The big economic news for the week, is the surge in the United States equity markets. For the first time since 1999, all three major composites reached life time highs. On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrials hit 18,613.52 a gain of 6.8% in 2016. The Standard & Poor 500 which is up 6.9% this year, topped at 2,182.25 and the NASDAQ increased to 4,801, an addition of 4.4% in 2016. The United States markets were slightly down on Friday, but were able […]
United Kingdom: Immediate Economic And Political Consequences Of Brexit
Less than two months following the Brexit vote, the United Kingdom (UK) is a very different place, both politically and economically. The consequences of the non binding June 23 vote known as Brexit, on whether the country should remain in the European Union have been dramatic. Referendum results were unexpected to many observers, with 51.9% of the electorate voting for a withdrawal and 48.1% wanting to stay. Prime Minister David Cameron who opposed separation from the European Union (EU) intended to stay […]
Weekly Market Review & Target Fills August Week 1
The big economic news for the week is the actions taken by the Bank of England in the United Kingdom. The benchmark interest rate was cut from 0.5% to 0.25% a 100% reduction. It is the first reduction since 2009 and is another unprecedented low in the 322 year history of the central bank. The central bank in the United Kingdom has also decided to expand the asset purchase program by £60 billion the equivalent of $78.16 billion USD (United States Dollars) […]
Thailand Facing An Uncertain Future
Thailand alone in Southeast Asia, was able to maintain its independence during the era of European imperialism. The country maintained a monarchy as a head of state throughout the turbulent 20th century. Yet since the political reforms of 1932, which limited the power of the king, there have been 19 different constitutions and charters. The present king came to the throne in 1946 and has survived, despite the momentous change the country has undergone. The nation of Thailand would be dominated by […]
United States 2016 Presidential Election: Plans For Economic Growth?
There are now less than 100 days until the next presidential election in the United States. The party conventions have come and gone, yet there is still no clear perception on how either candidate is going to return growth to the American economy. President Barack Obama may be the first regular tenured president to not have a single year where growth exceeded 3%. If this decade long interruption in normal growth rates is not reversed, the United States will soon experience a […]
Weekly Market Review & Target Fills July Week 5
The big economic news for the week is the spectacular growth in revenue for the United States technology giants and the far lower economic growth than forecast. The American companies of Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, are global leaders in their respective fields. Quarter 2 results saw impressive revenue growth overall. The United States economic GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth came in at 1.2%, while 2.6% was forecast. In addition, Quarter 1 GDP was revised downward again, back to 0.8% from 1.1%. […]
Weekly Market Review & Target Fills July Week 4
The major news event effecting markets globally especially in Europe, was the failed coup attempt against President Erdogan that took place in Turkey last Friday. About 290 people were killed and over 50,000 arrested detained or suspended. It is likely these targeted lists were created well in advance by the government. Travel and tourism stocks there have moved lower as a result. The aftershocks were felt in European markets already taking a hit from the recent terrorist attacks. The Turkish Istanbul 100 […]
Elections In Japan Allows Government To Double Down On Abenomics
The electoral victory earlier this month for the government of Japan, will now permit two major goals of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to come to fruition. That is a revision of the constitution and a doubling down on the economic policy, that has become known as Abenomics. The elections results were most likely seen as a further affirmation that the Japanese people have acceded to the belief, that there is little alternative to what the government now proposes. The ruling coalition not […]
Weekly Market Review & Target Fills July Week 3
The major news event effecting markets globally especially in Europe, was the terrorist attack that took place in Nice, France on Thursday. At least 84 people have been killed. Travel and tourism stocks have moved lower as a result, it is creating a terror driven sell off in European markets. The big investment news for the week is the surge in the American Dow Jones Industrial Average after a nearly 5% loss, as a result of Brexit. A six day rally has […]
European Union Now In The Hands Of German Voters
As the United Kingdom moves to withdraw from the European Union (EU) in what has become known as the Brexit, leaders across the Continent are increasingly looking to see what will Germany do under the new set of circumstances. There is no doubt that as the second largest economy in Europe makes preparations to follow an independent path, the role that Germany will play will be crucial within the EU. There is already strong movements in a number of other countries, that […]