Category Archives: Uncategorized

Rare Earth Metals ETF (REMX) Begins Trading October 28th

Posted on October 27, 2010 by macromon

Don’t forget the Van Eck Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) is set to begin trading tomorrow.   The ETF seeks to replicate the performance of the Market Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index. Click here for prospectus.

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Rare Earth Stocks Up Big on China Restrictions

Posted on October 19, 2010 by macromon

China announced further limits on its Rare Earth exports today.  The country controls 97 percent of the world’s supply, which are critical for hi-tech products, including smart phones, hybrid and electric vehicles,  and cruise missiles.   Hard to read if … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Commodities, Currency, Geopolitical, Politics, Rare Earth Elements, Sovereign Risk, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

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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Picture of the Day: The Wealth of Nations

Posted on October 10, 2010 by macromon

Great shot (magnified 22x) of a wood ant holding a microchip in its teeth.  This picture symbolizes, at least to us, the recipe for the “Wealth of Nations:”  1) the work ethic of the ant;  2) the technology of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Geopolitical, News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

China’s September PMI 53.8 v. August 51.7

Posted on September 30, 2010 by macromon

China’s PMI came in at 53.8,  erasing fears the economy was slowing.  A decent ISM (54.5   consensus) tomorrow will set a positive tone for Q4.  Recall our analysis of the under invested private pension funds sector (see chart below), which … Continue reading →

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Commodities close at eight-month high

Posted on September 24, 2010 by macromon

The CRB index is now just 3.5 percent below the Jan. ’10 post-bubble high and, this, with crude down over 10 percent.  Crude, heating oil, and natural gas make up about 18 percent of the index.   Look for commodity … Continue reading →

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Stephen Colbert Testifies in Congress on Immigration

Posted on September 24, 2010 by macromon

Stephen Colbert testified this morning to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration .  Checkout the video and note the different reactions from the Members versus their aides seated behind them.  They were not amused. “…this is America! I don’t … Continue reading →

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Ding-Dong in Hong Kong! Is that a bell ringing?

Posted on September 23, 2010 by macromon

We don’t really hang with the deflation crowd much, but a hard landing in China is the one scenario that keeps us up at night.  China is the locomotive of the global economy and we monitor events there very closely. … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Swan Watch, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

QE2 leaves dry dock

Posted on September 21, 2010 by macromon

By Boston Globe | September 2, 1992 BOSTON — With a thumbs-up from its captain and three cheers from its crew, the patched Queen Elizabeth 2 floated out of a South Boston dry dock yesterday and returned to sea, leaving … Continue reading →

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Medtronic sees deflation in device pricing…Is this so bad?

Posted on September 21, 2010 by macromon

Beaker’s blog observes, The medical device industry is shifting and entering a period of deflation after years of rising prices.   This according to Bill Hawkins, the CEO of Medtronic, who predicts the market prices for medical devices to decline 2 … Continue reading →

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