A Potential Climactic Top In Caterpillar’s Stock

Last week produced some ominous chart patterns in important individual stocks. I already covered Google (GOOG) and its rare retest of support at the 50-day moving average (DMA). While I still think GOOG will succeed in its retest in the near-term, I am not so sanguine about other ominous charts. Caterpillar (CAT) survived potential climactic … Read more

links for 2010-01-15

Prominent properties get foreclosure notices, portend trend  | ajc.com Notices of foreclosure have been placed on two more high-profile properties in Atlanta, a development observers said may be a harbinger for the industry in 2010. (tags: Atlanta Georgia foreclosure commercial_real_estate) Germany plans solar subsidy cuts from April-sources | Markets | Reuters The German government plans … Read more

Geithner “Doesn’t Understand” How Bankers Can Earn Such Large Bonuses

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner did not sound like much of a Treasury Secretary as he tried yet again to speak about the financial pains of the American people and express empathy. In a CNBC interview with John Harwood, Geithner claims he “doesn’t understand” how bankers can earn such large bonuses given these dark economic times … Read more

Federal Reserve Will Wait At Least Six More Months Before Raising Rates

For those people counting down to the first rate hike from the Federal Reserve, New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley offered an interpretation of “extended period” for Susie Gharib of Nightly Business Report: “GHARIB: Bill, everybody wants to know what do you mean by extended period? Would you please define that for us? DUDLEY: … Read more

links for 2010-01-14

The Other Plot to Wreck America – NYTimes.com Americans must be told the full story of how Wall Street gamed and inflated the housing bubble, made out like bandits, and then left millions of households in ruin. Without that reckoning, there will be no public clamor for serious reform of a financial system that was … Read more

links for 2010-01-13

Yen reclaiming carry trade as U.S. bond yields rise | Reuters The recent spike in U.S. bond yields, coinciding with a rally in the dollar against the yen, is flagging a return to the yen to fund carry trades (tags: Japan yen U.S._dollar carry_trade) Moody’s Warns on Japan’s Fiscal Discipline Under Kan The replacement of … Read more

links for 2010-01-11

Chinese Demand to Reshape Global Steel Market – WSJ.com China's surging demand for steel this year is expected to dominate the landscape of the steel industry as never before. Already the world's largest producer by far, the country is expected to rev up production by nearly 10%. But the higher output likely won't exceed demand, … Read more

Disappointing December Jobs Report May Signal An End to the Dollar’s Relief Rally

The dollar’s recent relief rally stalled out December 23 (see chart below), and December’s disappointing jobs report may have officially ended it. The apparent working thesis supporting the dollar’s relief rally has been an expectation that an imminent recovery in the labor market would motivate the Fed to raise interest rates sometime soon. December’s disappointing … Read more

Japan Returns to Weaker Yen Policy

(Repost from January 7, 2010) Naoto Kan, Japan’s new Finance Minister, took office today and promptly requested that currency traders sell the yen. This stance further supports September’s backtracking from an implicit stronger yen policy earlier suggested by out-going Finance Minister, Hirohisa Fujii. Japan has now officially returned to the de facto competitive devaluation that … Read more