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  • It's A Risk Off Friday...

    In This Issue..

    * It's a Risk Off day!

    * Commodity Currencies get rocked...

    * Audit the Fed Bill moves along...

    * Just keep spending money we don't have!

    Good day... And a Happy Friday to one and all! A Fantastico Friday in my books, as the people at the Retina Institute told me yesterday that the fluid on my eye was drying up, and almost completely gone. I told them I had not noticed any improvement in vision, and they said, 'at least it hasn't gotten worse!' And for that, I am quite thankful! So... With that news, I head into today, and believe it to be a Fantastico Friday!

    Well... In my hours on hours of waiting for the next person to look at my eye yesterday, (I think it was "train the eye doctor day" on Chuck's eye) I kept checking the currencies, and noticed that as the day went on, the non-dollar currencies were stronger, led by the Big Dog, euro... But then late last night, and I mean late last night, I checked them, and those gains had been wiped out...

    ...

  • Silence Is Always Golden...

    In This Issue..

    * It's a Risk On day!
    * Commodity Currencies have the "stuff"!
    * Gold's one-day window slams shut!
    * RBA to not wait 2 months to hike rates!

    Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! We're stuck in the mud with the rain again, but according to the weather people it should end tomorrow... Geez Louise, I guess it could be snow, which would have crippled this city by now!

    Well... The currencies gave back all that ground they gained the day before on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, yesterday... But, have turned around this morning in the European session as Eurozone stocks are up, and whenever equities trade with some zip in their step, it has been good for the Big Dog, euro......

  • Brazil Throws The Cat Among The Pigeons!

    In This Issue..

    * Real leads Commodity Currencies to the woodshed!
    * Niall Ferguson speaks his mind...
    * BOC leaves rates and statement unchanged...
    * Bollard gives the green light!

    Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! How many people out there know about "network neutrality"? Well, if you don't know, you're about to find out tomorrow, when it will be decided upon... I'm not going to get into it, because after you find out what it is you'll know why I didn't explain... All I'll say is that this is just another thing that's flying below the radar that's about to be thrown in our laps...

    OK... Well... Yesterday, after signing off and hitting the 'send button' for the Pfennig, I saw a story that shot across the desk, and then a follow up was sent to me by Don Ries later in the morning. The story was about the Brazilian Gov't imposing a 2% tax on capital inflows... This was done in an attempt to slow down the Brazilian economy by slowing down the "hot money" that's going into the Brazilian stock market by foreigners... Talk about throwing a cat among the pigeons!...

  • Heeeeeeee's Baaaaaacccckkkkk...

    In This Issue..

    * A strong currency move on Friday...
    * Data Cupboard gets a work out this week...
    * U.K. and ECB meet this week...
    * RBA to move to neutral tonight?

    Good day... And a Marvelous Monday to you! Heeeeeeee's Baaaaaacccckkkkk... Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe to open the Daily Pfennig and not get lectured on deficit spending... He's back! Oh well, It's been over two weeks, first to Vancouver, then on vacation. We've got a lot of catching up to do, eh? Mike and Chris did a Fantastico job of taking the conn on the Pfennig in my absence... So thanks to them... But it's back to me, and besides a couple of days in San Francisco later this month, I'm all yours! (I bet that just makes you smile like a Cheshire Cat... NOT!)

    OK... Rather than beat around the bush this morning, Chris left me this note from Friday's price action, so let's go to the Friday round up and then onto today! Here's Chris!...

  • Blood in the streets.....

    In This Issue..

    * Red ink flows...
    * Japan suggests diversification for their reserves...
    * Commodity currencies rebound...
    * Data galore for the rest of the week...

    Good day... Chuck had a late night down at the ballpark watching the home run derby, so he asked me to take the helm of the Pfennig this morning. I'm going to try to get this one out a bit earlier than I did last Friday, so I'll get right to it.

    The biggest news to hit the markets yesterday was the Treasury Department's report that the deficit in June totaled $94.3 billion. This monthly deficit pushed the deficit for the fiscal year to over $1 trillion dollars for the first time, and we still have another quarter to go until the fiscal year ends in September. It comes as no surprise to readers that the deficit is above $1 trillion, but what is a bit unnerving is the speed at which the red ink is flowing....

  • More Stimulus On The Way?

    In This Issue..

    * Euro leads currencies higher...
    * Commodities rally back on FOMC thoughts...
    * FOMC meeting today...
    * NZ Consumer Confidence on the rise...

    Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! Well... Yesterday, the title of The Pfennig was: So Far... It's A Turn Around Tuesday! And... That theme played well throughout the day, and by day's end, it had been quite the Turn Around Tuesday! Now, we have to see what's in store for us today, as the last couple of weeks have seen the Wednesday trading quite the opposite of Tuesday's trading! Strange trading pattern don't you agree?

    Overnight, the euro climbed as high as 1.4140, only to sit at the cusp of 1.41 as I begin to write this morning. Of course 1.41 certainly looks a lot different from the 1.35-1.40 range we've seen in recent days. But then, we've seen these probes above 1.40 before only end with the euro falling back to the 1.35-1.40 range again......

  • So Far... It's A Turn Around Tuesday!

    In This Issue..

    * Currencies bounce back...
    * Commodities and Commodity Currencies get hit hard!
    * China's recovery a myth?
    * Devaluation in the dollar's future?

    Good day... And a Terrific Tuesday to you! It's too hot in the hot tub! You can't make me get in the hot tub! Ahhh... When I walk outside and my eye glasses fog up from the heat and humidity, I think of that old Saturday Night skit, with Eddie Murphy playing James Brown!

    OK... Well, yesterday we saw the currencies stop the bleeding from the overnight sell off, and although they range traded on the day, the bias was to sell dollars once again. That bias has played through on our Turn Around Tuesday theme, and the currencies are higher today than yesterday, but lower than they were 3-weeks ago week ago. Yes, the month of June has not been kind to the currencies, as some of the euphoria that was going on from March thru May, regarding the global economic recovery is being thought about again, and this time, not with the same rose colored glasses......

  • Spraying Round-up....

    In This Issue..

    * Industrial Production declines...
    * Stocks sell off, leading currencies down...
    * Indian election spurs a rally...
    * China stockpiles commodities...

    Good day... And a Marvelous Monday to you! Thanks to Chris for picking up the ball on the Pfennig Friday. I returned to St. Louis with a very swollen leg and foot from all that walking in Las Vegas. One of these days I'll learn, eh? Any way... A restful day with my feet up on Friday, and I was ready to go again!

    Well... As much as I dislike having to say so, because I told you this might happen... The currencies have given back some major ground VS the dollar since Friday morning. It's all tied to the fact that the euphoria going around the markets the previous week regarding stocks and the U.S. economy, came to a screeching halt last week. I pleaded and begged for the currencies to break this link to stocks, but it wouldn't / didn't happen and voila! What we have here is a failure to break the link, and now that there's a falling demand for stocks, currencies have tanked too... UGH!...

  • Up, up, and away...

    In This Issue..

    * TALF...
    * Dollar falls even more...
    * Commodities...
    * Still disappointing...

    And Now... Today's Pfennig!

    Good day...And a Fantastic Friday to you! It's the end of another week that not only brought us the beginning of spring but also a major shift in the currency market. The effect from the Fed's decisions on Wednesday carried over into yesterday's trading session with the dollar engaged in another large sell off. How long and how far would be the big question marks right now but until another major event comes along, the dollar should continue to get sold.

    As I just touched on, the dollar was still down and out suffering from a two day hangover yesterday as a result of the quantitative easing measures the Fed has decided to pursue. We also gained some insight into the TALF that I mentioned yesterday which is intended to resurrect both consumer and business lending. They will expand to accept securities backed by four types of loans that include leases of business equipment and rental car fleets, securities backed by loans extended by mortgage servicers to cover missed payments by homeowners, and securities for floorplan loans. The Fed also said that this announcement was a first step in expanding the TALF and that a number of other asset classes are under review....

  • Wild Swings!

    * Euro gains, then loses, then gains... * Inflation and Commodities... * The euro turns 10! * Risk Aversion remains but is waning... ** Wild Swings! Good day... And a Terrific Tuesday to you! Well, it happened way too late for yours truly to witness it, but my beloved Missouri Tigers rallied and won the Alamo Bowl in overtime. Go Tigers! Hopefully they can fix the defense before next fall! OK... Remember those Wild Swings I talked about yesterday? The Wild Swings that could be a result of thin volumes in this the second week of Christmas. Well... We witnessed them in earnest yesterday! As I signed off yesterday, I told you that the euro had rallied 2 whole figures to 1.43 and change. Well, that rally dissipated throughout the morning, and by late in the day the single unit was 1.39 and change... WOW! Now that's a Wild Swing! You can point to profit taking as the reason for the move, and with the volumes thinned out by Holiday trading, one profit taking sell begot another, and before you knew it, the euro was looking at a loss on the day....

  • It's All About The Jobs Jamboree...

    * Currencies rally then fall back... * Rate slashers! * Following Japan? Let's hope not! * Canada's woes mount... ** It's All About The Jobs Jamboree... Good day... And a Happy Friday to one and all! A Fantastico Friday! A Jobs Jamboree Friday! Anything else, Chuck? No, I don't think so, I'll stop there... It's all about the Jobs Jamboree today. It's all about finding out just how badly the rot on the labor vine has gotten... The Weekly Initial Jobless Claims, yesterday, remained above 500K per week, which doesn't bode well for next month's data... But first... November's Jobs Jamboree on the docket! The "experts" have forecast a -335K drop in jobs for November... But, your old Pfennig writer believes that this forecast is low. I think it will be closer to -375K... The reason I say that is the employment piece of the ISM report that printed the other day... The employment index of that report showed some real serious rot on the labor vine... I read a report last night, where an economist was attempting to show how the report should read -750K... As bad as -375K is, I don't think the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) would have anything to do with printing a -750K report!...

  • Automakers Say They Need Funding Now...

    * Currencies trade in a tight range... * China... * Commodity prices to blame... * "Safe" Treasuries? ** Automakers Say They Need Funding Now... Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! Well... I went "shopping" yesterday evening... At least I can say I did my bit to keep the economy afloat! HA! Thanks to all who sent along notes to me yesterday with kind words. I truly appreciate the kind words, you are all too kind! The automakers made their pleas to Congress yesterday, and they claim they are in deep dookie! GM says they need $4 Billion right now! And... The original $25 Billion figure has grown to $35 to $40 Billion... The currencies were lifeless yesterday, with only a blip up in euros to 1.2740, only to give it back overnight. Aussie dollars (A$) rallied on the Huge 100 BPS rate cut news from the previous night, but at the end of the day, that was all but forgotten... It was as if the currencies did a Hans and Franz... Got all pumped up... But then turned into 100 lb weaklings again as the day turned to night....

  • An Aussie Rate Cut!

    * Dollar rally continues... * Eurozone data prints weak... * Oil sees a HUGE drop! * WAKE UP, China! ** An Aussie Rate Cut! Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! I'm shaking my head this morning and wondering what its going to take to get this dollar rally stopped before it gets out of hand, and the exports get killed once again. And if the exports get killed, the Current Account Deficit begins to swell again, and so on and so on. This dollar strength is not good for our economy at this stage, but that's what we have, and I'm wondering who wrote the book of love! I recall the last time we saw the dollar smokin' hot like this, 2005... I sure hope the nasty emails to me don't start again... You should have seen some of these emails, they would embarrass a sailor! OK, that's just a saying, I'm not picking on sailors! You have to say these disclaimers or else there will be someone that gets upset and fires off a nasty email. What's happened in society that email has allowed people to say things they would never say to someone's face? It's brought out the Mr. Hyde in people, for sure!...

  • An Attitude Change...

    * Dollar rallies Big! * Commodities in a free fall... * Yen remains untouched... * Data risk this week... ** An Attitude Change... Good day... And a Terrific Tuesday to you! Welcome to September! I hope you had a Wonderful Holiday Weekend. I sure did! It was the end of 4 weeks of treatments. We have beautiful weather. I enjoyed a day of football on Saturday, with my little buddy Alex, playing Saturday morning, and my beloved Missouri Tigers playing Saturday night. Sunday was fantabulous, as I hung around the backyard, and neighbors and friends all stopped by to spend the day... Just great! I had to rest up my leg yesterday, as it was swelling a bit from all the walking and standing, but back to normal today, so, it's all good! Not so for the euro and other currencies this morning. Front and Center this morning, the euro has fallen further, all the way through the 1.45 handle! Seems that Hurricane Gustav didn't disrupt the Oil production as many had feared, and the price of Oil has fallen $115, after trading as high as $119 on Friday, ahead of the storm. Gold too has taken on gallons of dollar water, and has diluted the price of the shiny metal to $805, after traded near $845 last Thursday. And Commodities? That's not a pretty sight, the free fall of commodities... And thus the Commodity Currencies of Aussie and Kiwi, and even the Canadian dollar have all seen the trap door opened up underneath them by this dollar move....
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  • Leading Indicators Fall!

    * Euro rebounds! * Forecasting a severe recession... * Commodities rebound! * Canadian inflation problems... ** Leading Indicators Fall! Good day... And a Happy Friday to one and all! Yesterday did indeed turn into a Tub Thumpin' Thursday for the euro, so let's hope today ends up being a Fantastico Friday! Well... The game of "your economy is worse than mine" backfired on the dollar bulls yesterday, as the Leading Indicators printed an awful number. I said yesterday that it was too bad that the markets normally ignored this data... But they didn't yesterday, as the number was so bad, they couldn't ignore it... Sort of like that spoiled rotten bratty kid throwing themselves to the floor of the grocery store, and throwing a temper tantrum because you said they couldn't have a candy bar! If you're next in line to check out at the grocery store, and you want to ignore the child, but you just can't because it's so obnoxious! Well, that's how it was with Leading Indicators yesterday... Here's the skinny......
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