Swiss National Bank Strikes A Dour Note As Franc Remains Over-Valued

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 14, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) The Swiss National Bank (SNB) struck a very dour note in its latest statement on monetary policy. Blaming in part the continued over-valuation of the Swiss Franc (FXF) – “the Swiss … Read more

Now that Bernanke Has Made His Move, It Is Azumi’s Turn

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 14, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) In the Federal Reserve’s latest statement on monetary policy, Chairman Ben Bernanke basically announced that the Fed is giving the economy a blank check: {snip} This forceful action is likely much … Read more

T2108 Update (September 14, 2012) – 2006 All Over Again?

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are highly likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades … Read more

T2108 Update (September 13, 2012) – Extended Overbought Period Confirmed

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are highly likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades … Read more

Little New News from Jackson Hole But Market Readies for Action Anyway

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 3, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) “…the private sector’s revised outlook for the policy rate also appears to reflect a growing appreciation of how forceful the FOMC intends to be in supporting a sustainable recovery.” (Ben Bernanke … Read more

Monetary Easing, The Counterfactual, And A Lower Dollar In the Balance

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 11, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has made the case for further monetary easing simple and straightforward. Unless some miracle happens in the economy to send growth hurtling upward (presidential campaign promises, … Read more

T2108 Update (August 24, 2012) – Pavlovian Market

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades are posted on twitter using the #120trade hashtag) T2108 Status: 67.2% VIX Status: 15.2 … Read more

The Reserve Bank of Australia Declares Soft-Landing In China, Focuses On Europe

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 7, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) The immediate response to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest monetary policy decision was muted, but I think the statement spoke volumes. The RBA essentially declared a soft economic landing in … Read more

By Closing Above Its “QE2 Reference Price”, Dollar Increases Pressure On Fed

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on July 26, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) I did not think it would happen, but the dollar index finally closed above its “QE2 reference price.” {snip} I have contended that if the dollar index reached current levels, the … Read more

Atlanta Fed’s Lockhart: “QE3 Is An Option”

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on June 29, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) On June 27, 2012, Nightly Business Report interviewed Dennis Lockhart, President of the Atlanta Federal Reserve about the U.S. economy. During the interview, Lockhart indicated that the economic anecdotes he hears … Read more