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  • Finance 0

    December 2015 CoreLogic Home Prices Year-Over-Year Growth Rate Now 6.3%

    CoreLogic’s Home Price Index (HPI) shows that home prices in the USA are up 6.3 % year-over-year year-over-year (reported up 0.8 % month-over-month). Last month’s 6.3% year-over-year gain was revised downward to 5.1%. There is considerable backward revision in this index which makes monthly reporting problematic. CoreLogic HPI is used in the Federal Reserves’s Flow of Funds to calculate the values of residential real estate. Dr Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic stated: Nationally, home prices have been rising at a 5 to 6 percent annual rate for more than a year. However, local-market growth can vary substantially ...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    Drive For Japanese Yen Ongoing

    The Japanese Yen inched higher during the Asian trading session, helped along by yet another decline in the price of oil which weighed on sentiment in risk appetite. Analysts feel that today’s market jitters are driven largely by the eroding outlook in the commodities market, specifically oil, with rising stockpiles and declining demand from China the primary drivers of market worries. The Aussie Dollar was also under pressure after the announcement from the Reserve Bank of Australia took a decidedly dovish turn with the possibility of more easing ahead. As reported at 10:43 am (GMT) in London, the USD/JPY pair was trading lower at 120.7650...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    Andy Hoffman: Financial Armageddon This Year

    When people hear the world “armageddon” there are usually certain images the minds eye begins seeing. For each person it is probably little different with one exception. For the most part, there is nothing good associated with armageddon. If we look at how our financial and economic worlds are beginning to unfold, especially over the past six months, we see nothing positive happening. Economies, around the world, are in free fall. How can I say this with such conviction? Well, if we look at the actual numbers, not the propaganda paraded as truth through the mainstream media, we begin to see just how bad it really is. Two of favori...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    Cameron: Mission Accomplished

    The EC draft proposals in response to the UK’s demands have been enthusiastically embraced by Prime Minister Cameron.  The wires quote Cameron as saying “I would opt in to EU membership on these good terms.”   The proposals presented by European Council President Tusk are weak on details that are still to be decided, though Cameron quickly seized upon them to claim: I have delivered commitments in my election manifesto.”It has yet to be seen if it is sufficient to convince several of the eurosceptic cabinet members and backbenchers.   UKIP and many others will not be persuaded, almost regardless of the particulars. ...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    Can Management Incompetence Impact A Stock?

    I often take the Amtrak train back to my hometown in New England and sometimes I’m fortunate to sit beside some pretty interesting people. Incidentally, on one trip the Deputy Comptroller of Citigroup sat beside me for nearly 6 hours and for a good 5.5 hours of that trip we were talking. At the time I was working at AIG and I mentioned that I was an equity analyst. The next thing he said was the main thing I remembered about that 5.5-hour conversation: “What is the most important thing to consider when buying a company’s stock?” Now this question took me aback because I never thought to consider one end-all, be-all ans...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    Crude Oil: More Room To Run Or A Perfect Sell Opportunity?

      The squeeze higher in oil prices last week amid renewed speculation that key producers would convene to discuss potential output cuts caught many market participants by surprise especially in light of prevailing conditions in the energy sector. In spite of prices retreating from recent highs once more, there remains a growing chorus of investors, traders, and speculators expecting oil prices to rebound further from current level levels even with the multitudinous risks facing crude. Aside from high production levels that have remained high amid weak pricing, the demand side of the equation continues to show sluggish growth at very best, on...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    EC 3 Things I Think I Am Thinking About: In The Dark Edition

    Here are some things I think I am thinking about: 1 – Young People Don’t Like Hillary.  The craziest thing about last night’s Iowa Caucus was the disparity on the Democratic side.  Hillary Clinton is getting very little support from young voters.  Even young females are voting for Bernie Sanders.  Here’s the breakdown by age: This is very different from the Democratic party that Barack Obama won under where young voters rallied around him.  It has to make you wonder if Hillary can rally the support from young voters to beat a Republican candidate. More interesting here is the shifting landscape of future politics.  We live in ...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    Sirius XM Holdings Inc. Earnings Results In Line With Estimates

    Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:SIRI) released its fourth quarter earnings report before opening bell this morning, posting earnings per share of 3 cents and $1.2 billion in revenue—both of which were in line with the consensus estimates. In last year’s fourth quarter, the satellite radio provider reported earnings of 3 cents per share and revenue of $1.1 billion. Sirius XM sees strong subscriber growth Adjusted EBITDA climbed 4% year over year to $396 million. For the full year, adjusted EBITDA climbed 13% to $1.66 billion, marking a new record high in Sirius XM’s history. Free cash flow climbed 23% year over year to $1.32 billion in ...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    The Stock Whisper Of The Day: USO, SH, MU, XLF

    Hot stocks of the day: USO, SH, MU, XLF Video length: 00:04:35...
    On February 2, 2016 / By
  • Finance 0

    EUR/USD Looks To Test Its Falling Trendline

    EUR/USD: With EUR taking back more than half of its Friday losses on Monday and following through higher on Tuesday, it looks to test its falling trendline at 1.0971. But be cautious ahead of the mentioned declining trendline. Support lies at the 1.0850 level. Further down, support lies at the 1.0800 level where a violation will aim at the 1.0750 level. A break of here will aim at the 1.0700 level. Conversely, on the upside, resistance comes in at the 1.0950 level with a cut through here opening the door for more upside towards the 1.1000 level. Further up, resistance lies at the 1.1050 level where a break will expose the 1.1100 level. Its da...
    On February 2, 2016 / By