Here’s a quick, executive summary of the week’s stories, with a link to the full articles online …
Oil: Disaster or Bonanza?
Have you been shocked by the oil price plunge? Most pundits have! So have the big oil magnates in Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela, Mexico, Malaysia and every other country that was betting on stable oil prices. Get Martin D. Weiss’ take on the matter by clicking here.
The Saudi Stimulus
Many analysts are likening the recent price drop in oil to a big tax cut, with an associated simulative economic effect. Jon Markman looks at the situation and the numbers. Click here to read more.
Europe Down the Tubes in 2015!
Many experts think the European sovereign debt crisis is coming to an end, and that the ECB will do everything possible to turn the economy around. But see what Larry Edelson has to say on the matter by clicking here.
Ponzis, Central Banks and Your Gold
Dan was a wealthy man. He lived a life of luxury. He was a valued senior executive of a major investment firm with a salary of more than a million dollars a year. Dan was a remarkably gifted investor as well. He made a half–million dollars on 8,000 shares of Apple stock in just over a year. That was just one trade. He made $400,000 in a year on 157,000 shares of Lucent Technologies. He made a million dollars on Big Lots shares. Now Dan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Read more from Charles Goyette by clicking here.
The Day is Coming …
Mike Larson is talking, of course, about the moment when the Fed finally is forced to raise short-term interest rates. It’s an event almost a decade in the making, and it will have serious ramifications for virtually every capital market on the planet — currencies and bonds, commodities and stocks, you name it! Read more from Mike by clicking here.
The Week’s Hot News
Money and Markets columnist Mike Larson and others take a look at key financial and political events around the globe after the market close. Here are the week’s highlights:
Emerging Meltdown!
The year was 1998. The locus of the crisis was Russia. The cause was a debt crisis. The result was a collapse in emerging markets stocks, EM currencies like the Russian ruble, and EM bonds. Sound familiar? Mike Larson takes a look. Click here to read more.
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| Russia’s economy crisis could have a major impact on global geopolitical and economic matters. |
Russia Crashes! What Next?
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse in Russia, it did! The Russian ruble plunged to a fresh all–time low, bringing year-to-date losses against the dollar to a whopping 50 percent. What’s it mean for the global economy? Mike
Larson takes a look — click here to read more.
A Fed Blink?
Wednesday, the Fed blinked, according to most Wall Street pundits, who widely expected the Fed to remain on track to raise interest rates sooner rather than later. Some speculated the Fed would remove its pledge to keep interest rates low for “a considerable period.” Instead, Fed chief Janet Yellen and the FOMC moved to a more dovish stance, indicating they would be patient about raising interest rates. Read more on Mike Burnick’s take on the matter by clicking here.
Will Central Bank Rally Last?
Stocks soared, and soared again midweek after the Fed soothed sentiment in a shaky stock market. Can the comments overcome worries from various parts of the globe? Click here to read more.
Best wishes,
The Money and Markets Team
