The British Pound Finds Fresh Support In The UK’s Economic About-Face

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 7, 2016. Click here to read the entire piece.) The theme was consistent for the Markit economic indicators for August: the UK economy rebounded sharply and strongly from the initial post-Brexit blues. Almost across the board, measures of economic activity … Read more

A Potentially Ominous Sentiment Shift for the Australian Dollar

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 25, 2016. Click here to read the entire piece.) The latest data on speculator forex positioning showed a sudden and abrupt change in sentiment on the Australian dollar (FXA). {snip} If this sharp drop in net longs turns into net … Read more

The Charts That Helped Fed President Rosengren Plunge the Stock Market

After watching Boston Federal Reserve President Eric Rosengren speak at the South Shore Chamber of Commerce in Quincy, MA, I concluded Rosengren did not intend to rock the stock market on September 9, 2016. Ironically, the market’s extremely low volatility and lofty levels make the market “vulnerable” to good news. Good news drove Rosengren’s upbeat … Read more

Fresh Sympathy for Gold and Silver

The reaction caught me completely off-guard. On September 6th, the USD ISM Non-Manufacturing/Services Composite for August came in at 51.3, well below “expectations” of 54.9 and the lowest reading since February, 2010. The reaction was swift in financial markets. The 30-day Fed Fund futures pushed out the next rate hike from December, 2016 (54.2%) to … Read more

U.S. Migration Patterns and California Housing Migraines

In past Housing Market Reviews, I observed a notable shift in housing activity from the West to the South. I have wondered aloud whether this disparity comes from economic choices moving households from relatively expensive markets in the West to relatively more affordable ones in the South. It turns out the IRS has some of … Read more