“You’d have to be crazy to think the stock market isn’t crazy”
The headline above was the Wall Street Journal’s summary of last week’s market action. But was it really “crazy”? Perhaps it just felt “crazy” to those who had wanted to believe central banks’ stimulus policies could…
Chemical markets highlight economic downturn now underway
The chemical industry remains the best leading indicator for the global economy. The only problem is that most policymakers continue to ignore its obvious message about the failure of their stimulus policies to restore…
IMF says economic growth may never return to pre-crisis levels
The Great Unwinding of policymakers’ failed stimulus programmes is now clearly underway in the global economy. The headlines this week all focused on the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) report: “IMF says economic…
Indian Oil join campaign to build toilets in India
The blog is delighted to be able to congratulate Indian Oil (IOC) on becoming the first company to commit to building toilets in India. In response to Premier Modi’s appeal, the chairman of…
Subprime loans drive US auto sales growth
Major problems are developing in the US auto market. The critical issue is that companies have been adding capacity since 2009 on the basis that demand would return to SuperCycle levels. But it…
Turkish plastics markets see imports fall for first time since 2008
Turkey is the blog’s “go-to” market when it wants to confirm trends in global markets. The reason is that Turkey has a very successful downstream industry, but has failed to invest in…
European companies missing a major growth opportunity
We all know that the European economy is in a bad way. Sales and incomes are under pressure, and political risk is rising, whilst unemployment remains at high levels. Its very easy to…
Interest rate outlook more uncertain as Bill Gross leaves PIMCO
Last week’s departure of Bill Gross from his role as Chief Investment Officer at PIMCO is likely to prove a turning point for interest rates in the West, and probably around the world….
Equity markets under pressure as Boom/Gloom Index signals Great Unwinding
Whisper it quietly if you are walking past the imposing Federal Reserve building in Washington DC, so as not to disturb the occupants. They believe that their efforts to boost financial markets…