Optimates……is defined as the “nobility or aristocracy” who held power back in the Roman Empire times, aka patrician politicians, whereas the “Populares” were the people or the people’s party who favoured the cause of the plebeians (plebs or commoners) and in particularly the urban poor. The latter were in effect an opposition party which has […]
Italy……the birthplace of the “Treaties of Rome,” which ushered in the European Economic Community, also labelled as the “Common Market,” is a fitting place for the great and the good of the now “European Bureaucratic Monster” to celebrate its 60th anniversary this weekend. Originally attended in Rome on the 25th March 1957 by representatives from […]
“Shock and horror” this week as UK CPI inflation breeched the Bank of England’s target rate of 2% pa, a target that the bank has hardly ever met over the past couple of decades, whilst across “the pond” the financial media talking heads are seeing the current 2.7% annualised rate for US CPI as a […]
Hogging has a variety of definitions, including ones of a nature that wouldn’t be included within this column, but “Hogging It,” as in “taking or keeping too much for yourself and not sharing” is ideal. Not sharing took on a whole new meaning of late within the hallowed halls of the “Bank of England,” the […]
Old Mother Hubbard……went to the cupboard, to fetch her poor dog a bone, and when she arrived there, the cupboard was bare, and so the poor dog had none! Now replace cupboard with “Exchequer or Treasury” and dog with “the populations of ALL G7 nations,” and you will start to understand the real dilemma of […]
Our Investment Market Overview for the week ending 3rd March included the following comment on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the “Dow”: “A mass of anecdotal market evidence that scream “overvalued,” such as excessive valuations; extreme bullish sentiment readings; historic lows of cash held within stock mutual-funds and excessive use of leverage, has been phenomenal, […]
“SNAP back”…. Was the chosen title of this week’s “knowledge share,” article, chosen to coincide with the debut of the latest tech-darling’s initial public offering, whilst “subtlety” trying to join up the dots in respect of identifying market bubbles, including possible tops. The pace of the labelled “Trump rally,” co-incidental that it is to the […]
Snapchat owners, SNAP Inc, will launch its eagerly-awaited $US3bn initial public offering (IPO) today, the latest tech darling set to create $Billions for the founders despite the company having never made a profit during its 5-year life, only widening losses put at $0.5BN for 2016. Furthermore, SNAP has given no promises on profits to new […]
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 today, the latest tech darling set to create $Billions for the founders despite the company having never made a profit during its 5-year life, only widening losses put at $0.5BN for 2016. Furthermore, SNAP has given no promises on profits to new […]','https://www.investmentcave.com/2017/03/02/snap-back/uncategorized/', 'https://investentmatters.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/2-march-2017-blog.jpg?w=300');){kind=link}
 today, the latest tech darling set to create $Billions for the founders despite the company having never made a profit during its 5-year life, only widening losses put at $0.5BN for 2016. Furthermore, SNAP has given no promises on profits to new […]','https://www.investmentcave.com/2017/03/02/snap-back/uncategorized/', 'https://investentmatters.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/2-march-2017-blog.jpg?w=300');){kind=link}
Optimates……is defined as the “nobility or aristocracy” who held power back in the Roman Empire times, aka patrician politicians, whereas the “Populares” were the people or the people’s party who favoured the cause of the plebeians (plebs or commoners) and in particularly the urban poor. The latter were in effect an opposition party which has morphed into today’s Democrats or Labour parties, albeit that the modern day Optimates, the Republican and Conservatives would claim that they represent all parts of society. Either way, popular politics waxes and wanes dependent on the collective social mood, in particular rising during periods of negative social mood such as the mid-1800s, during the 1930s, and off and on since the early 2000s. It is no coincidence that they go hand-in-hand with the financial stress which follows a financial crisis, the aftermath of which tends to expose corruption among the establishment and political elites and a back-lash against cartels. The change doesn’t happen in a straight line, however, but is patterned akin the life’s “two steps forward and one back.” After the two great strides of last year, Brexit and Trump, this week saw a step-back for populism as a high turn-out Dutch electorate chose the incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals over the euro sceptic Freedom Party of Geert Wilders, who ran on a ticket of anti-immigration and to take the Netherlands out of the euro area and the EU. Wilder’s party did come second out of the 28 parties that competed and added five seats, whilst Rutte’s Liberals lost 8 seats from 2012 and it now has to enter into complex horse-trading to form a coalition government.
Market-wise it was a game of two halves as the pre-FOMC decision on Wednesday saw stocks and commodities lower with bond yields and the $US higher, only to all reverse trend after “official” interest rates were raised in the US and China. For an expansion on the rate increases plus other economic data released, all supported with interesting charts, read on:
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The G20, an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies, which collectively accounts for 85% of gross world product, two-thirds of the world population and 80% of world trade, held its annual finance ministers’ ……
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“Because it’s the status quo doesn’t mean that it’s correct”
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