Sunday, June 11, 2017

Baltic Exchange Dry Index (BDI) is up to date

QUICK OVERVIEW

  • While the U.S. was transfixed on Comey’s testimony, the GOP moved quietly to clear out and repeal America's Great Recession/Bank fail-safe - Dodd-Frank. Expect the next bank related crisis to arrive asap! 
  •  US wholesale inventories fell 0.5% in April after increasing 0.1% in March. 
  • UK sees first fall in consumer spending in 4 years as wage growth stalls and prices rise.
  •  Japan Core Machine Orders fell 3.1% In April 
  • Japan Producer Prices Unchanged In May 
  • YoY China's PPI rose 5.5% in May, versus an expected gain of 5.7 % and slower than the 6.4% increase in April. 
  • In Q1 the euro zone economy grew  at its fastest rate in two years. 
  • MoM World food prices rose 2.2%. 

Sunday, June 04, 2017

QUICK OVERVIEW

  • Brazilian industrial production fell -4.5% vs. -5.7% forecast 
  • Brazil trade surplus hits all-time high of $7.7 billion in May 
  •  China’s manufacturing PMI for the month of May contracted to 49.6 vs 50.1 exp. and 50.3 last – not so good. 
  • Industrial output in Japan advanced 4.0% MoM in April 
  • Industrial production in South Korea was down 2.2 % MoM 
  • LA JOLLA, CA – May 29, 2017 – Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute  have given new superpowers to a lifesaving antibiotic called vancomycin, an advance that could eliminate the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections for years to come.

Monday, May 29, 2017

QUICK OVERVIEW



  • (F.T) Subprime-scarred banks retreat from $1.2tn US car market

  • U.S. consumers now owe roughly $12.73 trillion to banks and other lenders for mortgages, car loans and credit card spending, according to the New York Fed - exceeding the total before the last financial crisis.


  • U.S. GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.2% in Q1



  • Japan's core consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in two years in April, increasing 0.3 % YoY



  • Britain's GDP growth during Q1 of this year stood at a disappointing 0.2%



  • Confidence among South Korean consumers over economic conditions rebounded as the new government was launched. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) stood at 108.0 in May, up 6.8 points MoM.



  • (Morningstar) Managed-futures funds are in the midst of their largest drawdown in recent history. During the past three years through the end of April 2017, the 36 unique funds in the managed-futures Morningstar Category with histories at least that long had an average maximum drawdown of 13.4%.


Saturday, April 29, 2017

QUICK OVERVIEW

  • Trump on North Korea: “Major, major conflict possible” (Reuters) Trump says he thought being president would be easier than his old life. He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is surprised how hard his new job is. 
 
  •  (Fed) 53% of small employer firms reported being profitable in a 2016 survey, while 27% reported a loss. 
 
  • Trump wants to cut the corporate tax rate to 15% from the current 35%, which would be supportive for stocks if he can pull it off. A cut in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15% would cost the government some $2 trillion over ten years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. But deficits are clearly insignificant to republicans when they are in charge… 
 
  • EUR/USD rose to a (almost) 5-1/2 month high as the results of first round of France's presidential election showed that heavily-favored pro-EU candidate Macron leading against Ms. underwater Pen. 
 
  • Mar Chicago Fed national activity index unexpectedly fell -0.19 to 0.08, weaker than expectations of +0.16 to 0.50. 
 
  • The Bundesbank said, "the German economy is likely to have significantly gained momentum in Q1 of 2017" and that sentiment in manufacturing is "extraordinary optimistic." 
  •  German IFO business climate index rose +0.5 to 112.9, stronger than expectations - a 5-3/4 year high. 
 
  •  As Japan's population shrinks, its workforce has declined to 77.2 million in 2015 from a peak of 87.2 million in 1995. By 2065, it's expected to drop to just 45.2 million. 
 
  • Rumors have raised their head “again” that Trump wants to exit Nafta – Ag markets don’t seem to like the idea much, wonder why. Oh, never mind he changed his mind.
 
  •  Record low number of young Americans own homes, and gap in home-ownership between young + old is biggest on record 
                               
  • Median sales price for new houses sold in the U.S. rose $22,000 in March to $315,100 
 
  • The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a near normal Southwest Monsoon for 2017 suggesting that June to September rainfall is likely to be 96 percent of the Long Period Average. Above normal high temperatures are forecast from April to June as much of the country will witness heatwave conditions. 
 
  • According to Russia’s Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat), Russia’s headline consumer price index (CPI) was down to 4.3 percent in March 2017 from 5.4 percent in December 2016