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Politics : Dutch Central Bank Sale Announcement Imminent? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: philv who wrote (20407)3/18/2004 6:40:00 PM
From: sea_urchin  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 81942
 
Phil > .... golden bells as I shake them in my pocket

Are you sure it was the coins or the keys you were shaking?!

Talking about credibility and who/what one can rightly believe, here's a conundrum which has me by the short and curlies --- US inflation v Commodity prices.

Inflation:

gpec.org

As you see, inflation was 2.4% in 2002 and 1.2% in 2003. Roughly, that was an increase of 3.6% in two years.

Commodity prices:

stockcharts.com[w,a]dalaynay[dj][pd200,2][ilb14!la12,26,9]

Here you see that commodity prices have risen on the CRB index from about 195 to about 270, an increase of about 38% in two years. This is confirmed by large increases in all sectors except livestock (? mad cow).

stockcharts.com|D

I'm also aware that there is a property bubble and with the low interest rates property prices are at an all-time high, and therefore the cost of housing. Likewise the cost of medical treatment, legal fees, services. Even crude oil is on the up and up. Maybe the cost of consumer goods and computer related equipment has fallen slightly due to cheap imports from China.

So my question is, how to they reconcile this enormous increase in commodity prices, together with a large increase in the cost of housing and other services with such a modest increase in inflation? To my way of thinking this has to be an illusion worthy of Houdini or David Copperfield.

Or am I missing something?



To: philv who wrote (20407)3/18/2004 7:19:16 PM
From: sea_urchin  Respond to of 81942
 
Phil > Apparently Japan is not intervening as heavily in the F/X market.

Yes, and there has been a sharp increase in the value of the Yen.

stockcharts.com[h,a]daoaynay[dc][pc4!c9!c200!d20,2!h.02,.20!f][iuh14,3!ub14!ll13][j10122045,y]

But there has also been a strengthening in other currencies too.

Euro

stockcharts.com[h,a]daoaynay[dc][pc4!c9!c200!d20,2!h.02,.20!f][iuh14,3!ub14!ll13][j10122045,y]

Sterling

stockcharts.com[h,a]daoaynay[dc][pc4!c9!c200!d20,2!h.02,.20!f][iuh14,3!ub14!ll13][j10122045,y]

Gold, as you mentioned

stockcharts.com[h,a]daoaynay[dc][pc4!c9!c200!d20,2!h.02,.20!f][iuh14,3!ub14!ll13][j10122045,y]

And also the beginning of a downturn in US Treasuries, valued in Euros. If this ratio falls it is likely to herald a rise in US interest rates

stockcharts.com[h,a]daoaynay[dc][pc4!c9!c200!d20,2!h.02,.20!f][iuh14,3!ub14!ll13][j10122045,y]

Incredible how volatile the currency markets are.