<< Read More: 2016 Market Preview – Part I This is the second of three parts of the 2016 preview that appeared in HRA Journal Issue 245-246.This part deals with the outlook for the US Dollar, China and oil.The final section, dealing with several metals, will be issued shortly. The $US: Still Tilting at the Windmill Yes…
Are you ready for some fire in your life? And I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day – this fire will last all year. This past Tuesday, February 9, everyone here at Karmê Chöling Meditation Retreat Center celebrated Losar (or Shambhala Day for us), the Tibetan New Year. Following the Chinese calendar, 2016 is the year of the…
I’m seeing a few signs that we’re close to getting a counter trend bounce in the S&P 500 Index (SPX). The most compelling sign comes from stock market sector sentiment generated from the Twitter stream. In bull markets when every sector was positive on a weekly basis it almost always marked short term tops. We’re…
Only a short-covering rally on Friday saved stocks from a truly horrendous performance last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) lost 231 points or 1.4% to close at 15973.84 on the week while the S&P 500 (SPY) dropped 15 points of 0.8% to end the week at 1864.78. The Nasdaq Composite Index (QQQ) fell 0.6% on the week…
Most nearly every week we try to give an update on the Commitments of Traders in certain markets. This week I would like to focus on gold since it has been one of the best, if not THE best performing commodity futures market this year. Those of you who have followed my writings for any…
This past weekend saw the dollar rise from a near three-month low amid signs that U.S. consumer spending remains strong. The greenback advanced versus most of the other major currencies, snapping four days of losses versus the yen, as a Commerce Department report showed retail sales had increased more than forecast in January. The currency…
Enjoy the cheap $2 gasoline while you still can! Due to the collapse in crude oil, gas prices have reached lows not seen since the depth of the Great Recession. But these extreme lows in oil and gas prices won’t be here for long. Gas Prices Crude oil and gasoline prices have moved largely in…
Chairperson Yellen gave her bi-annual Congressional testimony this week, which contained the following two key paragraphs: Financial conditions in the United States have recently become less supportive of growth, with declines in broad measures of equity prices, higher borrowing rates for riskier borrowers, and a further appreciation of the dollar. These developments, if they prove persistent,…
2015 was an incredible year for Under Armour (UA) with Steph Curry and Jordan Spieth’s breakout performances. Under Armour is continuing this momentum right into 2016 with the Golden State Warriors looking for back-to-back titles, and Jordan Spieth winning the first golf tournament of the year in record fashion. Cam Newton has emerged as another…
The downturn in commodities has rippled across all asset classes, especially the credit markets. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel, either, as Moody’s Investors Service sees more negativity ahead. On February 4, Moody’s presented its findings in a panel sponsored by the Fixed Income Analysts Society (FIASI), entitled “Commodity Downturn Intensifies.” According…
