A Simple Weekend Tasking

Most people spend their weekends drowning in headlines that won’t matter by Monday — while missing the few signals that will. This week’s Peoplenomics cuts through the noise with a simple question: what actually changes people’s lives in the next 72 hours? Weather, shutdown mechanics, markets, supply chains, and geopolitical risk all get ranked — … Read More

Trump Market Mayhem – A Future Steering Memo to Andy

Seat belts fastened?  Seat backs and tray tables up and locked? Futures down hard before breakfast. The market’s daily reminder that confidence is a perishable good.  A kind of “just ahead of Valentine’s” massacre in finance is swirling. Fair warning: this is one of those mornings where the market opens first — and then something … Read More

Tequila Thursday – Iran Pending – Name that George

The news drives people to drink.  Old news directors in particular.  But now, there’s so much “Slip ’N Slide” to the headlines, we just sit back (stone sober) and wonder how the world could possibly get any stranger. Then we turn on the feed-screener and, oh boy. Things haven’t “hit the fan” but we can … Read More

Fed Decision – No Move

“In support of its goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 3?1/2 to 3?3/4 percent. In considering the extent and timing of additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of … Read More

The Flash Drive at Alexandria

Most investors look at a rising market and assume progress. But on a Fed Day, that assumption can be expensive. Price moves for three very different reasons: real business improvement, currency dilution, and story momentum. If you don’t separate them, you end up celebrating gains that are really just your money getting weaker. Today’s column … Read More

Housing Hit – Drops Below Inflation

Highlights from the Case-Shiller/S&P (which is Cotality?) Housing report just out. YEAR-OVER-YEAR The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 1.4% annual gain for November. The 10-City Composite showed an annual increase of 2.0%, up from a 1.9% increase in the previous month. The 20-City … Read More

China Purge (or Taiwan move) Squeeze Metals – Icy But Over

When I mentioned to the Peoplenomics crowd that we didn’t go short over the weekend, it was an abundance of caution.  And, it was accompanied by a warning: News is Driving. China: Purge Or Invasion of Taiwan Gold screamed past $5,100 overnight and silver is nearly $110. We’re hearing things — many — strategic things … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Speed Freak Winter

The Preface: I like driving on ice.  However, I don’t like paying for the damage.  Like G2 who has his all-wheel drive being fixed because even AWD and ABS (and a good clean driving record) can’t fix an unsanded patch of black ice, a quarter inch thick – at a stop sign – that should … Read More

A Profound Prepping Lesson

I’ve been wrsiting about prepping for what? 25+ years? And with all that experience, I would have thought that I’d “seen it all.” But that was before the Storm Fern this weekend.  It funny, and serious, but most importantly profound. More for Subscribers ||| Master Index 2018 to Present ||| Master Index 2001 thru 2017 ||| Missing … Read More

One Down, Two Up, Then… Storm Prep C/L

$100 Silver nearly landed overnight – stopped 60-cents shy on the futures.  But that doesn’t end the hard assets war.  In fact, $5,000 gold and $100 silver seem almost a “lock” at this point.  But, we don’t offer this as “advice.”  It’s in the news category. Since We’re on Financials… Early market futures were down.  … Read More

Markets Stage Trump Recovery, ShopTalk: Storm Planning

Power, Prices, and Preparedness: Three talking points with the hash browns: What Trump said in Greenland, what it means, and how he’s out on the margins now. Markets slammed through the 85-Day average to the downside.  This is likely the rally above before lower. And the Mainstream again underscores its failure to empower the people … Read More