Data Show US Economy is Improving

Good day. The dollar continued to benefit from the troubles in Europe yesterday, adding to its weekly gains. The dollar index, which tracks the major currencies versus the U.S. dollar, is up 1.86% in the past five days as investors seek the shelter of the U.S. Treasury market.

I was talking to Mike last night, preparing for this morning’s Pfennig, and we agreed that all of this dollar buying is starting to look a bit overdone. At some point, the markets will figure they have “priced in” the Greek exit and will again start to trade on fundamentals.

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Data Show US Economy is Improving

Good day. The dollar continued to benefit from the troubles in Europe yesterday, adding to its weekly gains. The dollar index, which tracks the major currencies versus the U.S. dollar, is up 1.86% in the past five days as investors seek the shelter of the U.S. Treasury market.

I was talking to Mike last night, preparing for this morning’s Pfennig, and we agreed that all of this dollar buying is starting to look a bit overdone. At some point, the markets will figure they have “priced in” the Greek exit and will again start to trade on fundamentals.

[Read more...]

GDP Growth: The Civic Duty of Every US Consumer

No panic on Wall Street — yet. Gold still over $1,600.

But watch out. Our hunch is that when people come to their senses…they will run for the exits.

Europe’s shifting from austerity to “growth”…which really means more debt.

America’s growth is phony — with fewer jobs today than when the ’08 recession began.

[Read more...]

GDP Growth: The Civic Duty of Every US Consumer

No panic on Wall Street — yet. Gold still over $1,600.

But watch out. Our hunch is that when people come to their senses…they will run for the exits.

Europe’s shifting from austerity to “growth”…which really means more debt.

America’s growth is phony — with fewer jobs today than when the ’08 recession began.

[Read more...]

The Burgeoning Scam Market

“Monetary policy cannot fulfill each and every market expectation.”

So said the head of the Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann.

Why not, investors want to know.

Mr. Weidmann was talking to The Wall Street Journal. He was explaining why Germany was sticking to its guns. They don’t use that expression in Germany. But you know what he meant.

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The Problem with Contemporary Education

Several of the ‘Capitalism in Crisis’ thinkers — even those who should have known better — thought the government needed to invest more money in education.

Kenneth Rogoff, for example, concludes that “improved education alone will not resolve the flaws inherent in today’s capitalism, but it [is an] essential first step down any path to a solution.”

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Markets Rally. Details to Follow…

Stocks up 339 points on the Dow! Gold at $1,747! Oil over $90!

Forget all of our worries about another big swing down in asset prices…about a Japan-like slump that could last a generation…about gold at $1,200 and the Dow at 6,000…

…we were wrong, wrong, wrong!

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Why the US Economy is No Place for Small Business Growth

The Dow fell 200 points yesterday. Up, down…up, down…when will it stop?

Never. That’s what prices do. They go up and they go down.

Discovering…discovering…the markets will never cease discovering….

And the end of all their discoveries will be, to return to the place where they began, and to know it for the first time…

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Declining Positive Sentiment on the Future of the US Economy

Since we’re in the mood, let’s begin today with a question: Do you think your kids or grandkids will be worse off than you?

We’ll give you a moment to think about it.

[One moment]

Fifty-seven percent of Americans responding to a similar question posed by The Hill predict today’s young people won’t live better lives than their parents.

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