“Whose streets? Our streets!†If you found it disturbing to hear white supremacists chanting these words as they marched last weekend through Charlottesville, Virginia, I’m about to make you feel worse. This blueprint for political rise comes directly from Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf,†where the would-be dictator advised his followers that “the road can be cleared for the movement … ...
Read More »Strategies for investing at stock market peaks
The S&P 500 Index has recorded more than 150 new all-time highs since eclipsing its previous peak in late-March of 2013. In 2017 alone there have been 30 new record highs through the end of last week. To put this into perspective, there were only 13 new highs for the entire decade of the 2000s. When you combine a stock ...
Read More »Don’t view productivity as an exogenous factor
`The Federal Reserve has an opportunity to test a hypothesis critical to the health of the US economy: Can persistently loose monetary policy boost the pace of productivity growth? Sadly, for now, an adherence to a strict Phillips curve framework for the economy and fear of financial instability will prevent the Fed from venturing down this path. Chair Janet Yellen ...
Read More »Stocks rebound in thin trading
Bloomberg European stocks joined a rally across most Asian equities following three days of losses, though trading volumes were once again depressed. Havens including gold, the yen and bonds retreated even as the likes of Bridgewater Associates’ Ray Dalio said he was reducing risk. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rebounded from the lowest in more than a week as miners ...
Read More »Al Rajhi Bank, Ma’aden boost Saudi; Dubai stocks outperform
DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Arabia’s stock market rose on Tuesday on the back of gains by Al Rajhi Bank and mining firm Ma’aden, while Dubai also outperformed most Gulf bourses although trading was thin. The Saudi stock index climbed 0.4 percent with Al Rajhi up 2.2 percent to 65.80 riyals, bringing its gains over the last five days to 4.9 ...
Read More »Inflation expectations may resume trust at Bank of Russia
Bloomberg While central bankers from the US to Europe see inflation undershooting their targets as a headache for monetary policy, it may be a boon for the Bank of Russia. A surprise deceleration in consumer prices below 4 percent in July is set to cool off inflation expectations, which Russia’s central bank calls a “pillar†of its rate decisions, according ...
Read More »Al Rajhi becomes investors’ favourite
Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s largest lender has become a favourite among equity analysts and investors as its business improves and the potentially lucrative inclusion in an emerging-markets benchmark index approaches next month. Al Rajhi Bank was upgraded to buy by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. on Aug. 8. An analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch followed suit eight days later, citing ...
Read More »Pound slips as post-Brexit trade uncertainties linger on
Bloomberg The pound declined the most in a week against the dollar amid lingering uncertainties about how long it will take for the UK to forge post-Brexit trade agreements with the European Union. Sterling, which depreciated against most Group-of-10 peers, also reached a 10-month low versus the euro. Prime Minister Theresa May’s government is releasing a third paper Tuesday on ...
Read More »AMMB, RHB Bank to scrap proposed merger
Bloomberg RHB Bank Bhd., Malaysia’s fourth-largest lender by assets, and AMMB Holdings Bhd. are planning to scrap their proposed merger, according to people with knowledge of the matter. RHB and AMMB had difficulty reaching agreement on terms, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The companies could announce as soon as Tuesday ...
Read More »Bahrain may need to boost interest rates
Reuters Bahrain may need to raise its market interest rates to protect its currency and must refrain from having its central bank lend money to cover the government’s budget deficit, the International Monetary Fund said. In a statement released after annual consultations with the Bahraini government, the IMF repeated earlier warnings that more steps by Bahrain to cut its deficit ...
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