The stock market, gold, silver, and oil all rallied when the Federal Reserve delivered the widely expected increase in its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday, the Ides of March. It said that the domestic economy remained on a path of slow and steady growth. In a statement the Fed said that the United States economy […]

Another quiet trading session for Asia resulting in mixed signals with little headway made. All core markets closed within 0.10% of their previous close. China Industrial production rose (6.3% while estimate were 6.2%) for the first couple of this year but were disappointed as Retail Sales released at 9.5% against an expected 10.5%. The BOJ will […]

Core Asian markets performed well today on what has potential to be an extremely volatile week. The Nikkei bounced from early weakness but was more playing off-set from currency moves. The mood did not start so well for Japan after January Machinery Orders came in way below estimate (-3.2% against forecasts of +0.5%). This obviously […]

QUESTION:  Dear Mr. Armstrong, as a daily reader of your blog I noticed the recent comment on the norweigian real estate market. You wrote that it was capital flight from the eurozone that made the prices go higher. Parking, not speculation, It seemed, in the light of everything, as a very natural development. As the […]

The weekend and overnight news surrounded Chinese growth downplay and the North Korean missile tests. The former certainly helped the Shanghai and Hang Seng market with closes of around +0.4% whilst the later hindered the Nikkei closing -0.5%. China Parliament opened at the weekend with the Premier Li calling growth target lower to around 6.5%, […]

I have warned that rates will rise BECAUSE the Federal Reserve will be criticized if they fail to do so when they are faced with a stock market that is rising. However, while one by one, several Fed officials have all signaled in recent days that the Fed is ready to resume raising interest rates […]

COMMENT: Marty; Some people are trying to claim that China in bypassing the Swift System, they are undermining the dollar. The latest absurd statement is that Japan will bypass the dollar and SWIFT System to transact using China’s CIPS system in inter-bank settlement. I really had to laugh at how ignorant this statement is for it […]

  The question of when will central banks fail is a popular one that comes in. Suffice it to say, the turmoil will hit Europe first. While so many people blame the Fed for all sorts of things, you must realize that Roosevelt usurped the Fed during the Great Depression and imposed a single interest […]

Trying to understand forecasting will be critical as we move forward. The HUGE turning point appears to be 2018 and that is most likely when things will start to come unglued. How do I even make such a statement? This is not a claim that I make based upon some gut feeling. I arrive at […]

Some ask why I only criticize the left and not the right. As the Guardian wrote, the left is on the rise. There are 50 shades between left and right. If we are talking about the 1%, that is really small business, for that begins at $250,000 annual income. Everyone confuses the 1% with the “super-rich” who are […]