Helping you navigate the new normal since 2001
Few investors now remember the days when price discovery was thought to be the key role of stock markets. Instead, we know that prices are really now set by central banks, on the model of the Politburo in the old Soviet Union. How else can one explain the above chart? It shows the US S&P
The West has been living with cheap money from the central banks for over 5 years. Credit has been very easy to obtain in the financial sector, and interest rates have been at all-time lows. The result can be seen in the chart above from Business Insider of total lending to fund stock purchases on the New […]
Another ‘Minsky Moment’ beckons for US stock markets Read More
More details continue to surface of the wasteful spending that underpinned much of China’s GDP growth in recent years. The empty city of Ordos (first highlighted 3 years ago in the blog) is just one example. House prices there have recently fallen 50%, and the shadow banking system (critical for privately-owned companies) is reportedly in […]
The blog is becoming worried about the likely outlook for Q2. Sentiment now seems to be weakening alongside the fundamentals of supply/demand:
• Fundamentals. The start of 2013 has been a disappointment. Demand has shown some recovery after the …