SP 500 Hits 2000, Now What?
X-factor Report 01 September 2014
by Lance Roberts, Streetalk Live
On Monday, the S&P 500 hit 2000 for the first time ever. This target was something I laid out very early this year following the Federal Reserve announcement in December that they would begin tapering the current Quantitative Easing (QE) program.
Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere
by John Mauldin, Thoughts from the Frontline
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
- Albert Einstein
Genius is a rising stock market.
- John Kenneth Galbraith
Any plan conceived in moderation must fail when circumstances are set in extremes.
- Prince Metternich
I'm forever blowing bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air
They fly so high, nearly reach the sky, Then like my dreams they fade and die
Fortune's always hiding, I've looked everywhere
I'm forever blowing bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air
- Burr and Campbell
Read more >>
Funny Cats Sleeping
Funny Cats Sleeping
Market Commentary: Today Is Labor Day Holiday; U.S. Markets Closed
Opening Market Commentary For 09-01-2014
The US Markets are closed today, but London is open. The SP500 futures are down along with the oils. The US dollar is up and the markets in London, Paris and Germany are down fractionally.
The World and its geopolitical issues did not become any worse over the weekend, but tomorrow's opening could be 'not-so-good' for the bulls.
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What We Read Today 01 September 2014
Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary "reading list" which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for "reading list" items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.
- Myth of arctic meltdown: Stunning satellite images show summer ice cap is thicker and covers 1.7million square kilometres MORE than 2 years ago...despite Al Gore's prediction it would be ICE-FREE by now (David Rose, Daily Mail) Sig Silber will cover this in some detail in his weekly weather and climate article tonight. We can hardly wait for someone to declare the advent of a new ice age!
The Myth of the Unchanging Value of Gold
by Joseph Salerno, Ludwig von Mises Institute
According to mainstream economics textbooks, one of the primary functions of money is to measure the value of goods and services exchanged on the market. A typical statement of this view is given by Frederic Mishkin in his textbook on money and banking.
He claims:
'[M]oney ... is used to measure value in the economy. We measure the value of goods and services in terms of money, just as we measure weight in terms of pounds and distance in terms of miles.'
For the Euro, is there a Coming "Sell the News" Bounce?
EURUSD Weekly Outlook: Technical Breakdowns, Fundamental Drivers, 01 September 2014
by Cliff Wachtel, FX Empire
FX Traders' weekly EURUSD fundamental & technical picture,likely trend, trading range, and drivers
The following is a partial summary of the conclusions from the
fxempire.com weekly analysts' meeting in which we cover outlooks for the major pairs for the coming week and beyond.
Raising a Child Today Could Cost a Quarter of a Million
from Felix Richter, Statista.com
by Niall McCarthy
These days, raising a child is a very costly undertaking in the United States.
Markets Mull Draghi as Israel Cuts, Colombia Raises Rates
Monetary Policy Week in Review 25-29 August 2014
by Peter Nielsen, Central Bank News
Speculation over further monetary easing by the European Central Bank (ECB) dominated global monetary policy last week as financial markets continued to digest the implication of Mario Draghi's speech in Jackson Hole.
China Manufacturing Loses Momentum, But Stays in Expansion
Econintersect: The official PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) reported a reading ot 51.1 in August 2014, down from 51.7 in July. The result was slightly less than the expected value of 51.2. The second PMI report was just barely above the 50 reading which marks the boundary between expansion and contaction. The HSBC/
Markit survey reported a final reading of 50.2, a sharp decline from July when it also came in at 51.7.
Does Economics Education Teach Students to Trust?
by Timothy Taylor, Conversable Economist
Last March, I discusses some of the studies on the question, "Does Economics Make You a Bad Person?" (March 31, 2014). In the Spring 2014 issue of the American Economist, Bryan C. McCannon offers some additional evidence on the question in:
"Do Economists Play Well With Others? Experimental Evidence on the Relationship between Economics Education and Pro Social Behavior" (59:1, pp. 27-33).
The journal is not freely available on-line, although many readers will have access through a library subscription.
Read more >>
Multifamily Housing: The New American Dream?
from the Atlanta Fed
Multifamily housing starts have seen nearly four consecutive years of growth, and some observers have begun to wonder if this real estate sector is becoming overheated. How much apartment construction is under way, and is it sustainable?
Insider Trading 29 August 2014: L Brands Selling
by Asif Suria
Insider buying declined sharply last week with insiders buying $18.96 million of stock compared to $32.38 million in the week prior. Selling edged up a little with insiders selling $932.22 million of stock last week compared to $897.75 million in the week prior.
Sell/Buy Ratio: The insider Sell/Buy ratio is calculated by dividing the total insider sales in a given week by total insider purchases that week. The adjusted ratio for last week went up to 49.17. In other words, insiders sold more than 49 times as much stock as they purchased.
One in Four U.S. Internet Users Watches Online Videos Daily
from Felix Richter, Statista.com
by Mathias Brandt
Around one in four Internet users in the United States views online video daily, according to the results of a TNS study of over 55,000 Internet users worldwide.
Tantalising Tentacles: Octopus Could be the Next Big Thing in Aquaculture
by Jose Iglesias Estevez, The Conversation
Octopuses grow quickly, have lots of tasty flesh and are found all over the world. As the world's supply of fish diminishes while the number of humans keeps increasing, it seems these creatures would make an ideal mass-produced food for our hungry mouths.
So where are all the octopus farms?
Infographic of the Day: Steps on the Road to Programmable Matter
As a proof of concept, 1,024 tiny, low-cost 'Kilobots' were constructed and programmed with a simple algorithm that allows them to assemble themselves into simple patterns.
