Thursday, February 28, 2019
Next Recession: Turning Zero Percent Interest Rates Into A 21% Yield / Interest-Rates / US Interest Rates
By: Dan_Amerman
If there is a new recession in the next few years, then it is highly likely that the Federal Reserve will take extreme measures in response, with the primary response being to swiftly knock short term interest rates back down to zero percent.
For many investors - the combination of recession, heavy-handed Fed interventions, and the return of zero percent interest rate policies (ZIRP) is likely to produce devastating results for their portfolios, and possibly their standard of living in retirement.
At the same time - some quite attractive profit opportunities will also exist, once we learn how to see them. This analysis explores one reasonably simple and practical alternative for turning zero percent interest rates into a 21% annual return.
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
More Short-Term Stock Market Uncertainty as Investors Await Economic Data Releases / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2019
By: Paul_Rejczak
Stocks were mixed again on Wednesday, as investors hesitated following the recent advances. The S&P 500 index continues to trade at the 2,800 resistance level. So is this a topping pattern or just a pause before another leg up?
The U.S. stock market indexes were mixed between -0.3% and +0.1% on Wednesday, as investors hesitated following the recent advances. The S&P 500 index retraced more of its October-December downward correction of 20.2% on Monday. It got closer to the previous local highs along the 2,800 level. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.1% yesterday.
The nearest important resistance level of the S&P 500 index remains at around 2,800-2,820, marked by the previous medium-term local highs. On the other hand, the support level is now at around 2,765-2,780, marked by the recent local lows. The support level is also at the previous Friday's daily gap up of 2,757.90-2,760.24.
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
The US Constitution Myth / Politics / US Politics
By: Antonius_Aquinas
One reason for the failure of the modern conservative and libertarian movements to scale back, in even a miniscule way, the now gargantuan US welfare/warfare state has been the misinterpretation of the US Constitution. Many conservatives have a slavish devotion to the document, placing it on a par with the Ten Commandments and New Testament.
A typical misunderstanding of the Constitution’s history and content appeared in this recent op-ed:
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
Nokia and Ericsson Are Making a Huge Comeback—Buy Them Before Most Investors Realize This / Companies / Mobile Technology
By: Stephen_McBride
In 2017, American officials discovered that ZTE was selling phones to US enemies like North Korea.The US government told ZTE to stop. It refused. So lawmakers banned ZTE from doing any business in America.
ZTE had been manufacturing roughly 25% of its phone parts in the US. So the ban crippled its business overnight.
ZTE’s shares plunged 55% in two weeks, and the stock has never recovered:
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
How to Earn 25%+ Dividends with Blue Chip Stocks / Companies / Dividends
By: Robert_Foss
They are known as the Coca-Cola millionaires.
In the early 1920s, a Florida banker named Pat Munroe convinced his clients to buy shares of Coca-Cola (KO).
He saw that even in tough times, people would still have a few nickels to buy Coca-Cola.
Those who followed Munroe’s urgings made fortunes. His advice minted 67 Coca-Cola millionaires.
While investors reaped giant profits as the stock price climbed higher, the dividends they earned are even more impressive.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Pakistan India Conflict over Kashmir Risks Nuclear Winter, but Gold Goes Down / Politics / Nuclear Weapons
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
Many important things happened yesterday. Cohen testified before the Congress, the US-North Korea Summit took place, while tensions between India and Pakistan escalated. Will these developments boost gold?
India and Pakistan Engage in Another Conflict over Kashmir
India and Pakistan are once again squaring off over the disputed region of Kashmir. It began with the suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed more than 40 people. As the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the bombing, India retaliated and launched air strikes inside Pakistan, the first aerial attacks across the Line of Control dividing both countries since 1971. The results of these strikes are not confirmed. However, we know that two Indian jets were shot down and Pakistan army captured one pilot.
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
The European Health Insurance Card: The Facts that Matter / Personal_Finance / Travel & Holidays
By: Dylan_Moran
Good quality healthcare is still a huge issue being tackled by many countries around the world. But for residents in European Union member countries, quality healthcare is now made more accessible through the European Health Insurance Card. This card is granted to citizens either free of charge or at a reduced cost where card holders will get access to medical treatment in 31 EU and EEA countries during a temporary stay. The card replaced the E111 card after it was discontinued in 2005.
The EHIC, however, is taking the spotlight again but this time, due to concerns over its validity after the UK exits the EU. This means that the EHIC will only work for UK citizens until March 29, 2019. But while the decision whether EU health card holders from the UK can continue to use its privileges or not, let’s take a closer look at all the facts that matter when it comes to the European Health Insurance Card:
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
Peak Gold Is Not Bullish For Prices / Commodities / Gold & Silver 2019
By: Kelsey_Williams
For over a year now, the South African mining industry has experienced a measurably significant decline in the amount of gold produced. Statistics reported by South Africa last week show that the amount of gold produced by South African mines has declined for fifteen consecutive months. In December, gold output dropped thirty-one percent from the year before.
All mines, including gold, have a useful life which is determined by the ‘extraction period’ – the period of time during which recovery of the desired mineral deposit is procured. The output over time tends to grow at first, reach a peak, and then decline.
As the decline in output for a particular mine grows, the extraction process eventually proves unprofitable. After a certain point, it is no longer feasible to pursue the activity.
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
US Dollar Set to Rally and Gold Collapse? / Commodities / Gold & Silver 2019
By: Chris_Vermeulen
The US Dollar is poised to rally back to near $97.50 as this recent downside price swing ends. We believe the US/China trade talks and North Korea deal with result in a strong upside potential for the US Dollar and the US stock market as time progresses.
A certain number of industry analysts are starting to announce the recent December 24th lows and subsequent rally as a “new bull market”. We have been suggesting to our followers that this market has lots of room to run as a continued global capital shift takes place. We do expect some price rotation over the next 3~5+ weeks in certain sectors – including the US stock market and Gold. We believe the US Dollar strength will continue to push higher, above $97, with the potential to reach near $99 before the end of this year.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Harley Davidson Looking at Electric Bikes to Save the Day / Companies / Electric Cars
By: Rodney_Johnson
My father had a Harley in the mid-1980s, which I would ride from time to time. It was an ’83 Sportster, and it leaked oil, and the electrical system would cut off when you turned a corner.
Back then that was called “character.” Today, we’d call it sloppy workmanship.
Insiders bought the company from conglomerate AMF in the early 1980s, and by the end of the decade they’d returned the storied brand to its historical place – a well-made American icon.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
The Next Big Stock Market Indicator: Unemployment / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2019
By: Harry_Dent
I’m always on the lookout for leading indicators that can give us an edge over erratic, irrational markets.There are a lot of them.
Some are complicated, like the popular composite index from the Conference Board. It includes average weekly hours by manufacturing workers, initial applications for unemployment, new manufacturing orders for consumer goods, speed of delivery from suppliers to vendors, new orders for capital goods, new residential building permits, S&P 500 stock index, inflation-adjusted money supply (M2), spread between long- and short-term rates, and consumer sentiment.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
The $32 Trillion Push To Disrupt The Entire Oil Industry / Commodities / Crude Oil
By: OilPrice_Com
Global oil and gas companies are increasingly facing an uphill battle as global warming policies are taking their toll. Most analysts and market watchers are focusing on peak oil demand scenarios, but the reality could be much darker. International oil companies (IOCs) are likely to face a Black Swan scenario, which could end up being a boon for state-owned oil companies (NOCs).
Increased shareholder activism, combined with global warming policies of institutional investors and NGOs, are pushing IOCs in a corner, constricting financing options for oil companies.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Bullish Sentiment Won’t Prevent a Breakout in Gold / Commodities / Gold & Silver 2019
By: Jordan_Roy_Byrne
Back in 2013 I recall having a bearish view on the stock market due to extremely bullish sentiment readings. The market completely ignored that, made a major breakout through 13 year resistance and continued running for years.
Lesson learned.
Turning to Gold, we find something similar during major breakouts in 2005, 2007 and 2009. In the chart below we plot Gold along with its net speculative position (as a percentage of open interest) and the widely followed daily sentiment index.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Stock Market Beware of Confirmation Bias / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2019
By: Avi_Gilburt
Albert Einstein once said: “Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are incapable of forming such opinions."
To Mr. Einstein, it was quite clear that people have their biases, and it is extremely rare that they are able to disassociate themselves from those biases, if ever. It is for this reason that investor seek out analysts who provide support to their pre-determined biases. We call this bias confirmation. And, almost every investor you speak to is afflicted with this condition.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Slowing Stock Market Rally, What's Next / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2019
By: Troy_Bombardia
For the first time since the stock market’s bottom in December 2018, the S&P has closed in the bottom 1/3 of its daily range for 2 consecutive days. In other words, the stock market’s rally is slowing down.
Meanwhile, the housing market continues to deteriorate. Housing is a key leading indicator for the economy and stock market.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Gold and Silver Prepare For A Momentum Rally / Commodities / Gold & Silver 2019
By: Chris_Vermeulen
Today we warn of a potential downside price rotation in precious metals that may last 3~5+ weeks as metals set up for a massive breakout rally which we believe will start in late April or early May. Our custom indicators are suggesting that precious metals, and the general US stock markets, may be setting up for a bit of a reprieve rotation after a very impressive recovery. Be patient as we believe this pullback in prices will provide an excellent buying opportunity for the eventual momentum rally setting up in about 30+ days.
Let’s start by looking at our Custom Market Volatility indicators. The Weekly chart below highlights the recent recovery in the US stock market since the December 24th, 2018 lows and also shows that the current recovery level is sitting right at a 61.8% Fibonacci level. It is our belief that a period of general price weakness will begin to unfold over the next 10~15+ days in the US stock market. This rotation is very healthy for the next leg higher – the momentum rally we have been suggesting will take place in the near future.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
The Green New Art of the Deal / Politics / US Politics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
There are lots of people talking about how they much disagree with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, how silly she is, how dumb and impossible and irresponsible her Green New Deal is, but I think they’re missing a point or two. First of all: what’s the alternative? Who would you trade her for? Hillary? Feinstein? Pelosi? Bernie Sanders? Cory Booker?
Would you rather things stay the same? I can see that from the Hillary Pelosi camp, but not from any other Democrats – nor, obviously, Republicans. Three quarters of America must be dead sick of that cabal, the 50% that are GOP, plus the half of Democrats that would also prefer to vote for someone below 75 years old because 90% are themselves younger than that.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Home Equity Release Market Expands to Meet Growing Demand / Housing-Market / Mortgages
By: MoneyFacts
The equity release market has evolved significantly over the past five years, so much so that the number of deals available has expanded enormously. This increase in choice has been driven by growing demand from consumers searching for options to release cash from their homes.
Indeed, the latest research from Moneyfacts.co.uk can reveal that there are now over 200 lifetime equity release deals available on the market today, five times more than that seen in 2014, when there were just 40. Not only this, but the market has grown by more than 50% since a year ago, when there were 131 deals available.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Examining Trading Platforms: Features to Watch For / Stock-Markets / Trading Systems
By: Umer_Mahmood
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Tuesday, February 26, 2019
What Do You Want, Mr. Gold? / Commodities / Gold & Silver 2019
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
Barrick wants to buy Newmont. Trump wants a deal with China. Palladium wants to fly into space. And what does gold want?
Will Barrick and Newmont Create Gold Monster?
Do you remember our January 24, 2019 edition of the Gold News Monitor? We analyzed in that report the historic transaction in the bullion industry, i.e. the Newmont Mining’s purchase of Goldcorp, which will create the world’s largest gold miner. Forget it!
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