Investment Watch Blog

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 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

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

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 CNSNews: The National Institutes of Health will not decide whether to continue its long-term multimillion-dollar contract with the University of California, San Francisco to make “humanized mice” with organs taken from aborted babies until after it has completed its ongoing audit of all HHS-funded fetal tissue acquisitions and a comprehensive review of HHS-funded fetal tissue … Read more