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Strategies & Market Trends : The Financial Collapse of 2001 Unwinding -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Pitera who wrote (531)	11/21/2017 1:18:53 AM
From: elmatador	1 Recommendation Recommended By John Pitera Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13775

Welcome to the Panglossian, no more Dismal Science, economy. Far away, from my shoeless position, it looks the FED officers are in the business of delivering good looking economy having climbed the economy horse while the politicians did not agree on how to conduct economic policy. Unwittingly, they may be providing the platform for DJT re-election in 2020. "Folks! Look to the economy. Are we first or not? What the opposition has to offer to better that?"

To: John Pitera who wrote (531)	12/18/2017 11:42:19 AM
From: elmatador	1 Recommendation Recommended By John Pitera Respond to of 13775

The Year in Review: IMF Global Economy in 5 Charts By Oya Celasun, Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, and Maurice Obstfeld December 18, 2017 It has been a tumultuous year marked by natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and deep political divisions in many countries. On the economic front, however, 2017 is ending on a high note, with GDP continuing to accelerate over much of the world in the broadest cyclical upswing since the start of the decade. Here are five charts that help tell the economic story of the past year. One notable aspect of last year’s upswing is its breadth. Growth accelerated in about three quarters of countries—the highest share since 2010. Even more important, some of the countries that had high unemployment for some time, for example, several in the euro area, are participating in the growth surge and experiencing strong employment growth. Some of the larger emerging market economies, such as Argentina, Brazil, and Russia, exited their recessions. Still, in per capita terms, growth in almost half of emerging market and developing economies—especially the smaller ones—lagged behind advanced economies, and almost a quarter have seen declines. Countries that struggled included fuel exporters and low-income economies suffering from civil strife or natural disasters. Boosted by a recovery in investment, global trade growth rebounded from its slowest pace since 2001, other than during the recession of 2009. Weak capital spending in the energy sector had been an important contributor to the weakness in global investment in 2016. Metal and fuel prices were supported by stronger momentum in global demand as well as supply restraints in the energy sector, including hurricane-related stoppages in the United States, financial disruptions in Venezuela, and security problems in regions of Iraq. With futures prices indicating general stability or some moderation in prices going forward, commodity exporters need to continue their adjustment to lower revenues while diversifying their economies’ production and export mixes to build resilience and support future growth. Wage growth has remained puzzlingly tepid in advanced economies despite falling unemployment rates. Continued slack in labor markets—in the form of still high unemployment in some countries or high levels of involuntary part time unemployment—along with weak productivity growth explain much of the sluggishness. Equity valuations have continued their ascent and are near record highs, as central banks have maintained accommodative monetary policy settings amid weak inflation. This is part of a broader trend across global financial markets, where low interest rates, an improved economic outlook, and increased risk appetite boosted asset prices and suppressed volatility (as measured by the VIX, an index of volatility). While easier financial conditions bolstered growth momentum, they also pose risks if the search for yield extends too far. Looking ahead to 2018 The bottom line: Don’t let a good recovery go to waste. Reveries of an economic sweet spot should not lull policymakers or markets into complacency. Good times are most likely temporary. To ensure a more durable recovery, policymakers must seize the opportunity for reform. Stay tuned for the update to the World Economic Outlook on January 22, 2018.

To: John Pitera who wrote (531)	12/28/2017 6:28:16 AM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 13775

Currency warfare Bitcoin is just another weapon on the currency warfare. Upending the dollar hegemony Beijing is launching a yuan-denominated crude oil futures market that may soon eclipse the hitherto dominant US dollar-based Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) exchanges. In an additional challenge to the dollar’s role as the global reserve currency, the new “petro-yuan” will be convertible into physical gold at the Shanghai and Hong Kong gold exchanges. China had shrewdly plotted the dollar’s dethronement for years. While less than one per cent of New York’s COMEX transactions are converted into physical gold, the Shanghai Gold Exchange, … Chinese Government is Developing its Own Cryptocurrency By Nathan Reiff \| June 27, 2017 — 11:01 AM EDT Cryptocurrency advocates might have guessed that it was only a matter of time before a national bank would develop its own cryptocurrency. Now, it appears that the People's Bank of China is doing just that, putting China in line to be the first country in the world to develop and run its own national digital currency. Neowin reports that the earliest tests have involved prototype transactions between the new digital currency and some of China's own commercial banks. No Formal Statement or Timetable As of this writing, the Chinese government has not issued a formal statement regarding the development of a possible national cryptocurrency. Because of that, no official timetable suggesting the process of development or a potential launch date is available. However, China is not alone in speculating about the development of a national cryptocurrency. Both the State of Palestine and Russia have previously indicated their consideration of a development of this kind. For Palestine, this would address two existing issues: the fact that money-printing facilities in the area are scarce, and that a digital currency would reduce the need for difficult importations of physical currency involving the Israeli government. Reasons for China's InterestThere are numerous reasons China may be interested in developing a national digital currency. First, there are millions of Chinese citizens who lack easy access to standard bank services as a result of infrastructure issues throughout parts of the country. Beyond that, cross-border payments are typically charged heavily, and a digital currency could help to alleviate some of the fees for Chinese citizens. Even more broadly, it's possible that a national cryptocurrency would help to strengthen the dominant Communist Party of China (CPC). Blockchain transactions are easily traceable, allowing for an easier time finding and eliminating corruption. Further, with digital currency ledgers it is possible to analyze data and draw economic insights in real time. This would certainly help the government in the development of its broad plans and strategies. Of course, there are also some potential reasons for hesitation. One of the biggest lies in the nature of cryptocurrencies up until this point. Most digital currencies were developed specifically to be decentralized and not tied to any particular nation, government, or bank. For currencies like Bitcoin, one idea behind this was to allow for privacy and autonomy for customers. Beyond that, there is a view that decentralized currencies will allow for transactions across borders and between institutions to take place more easily. Should a government enter the cryptocurrency field, this could challenge many aspects of the decentralized status of other currencies. If China's venture is successful, would other governments follow along the same path? What would be the ultimate result for existing currencies which are not tied to a larger bank in this way? Read more: Chinese Government is Developing its Own Cryptocurrency \| Investopedia investopedia.com Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook