No Deflation Fears in Australia

“Commodity prices are off their peaks but those most important for Australia remain at very high levels, and the terms of trade are approaching their peak of two years ago.” – Royal Bank of Australia, “Statement by Glenn Stevens, Governor: Monetary Policy Decision” (July 6, 2010) From Australia’s perspective, the global economy continues to bring … Read more

The British Pound’s Momentum Now Faces Several Challenges

The British pound has gained a modest 3.5% since early June when I removed my long-standing bearishness on the currency. The momentum in the pound accelerated somewhat after last Wednesday’s release of the Bank of England’s minutes showed Andrew Sentance dissented from the rest of his fellow central bankers by calling for a rate hike. … Read more

S&P 500 Potentially Setting Up for A Directionless Summer (includes some charts of interest)

By now, I think we should recognize that low-volume rallies simply do not last – the odds tend to favor a return of most, if not all, those kinds of gains, sooner than later. Last week, I was particularly puzzled by a low-volume 2.4% rally on the S&P 500 that came on the heels of … Read more