Markets

That's right, despite all of the recent "bubble talk," it is entirely possible that stocks could rise 30% higher from here. However, it is not because valuations are cheap because as I discussed in my recent analysis of Q3 earnings stocks…

Reports indicate strong Bitcoin interest in China. BTC, the China-based Bitcoin exchange accounts (trading a third of all Bitcoin transactions, while China may account to close to half of the daily turnover, according to some internet…

There are four main forces shaping the immediate investment climate and these remain essential unchanged: 1) Fed tapering not expected until late Q1 14. 2) ECB will likely take additional action to ease financial conditions and…

The recent increase in long-term rates is causing major changes in the mortgage markets. Here are some key trends

We've had a number of questions on energy sources in the United States - particularly with respect to the generation of electricity. Here are a few interesting facts about recent trends that hopefully help clarify some of the confusion…

Consumer price inflation in the Eurozone has been below the target of 2% and falling for quite some time. But until now, the ECB has been sitting on its hands. Inflation some distance below target didn't appear to bother it - most likely…

Over the past couple of years it has gradually become the consensus view that QE has failed because it hasn’t created the economic growth that everyone was hoping for. I find that view overly simplistic and naïve in equal measures. QE - or…

While the US housing market remains relatively robust, it is likely to face a couple of headwinds going forward. One is the lower affordability index. The other is the recent slowdown in net household formation.

With wages stagnant, the proportion of income going into rent is on the rise. While homeowners have been able to reduce their monthly payments to the lowest level in decades via mortgage refinancing and cutting back on credit card usage,…

The higher demand for leveraged loans is helping to gradually increase leverage of buyout transactions. But a more alarming trend is the sharp relaxation of lending terms - the so-called "cov-lite" (covenant-light) deals. Over 70% of recent…