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  • Germany & France Post 3rd QTR Growth...

    In This Issue..

    * Risk Aversion fuels dollar rally yesterday...
    * Eurozone growth may stop the Risk Aversion...
    * Budget Deficit is a record $176.4 Billion!
    * Euro, Swiss, Aussie, Norway, all cheaper today!

    Good day... And a Happy Friday to one and all! Let's try to make this a Fantastico Friday as well! The Risk Aversion that was creeping into the currency markets yesterday really took hold in the U.S. trading session, which meant the dollar was being bought once more, along with Japanese yen...

    It just makes me laugh out loud, when I write that the 'safe haven currencies' during Risk Aversion trading are the dollar and yen... These two countries have debt up to their eyeballs, pay no interest on their deposits, and have a leadership deficiency... (ok, before every begins to think that I'm ripping the president again, I'm not... I'm talking about the Central Bank, and lawmakers of each country)...

  • Consumer Confidence Drops!

    In This Issue..

    * The dollar continues to hammer!
    * Jim Rogers on the dollar rally...
    * C. Fred Bergsten talks of a dollar alternative...
    * Lord Monckton's thoughts...

    Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! It's still raining here... Quite frankly, I don't know how people that live in rainy areas do it! I don't mind rainy days, as long as they are sprinkled in with the days of sunshine!

    Well... The dollar rally that began for a number of rumored reasons continued on yesterday... Remember when I said on Monday that the data this week should show us that the economy is healing somewhat, which would be bad for the dollar? Well, that thought got cold water thrown on it yesterday when Consumer Confidence surprisingly declined last month...

    You know how I like to question just what people that were surveyed for this Consumer Confidence report are so confident about? Well, apparently, the Conference Board surveyed the wrong people this month! Consumer confidence in the U.S. declined in October to 47.7 versus expectations of a 53.5 reading. Both consumers' perceptions of current conditions and their expectations for the future declined. Hmmm......

  • RBA's Stevens Turns On The Green Light!

    In This Issue..

    * The dollar bounces back a bit...
    * Euro retreats from highs...
    * Is the economic recovery for real?
    * Ignored data...

    Good day... And a Happy Friday to one and all! I believe it will be a Fantastico Friday as well, because when I go in my car this morning to come to work, the radio was playing, 'It's a Beautiful Morning'... It had to be a sign, right? I certainly hope so any way!

    Well, I'm back! I have to say that I've never been to the mountains of North Georgia before, and they are beautiful... Well, most of the parts of this great country are, when I come to think of it! Well, it was nice to walk in the door yesterday and sit down, close my eyes, and get work off my brain!...

  • Oops, Did I Say That Out Loud?

    In This Issue..

    * A Wild and Wacky Wednesday...
    * FOMC leave stimulus and QE in place...
    * Will G-20 try to throw cold water on commodities?
    * GATA receives a letter from the Fed...

    Good day... And a Thunderin' Thursday to you! It's Thundering and raining here, so I felt that naming today a 'Thunderin' Thursday' was bang on! We had a wild and wacky Wednesday yesterday, with the Fed Heads playing the part of the court jester... And... I want to know, right here, right now, why the media isn't blasting Fed Head Honcho Big Ben Bernanke! I'll tell you why they should be, in a minute...

    OK... As I said, we had a wild and wacky Wednesday yesterday, as the non-dollar currencies went for a spin on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, with Big Ben Bernanke in the role of Mr. Toad! HA! That makes me chuckle! Here's the skinny, and what everyone should be up in arms about......

  • Protectionism Wars, Here We Come!

    In This Issue..

    * Currencies back off gains...
    * Administration slaps tariff on China...
    * And Yen rallies...
    * Quotes from Davos...

    Good day... And a Marvelous Monday to you! I hope your weekend was grand... I was supposed to be traveling back from Williamsburg today, so this is a bonus day for you all! HA! On Friday morning, I told the early arrivers that the currencies were strong, Gold was strong, it was all good, and we needed to close up shop and go home, because it wasn't going to get an better than that, and that the rest of the day had nothing but disappointment risk! Boy did I nail that one on the head! Let's get to the goings on....

  • Patriot Day...

    In This Issue..

    * Currencies have strong rally!
    * Trade Deficit jumps 16.3% in July!
    * HR 1207 Gets a hearing!
    * Gold gets back to $1,000!

    Good day... And a Happy Friday to one and all! Today is Patriot Day in the U.S. and a day that brings back memories of cowardly attacks on our country 8 years ago. I remember the shock and horror on everyone's faces, and that image will remain with me to the grave. I also remember trying to write the Pfennig the 'day after'... It just didn't seem that important of a thing to do, but a reader told me that to keep things as 'normal' as possible was the best thing I could do... So... I wrote...

    OK... The currencies, and this time I mean the majority of them not just euro and yen, added to their gains this week VS the dollar yesterday... The Big Dog, euro, is once again knocking at the door to 1.46... Who's that knocking at the door, Who's that ringing the bell? Do me a favor, open the door, and let 'em in......

  • European orders support the Euro...

    In This Issue..

    * European orders increase more than expected...
    * Was Cash for Clunkers necessary?...
    * Roubini sees a 'W' not a 'V'...
    * Lessons from Mary Poppins...

    Good day... And welcome to another week, the last one in August! The weather here in St. Louis has shifted toward fall, which is my favorite season. Chuck is flying back home from San Francisco today and will be back in the saddle tomorrow. Both he and the big boss, Frank Trotter, sent me some great Pfennig pfodder over the weekend so lets get right to it.

    The dollar continued to drift lower throughout the trading day on Friday, with the commodity currencies of Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand leading the way. Confidence is returning to the markets, and investors are once again moving out of the 'safe havens' of the Japanese yen and US dollar. The reports coming out of Jackson Hole indicate that central bankers believe chances for near-term growth appear good and recent data seem to support this conclusion....

  • U. of Michigan Spoils The Party...

    In This Issue..

    * Risk Aversion comes back strong!
    * Risk assets get sold...
    * What games will be played with TIC's?
    * 40 years since Woodstock!

    Good day... And a Marvelous Monday to you! A great weekend that was filled with watching my little buddy, Alex, play football, hosting a surprise 30th birthday party for my little girl, Dawn, and a sweep of the Padres by the Cardinals! This week gets cut short with me a the helm, as I head to San Francisco on Thursday. Chris will have the conn on the Pfennig Thursday through Monday.

    Well... Who'd a thunk it? Yes, who would have thought that the U. of Michigan Consumer Confidence could turn the markets upside down and spoil the party? Well... It happened on Friday! The U. of Michigan Confidence Survey for Aug unexpectedly dropped to 63.2, from the previous month's 66 level. The real drop though was from the forecast for this month which was 69! The drop brought the index to a five-month low....

  • On The Soapbox!

    In This Issue..

    * Currencies trade in a tight range...
    * Soapbox talk...
    * QE talk...
    * FOMC Day

    Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! I've got an interesting thought for you all this morning... I think you'll want to read what I have to tell you this morning and not just skip to the Big Finish! HA! But first, a review of what happened yesterday and in the overnight markets. Are you ready? Then let's go!

    Well... Yesterday did NOT turn out to be a Turn-Around Tuesday after all... The small rally I saw right before signing off on the Pfennig yesterday, went 'poof' and it was gone. The currencies then traded in a tight range the rest of the day. The High Yielders and Commodities have really taken on some water in the past two days.

    ...

  • House prices move up, but consumers still aren't confident...

    In This Issue..

    * House prices move up...
    * US consumers are worried...
    * Japanese retail sales drag...
    * Australian rates to rise...

    Good day... We finally had a bit of volatility in the currency markets yesterday, as conflicting data released in two separate reports moved the markets in opposite directions. The dollar started off the day drifting lower, as has been the pattern over the past 2 weeks. But during the late morning the dollar started gaining strength, and has barely paused its ascent overnight.

    Many of you probably heard the news reports that home prices finally rose during the month of May, and this is what had the dollar on the ropes yesterday morning. The S&P/CaseShiller Home Price Index reported that home prices in the US rose ever so slightly in May compared to April. But if we look at the annual figures, home prices are still down just over 17% across the country. Media outlets trumpeted this 'feel good' story with many economists declaring that housing has now turned a corner. This is a good sign, as prices have to stabilize before the housing sector can recover, but it is hard to get overly excited about a 17% drop YOY. The monthly figure rose just .5%, reflecting the first monthly gain since July 2006. Another report showed the share of homes sold as foreclosures or otherwise distressed properties fell to about 31% in June, down from a high of 50% seen earlier this year. With unemployment still creeping up, and the US consumer continuing to save instead of spend, I am going to need to see a couple of months of stabilized prices before I am convinced housing is turning the corner here in the US....

  • Home sales improve...

    In This Issue..

    * Home sales improve...
    * Are we there yet...
    * Intervention talks...
    * Buying on dips...

    Good day...and a Fabulous Friday to you. As I was sitting here this morning collecting my thoughts, it just hit me like a ton of bricks that we're already towards the end of July and next weekend brings us into August...where's the pause button when you need it. Anyway, yesterday started out like any other quiet morning so far this week but we did see a nice little run in the currencies only to see profit taking as we moved into the late afternoon. As I turned the computer screens on this morning, I see where the overnight markets brought us right back up to the levels we began with this time yesterday. The big story that moved the markets was the better than expected housing numbers that, again, gave investors that warm and fuzzy feeling that I touched on yesterday. Since I already let the cat out of the bag, I'll jump right in...

    ...

  • Risk aversion returns…

    In This Issue..

    * Risk Aversion returns...
    * Money Multiplier dampens stimulus effects...
    * TIC flows show concern of foreign investors...
    * China back on growth track...

    Good day... Chuck got an early start on a two week hiatus from the desk, so you will be stuck with me writing the Pfennig for the next two weeks. But don't worry, you will still get a small dose of Chuck over the next week as he typically emails me his thoughts while on the road (I call it Pfennig Pfodder). Risk aversion dominated the currency markets overnight, as terrorists set off two separate explosions in Jakarta and investors moved money back into the 'safe havens' of the US$ and Japanese yen.

    Chuck wrote about this move yesterday, believing the bad news regarding CIT would probably cause a risk reversal. But the US stock market shook off the CIT news and rallied higher after a big earnings report by JP Morgan and a somewhat positive statement by Nouriel Roubini. Roubini, the New York University economist who is credited with predicting the financial crisis, said in a speech yesterday that the US economy might be close to the bottom. The stock jockeys took this statement along with the positive earnings reports and ran stocks up. But Roubini later tried to caution these bulls against reading too much into his statement, and reminded everyone that he has not changed his thoughts on a US recovery: 'I continue to see a shallow, below par and below trend recovery.'...

  • Frightened investors move back into US treasuries.....

    In This Issue..

    * Jobs data skewed by 'seasonal adjustments'...
    * BOE surprises the market...
    * Oil falls below $60...
    * China's reserves continue to grow...

    Good day...Chuck has a bevy of doctor's appointments today, so he decided to let me take over the Pfennig. Unfortunately it will go out a little later than usual, as I always struggle to get all of my thoughts together so early in the morning. Its not that I come in late (I was here two hours before everyone else) but it just takes me much longer than Chuck to get it all on paper. But enough of the excuses, I've got to get writing.

    Weekly jobless claims released in the US yesterday morning fell below 600k for the first time since January but the continuing claims continue to rise, hitting another record. The slight improvement in the weekly numbers was distorted by the automotive sector. Car companies typically shut down plants in early July in order to change over to the new model year. Bankruptcy forced many of these plants to shut down much earlier than normal, and some temporarily started up production again during the past few weeks....

  • The U.S. Treasury Moves The Goal Posts...

    In This Issue..

    * A 4-day rally gets stopped at the border...
    * Home Prices fall at a -18.12% pace...
    * Alice Rivlin gives her 2-cents...
    * Kiwi bond maturities galore next month...

    Good day... And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! As tradition with the Pfennig would have it, here's my introduction to July... There I was... On a July morning... Looking for love... With the strength of a new day dawning, and... The beautiful sun...

    Yes, for those 'old rockers' from the 70's like me... That's Uriah Heep, at their best!

    OK... So, welcome to July! The last day of June was quite the volatile one to say the least! There we were waiting for the S&P/CaseShiller Home Price Index to print, and show that home prices were still down by quite a bit, when it did, it did, it printed at -18.12%... But! The media was all over that like a cheap suit, clamoring that the spiral down in Home Prices had come to and end! Which, may be true... But wouldn't you want to wait to see if next month's report confirms it? And... By the way... Since when does -18.12% fall in home prices beckon a rally? Yesterday, would be that answer!...

  • A Week Dominated By Data...

    In This Issue..

    * Both sides of the ship...
    * Currencies remain well bid...
    * ECB and Riksbank meet this week...
    * Baiting the hook for more stimulus?

    Good day... And a Marvelous Monday to you! The Heat Wave finally broke Saturday night, and we had just one of the most beautiful days yesterday that I have ever seen! Which was good, because we had a backyard full of first kids, and then family to celebrate Alex's 14th birthday!

    Well... We have a week ahead of us that will be dominated by the U.S. data cupboard. And this week, we'll get the June Jobs Jamboree (JJJ) on Thursday instead of Friday. Saturday is the 4th of July, and I guess the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) isn't working on Friday! HA! No, they do this every now and then when the markets will be quite thin on a Friday before a Holiday weekend. And this week qualifies BIG TIME! It will be the 4th of July! And maybe, just maybe because you never know, someone in Washington D.C. will realize that the it's supposed to be about WE THE PEOPLE, not we the politicians......
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