People Over Products

People Over Products

“Davidson” submits: Give me a good manufacturer of ‘pumps’ or any company which does or makes something normally thought as ordinary but does it very well and one can make a lot of money. Danaher ($DHR)  is a good example. Danaher tends to confuse many because it is a conglomeration of more than 1,000 companies […]
Silver-Gold Ratio

Silver-Gold Ratio

Because I like overly simple pictures to help me counteract hype everywhere I see it, especially in the Silver Bug, Inflation Bug and Commodity Guru communities…   This chart (and its editorial comment) was produced several months ago when the SGR was trying to bounce through resistance. Today the message is unchanged.
Interview Of TSX-V Market Veteran & Lithium Sector Bull, Ron Loewen

Interview Of TSX-V Market Veteran & Lithium Sector Bull, Ron Loewen

TM editors’ note: This article discusses a penny stock and/or microcap. Such stocks are easily manipulated; do your own careful due diligence. According to Vancouver capital markets veteran Ron Loewen, evidence is mounting that the Canadian TSX Venture Exchange (“TSX-V”) has hit bottom and investors have a rare opportunity to create wealth by investing in early stage […]
Unemployment Rate Doesn’t Fit JOLTS, Either

Unemployment Rate Doesn’t Fit JOLTS, Either

The latest JOLTS update finds total hires in January down by a rather large 372k, leaving the monthly seasonally-adjusted rate at still 5 million. Given that the estimated hires rate increased unusually in December, it seems as if January was the statistical catchup or seasonal give-back. That leaves intact the same sideways pattern that first […]
Greenback Bloodbath Continues After FOMC Meeting

Greenback Bloodbath Continues After FOMC Meeting

On Wednesday, US data release showed a 0.3% rise in the CPI (Consumer Price Index) for the month of February compared to January’s figures, while the expectation was for a 0.2% hike. The headline CPI came in as expected at -0.2%. Another data release from the same day showed a housing starts figure better than […]
The Stock Whisper Of The Day: SPY, USO, AA, EWC

The Stock Whisper Of The Day: SPY, USO, AA, EWC

Consumer Confidence Tumbles To 5-Month Lows As “Hope” Fades

Consumer Confidence Tumbles To 5-Month Lows As “Hope” Fades

But, but, but – low gas prices, high stock prices… everything is awesome. It appears not even the average joe American consumer is fooled by the latest manufactured rally in stock prices as UMich confidence tumbles to 5-month lows (90 vs 92.2 exp) with future expectations “hope” perfectly anti-correlated with the surge in stocks… On the […]
Peak Dollar?

Peak Dollar?

Axel Merk, President & CIO, Merk Investments LLC, pinged me on March 16 with his thoughts regarding “Peak Dollar“. He is not referring to the number of dollars, but rather, the intermediate-term value of the dollar compared to other currencies. Merk’s comments are online at “Dollar Outlook: Peak Dollar?“. Let’s take a look. In guest post format, […]
Chicago Fed Nat’l Activity Index: February 2016 Preview

Chicago Fed Nat’l Activity Index: February 2016 Preview

The three-month average of the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) is expected to tick higher in the February update that’s scheduled for Monday (Mar. 21), based on The Capital Spectator’s average point forecast for several econometric estimates. The average projection for -0.08 reflects a slight improvement over the previous month, which indicates US economic activity […]
Thoughts On Conspiracy Theories Of The Dollar’s Losses

Thoughts On Conspiracy Theories Of The Dollar’s Losses

In our work, we have argued that the dollar is having its third significant rally since the end of Bretton Woods. The first rally was associated with Reagan though it began under Carter and followed 100 bp hike by a new Federal Reserve Chairman (Volcker).   On a real broad trade-weighted basis, the dollar appreciated by more than 50% over the seven […]