PostsCommentsPayoutsrose98734 (62)in #economy • 2 days agoA look at the US budget deficitIt now stands at 5.93% of GDP. Here is the chart: source As you can see from the chart, the US government normally runs a big budget deficit in times of acute…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 5 days agoFrance's debt-to-GDP continues to diverge from Germany'sHere is the chart: source As you can see from the chart, Germany handled the eurozone crisis of 2011-2013 much better than France did. They knuckled down and produced…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 7 days agoCould Dollar strength help the Fed from keeping interest rate rises at bay?The March Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the USA came in at 3.5%, which persuaded market participants into thinking the Fed had to hike interest rates to force inflation…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 12 days agoThis is how much gold the PBoC has boughtThe gold markets have finally caught up with how much gold China's central bank (the People's Bank of China or PBOC) has bought. Here is the chart: source As you can see…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 13 days agoThe European Central Bank signals a rate cut in JuneThe European Central Bank met on Thursday, held interest rates at 4% and signalled a rate cut in June. When Christine Lagarde, who chairs the ECB, was asked if she was worried…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 15 days agoThis is the reason Germany is deindustrialisingNatural gas prices in the USA are cheaper than in Europe. Here is the chart: source Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a strategic mistake; she ordered an…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 17 days agoThe European Central Bank is under pressure to cut interest ratesThe European Central Bank meets later this week and is under pressure to signal that they will cut interest rates in their June meeting. The pressure is coming from the three big…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 20 days agoForeign Central Banks are switching to goldThe price of gold topped $2,300 per troy ounce. Who is buying? Answer: Central Banks. Here is the chart of central bank gold holdings compared to their holdings of US…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 25 days agoThe Fed looks like it will soon end QTIn the most recent Federal Reserve press conference, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said, "It is appropriate to slow pace of asset runoff soon." By run-off, he means letting maturing…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 27 days agoFrench CPI for March comes in lower than expectedIt came in at 2.3% compared to 3% for February. (Markets expected 2.6%). Here is the chart: source The cost of fresh food and services actually went negative.…rose98734 (62)in #economy • last monthThe Swiss National Bank cuts interest ratesThey're the first central bank to cut rates in this cycle, and it came as a complete surprise to markets. Interest rates went from 1.75% to 1.5%. So rates were pretty low to…rose98734 (62)in #economy • last monthJapan raises interest rates for the first time in 17 yearsInterest rates have moved from -0.1% (Japan has had negative interest rates since 2016) to +0.1%. Here is the chart: source The crazy negative interest rate world (which…rose98734 (62)in #economy • last monthUS wage growth points to interest rates staying higher for longerThe Federal Reserve tends to monitor real wage growth for inflationary pressures. (Real wage growth is wage growth less inflation; if wages are rising in line with inflation…rose98734 (62)in #economy • last monthThe Pensioner Crisis comes to GermanyThe world's first state pension was introduced in Germany in 1889. It was the brainchild of the legendary Otto von Bismarck and provided a state pension from the age of 70. In…rose98734 (62)in #economy • last monthUS 10-year yields are heading up againThey're now at 4.29%. Here is the chart: source This is probably a good thing if you are the Federal Reserve and want consumer prices to fall. The recent uptick in CPI is…rose98734 (62)in #economy • last monthThe decline in American inflation has stalledHeadline CPI rose to 3.2% and core CPI (which excludes energy and food) rose to 3.8%. The culprit was services, which rose strongly as suppliers passed wage costs on. Here's…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 2 months agoCould interest rates go UP?The markets are assuming that the Federal Reserve Bank, European Central Bank, Bank of England and others will cut interest rates. In their very worst case scenario, they think…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 2 months agoTop 10 US stocks as a percentage of the entire US stock marketPeople chat about how a handful of tech stocks dominate the US stock market, accounting for most of the market gains of the last five years. But how top-heavy has it got? Here…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 2 months agoJapan's Nikkei Index finally exceeds it's 1990 highIt has managed to smash past the 40,000 level. Here is the chart: source So what has caused this surge? Well, in April 2023, Warren Buffet visited Japan and disclosed…rose98734 (62)in #economy • 2 months agoOPEC extends it's production cuts...to offset the surge in US-produced oil. Here is the chart comparing Saudi, Russian and US oil production: source OPEC+ consists of 22 oil-producing nations plus…