From Birch Gold Group In September 2018, we showed how FAANG companies were “bracing for impact” because of trade war tensions between the U.S. and China. Now it appears we have our first trade war “casualty” in the form of a major hit to projected Q1 sales for Apple. CNBC has the scoop: Apple lowered revenue guidance … Read more
via diamondandsilk: We all knew that Democrats would be emboldened following their takeover over of the House and they have been trying their best to push the narrative that voters sent a major message during the midterms. In reality, the blue wave was much smaller than Democrats wanted and they still only have control of the … Read more
Three big factors behind Apple’s big sales slump and dire warning about China from CNBC. via CNBC: Apple’s latest iPhone models are seeing huge discounts from retailers in China. The technology giant recently revised its first quarter sales forecast downward, putting a large part of the blame on a slowdown in the Chinese market. Experts … Read more
by these-things-happen Starting today, taxpayers can go to http://www.irs.gov/freefile to find the Free File software product that matches their situation. Each partner sets its own eligibility standards, generally based on age, income or state residency. Taxpayers can do their taxes online from IRS.gov or they can use the IRS2Go mobile app to access Free File and do … Read more
via @OccupyWisdom : 1/ Excessive debt, particularly in corporates ~70% of GDP. Raising rates vs. earnings 2/ Global banking/financial houses signaling crisis/instability now – German banking index, Italian banks, US financials down 2x broader market – Banks/Financials leading down 3/ Divided domestic government, desire by some to see @POTUS fail by way of the economy 4/ Liquidations … Read more
via ECRI ECRI’s U.S. Weekly Leading Index (WLI) increased to 143.4 as WLI growth fell further to -6.5%, a 363-week low. On desktop click here to download WLI data for free, including the full history of its level and growth rate. On mobile click here to go to ECRI’s Reports & Indexes page, then click the “Full Site” link … Read more
via Reuters: European Central Bank policymakers are likely to debate new multi-year loans to banks, a potent stimulus tool, in the months ahead as they navigate a “fragile and fluid” global context, minutes of their December meeting showed on Thursday. A five-year economic expansion in the euro zone is rapidly losing pace as weak demand from … Read more
via CNBC: Beijing’s efforts to prop up a slowing Chinese economy, in the middle of an ongoing trade war with Washington, is pushing the government to introduce previously untested policies, according to a senior analyst at Moody’s Investors Service. It is still unclear if China’s move to grant more tax cuts to small businesses would … Read more
via Reuters: Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the U.S. government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said. Training events have been canceled and travel cut back, with President Donald Trump and Congress unable to end … Read more
via mishtalk: Jeffrey Gundlach, CEO of DoubleLine Capital LP, has some interesting thoughts on debt, stock buybacks, and leverage. Please consider Gundlach’s Slideshow on Debt Financed Buybacks. Corporate Credit as Percentage of GDP Investment Grade Has Shorter Maturity Than High Yield US Corporate BBB Debt BBB debt is one step above junk. Rise of … Read more
U.S. government shutdown about to become longest on record from CNBC. via CNBC: It will only take another two weeks for the shutdown to cost the economy more than $6 billion, according to S&P Global Ratings. The partial government shutdown enters its 21st day Friday, tying the record for longest lapse in federal funding. If … Read more
There is only so much gov't & fed can do to prop stocks, at some point, the market will figure out the global economy continues to implode. pic.twitter.com/uKrfk6pwhr — Alastair (@StockBoardAsset) January 11, 2019 https://twitter.com/GreekFire23/status/1083843957539393536 The big declines in the industrial production data for Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK raises the specter of … Read more
Wolf Richter wolfstreet.com, http://www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter In fact, QE started reversing at the end of 2014. The Fed’s balance sheet would be “substantially smaller” after the Fed gets done with its QE unwind, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said on Thursday. How far the Fed might go in shedding assets is a red-hot topic right now that causes … Read more
by Dr. Eowyn “Outside of war and peace, of course, the most important decision you make is the selection of a Supreme Court judge, if you get it,” President Trump said last summer. January 9 was the third consecutive day of work that Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 85, missed after her December 21 surgery to … Read more
Via News.com Earth’s magnetic field is what allows us to exist. It deflects harmful radiation. It keeps our water and atmosphere in place. But now it’s acting up — and nobody knows why. Planet Earth is alive. Deep beneath its skin, its life blood — rivers of molten iron — pulse around its core. And … Read more
From Bloomberg: Ben Bernanke got a big laugh from economists in Atlanta on Jan. 4. A few minutes after Janet Yellen said, “I don’t think expansions just die of old age,” he replied, “I like to say they get murdered.” All right, not that funny. But the nerdy repartee between the past two Federal Reserve chairs … Read more
The bank cites “a sharp deterioration in risk sentiment following soft macroeconomic data in December and renewed concerns about the future direction of growth.” From CNBC: Goldman Sachs has found the safe haven gold more attractive after a volatile December. The bank on Thursday raised its gold forecasts to $1,325, $1,375 and $1,425 per troy ounce … Read more
by Jim Quinn Who could have predicted this result? Oh yeah, me. 30 BLOCKS OF DOG SHIT & SUGAR TAXES PHILLY SODA TAX WILL BE A TOTAL FAILURE Via Marketwatch Nearly two years on, the verdict is in on Philadelphia’s “soda tax.” And it isn’t good. The tax, justified as a kind of “sin … Read more
Via Think Advisor The ex-fund manager tells ThinkAdvisor why a recession could occur in 2019 and why he left the market. The plummeting stock market is merely a prelude to the calamitous upheaval to come, legendary investor Robert Rodriguez tells ThinkAdvisor in an interview. The former CEO of First Pacific Advisors for 25 years has … Read more
Via The Deplorable Climate Science Blog The Arctic sea ice scam began to rapidly unravel last March, when all records for Arctic sea ice volume gain were blown away. Spreadsheet Data So far this month, ice volume gain has also been a record high. And January 9 Arctic sea ice volume has been increasing for over … Read more