US Macro Collapses To 11-Month Lows, Russia Dumps 20% Of It's U.S. Treasury Holdings And Buys Gold

INVESTMENT WATCH BLOG ^

[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)

[Alter Kaker]

Problem is that manufacturers have need in buyers but economy of United States produces debtors.

Are you seriously comparing the Russian and American manufacturing sectors? LOL

[Cossak]

Enron rating was good until it collapsed. Russia failed in 1991 when liberals seized power. It was their intended policy to make Russia raw materials appendix of civilized World. They still rule finances and economy and preserve colonial status of Russia. Bank of Russia is subsidiary of US Federal Reserve. Having better credit risk than Russia is not big achievement IMO

[Cossak]

I do not assert that Russian manufacturing sector is in better shape. Bur Russian households and state have much less debts.
I do not know for sure but have suspection that 500 dollars monthly wage is not enough for life in the USA.