Bitcoin Close To All-Time High
The recent surge in Bitcoin is associated with the technical details of the currency and an agreement which avoids a fork for the time being. In an article on Business Insiders, we read: Bitcoin has recovered somewhat from the drop in value seen last Sunday, with the price of the cryptocurrency reaching $2,701 at the time […]
As Bonds Slide, Here’s A Look At The Behind The Scenes Action
Ok, look: bonds are under some notable pressure on Tuesday. Clearly, some of that’s tied to the Fed and uncertainty about whether we will or won’t know anything more tomorrow than we know today about balance sheet normalization. But you also have to put this in the context of the German Ifo print which set the tone […]
Analysts Stay Bullish On Alphabet After Earnings With Growth Seen Continuing
Shares of Google’s parent Alphabet (GOOGL) are sliding after the company’s second quarter report, despite an earnings per share and revenue beat. Nonetheless, several Wall Street analysts remain bullish on the stock as they believe the quarter does not change Alphabet’s positive growth story. RESULTS: Last night, Alphabet reported second quarter earnings per share of […]
Housing Prices: Highs And Lows
The interaction of a bubble in real estate prices with the banking and financial sector drove the US economy into the Great Recession. For an overview of how the US housing market is faring a decade after dysfunctions in housing market finance helped bring on the Great Recession that started in 2007, a useful starting […]
Dumped Dollar Due To Be Done Dropping? It Depends…
There are no two ways about it: it’s been a rough month, quarter, and year for the world’s reserve currency. The widely-followed US Dollar Index started the year in peak “Trump Trade” euphoria, with traders expecting a burst of fiscal stimulus to boost the economy and accelerate the Fed’s pace of tightening. Since then, the […]
Rate Sensitive ETFs In Focus As Fed Meets
All eyes are currently on the crucial two-day FOMC meeting slated to start today. The central bank is expected to hold rates steady and lay out plans to unwind its $4.5 trillion balance sheet. It will likely reduce bond holdings by a maximum of $50 billion per month, or $600 billion per year. Both the […]
The Next Big Worry? Well, Never Mind…
A couple weeks back, I opined that the next big problem for the stock market might revolve around global central bankers changing their monetary policy tune on a coordinated basis. The idea was simple. Stocks have enjoyed the benefits of capital creation via global QE programs since the crisis ended in early 2009. The key […]
Healthcare Vote Tuesday
Draghi Won’t Taper? The bond market gives us a picture of what investors are expecting from policy makers. The chart below shows the bond spreads the riskier European countries are trading at compared to the German Bund. The spreads of these countries, formerly known as the PIGS, have been tightening in the past few months. […]
Brokerage Or Tech Firm? Redfin’s Valuation Requires The Latter
As the Redfin (RDFN: $13/share) IPO approaches, investors must decide whether the firm is a traditional real estate brokerage or a technological innovator likely to disrupt the traditional real estate brokerage market. RDFN currently looks like a traditional brokerage and generates roughly 90% of its revenue from traditional commissions. The company’s ultimate mission is to […]
Case-Shiller 20 City Home Price Index May 2017 Shows 5.7 % Year-Over-Year Growth
The non-seasonally adjusted Case-Shiller home price index (20 cities) year-over-year rate of home price growth was declined from 5.8 % (was reported as 5.7 % last month) to 5.7 %. The index authors stated “The small supply of homes for sale, at only about four months’ worth, is one cause of rising prices. New home […]
