Category Archives: Policy

US Budget Deficit 9th Largest Economy in the World

Posted on October 26, 2010 by macromon

After falling to a low of 2.33 percent on October 8th, the 10-day Treasury has sold-off closing today at a yield of 2.64 percent.  The recent high is around 2.83 percent, which we will be watching closely. To get a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bonds, Commodities, Credit, Currency, Equities, Geopolitical, Gold, Monetary Policy, Policy | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Did the Chinese Drop a Rare Earth Trade Bomb?

Posted on October 20, 2010 by macromon

Call us paranoid, but what would you conclude from the following headlines: Oct. 15:  U.S. launches trade investigation into China’s green tech sector – Xinhua Oct 19:  China to limit exports of ‘rare earth’ minerals vital to energy tech – … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Swan Watch, BRICs, China, Currency, News, Policy, Politics, Sovereign Risk | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Fed creating “grave distortions” – Brazil Central Bank

Posted on October 18, 2010 by macromon

Brazil is considering additional measures to keep the Real from appreciating  any further.  We like the Economist’s Big Mac Index, which is based on the concept of purchasing-power parity, to get a sense of the over/undervaluation of a currency.  The … Continue reading →

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Chinese Solar Spanked on US Trade Rep Announcement

Posted on October 15, 2010 by macromon

Holders of Chinese solar stocks got a little taste of what a trade war could feel like.  Trina Solar fell more than 9 percent as U.S. Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, announced his office has launched an investigation into the Chinese … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Swan Watch, BRICs, China, Currency, Equities, Policy, Politics, Sovereign Risk | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Krugman’s Dangerous Misreading of the Bond Market

Posted on October 14, 2010 by macromon

During his Sunday appearance (click for interview) on This Week With Christiane Amanpour, Paul Krugman spoke the words that make us very uncomfortable. Responding to French finance minister Christine Lagarde’s fiscal austerity and Alan Greenspan’s caution about further stimulus, Krugman … Continue reading →

Posted in Bonds, Commodities, Credit, Currency, Equities, Gold, Policy, Politics, Sovereign Risk | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“All that liquidity ends up not where it is supposed to be…”

Posted on October 13, 2010 by macromon

Great CNBC interview (click for video) with British historian, Niall Ferguson.  It’s worth the 5 minutes of your time.  We’re amazed how well Ferguson understands the global economy and articulates the risks better than many trained economists.   Money quotes: “There … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Swan Watch, Bonds, BRICs, China, Commodities, Credit, Currency, Monetary Policy, Policy, Sovereign Risk | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

World’s Richest Women Are Chinese

Posted on October 12, 2010 by macromon

The FT published an interesting piece on the world’s richest women, which came as a surprise: The world’s three richest women are Chinese – as are 11 of the top 20 – according to the Hurun List of Self-Made Women … Continue reading →

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Rising Tide (of liquidity) Lifts All Boats

Posted on October 12, 2010 by macromon

Great chart from Active Trader of the S&P5oo correlation with other markets.  Have you noticed recently that all markets are moving together?  U.S. Treasuries, domestic and foreign stocks, Greek Bonds, EM Debt, commodities, and foreign currencies all in lockstep? This … Continue reading →

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Wall Street: The Speed Traders – 60 Minutes

Posted on October 10, 2010 by macromon

In case you missed the excellent 60 Minutes piece on robo/algo traders.  It’s worth the 13 minutes of your time. How Speed Traders Are Changing Wall Street Steve Kroft Gets A Rare Look Inside the Secretive World of “High-Frequency Trading”

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Geithner’s Naughty List?

Posted on October 10, 2010 by macromon

Look no further than the Economist’s Big Mac Index to understand who is on the Treasury’s Naughty List.  It uses July exchange rates,  so a bit dated as the most recent currency moves are not included. Interestingly,  Japan and Brazil … Continue reading →

Posted in BRICs, China, Commodities, Currency, Monetary Policy, News, Policy, Politics, Sovereign Risk | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment