Is Gold Headed to $1,000 Per Ounce?
Precious metals are getting crushed (again). This time it's allegedly because the Federal Reserve hinted that curtailing its monthly purchases of $85 billion in U.S. Treasuries and mortgage securities...
View ArticleWill a Government Shutdown Stall Stocks?
Political gridlock might be bad for the nation, but it's good for the stock market, so goes a popular axiom. But is that always true? Bloomberg reports: "Hardening positions on the federal budget and...
View ArticleGold Bugs Bitten Again by Precious Metals Rout
Here's a market trend you can almost bank on: Whenever gold prices jump, gold experts come out of the woodwork telling their fervent followers to buy more bullion because gold prices are heading to the...
View ArticleHow Do Assets Other Than Stocks Perform During Government Closures?
History shows that stocks have the tendency to gain during and after a government shutdown, but what about other investment categories like gold (NYSEARCA:IAU) and US Treasuries (NYSEARCA:TLT)? Scott...
View ArticleOne Way to Get More Income From Your Portfolio
Although bond yields have been climbing, many investors and retirees aren't getting adequate cash flow from their investments. A New York Times article titled "Why Many Retirees Could Outlive a $1...
View ArticleWill Stocks Follow Their Historical Pattern of 2011?
During the summer of 2011, the debt ceiling debate took the blame for sending the stock market down 20% from May to October of that year. Will 2013's debt limit drama cause the markets to behave...
View ArticleIs More Pain Ahead for Gold Investors?
Since the precious metals bubble began almost 10 years ago, the prices of gold and silver have been driven more by fear, greed, and other emotions than by fundamentals or allegedly rational reasons....
View ArticleDo You Own the Ultimate Hedge Against Political Chaos?
With Congress stuck in a political deadlock, the US government still partially closed, and the nation on the verge of a possible debt default, what's been the one asset that's proven to be the single...
View ArticleWill Junk Bonds Bless or Curse the Rest of the Market?
There have been many themes throughout this market recovery, now in its fifth year. The Fed's ever-present invisible hand, interest rates that remain near historical lows, and an investor persistently...
View ArticleAre VIX Traders Riding the Wrong Roller Coaster?
Trading stock market volatility is not for the faint of heart. And if you're a volatility trader, you've either personally experienced or are at least aware of the performance discrepancies between the...
View ArticleThe Dow Committee Again Gets It Wrong
In early September it was announced that the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) would swap Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Alcoa (NYSE:AA), and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) with Nike (NYSE:NKE),...
View ArticleIs Now the Time to Buy China?
Earlier this month the top Chinese banks reported that they increased their loan loss reserves by 300% over prior year reserve levels. As reported by Bloomberg, the five biggest Chinese banks including...
View ArticleIs Now the Time to Buy China?
Earlier this month the top Chinese banks reported that they increased their loan loss reserves by 300% over prior year reserve levels. As reported by Bloomberg, the five biggest Chinese banks including...
View ArticleCommodities Are Sending Deflationary Warnings to Stock Market
US stocks are still trading near all-time highs and they continue to defy deflationary forces in the broader economy and elsewhere. Does it spell trouble ahead? John Makin, a resident scholar at the...
View ArticleQEternity or Not, Treasury Yields Still Rising
You heard it here first: The intense focus by the media and Wall Street on the timing of the Federal Reserve's QE taper is a giant distraction. And so is the wasted effort of meticulously combing...
View ArticleWill Twitter Join the 100% Gainers Club?
The IPO market, once left for dead, is now back! As of last month, we've seen the most IPO activity since 2007 when 33 companies went public. Year-to-date, the number of IPOs stands at 190, well ahead...
View ArticleDon't Get Trampled by Rising Yields
If you haven't noticed, the bull market cycle in bonds is starting to show major cracks. Some yields have risen over 50% thus far in 2013! Is the 30-year bull market in bonds finally breaking? Never...
View ArticleThe Francis Bacon Indicator: Are Record Prices for Art a Warning Sign for the...
If you think the stock market is a frothy, out-of-control maniac, you should get a load of the art market. A 1969 triptych -- three canvas paintings of Lucian Freud - painted by British artist Francis...
View Article6 Ways to Reconcile the VIX's Current Trade Setup
In March 2013 the Volatility S&P 500 Index (INDEXCBOE:VIX) did something it had not done in over six years. It closed below $12. This six year low in March was accompanied by a new all-time closing...
View ArticleIs the US Housing Market Far Worse Than Reported?
The National Association of Homebuilders sentiment gauge has been stuck in neutral for the past four months and the latest number came in flat a 54 for October. A reading above 50 is said to be...
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