Investors Business Daily – IBD/TIPP Poll: Economic Optimism Hits 12-Year High On Trumponomics The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index climbed to 56.4 in February, rising eight-tenths of a point to hit the highest level since October 2004 in a vote of confidence for Trumponomics. Americans’ view of federal economic policies rose to the highest level in a… Continue reading Checking In On Stock Sentiment
Comment Jim Bianco was interview by Financial Sense on Friday. To listen to the interview, click on the image below. Audio [audio:http://www.financialsensenewshour.com/broadcast/insider/fsn2017-0208-bianco-u5g8d6b.mp3|titles=Interview ]
<Click on graphic for larger image> Bloomberg.com – Wall Street’s Love Affair With Energy Heats Up as Rigs Soar Wall Street is throwing the most money at U.S. energy companies since at least 2000 amid growing confidence that the industry is emerging from the worst downturn in a generation. Energy firms raised $6.64 billion in 13 equity… Continue reading U.S. Energy Companies Raising Cash
<Click on chart for larger image> The Financial Times – How the ECB’s purchases have changed European bond markets With about €1.5tn in assets, the central bank hopes to kick-start continent’s economy The European Central Bank now holds more than €1.5tn of assets, which it has bought as part of purchases designed to kick-start the… Continue reading The European Bond Market
<Click on chart for larger image> Bloomberg Business – Corporate Earnings Have Been Great, and Markets Just Don’t Care Earnings beats are small after analysts left estimates alone “Companies that have beaten expectations haven’t been rewarded as much as usual, at least so far this earnings season,” said Dan Suzuki, senior equity strategist at Bank of… Continue reading Earnings Beats
The Financial Times – Mohamed El-Erian: The dollar: an orderly or disruptive appreciation? Bigger uncertainty over currency is whether its rise creates instability and a backlash … My assessment of these factors leads to the following three conclusions about dollar prospects. First, the currency will appreciate over time as the first three factors widen economic… Continue reading Can The Dollar Appreciate Further?
<Click on graphic for larger image> The Economist – China’s roads and workplaces seem to be getting less lethal In a forthcoming paper, Raymond Fisman of Boston University and Yongxiang Wang of the University of Southern California analyse a government campaign launched in 2004 to reduce accidental deaths at work and on roads. It set… Continue reading Remain Skeptical Of Chinese Data
<Click on chart for larger image> The Financial Times – Investors pile into risky bonds in bet on Trump economy Demand for junk-rated bonds has driven yields on debt with the lowest quality credit rating down towards 10 per cent as more than $10bn has flowed into funds that invest in the asset class since… Continue reading Investors Betting On High Yield Debt
<Click on graphic for larger image> CNBC – A recession indicator mysteriously sprang up in January, and analysts don’t know why Gasoline purchases can be a powerful signal about the consumer economy, and last month’s drop off in demand was downright recession-like. But economists don’t see a recession, and energy analysts say demand picked back… Continue reading Gasoline Demand As A Recession Indicator
The Financial Times – Deutsche Bank walks away from US swaps clearing Deutsche Bank has shut its US swaps clearing business as the sweeping overhaul of banks’ derivatives trading squeezes out industry laggards. The German bank will continue to clear futures globally, according to people briefed on its plans, but its decision to stop clearing… Continue reading Another Swaps Clearing House Bites The Dust
What an overvalued bull market looks like: Bull decides to fight the crowd instead
Conference Call Presentation/Charts of the Week Audio [audio:https://www.biancoresearch.com/bianco/SubscriberArea/020917.mp3|titles=Conference Call ] Topics: Topics The Trump Effect – 1 The Trump Effect – 2 The Trump Effect – 3 The Trump Effect – 4 The Trump Effect – 5 Surveys (Soft) Outpacing Realized Economic Data (Hard) VIX vs Uncertainty, Two Different Worlds Stock And Bond Volatility… Continue reading Conference Call Presentation/Charts of the Week