The Financial Times – John Authers: Why nobody is happy with the US economy Wall Street is in line with Main Street over the outlook for growth Nobody is happy about the US economy. You do not need to read the business sections to know that; the political section should make it amply obvious. But… Continue reading U.S. Economic Growth
<Click on chart for larger image> The Financial Times – Fund managers ready for ‘smart beta’ wars The swelling popularity of cheap, index-tracking funds has been a mounting concern for traditional asset managers. But many have decided to launch a fightback, betting that they can capture business in the more innovative edges of the passive… Continue reading Smart Beta
<Click on graphic for larger image>
Bloomberg Business – Payrolls in U.S. Rose 151,000 in January, Jobless Rate at 4.9% Job growth settled into a more sustainable pace in January and the unemployment rate dropped to an almost eight-year low of 4.9 percent, signs of a resilient labor market that’s causing wage growth to stir. The 151,000 advance in payrolls, while… Continue reading Employment In Pictures
<Click on chart for larger image> Bloomberg View – Mark Gilbert: Global Indicators Point to Fed Reversal The Bank of England voted unanimously not to raise interest rates Thursday, as the sole dissenter on the Monetary Policy Committee abandoned his recent calls to tighten policy. The European Commission also slashed its inflation forecasts, all but… Continue reading Probability Of A 2016 Rate Hike Continues To Fall
<Click on graphic for larger image> Bloomberg Business – Wall Street Cuts Its Rate Forecasts Even Further Below Fed’s The cut reflects rising sentiment that weak economic growth, low inflation and global turmoil will force the Fed to back off its intention to raise its overnight rate four times this year after lifting off from… Continue reading More On The Disconnect Between The Fed And The Market
The Financial Times – Government bond yields send recession signal Universe of negative yielding debt grows beyond $5tn as central banks indicate further easing If major government bond markets are right, the global economy is sliding towards recession and central bank easing policies will pull borrowing rates deeper into negative territory. In Germany, the average… Continue reading Negative Yields
<Click on chart for larger image> Real Time Economics – Gas Prices Are Plunging. So Why Is Everyone Freaking Out? Oil prices have declined nearly 75% from their recent peak in June 2014, roiling markets and sounding new alarm about the possibility of an economic slowdown. Wait, what? Weren’t lower gasoline prices supposed to help… Continue reading Why Cheaper Gas Hasn’t Helped The Economy
<Click on chart for larger image> CNBC – Why traders are betting on a big bounce for the metals The metals are getting more precious. Gold and silver hit multimonth highs Thursday, as industrial metal copper rose to the highest level since the beginning of the year. This as the dollar continued to lose value… Continue reading Investors Bet On Metals
<Click on chart for larger image> Telegraph (U.K.) – Dollar tumbles as Fed rescues China in the nick of time The central banks of Europe and Japan discover that it is impossible to stave off deflation by debasing their currencies when everybody is playing the same game The US dollar has suffered one of the… Continue reading The Dollar Falls
The Wall Street Journal – Big Oil Opts for Payouts Over Debt Rating The world’s biggest energy companies have a tough decision to make amid languishing oil prices: Do they keep their coveted investment-grade credit ratings or maintain century-old practices of paying shareholders annual dividends worth billions in cash? Exxon Mobil Corp. and its peers… Continue reading Oil Company Dividends At Risk
The Wall Street Journal – As Stocks Slump, Investors Look for Lift From Companies’ Share Repurchases Companies have authorized buyback plans of more than $85 billion in the new year, the strongest start ever U.S. companies are able to buy back their shares again after mostly sitting out earnings season, and investors are hoping for… Continue reading Stock Repurchases A Bright Spot For U.S. Companies