Weak BLS Jobs Report Hits Stocks

May 4, 2012

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a weaker than expected jobs report this morning. An excerpt from the report: Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 115,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 8.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Expectations were for an increase of 165,000 new jobs.

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Mark Skousen: Stocks are Better Than Gold Right Now

May 3, 2012

Long-time newsletter (Forecasts and Strategies) writer Mark Skousen was interviewed on the Nightly Business Report last Friday. Skousen was optimistic on the stock market, while downplaying the prospects for gold. Skousen said the gold market looks tired with technical indiators showing a topping out pattern. He sees the era of excessive government spending and borrowing [...]

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Alan Greenspan: Equity Premium at Highest Level in 50 Years

May 2, 2012

Bloomberg’s Tom Keene interviewed former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan at length yesterday. Greenspan commented on a wide range of topics beginning with a discussion of the political process. Greenspan’s main point was compromise is implicit in a democratic society. Greenspan spoke further about the “fiscal cliff” America faces referring to it as huge. He said [...]

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Harry Dent: Spain Could Be Catalyst to Take U. S. Market Down 20%

May 1, 2012

CNBC’s Rick Santelli interviewed Harry Dent yesterday. Dent has been on record predicting a titanic bear market in equities beginning sometime over the next year. Dent pointed out that Spain has higher unemployment, as well as higher total public and private debt than Greece. Spain also had a bigger housing bubble than the U. S., [...]

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ISM Data Propels Stocks to Higher Ground

May 1, 2012

The stock market took off earlier today with the major averages approaching their highs for the year as a report showed economic strength. Positive ISM data appeared to be the catalyst for the unexpected upward thrust which came at the beginning of the “sell in May” period. The bears are currently running for cover. As [...]

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Peter Boockvar and Jared Bernstein Debate the Notion of a Bond Bubble

May 1, 2012

One of the most anticipated events in the world of investing has been the nearly universal opinion that bonds will collapse in price as yields move up. Peter Boockvar, strategist at Miller Tabak, and Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, recently debated the notion of a bond bubble. Bernstein said the [...]

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Robert Shiller Comments on the Spanish Housing Market

April 30, 2012

Robert Shiller, Yale University professor of economics and co-founder of the Case-Shiller index, was on CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe this morning.  Shiller discussed housing prices in Spain, which have been instrumental in its economic downfall.  Shiller also commented on home prices in the U.  S.  and the psychological and economic factors effecting prices. Shiller said Spain [...]

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Pat Dorsey Says Market Doesn’t Need More QE

April 27, 2012

Pat Dorsey, Vice Chairman, Director of Research & Strategy, The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company, was on CNBC stating the bullish case for stocks which he claimed have been propelled by their own earnings power. Dorsey was formerly the director of equity research at Morningstar. Dorsey reminded us that the Fed’s bond buying episodes have been [...]

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PBS Frontline Exposes Ugly Truths About Wall Street

April 27, 2012

In the first part of a four-part investigation, PBS Frontline focuses on the business with enormous global reach and influence: banking. The topic “Money, Power and Wall Street” is certainly more important than anything being discussed in the presidential campaign. The excesses and aggressive risk-taking of the financial industrial complex dwarf all other influences on [...]

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Gary Kaltbaum Sees a Possible 10% Pullback Ahead

April 26, 2012

The indomitable Gary Kaltbaum, owner of Kaltbaum Capital Management and host of a national radio show, was on Fox Business News on April 20th predicting a pullback in the stock market. Kaltbaum said a 10% correction would be a good thing. He feels bullishness has picked up too much and doesn’t like all the IPOs [...]

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