Some Erosion, At Last

Some Erosion, At Last

How heartening it is to see a double-digit red number on the ES after having received one the day prior. The pendulum is, I believe, slowly beginning to swing the other way. With the world’s central bankers in STFU mode for a while, since they had their several weeks of mayhem earlier in March, we bears finally have a […]
For Saudi Aramco, Breaking Up Is (Not So) Hard To Do

For Saudi Aramco, Breaking Up Is (Not So) Hard To Do

Saudi Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A) recently announced plans to end their co-ownership of the Motiva refinery in Texas. The two energy companies have operated the refining and marketing enterprise as a 50/50 joint venture since 2002. This move is significant because Motiva includes three refineries in the gulf region of the United States […]
Japan Goes Full Krugman: Plans Un-Depositable, Non-Cash “Gift-Certificate” Money Drop To Young People

Japan Goes Full Krugman: Plans Un-Depositable, Non-Cash “Gift-Certificate” Money Drop To Young People

The Swiss, the Finns, and the Ontarians may get their ‘Universal Basic Income’ but the Japanese are about to turn the Spinal Tap amplifier of extreme monetary experimentation to 11. Sankei reports, with no sourcing, that the Japanese government plans to unleash “vouchers” or “gift certificates” to low-income young people to stimulate the “conspicuous decline” in consumption among […]
U.S., European Secondary Funds Collect Massive Sums Since 2015

U.S., European Secondary Funds Collect Massive Sums Since 2015

by Joanna Nolasco, PitchBook Partners Group has announced the closing of its latest secondary investment fund on its hard cap of €2.5 billion. While certainly a hefty sum, it’s surprisingly dwarfed by a handful of other recent massive secondary funds: Coller International Partners VII collected $7.15 billion in January and Lexington Capital Partners VIII closed on $10.1 billion last year—touted as the largest dedicated secondary […]
S&P 500 On The Cusp

S&P 500 On The Cusp

A couple days ago it was noted that stocks are high risk, but also that I was more long than short. Yesterday we reviewed the still bearish state of the broad market. This bounce has tested my patience (vs. the preferred scenario seeing it as just a relief bounce) but this morning it looks like […]
Oil & Stocks Starting The Move Down Into Daily Cycle Lows

Oil & Stocks Starting The Move Down Into Daily Cycle Lows

As I mentioned in one of my prior charts the oil and stock cycles have been tethered together for a while now. Once oil began the move down into its daily cycle low stocks will most likely follow. This morning oil has broken it’s cycle trend line so the odds are good that the corrective […]
Morning Call For March 24, 2016

Morning Call For March 24, 2016

OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS Jun E-mini S&Ps (ESM16 -0.54%) are down -0.47% and European stocks are down -1.44%, as a stronger dollar undercuts commodity prices and drags down raw-material and energy producing stocks. Hawkish comments from Fed officials this week have bolstered the chance of a Fed rate hike next month and boosted the dollar and led to a […]
GBP/USD Risks Further Losses On Slowing U.K. Retail Sales

GBP/USD Risks Further Losses On Slowing U.K. Retail Sales

– U.K. Retail Sales to Contract for First Time Since December. – Will Slower Consumption Encourage the BoE to Further Delay Normalizing Monetary Policy? Trading the News: U.K. Retail Sales The U.K. Retail Sales report may produce headwinds for the British Pound and drag on GBP/USD as signs of a slowing recovery provides the Bank of England (BoE) with greater […]
The Safety Net: A 20% Yielder Got A Downgrade

The Safety Net: A 20% Yielder Got A Downgrade

I last looked at Calumet Specialty Products Partners L.P. (Nasdaq: CLMT) in the Safety Net more than two years ago. At the time, I gave the stock a dividend safety rating of “D.” Though its 10% yield at the time was attractive, the company’s distributable cash flow – a measure of cash flow used by MLPs – did not […]
A Scam Called Valeant —Why The Casino Is Going To Blow

A Scam Called Valeant —Why The Casino Is Going To Blow

If you need evidence that Wall Street is a financial time bomb waiting for ignition look no further than the recent meltdown of Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX). In round terms, its market cap of $90 billion on August 5th has suddenly become the embodiment of that proverbial sucking sound to the south, having plunged to less than $12 billion by Wednesday’s […]