Asia followed the strong US sentiment encouraged by better than expected data. Much of the moves however, can also be explained by increasing capital flow away from troubled areas. Mondays flow was forced after news that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to form a government suggesting new elections. With the Euro losing ground we […]
After the failure to form a new government, Chancellor Angela Merkel has made it clear she has no intention of withdrawing from the race. New elections in Germany are looking ever more likely. Merkel appeared on TV on ZDF and said that she had not thought of resigning. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the parties to make […]
The most serious forecast that we see from our computer models has been a rise in agricultural prices caused by Global Cooling – not Global Warming. Crops cannot grow without the sun and water. Historically, when the weather turns cold, the crops fail. There is no question that food prices will rise during periods of […]
When I would stay in Japan, I loved the culture. The politeness and honesty in the streets were awesome. They are also extremely precise. What has shocked many who are unfamiliar with Japan is that the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Co. issued a public statement expressing that they were deeply sorry for the Tsukuba Express train linking Tokyo […]
The Pension Crisis is brewing rapidly and we will begin to see this make headlines much more so around the world. There is hardly a country not in trouble (Norway the exception), where pensions are underfunded as governments have relied upon tax revenue. As the crisis in Spain brews, it will be the pension crisis […]
COMMENT: Thank you for all or your recent posts in this regard. You have often said that we will be going through times that will try a man’s soul, and yes the Socrates platform will allow us to see it in motion, those of us who are prepared will stand a chance to survive and […]
Asia closed mixed in a fairly quiet session but ahead of what could be a wild week. The Nikkei’s decline was very much reflected in the Yen’s strength. Financials again weighed on the index but this is a reflection of both low volume of shares traded and the shape of the yield curve (2’s – […]
COMMENT: Just quizzed the Canadian Bank insurance CDIC. It is obvious they do not have a specific time period in which to pay claims. Kept dancing around the specific question but they said they pay cash accounts ASAP so people can pay bills. Bottom line, contagion will destroy all financial obligations and transactions. REPLY: No […]
COMMENT: I’m sure you are aware but just highlighting that the ‘Assumption’ goes deeper than personal bank accounts, as this is ALSO the assumption taken by the clearers too! They assume that if one CCP fails then the others just pick it up. Obviously, given that then the stress tests are taken just for one bank […]
The entire banking insurance schemes created during the aftermath of the Great Depression, are predicated upon an ASSUMPTION that a bank failure is a single isolated event. The contingency plan for a wide-scale banking collapse will default to a “per person” basis despite what anyone else says. I have been in meetings and that is […]
