Akihiko Kondo received his Ph.D. from Kyoto University in Chemical Engineering (1988). He was appointed as full professor of Kobe University in 2003 and also appointed as a Continue...Read More
The NDX just underwent its annual rebalance, with six companies removed from the list and six companies addedThe Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) is made up of the largest non-financial companies. The index recently underwent its annual rebalancing, adding six companies and removing six. The tables below show the six additions and removals, along with their 2018 return and analyst "buy" percentages from Zac...Read More
Don't miss this "hidden" trendline for the long-term Treasury trackerSimultaneous with bond yields cooling dramatically from the highs that rattled investor sentiment earlier in the fourth quarter, the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:TLT) has staged a comeback from its Nov. 2 four-year closing low of $112 (at which point the exchange-traded fund was down 11.7% on a year-to-date basis)....Read More
Watch Silver, folks. This quiet shiny metal is starting a move that could be very foretelling of global market concerns and risks. Early on December 26, 2018, Silver broke through recent resistance, to the upside, with a relatively large 2.8%+ upside move. Why is this so important to traders? Because Silver is the “sleeper metal” that is typically the last to react to global economic c...Read More
- Are we to prepare for a global Debt Bubble Collapse in 2019?- 2019 to see the political and economic uncertainty of 2018 continue and likely to deepen- Investors lulled into a false sense of security by politicians, brokers, bankers etc.- Much "cheer leading" of the "economic recovery" narrative and by extension financial markets - particularly property and stock markets- Trade wars, currenc...Read More
Although yours truly has yet to completely jump on the bull bandwagon (which has revved up recently), I cannot ignore the positive fundamental and technical developments for precious metals.On the fundamental side, the market is essentially pricing in no hikes for 2019 and the start of rate cuts in 2020. For Gold, that is a huge improvement from just a few months ago. In regards to the technicals,...Read More
Turkey's imports of flat steel decreased by 52.69% year on year in November 2018, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) said on Monday December 31.The country imported 358,826 tonnes of flat steel, compared with 758,499 tonnes in November 2017, TUIK statistics showed. The decrease in imports was largely due to the negative sentiment prevalent in the domestic steel market since August this year,...Read More
Turkey produced 3.10 million tonnes of crude steel in November 2018, a 2.1% decrease compared with November 2017, according to the Turkish Steel Producers Association (T???oeD).In January-November 2018, crude steel production in the country was 34,429,000 tonnes, a 0.51% year-on-year rise compared with 34,256,000 tonnes produced in January-November 2017, T???oeD said last week.The country produced...Read More
Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:When GATA got started in January 1999 we figured that the rigging we saw in the gold and silver markets was the work of the big investment banks that heavily traded the monetary metals on the futures exchanges. Our idea was to gather evidence of their collusion and then sue them for triple damages under the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and the anti-trust laws of the...Read More
Graceland Updates By Stewart ThomsonJan 1, 2019 1. As the new year begins, gold continues to gain respect as the ultimate investment asset. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the US dollar.2. Most investors tend to view the dollar as a "safe haven", but the big bank FOREX traders that really move the currency market view the dollar as a risk-on asset class.3. They...Read More
By Steve St. AngeloIf history is our guide, we are on track for a severe market meltdown in 2019. While the U.S. broader indexes remained in record territory for most of 2018, December turned out to be a complete disaster for stocks. So, even though the markets have reversed higher from their Christmas Eve lows, this is nothing more than a bear market rally.It's really that simple. Thus, a...Read More
- Are we to prepare for a global Debt Bubble Collapse in 2019?- 2019 to see the political and economic uncertainty of 2018 continue and likely to deepen- Investors lulled into a false sense of security by politicians, brokers, bankers etc.- Much "cheer leading" of the "economic recovery" narrative and by extension financial markets - particularly property and stock markets- Trade wars, currenc...Read More
Brazil's apparent steel consumption increased by 6.90% year on year in November, to 1.70 million tonnes, mostly due to an improved performance in the flat steel sector, according to the national steel association A??o Brasil.Apparent consumption of flat steel products grew by 11.70% in the same comparison, to 1.10 million tonnes, while long steel use declined by 0.80% year-on-year, to 606,000 tonn...Read More
I don't really believe in palm readers and crystal balls and tarot cards, but I respond to the need for them. - Stephan JenkinsI skate cautiously on the thin ice of making predictions and realize its a fool's errand. But people love to read them and I usually get a few correct along the way.Here are my 10 predictions for 2019:1) Stocks bounce in early 2019, but continue to slide lower throughout t...Read More
It's been nine months since the United States announced Section 232 tariffs, and over six months since a 10% tax was applied to imports of aluminium from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. There's been a huge debate over how successful the tariffs - imposed on the grounds of national security and also applied at a 25% rate to steel - have been. Much depends on who you talk to, and what their s...Read More
Years ago, the idea that machines would replace humans on the trading floor seemed far-fetched and the suggestion that algorithms might replace humans entirely ridiculous.But both have happened in some shape or form, making the advent of blockchain - now being vaunted as the next game-changer in technology - a lot more realistic than naysayers might initially think.Dozens of trials and projec...Read More
Since its merger with Xstrata, Glencore - previously a trading and marketing firm - has become a mining firm whose earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is dominated by earnings from its industrial activities. The recent appointment of Peter Freyberg as head of the company's industrial mining assets, a newly created position with oversight and responsibility for all Glenco...Read More
Iron ore prices fell sharply in the second half of November after climbing through October, with prices for higher-grade material pioneering the decline.Fastmarkets MB daily benchmark for 65% Fe fines dropped by 22% by Monday November 26 after peaking on October 29. The 62% Fe iron ore index declined by 16% over the period, as some Chinese steelmakers started to seek larger volumes of cheaper ores...Read More
RAPAPORT... In the retail industry, "The customer is always right" haslong been the motto. This drive to please consumers means businesses areconstantly in search of new and inventive ways to make them happy. But where dothey start? What does the general public look for when making a purchase? Andwhat is everyone talking about when they say the new-age consumer is lookingfor an "experience"?T...Read More
RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds has recovered a 125-carat diamond at its Let??engmine in Lesotho, bringing the company's annual haul of 100-carat-plus stones to15. It found the high-quality, white, type IIa diamond onDecember 20, shortly after unearthing two other stones weighing 101 carats and71 carats, the miner said last month. The total number of diamond discoveries above 100 carats beatsthe c...Read More