Archive for January 7th, 2012

Periodically I update a series of overlays comparing the ECRI Weekly Leading Index (WLI) and the Conference Board’s monthly updates of its index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The most recent LEI update was published on December 22 (data through November), and today we have the latest WLI,… read full news Published: Sun, 08 Jan… »

The European Central Bank is expected to take a pause in its interest-rate-cutting campaign next week, but that’s not likely to bring a reprieve to the euro, which remains trapped in a vicious cycle of rising government borrowing costs and weak economic data. The first week of 2011 hasn’t been an… read full news Published:… »

President Barack Obama kicked off an effort to encourage businesses to keep jobs at home instead of outsourcing them overseas, as he rolled out a new election-year theme on Saturday aimed at courting middle-class voters. In his weekly radio and video address, Obama previewed an event he will hol… read full news Published: Sun, 08… »

The U.S. is starting the year on a positive note, a sign that investors may be too gloomy. … read full news Published: Sat, 07 Jan 2012… »

2012 began with another leg down for the euro, amid growing worries. The euro-zones rate decision is the highlight of the upcoming week. Here is an outlook for the major market movers. Last week weekly jobless claims dropped to 372K continuing the recovery process in the labor market after 387K … read full news Published:… »

The big dollar remains the go to currency. The market seems to be shifting away from wanting to own it solely as a risk aversion strategy, to one where the buck is being used as an investment currency while the EUR trades as the funding vehicle. Whatever the reason the currency has garnered… read full… »

A forecast is a forecast. In many cases, its not worth the paper its printed on. Some forecasts are more important than others, which is not to say theyre more accurate, just that they matter more. The Federal Reserves forecasts belong in this category. Unlike the average Wall Street pro… read full news Published: Sat,… »

Before the euro’s launch in January 1999, the Bank of England issued a 110-page plan – everything from settlement timetables to roadworks on the big day – to ensure a smooth introduction of the common currency in the world’s largest financial centre. The plan was among quarterly reports, complete… read full news Published: Sat, 07… »

Italy’s smartest islands and summer resorts are to be the next target of a tough new crackdown on tax evasion, in a move which has the country’s rich and famous quaking in their Gucci loafers. Exclusive retreats like the hilltop town of Taormina in Sicily, the Costa Smeralda or Emerald Coast of S… read full… »

The trend of relentless shorting of the Euro currency in the form of non-commercial spec contracts, and as reported by the Commitment of Traders, continues for one more week. As of January 3, EUR shorts rose by another 9%, hitting an unprecedented 138,909 net contracts short – a fresh all time… read full news Published:… »