The Wall Street Journal – Poll Finds GOP Blamed More for Shutdown Republican Party Scores Lowest Marks in More Than 20 Years Americans have come to hold a harshly negative view of the Republican Party during the government shutdown, giving the GOP a far larger share of the blame for a political brawl that many… Continue reading Political Polls
<Click on chart for larger image> CNBC – Jobless claims spike after computer troubles in California The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits hit a six-month high last week amid a computer glitch in California, but the underlying trend pointed to a steadily improving labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits… Continue reading Initial Claims Are Temporarily Useless
The Associated Press – JPMorgan Chase Sells Off All Short-Term U.S. Government Debt JPMorgan Chase says it has sold all of its exposure to short-term U.S. government debt out of its money market funds, following a similar move by other money market mutual fund managers. The news comes a day after Fidelity Investments said it… Continue reading JP Morgan Dumps October T-Bills
<Click on chart for larger image> Comment While earnings season is just getting started, the chart above shows actual historical results. Net income (red bars) has been negative in recent quarters and was barely positive last quarter. The green line shows Earnings Per Share, or EPS, has been more positive thanks to float shrink. In… Continue reading Earnings Season Gets Underway
The Economist – The world economy: The gated globe Governments are putting up impediments to globalisation. It is time for a fresh wave of liberalisation IMAGINE discovering a one-shot boost for the world’s economy. It would revitalise firms, increasing sales and productivity. It would ease access to credit and it would increase the range and… Continue reading The Global Economy
The Wall Street Journal – U.S. Rethinks How to Release Sensitive Economic Data Potential Changes Driven From Unease Over High-Speed Trading Firms Federal officials are discussing changes to how the government releases sensitive economic data, seeking to bring the system in line with fast-moving financial markets. While the talks are preliminary, officials are driven by… Continue reading How To Release Economic Data In A HFT World
The Economist – The Fed’s new boss: The dove v the desperadoes Good news at the Fed does little to offset the dreadful mess on Capitol Hill OTHER things being equal, the news that Barack Obama had chosen Janet Yellen to succeed Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve bodes well for the American… Continue reading Yellen
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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 tdoay as we discuss the latest on the debt ceiling, the economy and the markets. Click here to register [pageview… Continue reading On The Debt Ceiling, The Economy And The Markets
Comment Yesterday, Jim Bianco was on CNBC discussing the FOMC minutes. To view the interview, click on the image above. To view any of our recent interviews click here. The Wall Street Journal- Key Passages From Fed Minutes Show Officials Torn on Tapering WHAT HELD THE FED BACK AT ITS LAST MEETING? ONE FACTOR WAS… Continue reading The FOMC Minutes
Bloomberg.com – Gerrymandering Didn’t Cause the Shutdown What if we told you that the gerrymandering of congressional districts has nothing to do with political polarization in Washington? Gerrymandering didn’t have anything to do with the shutdown, or the battles over the debt ceiling, or Obamacare. In fact, the accepted view that politically based redistricting led… Continue reading Polarization In Washington
The Wall Street Journal – Shutdown Standoff Shows Signs of a Thaw The partisan logjam that has paralyzed the capital showed signs of easing Wednesday, as conservative Republicans warmed to the idea of a short-term increase in the country’s borrowing limit and House GOP leaders prepared for their first meeting with President Barack Obama since… Continue reading Washington Negotiations: Everybody Saves Face By Kicking The Can Down The Road