Global markets start to realize the risks of Russia’s move into Ukraine
Friday's menu: Investors waking up to Putin's Russia risks. Plus: Russia's debt downgraded as Kerry issues another warning; U.S. manufacturing comes back (but housing has not); how about this call: gold to hit $5,000 an ounce; the SEC starts to dissect liquid alt funds; and how sanctions are supposed to work.
- As the unrest in Ukraine gets more real by the day, the financial markets start to show signs of caution. In macroeconomic parlance, there are early signs of a persistent momentum move unfolding, and you might want to get ahead of it. Investors start to seek shelter
- Russia’s debt-rating gets trimmed to one notch above junk status, which is probably at least one notch above where it should be. A slow and steady selloff of Russian assets
- Kerry warns Putin to stop the Russian military drills or he might be forced to issue another stern warning. Don’t make me stop this car
- The U.S. manufacturing renaissance that Schwab’s Liz Ann Sonders has been promising for years is finally starting to show up. The data show U.S. manufacturing has reached No. 2 behind China in terms of global competitiveness. Worker productivity has doubled since the 1960s
- But the housing recovery has stalled in a big way. Housing in U.S. cools as rate rise hits sales
- Peter Schiff remains outside the mainstream sense of reality with another prediction of gold at $5,000 an ounce. Consensus expectations for the U.S. recovery and Fed actions are all wrong
- The SEC, following the lead of last year’s Finra warning, plans to take a closer look at alternative strategy mutual funds. Spending six months studying 25 funds
- Five examples of how international sanctions work, or are supposed to work. The U.S. and Iran have been at loggerheads for 35 years
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