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NYSE Margin Debt rose to All-Time highs October 23, 2013

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Uncategorized

Peaks in NYSE Margin Debt has been a leading indicator in the last large market declines (2000, 2007, 2011). NYSE Margin Debt was looking like it might be topping out in April. However, the latest data for September shows it increased by about $20 billion to new all-time highs.

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Credit Impulse From QE Fading October 22, 2013

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Uncategorized

A good proxy for the expansion and/or contraction of the shadow banking market is the change in the amount of commercial paper outstanding.  Successive rounds of QE–represented by the expansion of the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet–have had a stimulative, but short lasting impact on the expansion of shadow banking credit.

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Treasuries Yields Slammed Lower as Safe Havens Catch Bid October 22, 2013

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Uncategorized

10 year treasury yields finished 9bps lower on the day today hitting the lowest level since mid-July while gold, silver, copper and the euro all caught a decent bid.  The divergence between S&P 500 futures and the 10 year note is now at the most extreme in a month.

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What’s Wrong With This Picture? October 22, 2013

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Uncategorized

The MSCI World index is back to within 2% of an all-time high.  Meanwhile the employment to population ratio in the US is languishing at levels not seen since 1983.  In 1983, the Billboard top song was Every Breath You Take by the Police.

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Gold Stocks Lead Gains October 22, 2013

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Uncategorized

With the price of gold up another $23 today, after surging $40 last week, gold stocks are the leaders in the MSCI World index today. Adding fuel to the move is the plunge in the USD today, stepping down by half a point so far this morning.

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Japanese Real Exports Stagnate Again October 21, 2013

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Uncategorized

At the heart of Abenomics is the presumption (or hope?) that a lower yen will stimulate export volume. Indeed September exports denominated in yen were up about 11.5% year over year. But real exports were up just .4%.

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