Category Archives: Economics

The Week in Review: BRICs to FRICs?

Vive la France! Who would of “thunk” it? The French CAC outperforming India by 13 percent in the first three weeks of the year? Will Goldie’s Jim O’Neill now replace Brazil with France in the BRIC countries and rename the … Continue reading

Posted in Budget Deficit, Charts, China, Crude Oil, Economics, Equities, Gold, Monetary Policy, Sovereign Debt, Week in Review | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monetarism Redefined: Crude, Fine Wine & Gold

“Inflation is Always and Everywhere a Monetary Phenomenon” – Milton Freidman Monetarism as a theory, which states that the variation in the money supply has major influences on national output in the short run and the price level over longer … Continue reading

Posted in Black Swan Watch, Bonds, BRICs, Budget Deficit, Charts, China, Commodities, Credit, Crude Oil, Currency, Economics, Monetary Policy | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Shanghai Breaks 200-day, Commodites Next to Roll?

During the 1990’s when the emerging markets were still emerging a friend of ours wrote a research report on pre-restructured busted Russian debt titled, No Rush to Buy, No Russians Buying.  The point was the Russians knew the prospects for … Continue reading

Posted in Black Swan Watch, Bonds, BRICs, Budget Deficit, China, Commodities, Crude Oil, Currency, Economics, Geopolitical, Monetary Policy | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

JP Morgan’s Revenues: Tables & Charts

Let’s start with the caveat we’re not stock analysts and the sheer size of JP Morgan’s balance sheet and the dynamic use of reserves makes it difficult to get a true picture of what’s really going on.   But it’s tough … Continue reading

Posted in Credit, Earnings, Economics, Equities | Tagged | Leave a comment

Greatest Arb Ever: Cracking Gas into Big Macs

OK, time for a little fun.  You can try this and let us know if it works. Almost everything today comes down to energy, right? The rise in food prices is really nothing more than an energy problem.   After all, … Continue reading

Posted in Commodities, Crude Oil, Economics, General Interest | Tagged | 5 Comments

Nonlinear Thinking: Volt’s Battery Capacity Could Double

That’s what were talking about! A break through in battery technology will really change the world as we know it.   MIT’s  Technology Review reports the next generation of the Chevrolet Volt and other battery-powered cars are looking at electrode materials … Continue reading

Posted in Black Swan Watch, Clean Tech, Economics, Electric Vehicles, Rare Earth Elements, Video | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Tea Party” Opposition to the Euro Grows in Germany

  We can’t believe we missed this over the holidays. Germany’s SpiegelOnline reported on December 27, In a survey conducted in early December by the polling firm Infratest dimap, 57 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that Germany would … Continue reading

Posted in Black Swan Watch, Bonds, Economics, Euro, Fiscal Policy, Geopolitical, Monetary Policy | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The [First] Week in Review: A Capital Flows Sandwich?

Not a bad start to the year if you were in the right space.  A Frenchman with a long position in “Apple the Sovereign” was up over 8 percent in Euros.   Note, Apple rose another $2.00 to $338 after Friday’s … Continue reading

Posted in Apple, Bonds, Charts, China, Commodities, Currency, Economics, PIIGS, Sovereign Debt, Sovereign Risk | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

House Budget Chief Ryan Channels His “Inner” Angela Merkel

Bloomberg is reporting Angel Merkel Rep. Paul Ryan, Republican “Young Gun”and new House Budget Committee chairman,  says he and his party won’t bailout states who are facing potential defaults.   Just after the November election we posted this was coming. Listen … Continue reading

Posted in Budget Deficit, Economics, PIIGS, Sovereign Debt, Sovereign Risk, State and Local Government | 2 Comments

2011 Risk: China Watch

Getting China right in 2011 will make or break the P&L this year.   The direction of the China’s economy will determine the direction of many markets, including commodities and emerging equities. We’re still trying to get a handle on the … Continue reading

Posted in BRICs, China, Economics, Monetary Policy, Sovereign Debt, Sovereign Risk | Tagged , , | 4 Comments