Last week, global stocks rose as the tensions on trade issues eased. Most gains came from the United States, where stocks rose for 5 consecutive days. One of the biggest winners was crude oil, which rose because of shrinking stocks and the crisis in the Middle East. This week, economic data and politics will continue…
from the St Louis Fed — this post authored by Michael McCracken, Assistant Vice President and Economist The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate from Congress loosely stated as “full employment” and “price stability.” There are many ways to define and evaluate these mandates, but most share one thing in common: They consider the U.S. as…
Friday was the day when silver and mining stocks were likely to reverse based on their triangle-apex-based turning points and today is the day of gold’s apex-based reversal. Therefore, it seems likely that gold, silver and mining stocks are forming the final top for this short-term upswing, or that it is already in place. The…
EURO TALKING POINTS EUR/USD may stage a larger advance over the coming days as European Central Bank (ECB) officials show a greater willingness to move away from the easing-cycle. Recent price action raises for a more meaningful recovery as the exchange rate carves a fresh series of higher highs and lows, and the Euro may continue to outperform against…
It’s funny what a difference a week can make in the markets. Up until last week, the equity market picture looked rather bleak, with investor sentiment waning and record-setting volatility. But all of that seemed to have subsided in last week’s trade as the major averages marked their strongest week in quite some time. On…
Wanna trade? I’ll swap you 18 barrels of my crude oil for one of your one-ounce gold bars. Yes, that’s right. Eighteen. Oh, I know you once commanded as much as 39 barrels for your gold, but that was then. This is now. You see, for the first time in three years, the gold/oil ratio’s…
Do you recall the evil of the market back in early February? You know, those evil folks that caused the market to crash known as the “short-Vol/VIX traders”. CNBC’s Mad Money Host Jim Cramer penned an article only a couple days after the February 5thVolpocolypse titled “Jim Cramer: There Are 4 Real Culprits for This…
Within the broader equity market these days, there probably isn’t a sector that is more out of favor than Consumer Staples. As consumers have shifted their tastes away from brands that dominated the economy of their parent’s generation, the stocks in the sector have been big market laggards.The chart below shows the relative strength of…
All measures of Retail Sales are expected to rise, but with a significant variation. The Control Group measure holds the key to the reaction. The US Dollar made a significant correction on the previous critical figure and awaits the verdict from this report. The US Retail Sales are published on Tuesday, May 15th, at 12:30…
The stock of L Brands (LB), the parent of Victoria Secret’s and Bath & Body Works, was trading sharply lower after a disappointing April sales release. Reported sales were in line with 2018 full year guidance, with net sales up 4% YoY and comparable sales up 3% YoY after adjustment for the earlier Easter holiday. By brands,…
