Bracing for Government’s Withdrawal from the Economy

When the Federal government begins its withdrawal from the economy, the implications will be large and the ramifications likely painful. We saw it when Cisco’s stock plunged 16% after reporting earnings partially compressed by a reduction in government contracts. We see it every day as temporary Federal stimulus wanes and takes more and more steam … Read more

As Gross Reiterates His Call for A Top in Bonds, TBT Seems to Bottom

Bloomberg summarized the latest missive from Bill Gross in a piece called “Fed Easing to Signify End of Bull Market, Gross Says.” Gross called an end to the 30-year bull market in bonds thanks to the the Federal Reserve’s planned second round of quantitative easing. I decided to read Gross in his own words, and … Read more

Don’t Blame the Buyers, Blame the Suppliers of Sovereign Debt

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), its 33 member countries will almost double government borrowing from 2007 to 2011 to the tune of $19 trillion. In the face of this ramp in borrowing (and spending) bond investors are supposed should sit back and calmly continue to absorb all the sovereign requests … Read more

Greenspan Speaks Plainly As He Warns of the Risks for Fiscal Catastrophe

“…the Republicans, I think, have been cutting taxes with borrowed money, and the Democrats have been spending with borrowed money. They agree only on the borrowed money. And the system cannot take that…We are now at a state where, excluding World War II, we are in the worst shape of the relationship between borrowing capacity … Read more

Fleckenstein: “Why would I want to hedge gold?”

Bill Fleckenstein, President of Fleckenstein Capital and one of my favorite money managers, was on CNBC’s Fast Money Wednesday night giving his typical, colorful commentary on gold. I am posting an approximate transcript to his brief interview because it included what I think should be a classic moment in gold commentary. Toward the end of … Read more