Announcements

Stock markets remain relatively subdued ahead of the European Central Bank’s policy decision due out early-Thursday morning. Bulls are expecting the European Central Bank to deliver aggressive stimulus measures. If the ECB delivers, the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to follow suit with an interest rate cut of at least 25-basis points at their meeting next week, with the CME FedWatch tool showing about a 91% probability. Recent economic data hasn’t really provided a crystal clear path for policymakers, though. The main reason investors are pressing for central bank action is fear that the U.S. and Chinese trade dispute (the worlds #1 and #2 economies) is causing a global economic slowdown, but the data thus far has been mixed. Data released...

Weekly Commodities ETF Report: Crude Careens Lower, Gold Makes Modest Gains Following China’s New Tariff Threat, Uncertainty Over Fed’s Interest Rate Path August 26, 2019/in Top News, Weekly ETF Summary Report /by MT Newswires (MT Newswires) – Crude ended both Friday’s session and the week lower, amid a backdrop of trade war fears, and general risk-off conditions. China had unveiled retaliatory tariffs against the US, saying that it is going to impose tariffs ranging from 5% to 10% on $75 billion of US goods in two batches, effective from Sept. 1 and Dec. 15. The Chinese State Council added it will resume duties on American autos, which will include a 25% tariff on US cars and a 5% tariff on auto parts, effective Dec.15.  Also included in...

Investors start the week with fresh concerns over escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The U.S. stock market is again trading lower, down roughly -6% in the past 30-days. On Friday China announced new tariffs on U.S. goods and the U.S. has followed suit by hiking existing tariffs on Chinese goods. President Trump said the U.S. will raise existing tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods to 30% from 25% in October. He also raised tariffs from 10% to 15% on another $300 billion of Chinese goods. Some of those tariffs will start on Sept. 1 while others have been delayed until Dec. 15. China said on Saturday that it strongly opposes Trump’s decision to levy additional tariffs on $550 billion worth of Chinese goods, and warned the U.S. of...

Investors are hoping to soon have a better road map for navigating the Fed’s path forward on U.S. monetary policy as well as trade matters with both China and Japan. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will deliver a speech this morning at the annual Jackson Hole symposium. His comments are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CST and officials say he will not be taking questions afterward. Keep in mind, Powell hasn’t spoken publicly since a July 31 news conference following the Fed’s first rate cut in over a decade. Since then, a number of “red flags” have been waved which some insiders believe are indications of a slowing U.S. economy and possibly even the start of a recession. Investors are anxious for any clues as to what direction the Fed is...

The “Second Machine Age” is Just Getting Started: What We Believe Investors Need to Know There was once a time when the acronym CIO was used only at Asset Management firms, referring to the company’s Chief Investment Officer. The Chief Investment Officer is generally the person in charge of all investment decision-making for a firm’s funds and strategies. Things have changed. These days, CIO primarily refers to a company’s Chief Information Officer, or in some cases, the Chief Innovation Officer – underscoring the undeniable impact that technology is having on the modern economy. Technology companies have become dominant contributors to growth and employment in America over the last decade. There are start-ups and mid-sized companies, but then you...

Stock traders struggle to keep up with evolving global economic outlooks. Both Germany and China have recently released data pointing to further economic slowdowns. Germany, the EU’s largest economy, saw its economic output sputter in the second quarter, which many economists are blaming the “trade war.” Some are even saying the German economy has entered recession territory, which adds even more uncertainty to the European Union ahead of the upcoming Brexit and policial problems in Italy. In China, factory output has fallen and again economist are pointing to the trade dispute with the U.S. Fed dovishness has worked to some degree to cover-up the negative global economic sentiment. At the same time, the trade was hoping to see some type of...