Posted on 02/20/2015 3:59:57 AM PST by alexmark1917
US Macro Collapses To 11-Month Lows, 88% Of Data Has Missed In February
Despite the total and utter cognitive dissonance of talking-heads on mainstream media channels, the US economic data is not 'strong', is not 'goldilocks', is not 'decoupled', is not 'solid'. In fact, it's absolutely terrible. Bloomberg's US Macro data indicator which tracks both beats-and-misses and improvement/deterioration in data - is at 11-month lows. February alone has seen 29 data items miss expectations (from retail sales to industrial production)with only 4 data points beating expectations (including the constantly revised nonfarm payrolls data which so many hang their hat on).
US macro at 11-month lows... (note that the data cliff-dives at end Sept 2014 - which corresponds with the government's fiscal-year-end)
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-18/us-macro-collapses-11-month-lows-88-data-has-missed-february
Housing Recovery? Weekly Mortgage Purchase Apps Drop Again, Down 66% From 2004
http://davidstockmanscontracorner.com/housing-recovery-weekly-mortgage-purchase-apps-drop-again-down-66-from-2004/
Russia Dumps 20% Of It's U.S. Treasury Holdings And Buys Gold...
You'd think maybe they know something...
Back in December, Socgen spread a rumor that Russia has begun selling its gold. Subsequent IMF data showed that not only was this not correct, Russia in fact added to its gold holdings. But there was one thing it was selling: some $22 billion in US Treasurys, a record 20% of its total holdings, bringing its US paper inventory to just $86 billion in December - the lowest since June 2008...
"..Is the SNB buying Euros to keep the mirage alive that Grexit is "managable"?.."
Central Banks Have Lost Control Of The World
"With the world's oldest central bank - Sweden's Riksbank - taking the plunge into negative rates, there have been 19 'eases' by central banks this year, Morgan Stanley warns of "ghosts of the 1930s." With competitive 'easing' stoking fears of international currency wars, The Telegraph notes however that looser monetary policy is not the order of the day everywhere in the world, and herein lies potential danger for the world economy."
The US Fed is on a mark-to-market basis is borderline insolvent. The US Federal government actually IS insolvent (based ...
http://www.sovereignman.com/offshore-banking-2/meet-the-bureaucrat-who-had-the-courage-to-tell-the-truth-and-probably-wont-have-a-job-tomorrow-16140/?inf_contact_key=b75ce276953eb60f707338d72b21329647908926ce7b034bd46c55d6ed80aefe
Headlines:
European blue-chip bond yields slip into negative territory Japan’s Biggest Aussie Deal Means More BOJ Easing to Nomura Sub-zero bonds will change risk calculation U.S. Household Debt Rises Slightly in to $11.83 Trillion Americans struggle to keep up with new borrowings Student-Loan Delinquencies Rise in U.S. Bank of Japan Keeps Record Stimulus as Country Crawls Out of Recession Chinese Local Debt Shunned as 50,000 Auditors Probe Provinces Kaisa debt surge raises red flag on Chinese developers' leverage Austria May Miss Budget Goal as Government Drafts Tax Deal Ohio auditor declares fiscal emergency for struggling suburb (Notice the part about traffic cameras)
Just tell me when to duck!
Russia is trying to get off the sinking ship of western keynesian economics. Russia has been buying gold forever in anticipation of a global economic collapse that has already started. Only the federal reserve money machine has slowed the fall of the west.
Do the Russians and Chinese know something we don't? Perhaps they think physical gold is a better store of value than promises to pay printed on high quality, brightly colored paper.
We are so conditioned to TV news that we can't think for ourselves and need mind control directions, apparently.
Those who can get out of the keynesian borrowed money disaster are trying to do so asap.
My entire adult life has has nothing but reports and predictions of the impending collapse that is coming! Since I’m getting so old now, I fear I’m going to die first, before ever seeing it arrive. I would hate to miss all the excitement! ... LOL ...
save for later reading
You said ... “Those who can get out of the keynesian borrowed money disaster are trying to do so asap.”
WELL ... if they had started back in the 1970s with those reports of the impending collapse ... shouldn’t they be “out” by now ... some 45 years later? ... LOL ...
Well, its kind of like a guy who jumped off a 100 story building, and as he passes the 5th floor thinks “so far so good”....
Not sure if we are at the 50th floor or the 5th floor, but eventually the falls gotta stop.
You’re taking macro-economic advice from Putin? LMAO.
The Russians? No. The Chinese? Maybe - although they don't know a lot of things we do know.
Well ... in my own personal example (i.e., my life) it goes like this ...
I fall off a building and keep falling for the next 70 years, knowing that sooner or later, I’ll have to hit bottom. The problem is, I died before I hit bottom ... LOL ...
Manufacturing in the United States has shattered to the point where it is "only" a $2 trillion industry.
It does seem that all those financial scholars with impressive resumes are running the global economy to the ground. My only Economics courses were in HS and undergrad, so correct me where I'm wrong, please
I found the article about silver bullion coins: It's from Silver Phoenix 500 Fund (not an unbiased source, I realize that). "2015 Silver Eagle Demand Continues to be a Winner"
The point of the article is that Silver Eagles are immensely popular now, to the point of using more than total US production of silver. I'm wondering if it's that as globally banks are testing negative interest for savers, people are pulling a percentage of their money out of banks and investing in silver bullion, Eagles, and old coins.
I would think that makes sense. If money is going to be shaved by the bankers, why would people leave it there? Is that what's happening in Greece?
I'm thinking getting silver can't hurt. There doesn't seem to be any downside risk, its bulk and stability and its easily identifiable sources make it a good choice if it has to be redeemed. Leave the gold purchasing to the big guys, like countries and funds that can easily protect it and assure its authenticity.
Please, correct me where I'm wrong. I'm now wondering if it's better to get 1oz silver bullion bars or Eagles or maybe some old 90% silver US coins. What I'm reading seems to there not being much downside risk to silver at this time.
You ask, “Please, correct me where I’m wrong. I’m now wondering if it’s better to get 1oz silver bullion bars or Eagles or maybe some old 90% silver US coins. What I’m reading seems to there not being much downside risk to silver at this time.”
ANSWER per Free Republic ...
(1) Yes, you’re wrong.
(2) No, you’re not wrong.
(3) Maybe you’re wrong.
(4) Maybe you’re right.
I just saved you a WHOLE LOT OF READING on Free Republic! ... :-) ...
What I like about FR is I will get that range of opinions, for sure. Then I can sort through it instead of depending on the views of people who are trying to sell me something.
One would think so.
Problem is that manufacturers have need in buyers but economy of United States produces debtors.
Russians know that 50% of USA GDP is produced in financial sphere; that average household income in the USA is same as in 1959 but today 25-30% of this income is subsidized by the state. Situation in 1959 was much better because people and state were not burdened by debts unlike today. Accumulated potential for recession is bigger than in 1929.
You might tell Moody's, Standard & Poors and Fitch, because they're all of the opinion that the United States is a considerably better credit risk than Russia. Russia has the oil and gas industry and essentially nothing else. Since Putin took over, Russia has failed to take even basic steps to diversify its economy - instead using declining energy revenues to pay for welfare projects for the rest of the country.
50% of the US GDP does not come from finance - the actual figure is approximately 15%. And US household income is not the same as it was in 1959. Other than that, tovarich...
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