Comment Today at 9 AM CT (10:00 AM ET, 7:00 AM PT, and 15:00 BST), Bianco Research, in conjunction with Arbor Research & Trading, will be hosting a webcast/teleconference moderated by Jim Bianco. Join us today as we discuss the return of more normal levels of volatility in the bond market. We will also discuss… Continue reading Bond Market Volatility … Get Used To It
<Click on chart for larger image> The Financial Times – Vanguard’s commanding position The Fidelity era, when money poured into equity funds run by star stock pickers, has given way to a Vanguard era in which the most popular funds are those with rock-bottom fees, many of which do nothing more than track the market.… Continue reading Vanguard’s Assets Top The Mutual Fund Industry
<Click on chart for larger image> MoneyBeat (WSJ Blog) – Hedge Funds Have Taken a Shine to Silver Silver prices have remained stuck at historical lows for the past three years, but hedge funds have decided now is the time to pile in. Last week, hedge funds snapped up silver at the fastest pace since… Continue reading Hedge Funds Pile On Silver
The Wall Street Journal – Greg Ip: In a Slow Economy, Negative Quarters Shouldn’t Surprise Shrinking GDP may not signal recession, but policy makers shouldn’t dismiss signs of distress U.S. GDP is estimated to have grown 0.2% in the first quarter, but economists expect that to be revised into negative territory on Friday. If so,… Continue reading Negative GDP
The Financial Times – Backstop against euro-dollar parity break When the euro hit $1.60 in 2008, it was partly a function of strong reserve accumulation by global central banks, and a desire to diversify away from the dollar and into the euro. Now, the negative interest rate environment in the eurozone is making eurozone fixed… Continue reading Euro Parity
Bloomberg Business – Maybe Alan Greenspan Was Right About Floating-Rate Mortgages “All this implies that a higher share of ARMs at the start of the financial crisis would likely have enhanced the effectiveness of monetary easing in reducing foreclosures and stimulating the macroeconomy,” McAndrews said in a speech last week. ARMs aren’t alone in attracting… Continue reading Floating Rate Mortgages
Daily Mail – Mystery drone rains MONEY on crowds in Michigan, causing havoc as people scramble to grab the bills Mystery surrounds who was responsible for a drone which rained money down on families enjoying a picnic in the park event yesterday. Children and adults scrambled to collect the bills as an estimated $100 was… Continue reading Is The Fed Testing A Future QE?
The Real Time Economics (WSJ Blog) – Fed’s Williams Says Never Use Rates to Prick Bubbles The Federal Reserve should refrain from using interest-rate policy to address risks to financial stability “even as a last resort,” San Francisco Fed President John Williams said Thursday. That is because the effects of monetary policy on financial markets… Continue reading Rate Hikes & Financial Stability
Real Time Economics (WSJ Blog) – In Search of Lost Inflation With a few exceptions–Brazil and Russia included–central bankers around the world confront two pressing questions: why is inflation so low, and why is it proving so difficult for us to raise it? The most recent figures available show that the annual rate of inflation… Continue reading In Search Of Inflation
L’Agefi – The economic paradox (Jim Bianco interview in French) The year started poorly for the US economy. The consumer boom expected from the oil decline waiting. Turnovers and corporate profits falter. As for the Fed, it sends messages that generate confusion. Jim Bianco, president of Bianco Research, is one of the most original analysts… Continue reading Talking Markets In French
The Wall Street Journal – Traders Pile In at the Close The middle of the day has become awfully quiet on the U.S. stock market, as index funds and computer models push the action toward the end of the trading day. Across Wall Street, less trading is taking place at 3 p.m. or, in fact,… Continue reading Trading The Open & Close Of Stocks