Thursday, September 15, 2016

Apple Tax Grab by EU Invades IRS Airspace / Politics / Taxes

By: John_Browne

On August 30th, the European Union (EU) Commission ordered the Irish government to reclaim some $14.6 billion of so-called back taxes plus interest from Apple Inc. The order challenged sovereign tax authority within the EU and well-established international tax rules. The aggressive stance of the Commission set off a furor of high level political argument among taxing authorities and multinational companies accustomed to complex but legal international tax planning. Apple's case was big enough to place it at center stage in a simmering problem for governments in striking a balance between attracting businesses, creating jobs, generating taxes and deciding precisely what type of earnings can be taxed.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Next Financial Crisis Will be Far Worse than 2008/09 / Stock-Markets / Financial Crisis 2016

By: Chris_Vermeulen

We are living in “extraordinary” times, which will end with unpleasant consequences. The world is looking towards the Central Banks to sort out these problems, whereas, the Central Banks are clueless about how to handle this situation.

Never in history has the world seen 30% of global government debt at “negative yields”. This is an experiment, which is unlikely to end with a good result.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Crude Oil Prices: Investors Getting Comfortable with New Levels? / Commodities / Crude Oil

By: Nicholas_Kitonyi

When the price of oil breached above the $50 level, everyone thought alas, we could be hitting $70 before the end of the year. It was a steady rally that appeared to have turned the tide completely. However, things did not turn out as earlier predicted. Within no time, oil prices dropped again below $50 and have since failed to reach those levels. If anything, there are fresh fears that the price of crude oil could drop below $40 if the production levels remain unchecked.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

3 Clear Signs the US Stock Market Is Doomed / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: John_Mauldin

BY TONY SAGAMI : The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been going sideways ever since the Commerce Department reported that retail sales in July came to a grinding halt (0.0%).

At the same time, companies including Starbucks, McDonald’s, Ford, Burberry, and Gap are reporting disappointing sales. That means trouble in shopping paradise.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Fed’s Monetary Monkeying Is Ruining Your Retirement and the Economy / Interest-Rates / Negative Interest Rates

By: John_Mauldin

The Fed’s mission is to maintain a stable inflation rate while spurring employment. Its main tools are the money supply and interest rates.

What is an interest rate? You might describe it as the price of money. Or in investment terms, it’s the price of liquidity. You don’t have cash now, but you expect to have it in the future.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Fed Used Jackson Hole to Plan Negative Rates / Interest-Rates / Negative Interest Rates

By: John_Mauldin

Jackson Hole revealed things that did not make it into reports by the mainstream media. Turns out, the academic and philosophical underpinnings were being laid down for a radical expansion of the Federal Reserve’s toolbox.

The unthinkable policy that I’ve been warning about since last May—yes, we’re talking negative rates—was not only discussed at Jackson Hole, it was discussed in a positive, even slavishly approving, manner.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

888.com: the future still looks bright despite ending interest in William Hill / Companies / Gambling

By: .....

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Crude Oil Price Trend Forecast 2016 September Update / Commodities / Crude Oil

By: Nadeem_Walayat

At the start of this year the prevailing mood in the oil market was not just one of doom and gloom but of catastrophe as the oil price sunk below $30, skidding by the middle of February to virtually touch $25, a period during which many prominent analysts and investment banks such as Goldman Sachs all of whom were bearish on the prospects for oil price this year even suggesting that the oil price could sink to as low as $10 (Standard Chartered) which meant that the oil producers, the frackers and even a string of nations such as Russia, Nigeria and Venezuela were on the fast track towards going bust as their oil profits that financed state spending budget deficits evaporated.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Gold Waiting on the US Dollar to Begin its Intermediate Decline / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Gary_Savage

Gold is flagging above the 200 week moving average while it waits for the dollar to generate the downward leg of its intermediate cycle.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Stocks Extend Their Fluctuations As Investors Await Series Of Economic Data Releases / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Paul_Rejczak

Briefly: In our opinion, speculative short positions are favored (with stop-loss at 2,210, and profit target at 2,050, S&P 500 index).

Our intraday outlook is bearish, and our short-term outlook is bearish. Our medium-term outlook is now neutral, following S&P 500 index breakout above last year's all-time high:

Intraday outlook (next 24 hours): bearish
Short-term outlook (next 1-2 weeks): bearish
Medium-term outlook (next 1-3 months): neutral
Long-term outlook (next year): neutral

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Great Day for Biotech Stocks / Stock-Markets / BioTech

By: Harry_Boxer

The stock market indices rebounded smartly in the morning, but got up to overhead resistance, particularly on the Nasdaq 100, which failed several times trying to get through 4770. At that point, the S&P 500 was trailing badly. They then went into an afternoon decline, and orderly retraced channel, 5-wave decline on the S&P 500, and then dropped right back to the 2120 level it reached twice in three days. This was the third test. That was successful. It bounced a few points off that level. It was not exactly a rip-roaring rally, but, nevertheless, support held for now, with the S&P 500 having a triple bottom, and the Nasdaq 100 having a right-handed, extended V-pattern, or rising wedge. No question with overhead resistance at 4770, or thereabouts on the Nasdaq 100, as well as for starters 2140-5 zone on the S&P 500 is going to be critical going forward.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Stock Market Double Bottom Positive Divergence Fails To Rally Market Big For Now / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Jack_Steiman

The market recently tested down to 2119 last Friday on the talk of a rate hike and poor economic reports. We saw the ISM Manufacturing Report and services come in well below expectations. Friday was painful, but the market tested down to 2019, which is still one full percent above the 2100 up trend line of massive support. After a fed Brainard rally on Monday, we saw the market head lower once again yesterday as it touched 2120. A nice double bottom at the lows, which also happened to set up a positive divergence on the short-term only, sixty-minute index charts. The daily charts aren't anything worth talking about from a bullish perspective. They're now more bearish in nature. However, a double bottom with short-term positive divergences usually means, especially in a bull market, that we'll test higher somewhat short-term.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Unprecedented Global Bond Bubble Threatens Holders of Cash / Interest-Rates / International Bond Market

By: MoneyMetals

As big as previous real estate and stock market bubbles have been, the current global bubble in government debt dwarfs them all. Not only is it far bigger in size and scope (some $60 trillion in sovereign bonds now trade globally); it is also unprecedented in character.
The world has rarely seen a bond bull market that is not only 36 years old, but also shows few signs of ending. And never before in recorded history have interest rates gotten so low across the board.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Precious Metals Entering, Stocks and Bonds Exiting Bull Market / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Jeb_Handwerger

Summary
A)Stocks have been in an uptrend for more than five years and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has more than tripled since 2008 lows.
B)I am concerned that these gains are overinflated and pumped higher through these policies of the Central Bankers and stocks are way overvalued and extremely overbought.
C)Because we have not seen a meaningful correction in the Dow in more than seven years, the chance of a significant bear market remains higher than ever.
D)I believe the Dow-Gold ratio is about to turn in favor of precious metals in a big way.
E)The Fed raising rates could be good for precious metals as investors may finally rotate out of overvalued stocks in search for equities backed by precious metals.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Crude Oil Price Trend Forecast 2016 Update / Commodities / Crude Oil

By: Nadeem_Walayat

At the start of the year the prevailing mood in the oil market was not just one of doom and gloom but of catastrophe as the oil price sunk below $30, skidding by the middle of February to virtually touch $25, a period during which many prominent analysts and investment banks such as Goldman Sachs all of whom were bearish on the prospects for oil price this year even suggesting that the oil price could sink to as low as $10 (Standard Chartered) which meant that the oil producers, the frackers and even a string of nations such as Russia, Nigeria and Venezuela were on the fast track towards going bust in as their oil profits that financed state spending budget deficits evaporated.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Stop the Fed Before it Kills Again / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank

By: Mike_Whitney

Why has the Fed created incentives for US corporations to loot their companies and drive them deeper into debt?

Despite four consecutive quarters of negative earnings, weak demand and anemic sales, US corporations continue to load up on debt, buy back their own shares and hand out cash to their shareholders that greatly exceeds the amount of profits they are currently taking in. According to the Wall Street Journal: “SandP 500 companies through the first two quarters of the year collectively returned 112% of their earnings through buybacks and dividends.”

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Wells Fargo and Other Banks Now Just Outright Stealing People’s Money / Companies / Banksters

By: Jeff_Berwick

Centuries ago banks actually stored real money (gold) and gave their customers paper receipts which made transferring and transporting easier.

Then as time went by, banks just began storing currency. Unbacked fiat paper is not money.

In those days the term “bank robbery” used to mean a man with a gun would come in and steal the currency from the bank.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

2016 The Worst Ever Year for Annuity Income / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement

By: MoneyFacts

As tomorrow marks Pensions Awareness Day (PAD), new research compiled by Moneyfacts has revealed that annuity rates are on track for their biggest ever annual fall. Based on a benchmark annuity (standard level without guarantee), the average annuity income for a 65-year-old has fallen by 14.8% on a £10K purchase price and by 15% on a £50K purchase price so far during 2016.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Stock Market Wild Week Ahead: The Selling is Not Through! / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Brad_Gudgeon

A lot of traders I know were thinking that a low on Monday would be it and then off to the races. I was in that camp too.  The problem is the rising wedge was never broken. So what now?  Pretty much the same for the SPX and GDX: another strong rise on Wednesday followed by even more severe selling toward the week’s end. I’m thinking more like the SPX 2045 area by Sept 16-19.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

The Most Political Fed in History / Interest-Rates / US Federal Reserve Bank

By: Graham_Summers

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari wants us to believe that the Fed is not a political entity.

Kashkari is either ignoring reality or simply providing cover for the single most political Fed in history. This is not a Left vs. Right issue, this is an establishment vs. legitimate reform issue.