Monthly Archives: January 2014

The Exquisitely Reengineered Frankenstein Housing Monster

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on The Exquisitely Reengineered Frankenstein Housing Monster

It’s back, a new and improved contraption, a synthetic structured security that on its polished surface looks like that triple-A rated mortgage-backed toxic waste that helped blow up the banks and your 401(k) in 2008. But this time, it’s different. It’s even worse.

Stocks on Speed: Margin Debt Spikes, So Does Risk Of Crash

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Stocks on Speed: Margin Debt Spikes, So Does Risk Of Crash

The Fed must have seen the relentlessly spiking margin debt. Leverage is a sign of investor confidence. The great accelerator. On the way up. And on the way down. Margin debt has a nasty, very consistent habit of peaking just when the stock market begins to crash.

Chaos Breaks Out In Natural Gas, Price Tripled Since April 2012

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Chaos Breaks Out In Natural Gas, Price Tripled Since April 2012

“Volatile,” a word that is often used to describe the price of natural gas with its random-appearing jumps and plunges, head fakes, and whiplash-inducing turnarounds, no longer describes the price of natural gas. “Chaotic” would be a better term.

Icahn’s “No-Brainer” Goes To Heck (Manipulation Works Only Most Of The Time)

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Icahn’s “No-Brainer” Goes To Heck (Manipulation Works Only Most Of The Time)

Carl Icahn must have tossed and turned Monday night, after the Apple debacle. Reeling from his losses, he was out there on Tuesday hyping the stock with all his might. They’re all doing it, from Warren Buffett on down, guys with billions of play-money and a loud voice.

We Are Sleepwalking Towards A Cashless Society

by Don Quijones •  • Comments Off on We Are Sleepwalking Towards A Cashless Society

By Don Quijones: Governments are seeking to reduce cash transactions. The reasons are obvious: as most countries struggle to rein in public spending, governments are frantically surveying their surroundings for anything of value to steal or pawn.

Why Japan’s Trade Fiasco Worries Me So Much

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Why Japan’s Trade Fiasco Worries Me So Much

According to Japan’s state religion of Abenomics, devaluing the yen would boost exports and cut imports. The resulting trade surplus would jumpstart the economy and induce Japan Inc. to invest at home. It would save Japan. But the opposite is happening.

Black Money In France “At The Center Of Life For Politicians”

by Contributor •  • Comments Off on Black Money In France “At The Center Of Life For Politicians”

Someone in the French government deleted 3,300 French names from a purloined list of accounts at HSBC Switzerland. Their revelation would have left the despised French “political class” red-faced and in deep trouble.

From “Glut” To Panic: Natural Gas Soars

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on From “Glut” To Panic: Natural Gas Soars

On Friday, when stocks were plunging, natural gas soared nearly 10%. The highest close since June 2010. Up 20% for the week. Up 170% from April 2012. And it’s just the beginning. Because after the glut comes the panic.