Another volatile session for US markets, but then we should expect it now that there are fewer and fewer houses running positions. The break of the psychological $50 price level in WTI oil yesterday, was one of the key reasons given for today Asian weakness. Shanghai closed the session down a little over 1% and […]

Today was all about the weak economic data released in china and the fear that this slowdown is spreading. The concern that the weak contagion affects not just the region, but commodity prices, producers and sentiment everywhere. Core stock markets are been underperforming all year and anyone who has been following performance can testify to […]

The real Game of Thrones is already underway. The contest to succeed Mario Draghi is now officially open. The head of the European Central Bank (ECB) will leave office on October 21st, 2019. The question is who has the guts to step up to the plate to clean up the mess he is leaving behind? The appointment […]

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; Do you agree with Bloomberg that the yield on German bunds has declined in anticipation of the Fed lowering rates? JV ANSWER: No  The falling yields on German government debt is simply intensifying the trade to buy German and short everything in the South in anticipation of a failed Euro. Also, there has […]

Ireland is now claiming it needs to pass the Magnitsky Act to defend human rights. The greatest human rights violations take place in the legal system. It was Adolf Hitler’s notorious court that everyone said violated human right because it had a 90% conviction rate against people accused of being Jewish. Well Ireland, like the […]

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; the WEC was the best ever. The materials it took you a month to prepare in advance are amazing. Your insight into the difference between a sovereign debt crisis and how that produces deflation compared to the debasement deserves a Nobel Prize. My question is how did the people cope with the […]

Merkel said goodbye at the CDU meeting today. She intends to remain as Chancellor until 2021. However, the victor will be positioned to succeed Merkel as chancellor and influence whether she stays or bows out before her term ends in 2021. Although Merkel is widely known for her caution and changing positions with her internal poll […]

The reason given by many, for todays weakness was the arrest of Huawei CFO (Meng Wanzhou) and that rocked confidence. Technology shares were hit which led to core indices declining across the region. The Hang Seng performed the worst declining 2.47% and that was closely matched by the Shanghai’s -1.7% fall. The CNY reversed much […]

  The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the UK can unilaterally cancel its withdrawal from the EU at any time and that will not be subject to a vote by other EU member states. This is a non-binding opinion that was delivered by an advocate general of the European Court of Justice. The […]

Most of yesterdays gains were reversed today as early currency performance tended to replace equities. Selling in the Nikkei ahead of year end was somewhat counterbalanced by the Yen’s 1% appreciation. Selling of auto’s, industrials and steel producers weighed on the Nikkei which also led to renewed buying of JGB’s. In late US trading the […]