Rant of the Day – Whirlpool fires 5000 Employees
On behalf of citizens: Hey Mr. Obama, We need jobs! Mr. Bernanke you’re not helping either! The first headline I read this morning: Whirlpool to fire 5000 employees. Our economist John L. Chapman has been pleading for less costly regulation since coming aboard back in the summer. This administration has a central ideology which, in practice, imparts .. read more
World population has reached 7 billion
According to Worldmeters.com, the world’s population reached 7 billion today. The site has some pretty neat counters that cover government expenditures, media and the environment. The global population is rising inexorably. The burgeoning middle class of Asia is no longer content to eat bucketfuls of rice and cabbage, with an occasional chicken’s foot as a treat. .. read more
Contrarian Alert
Weeks like this make me go hmm. The market rose through the 50 day moving average 2 weeks back. This week it climbed decisively through the 200 day moving average. On October 4th, the SPY had an intraday low of 107.43. This past Thursday, it had an intraday high of 129.42; a bounce off the lows .. read more
Weekly Economic & Market Review
Is the great bear market of 2011 over? Stocks have risen relentlessly this month culminating with a giant 3% move last Thursday. The plan revealed that day to address the European debt crisis is the most often cited reason for the rally but the resilient performance of the US economy, as evidenced by the GDP .. read more
Weekly Chart Review
The S&P 500 is currently up 13.58% for the month. Treasury ETFs, which had been the winners for the year coming into the month, have sold off hard, especially the 20-year+ Treasury ETF (TLT), which is down 8.69% for the month. The S&P 500 is up almost 20% from the low adding about 1,000 points .. read more
Eurozone Debt, Money, Capital, and Naked Emperors
Thinking Things Over October 28, 2011 Volume I, Number 15: Eurozone Debt, Money, Capital, and Naked Emperors By John L. Chapman, Ph.D. Washington, D.C. In reviewing the details of the Greek bailout/Eurozone debt “deal” hammered out early Thursday morning alongside the Federal Reserve Board’s likely meeting agenda for next week, two books, written a century apart and .. read more
Economists put Regulatory Policy in Economic Cycle Conversation
The Alhambra Investment Team has been very vocal about our disappointment in current Fiscal Policy. Ben Bernanke recently joined ranks, essentially saying the Fed has done what it needs to do and that legislators must get their collective acts together because they are causing major headwinds. This has led to discussions at Alhambra on Nominal GDP .. read more
Market takes off!
At it’s high, the S&P 500 was up 20 percent from the October 4th low and closed at 1284. At the moment, 94% of stocks in the S&P 500 are trading above their 50-day moving averages. The stock market isn’t the only asset class that has been on fire recently. Corporate bonds — both investment grade .. read more
