Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Fed Taper Nervous Breakdown / Interest-Rates / Quantitative Easing

By: Michael_Pento

The next time the Fed reduces its bond purchase program the market reaction should be more like a nervous breakdown rather than just a tantrum.

First let’s review a bit of the historical histrionics surrounding the initial Taper Tantrum. Back in September 2012, the Fed’s Quantitative Easing program was running at the level of $85 billion per month. The asset purchase program consisted of both Mortgage-Backed Securities and Treasuries. Then, in December 2012, Fed Chair Ben Bernanke expanded his massive QE 3 scheme by making its duration unlimited. But by May 2013, the time had finally arrived to start discussing the tapering of its asset purchases. And in December of that year Tapering officially began; with QE ending by October 2014. Of course, the Fed would be back in the QE game six years later. But at the time, the overwhelming consensus thinking was that the 100-year economic storm had passed and we would never witness such extraordinary actions by our central bank ever again.

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

What Will the U.S. Dollar Ring in for 2021? / Currencies / US Dollar

By: P_Radomski_CFA

The fate of the U.S. Dollar will weigh heavily on the future of the precious metals in 2021. At first glance, the USDX’s prospects look rather bleak in the first months of the year, but as the pages of the book turn, the dollar’s likely later ascension could prove rather bearish for gold and the PMs.

Breaking hearts as the USD Index falls in and out of love, the greenback continues to leave bulls at the altar, which is likely to have important implications for the gold market in the following weeks . Dressed to impress, investors lined the cathedral aisles as the USDX looked ready to commit to the 90-level.

But as cold feet turned into a dash for the exit, 2020 ended without a celebration.

However, as we enter 2021 and net-short futures positions (non-commercial traders) remain at their highest level since 2006, the slightest shift in sentiment could have wedding bells ringing again.

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Stock market frenzy- Ride the bandwagon but be sure to take along some gold coins / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021

By: Michael_J_Kosares

What is it with billionaires and gold?

When billionaire Sam Zell warned at the end of December that the dollar’s status as the world’s principal reserve currency was in jeopardy, it nudged something in the back of the mind about the number of billionaires over the past year who issued similar warnings. The wealthiest among us, it seems, are also the most vocal and proactive about the dangers they see dead ahead. Meanwhile, the unschooled masses utilize online investment portals from Robinhood to Schwab to dash headlong into the most wildly overvalued stock market in history.

In a recent MarketWatch interview, Charlie Munger, another billionaire and Warren Buffett’s business partner called the current stock market frenzy “the most dramatic thing that’s almost ever happened in the entire world history of finance.” He believes that “we’re in very uncharted waters. Nobody has gotten by with the kind of money printing now for a very extended period without some kind of trouble. We’re very near the edge of playing with fire.” Ray Dalio, who heads up the world’s largest hedge fund (Bridgewater Securities) and another billionaire, believes that the world is likely to change in “shocking ways” over the next five years, including a loss of faith in the U.S. dollar: “Within the next five years you could see a situation in which foreigners who have been lending money to the United States won’t want to.”

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Overclockers UK Custom Build Gaming System Review Heat Test and Final Conclusion / Personal_Finance / Computing

By: HGR

Our final test on a custom built PC from Overclockers UK was to see how hot the CPU runs under load, as it should be every buyers first test! So how did the overclockers system that cost £1000 fair? Noting that the case was not our preferred choice. Anyway find out how we rate Overclockers custom built PC's if you are thinking of buying a mid-range custom built PC.

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Precious Metals Resuming Bull Market, Gold, Silver, GDX Trend Forecasts 2021 / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021

By: Ken_Ticehurst

Gold and silver continue to be bullish, the gold miners are mixed and bitcoin continues to outperform. Despite the unprecedented events of 2020 the precious metals have had a positive year, the pandemic brought volatility to the market with a sharp drop followed by a continuation of the upward trend that had begun before Covid disrupted our lives.

Unprecendented global liquidity since the pandemic has been the catalyst for much of the recent reflation in markets, Central Bank willingness to maintain ultra low rates, Government deficits, stimulus packages and infrastructure projetcs are all adding to rising markets.

Whilst Coronavirus is still with us it seems as though we are over the worst of it, with better testing and vaccines available to us, barring an unprecedented mutation it is unlikely to provide no more than a mild headwind to investors as we head to the peak of the Northern Hemisphere flu season.

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Trump’s Iran-COVID-Gate Anniversary  / Politics / Iran

By: Dan_Steinbock

A year ago, the Trump administration escalated regime change efforts against Iran, while shunning the war against COVID-19. Due to misplaced priorities, more Americans have perished in the pandemic than US combatants in World War II.

In the past month, US B-52 bombers flew over the Gulf three times in a show of force the Trump administration called a deterrence measure. Presumably, to keep Iran from retaliating on January 3; the first anniversary of the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike.

The international concern is that President Trump could resort to military action against Iran, even in his remaining days in office.

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

2021 May Be A Good Year For The Cannabis / Marijuana Sector / Companies / Cannabis

By: Chris_Vermeulen

Great progress in terms of legalization was made for the Cannabis/Marijuana sector in 2020 that will.  The 2020 elections resulted in a number of US states engaging in new Cannabis friendly policies and laws being approved by voters. This suggests a new rally in the Cannabis sector may be setting up in 2021 and beyond for traders. Our BAN – Best Asset Now – trading strategy is always looking out for the next sector to make a trade, and the Cannabis sector is certainly one we are keeping our eyes on! Make sure you sign up for my FREE webinar to find and trade the Best Assets Now just like me.

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Stock Market Approaching an Important Target / Stock-Markets / Stock Market 2021

By: Andre_Gratian

Current Position of the Market

SPX Long-term trend:  There is some good evidence that we are still in the bull market which started in 2009 and which could continue into the first quarter of 2021 before coming to an end.

SPX Intermediate trend:  New intermediate uptrend ending?

Analysis of the short-term trend is done daily with the help of hourly charts. They are important adjuncts to the analysis of daily and weekly charts which determine longer market trends.

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Consumer Prices Are Not Reflecting Higher Inflation; Neither Is The CRB / Economics / Inflation

By: Kelsey_Williams

As of November 30th, the annual inflation rate for the year 2020 is 1.17% (CPI). And it is not likely to get a whole lot worse anytime soon.

When the Federal Reserve responded to the financial crisis of 2007-08 with hugely unprecedented monetary expansion efforts, many thought that it would lead to runaway inflation and collapse of the U.S. dollar. It didn’t; and the expected higher inflation rates did not occur.

What did happen is that consumer prices remained reasonably stable and we even saw lower prices in 2009 and 2015.

Monday, January 04, 2021

NEW UK Coronavirus PANIC FULL Lockdown Imminent, All Schools to Close! GCSE Exams Cancelled! / Politics / Pandemic

By: N_Walayat

Today was Eliza's first day back and school, unfortunately it could the first and last for some time as a NEW UK Coronavirus total lockdown is imminent, that looks set to include the closure of all UK schools due to the new strain of the virus that is 50% more virulent spreading like wildfire sending the number of daily cases soaring with NHS hospitals full to the brim with covid-19 patients without any spare capacity for the daily onslaught of over 1000 patients arriving per day.

Whilst the Nightingale hospitals proved to be disastrous waste of resources, for without doctors and nurses a hospital bed is just the same as any bed. Therefore this time round there is no mad rush to activate Nightingale hospitals which during the chinese viruses first wave pulled desperate resources away from NHS hospitals that likely made the April death toll worse than it would have been, a painful lesson learned.

Monday, January 04, 2021

The Year the World Fell Down the Rabbit Hole / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2020

By: Gary_Tanashian

Conspiracies and bias hurt investors

It’s no wonder so many people have been unable to attain proper market positioning in 2020. You invest with your heart, soul, fears or even sometimes your intellect and you risk blowing yourself up at worst, or missing out at best. For much of 2020 Twitter has been a forum for ‘influencers’ with tens of thousands of followers spewing dogma and influencing their herds alright. I watched it happen all year, in the Twitter machine and at other venues.

You know the perma-bearish or ‘got gold?’ types, issuing dire warnings and authoritative discussion of just how bad off the world is (well, it ain’t good, I grant them that). But it’s the practical reaction or lack thereof, not the news itself that matters.

Monday, January 04, 2021

A Year Like No Other for Precious Metals… and Everything Else / Commodities / Gold & Silver 2020

By: MoneyMetals

Well, it’s been a year like no other in so many ways. “Unprecedented” is an often-overused term. But there truly is no precedent for much of what transpired in public health, politics, the monetary system, the economy, and markets.

More than 300,000 Americans reportedly lost their lives while infected with COVID-19.  Less widely publicized was a spike in deaths of despair due to lockdowns and related social ills that drove all too many into depression and drug addiction.  Or the deaths that were caused, or will be caused, by Americans putting off or avoiding doctor’s visits.

America’s cities burned while the mainstream media egged on anti-police protests. In their aftermath, record surges in murders and other violent crimes followed across the country.

Monday, January 04, 2021

The Stocks Bull Market is Only Half Completed / Stock-Markets / Stock Market 2021

By: Donald_W_Dony

After over 11 years of continuous advancement, the bull market is finally starting to show signs of its age.

Historically, secular bull markets tend to last about 18 years. This was the case for the prior three bull markets.

From 1919 to 1930 and from 1949 to 1970 and again from 1982 to 2000, the U.S. stock market unrelentingly rose despite fundamental and economical challenges.

The current bull market has also faced a number obstacles over the past 11 years. But similar to past secular bulls, shows no signs of altering its upward path.

Monday, January 04, 2021

An In- Depth Look At Gold Price Trend / Commodities / Gold & Silver 2020

By: Rambus_Chartology

Gold plays a duel role as a commodity and as a monetary metal which makes it important to keep a close eye on. During the early stages of a commodity bull market Gold will generally lead the whole complex higher. When the troops see the General leading they will feel more emboldened to have their turn at a bull market. We’ve seen this scenario playing out since the Spring of this year where most of the important commodities have bottomed out and are beginning their new respective bull markets. Gold actually bottomed in late  December of 2015 while commodities continued in their bear markets into the Spring of 2020.

As a monetary metal some investors like to use Gold as a safe way to store wealth or as a hedge against inflation. Other investors like to have Gold in their portfolio in case the stock markets crash and the economy goes into a deep tailspin and never recovers again. One thing we do know is that Gold will always have a monetary value and not go to zero which is possible with an individual stock.

In this in-depth look at Gold we’ll look at it from the daily to quarterly charts, in bar and line charts and ratio combo charts which will paint the history for gold starting from the 1970’s to the present. When you finish reading this post you should have a strong understanding of where Gold has been and where it is likely to go based on the Chartology. There are no absolutes when it comes to the markets, but as we know history never repeats exactly the same but can rhyme to a certain degree.

Let’s start with a daily chart for Gold and then work our way out to the longer term charts and try to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to form a working scenario we can use to help guide us going forward. Without a game plan or working scenario one is left to the emotional destruction, from a psychological perspective, that ruins most investors that don’t have a true understanding of how markets work.

Monday, January 04, 2021

Building America Back After a Dark Covid Winter / Politics / Coronavirus Depression

By: James_Quinn

In Part One of this article I laid out the case the “dark winter”  narrative and how an experimental vaccine marketed like a tech product by Big Pharma and their cronies are part of a globalist scheme to reset the world and force us into subservience.

Now we get to Biden’s campaign slogan, which began to be adopted in August 2020, and was beaten like a dead horse just before and after the rigged election. “Build back better” must have played well among the useless eater, mouth breather demographic, when tested by Biden’s handlers. Biden would pop his head out of the basement periodically to stumble through a teleprompter speech where he was instructed to utter “build back better” three or four times.

Monday, January 04, 2021

America's Dark Covid Winter Ahead / Politics / Coronavirus Depression

By: James_Quinn

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something. That there is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien

With all the talk about dark winters from Biden, Harris, Fauci, tyrannical Democrat governors, pandemic hysteria medical “experts”, and the corporate media paid to propagate the vital narrative, my mind was naturally drawn to the words of J.R.R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a story of good versus evil, with a foreboding mood of darkness and doom.

To those of us of a conspiratorial nature, according to those who conspired to overthrow a duly elected president for four years and are currently conspiring to steal the presidency through blatant election rigging and mail-in ballot fraud, we believe the darkness engulfing our nation has been initiated by the billionaire globalist evildoers marshaling dark forces in their Mordor on the Potomac.

Sunday, January 03, 2021

Buy a Landrover Discovery Sport in 2021? 3 Year Driving Review / ConsumerWatch / Land Rover

By: N_Walayat

Thinking of treating yourselves to a landrover discovery sport in 2021? Either New are Used then here is my review of what you need to know after having owned and driven a Discovery Sport for 3 FULL YEARS!

Landrover Discovery Sport HSE BLACK that I bought under Approved Used when the car was about 15 months old, with 13,000 miles on the clock, so still under manufacturers warranty, followed by a few months under Land Rovers Approved Used extended warranty and then it's third year of ownership out of warranty.

Sunday, January 03, 2021

Stock Market Major Peak in Early April 2021 / Stock-Markets / Stock Market 2021

By: Chris_Vermeulen

In the first part of this research article, we highlighted some of W.D. Gann’s research, particularly the theory of price vibrations, angles, slopes, and how they relate to future price projections/targets.  We also showed how important it was to understand what price does when it reaches these critical inflection points.  In this second part of our research, we are going to explore Gann time/price cycles and how they relate to our Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arcs.

Our research will show you exactly why we believe an early April 2021 peak may be setting up in the US/global markets and why you need to prepare for this now.  We believe the remainder of the bullish price trend may continue to push higher, scaling very close to the CYAN trendline on the chart below over the next 60+ days before starting to break lower as we near the end of March 2021.  Let’s explore why we believe this is likely to happen.

We highlighted the importance of the CYAN trend line and the multiple Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arcs that are arcing through the recent price range in Part I.  It is our belief that these critical levels represent a major inflection point in the advance of price and that price may continue to attempt to push higher – but may align itself below the CYAN trendline as it inches closer to the early April Gann price/time arc that we believe will set up a major top in the markets.

Sunday, January 03, 2021

Travel and Holidays 2021 - Flight Knight Cabin Bag Review / Personal_Finance / Travel & Holidays

By: HGR

2020 has finally ended and Soon the pandemic will be behind us, so we are already gearing up for a fantastic holiday 2021 which includes upgrading from our tattered old cabin bangs, after much searching of Amazon Anika settled on the Knight Flight Cabin Bag, and eager to holiday has already packed it full, with Eliza throwing in her little cuddly toys.

Get the Flight Knight Cabin Bag from Amazon - UK £29.99 https://amzn.to/3rEl1Cm - US $29.99 https://amzn.to/2X1fnMD (affiliate links)

Saturday, January 02, 2021

🎆 Happy New Year 2021 Fireworks and Drone Light Show from London and Sheffied - BBC🎆 / Local / Holidays

By: Anika_Walayat

This was how we saw in the New Year in Sheffield and London UK, the streets were empty but there were plenty of fireworks!