarding the last low on June 27th was the fact that the Dow Indu did not make an intervening high on June 8 as the SPX did, which means the Dow Indu likely finished wave Y on July 14th AND June 8th was NOT wave Y of an XYZ bull flag for the SPX, but rather Wave W of a bearish WXY flag! It had the appearance of a Y wave on the SPX (and other indices), so the June 27 low appeared to be a Z wave when in fact it was likely an X wave, but shot the market higher anyway as Wave Y had to play out with a y of Y type wave.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Ron Paul Warns - Americans Are Going to be Disappointed by Election Outcome / ElectionOracle / US Presidential Election 2016

By: Dr_Ron_Paul

It is a sad commentary on the state of political life in the United States that our political conventions have become more like rock music festivals than competitions of ideas. There has been a great deal of bombast, of insults, of name-calling, and of chest-beating at both party conventions, but what is disturbingly absent is any mention of how we got to this crisis and how we can get out. From the current foreign policy mess to the looming economic collapse, all we hear is both party candidates saying they will fix it, no problem.

Monday, August 01, 2016

The Weekly Charts for Nasdaq, Gold, Miners, France, UK, Germany, Dollar... / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2016

By: Gary_Savage

Most traders are so short term oriented that they forget to look at the weekly charts. The weeklies will tell you the intermediate trend. It’s never safe to trade against the intermediate trend unless it is very late in the intermediate cycle.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Stock Market Consolidation/ Correction Continues / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Andre_Gratian

Current Position of the Market

SPX Long-term trend: The long-term trend is at an all-time high.

SPX Intermediate trend: The uptrend from 1810 has continued to a new high.

Analysis of the short-term trend is done on a daily basis with the help of hourly charts. It is an important adjunct to the analysis of daily and weekly charts which discuss longer market trends.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Huge Stakes in the US Presidential Race / ElectionOracle / US Presidential Election 2016

By: Stephen_Lendman

US elections matter, notably with such hugely important domestic and geopolitical issues at stake.

No matter who wins in November, ordinary people worldwide lose - especially if Hillary succeeds Obama next year.

Never before in US history has a more reviled and recklessly dangerous aspirant sought the nation’s highest office - a shocking indictment of a political system too debauched to fix.