Author: benbam

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens, one policy meeting away from retirement, will leave his deputy and successor, Philip Lowe, with an inheritance that’s confounding counterparts worldwide: very low inflation and limited policy ammunition to combat it. The best result for Australia would be a depreciation in the exchange rate, but with interest rates low and even negative across the developed world, yield-hungry investors […]

For the last 50 years, the world economy has benefited from a demographic boom that has contributed 1.8 percent to average annual global GDP increases, helping to generate an unprecedented level of growth.1This demographic tailwind is coming to an end. With populations aging and fertility rates dropping around the world, the growth rates of the past 50 years may prove to be the exception, not […]

In summary, a turbulent period may be ahead as Japan transitions from monetary to fiscal stimulus, but at least the BOJ’s direct purchases in the equity market should keep stocks modestly propped up.

With inventories once again on the rise, demand set to seasonally tumble, and production on the rise, the lagged response to the bounce in crude prices continues in the US oil rig count, rising 3 last week to 374. This is the 8th rig count rise in the last 9 weeks. The 58 rig rise (+18% off the lows) is the fastest since Jan 2010. […]

Some of the world’s most successful fund managers are warning of red flags for the world economy. Here’s what they’re buying now

If there is someone whom I like to meet in my life, it shall be him! George Soros is possibly the most successful investor that ever lived. In fact, his return rate throughout his career has been greater than even the return rate of Warren Buffet. However, the two have very different views of what investments to make. You see, George Soros is largely a […]

Crude oil closed below $44.00 a barrel, suggesting there are underlying weaknesses not only in the energy sector but in the global economy. It is becoming more clear the Brexit vote was just enough to slow demand from a path of market balance to the perception of continued oversupply. The break that may put oil on a path to test $40 will also put more […]

over-priced equity markets will be a bigger driver for gold prices than negative interest rates around the world. large funds no longer care about long-term interest rates and are more focused on short-term performance.