Markets: U.S. Dollar, Gold and the U.S. Stock Market

It was the weakest January for the U.S. Dollar in 30 years! Gold prices are rising, commodity prices are rising and for all the hype about Dow 20,000, the U.S. stock market is pretty much the worst performing stock market in the world so far in 2017. if you adjust for currencies. (SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA), Nasdaq 100 Index ETF (QQQ), SPDR S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY), iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (IWM), SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD))

The Bullish Case For The Euro Currency

We know that the Bundesbank does not approve the easy money policies, the QE, the negative interest rates that Draghi and the ECB have forced upon them and I believe that rising German opposition as well as rising inflation both in Germany and throughout the European Union will ultimately force the ECB to abandon this monetary policy maybe even at the same time that the Federal Reserve is finally coming to terms or admitting that they are about to ease monetary policy again, they will be cutting interest rates and doing QE4.

Federal Reserve: Will They Raise in March? Probably Not!

The Federal Reserve has been saying that we will have three interest rate hikes in 2017. They have to get started if we are going to have three. People thought the Federal Reserve was going to say something to indicate that maybe it would be in March. They made no such comment. (SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD), SPDR S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY))

The U.S. Debt Bomb Is About To Explode

The U.S. debt bomb is going to explode. What the Federal Reserve has been doing, by keeping interest rates practically at zero has prevent the bomb from exploding. With interest rates at practically at zero we could afford to service the debt, repaying it is impossible! But at least we could service it when interest rates were at rock bottom. But that is already changing. Interest rates are going up, inflation is going up and creditors are going to demand a higher premium to hold our bonds. We are headed off the edge of a cliff! (iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT), 10- year U.S. Treasuries)

Trump Desires a Weaker U.S. Dollar

It is almost like Trump is already adopting a weak U.S. Dollar policy because saying that the Euro currency is too weak is saying that the U.S. Dollar is too strong. If you want the Euro currency to go up then you want the U.S. Dollar to go down. If you wan the Japanese Yen to go up, you want the U.S. Dollar to go down. So, the President wants a weaker U.S. Dollar.

U.S. Dollar: The Worst January in 20 Years!

Everybody on Wall Street started the year long the U.S. Dollar. Well, I just read that this was the worst January for the U.S. Dollar in almost 20 years! And for all the fanfare and hype about Dow 20,000 - I think the Dow Jones Industrials Index (DJIA) was up just half of a percent in the month of January. (SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA), SPDR S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY), Nasdaq 100 Index ETF (QQQ), iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (IWM))