Visualization of unemployment in the United States as it progresses over time, from January 2007 to Present.
The animation is monthly by counties:
click for animation

source: AmericanObserver via Ritzholtz.com
November 22, 2009
Visualization of unemployment in the United States as it progresses over time, from January 2007 to Present.
The animation is monthly by counties:
click for animation

source: AmericanObserver via Ritzholtz.com
November 18, 2009
via: Bespoke
Related Article:
Gold’s move over the past couple of months has been pretty incredible but not without precedent. As shown in the first chart below, the most recent leg up for gold has put it at 19% above its 200-day moving average. In the second chart, we highlight the historical 200-day moving average spread for gold. As recently as 2006 and 2008, the 200-day spread moved well above 25%, and back in 1980, the spread briefly got up to 136%! Gold is definitely overbought right now, enough so that the risk/reward tradeoff in the short-term is probably favoring the risk side. However, it has gotten much more overbought in the past than it is now, so it could still go higher before correcting.
Subscribe to Bespoke Premium to receive more in-depth research from Bespoke.
End of October short interest figures were recently released by both the NYSE and Nasdaq, and below we highlight the stocks in the Russell 1,000 with the highest and lowest short interest as a percentage of float. For the major indices as a whole, short interest is at two-year lows (see our recent short interest report at Bespoke Premium), but there are still plenty of individual stocks that are heavily shorted.
As shown below, Barnes & Noble (BKS) is the Russell 1,000 stock with the highest percentage of its float sold short (45.4%). Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) ranks second with 40.61% of its float sold short, followed by DIRECTV (29.29%), Alliance Data (25.98%), and KB Home (25.1%). Other notables on the list of heavily shorted stocks include First Solar (FSLR), NetFlix (NFLX), SunPower (SPWRA), and AIG. With the markets up significantly this year, it’s not surprising to see that most of the highly shorted stocks are up big as well. Unless you’ve just taken a short position on these names, it has likely been a rough ride over the past few months.
Wesco Financial (WSC) gets the prize for the least shorted stock in the Russell 1,000 with just .22% of its float sold short. Mega-cap names like Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, and Cisco are all on the list, as investors don’t see much reward for going short these names. It’s also very surprising to see Bank of America (BAC) on the list of least heavily shorted stocks.
Subscribe to Bespoke Premium to receive our bi-weekly report on short interest trends for the entire market.
For those wondering which stocks we like at any given time, the Bespoke Model Portfolio at Bespoke Premium is where to find them. Since inception in May 2007, our Model Portfolio is down 3%. Over the same period of time, the S&P 500 is down 28%. A $100,000 investment in the Bespoke portfolio is now worth $97,000, while a $100,000 investment in the S&P 500 is now worth just $72,000. A few of the big winners in the Portfolio this year include Apple, which we added at a price of $87, Google (added at $333), Nordstrom (added at $22.10), and Goldman Sachs (added at $87 and removed today). Obviously there have been stocks that have gone down in the Portfolio, but we are always able to limit downside risk by setting stop prices on every position. These stop prices helped limit losses during the bear market, and they also don’t allow you to get “attached” to stocks. Our cash position in the Portfolio essentially shows our “macro” view of the overall market as well.
Today we added eight new stocks to the Bespoke Model Portfolio. To view these new additions and also begin receiving our renowned Premium research reports, click here to subscribe to Bespoke Premium today.
While we’re on the topic of stocks, take a look at a historical chart of Amazon.com (AMZN). After breaking to all-time highs following its recent earnings report, the stock hasn’t looked back and has pretty much gone vertical. The steepness of the increase in Amazon.com’s share price since last November definitely brings back memories of its rise during the late 90s Internet bubble. Hopefully the memories of its subsequent fall don’t reappear as well.
As the biggest stock in the world, Exxon Mobil’s stock performance significantly impacts the cap-weighted indices that it is in. The stock has basically been trading in a range from about $65 to $75 since May, so it hasn’t been one of the names really leading the S&P 500 higher over the last six months. Exxon is currently testing the top end of its recent sideways trading range, however, and a break above the $75 level could provide a nice spark for both XOM shares and the S&P as a whole. If Exxon really gets going and forms a new uptrend, the major indices should have no problem closing out the year at their highs.
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Yesterday, Meredith Whitney went on CNBC and said she hasn’t been this bearish in a year. Ignoring the fact that we don’t remember her ever really turning bullish in the first place, Whitney believes that the “recent market rally is not rooted in fundamentals and the U.S. economy is likely to fall back into recession next year.” With Whitney getting all the headlines today as the biggest bear on the street, Nouriel Roubini is out upping the ante. In a New York Daily News column today, he says that the “worst is yet to come” and that “the damage will be extensive and severe unless bold policy action is undertaken now.”
Subscribe to Bespoke Premium to receive more in-depth research from Bespoke.
November 12, 2009
“American exports to China soared 341% from 2000 – 2008, according to the US-China Business Council. In fact, China is the third largest U.S. export market, behind Canada and Mexico.”
California heads as the largest American exporter to China by state.
source: Clusterstock via: Ritzholtz.com
November 9, 2009
via: Ritzholtz.com
November 2, 2009
via: Ritholtz.com
October 27, 2009
“The National Bureau of Economic Research is the organization in charge of dating recessions and expansions in the US economy, so when the official announcement is made that the most recent recession is officially over, it will come from the NBER.”
NBER recently gave their old site a make over, and while company websites are regularly changed many revamps can be timed with the approaching of major events.
Old website:
New website:
via: BESPOKE
October 29, 2008
Los Angeles Finance Examiner: Democrats or Republicans; Who is really better for Wall Street?
Contrary to popular belief and applied assumption Democrats are the historical victors to the claim ‘better for Stock Market’.
Since 1929, both parties have held the Presidency for approximately 40 years each. According to ‘The New York Times’ and data from ‘Bloomberg’, during this period the consolidated returns for the S&P under Republican rule give a gain of only 0.4%. If you exclude the 30’s crash under Hoover, Republican reign produces a gain of 4.7%, still far below the compounded rate of 8.9% produced by their Democratic counterpart. Over that time a theoretical $10,000 investment in the S&P over Democratic rule would have grown to over $300,000. Under Republican rule the same $10,000 investment would be just over $51,000 today…and putting Hoover back in the mix dwindles your return leaving you with only $11,733.
Some will point out that there are countless factors in the production of Market Returns and the validity of such data are nominal at best. While this is understood, no one should discount 40 years of consistent historical data.
A more technical look is given by Yale and Jeffrey Hirsch in the ‘Stock Trader’s Almanac’ showing a Dow Jones industrial $10k investment compounded during Democratic reign since 1901 would have grown to over $279k after 48 years. The same $10k investment during 56 Republican years would be worth just over $78k. The dull glimmer of Republican reign comes with the appearance of inflation. Adjusted for inflation your 10k investment under the Dem’s would be just over 33k compared to 26k under Republicans. Democrats still fare better but the margin between is greatly reduced.
The research takes new light when running the same test against GDP. A similar pattern emerges as Democratic Presidents produced a 5.4% GDP growth, contrasted by the Republicans 1.6%. .
Pedro Santa-Clara and Rossen Valkanov, finance professors at UCLA, decided to further test the above theory using weighted portfolios and broad based indexes. According to their paper, entitled, “The Presidential Puzzle: Political Cycles and the Stock Market”, published in the October issue of the ‘Journal of Finance’, stock market returns are on average about 5 percent higher when the White House is run by a Democrat than during Republican rule.
According to the UCLA professors reduction in volatility was also affected positively under Democratic rule. Between 1927-1999, the study shows broad based indexes returning an average of 11% annually over 3-month Treasury’s under Dem’s as opposed to the Republicans 2% average. Controlled portfolios (value (1) & equal weighted (2)) under the UCLA study also validated the theory of Democrats being better for the Stock Market than Republicans. On average, over 72 years, the value-weighted portfolio returned 9% more, and the equal-weighted portfolio 16% more, under Democrats than Republicans.
The Irony in all of this is that it may be the myth that Republicans are better for the market that causes Democratic linked market gains to be so much greater.
Investors buy into the Republican-market myth and start off with ‘pain on the brain’ when a Democrat is elected. This results in lower expectations early but euphoric surprise by democratic policies and economic improvement, thus leading to reactive involvement and sustainable market up-trends throughout the course of a term(s).

The same pattern is also displayed when comparing Democratic vs. Republican controlled Houses.
Democratic controlled houses also fare better than Republicans, though it should be noted that having one party, either Democrat or Republican, controlling both houses is most favorable to the markets…one house one party is disliked and grafts a history of negative returns
charted data sourced from bloomberg financial markets
(1) ‘value-weighted portfolio’ ranks stocks in index according to total market value. (2) ‘equal-weighted portfolio’ ranks all stocks the same.
Sources: ‘The New York Times’, ‘Bloomberg Financial Market’, & ‘Journal of Finance’
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
July 1, 2008
While the answer to this question is one to be told by time my opinion on the matter
is that current oil prices are simply unsustainable.
That doesn’t mean that oil is going to plunge today or tomorrow. Indeed, it could keep rising for quite some time. After all, you cannot make a rational judgment about when irrational behavior will end.
But oil prices will come back down. And that will be positive for both the economy and the stock market.
If you have big profits in your energy stocks, consider paring back. Or at least running your trailing stops closer to better protect your profits.
If you’re skeptical, take a look at the table below that charts oil alongside the housing and Internet bubbles. The parallels are uncanny.
Of course, history never repeats itself exactly the same way. We may not be at the exact inflection point.
{Source Bespoke Investment Group, LLC}
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
November 12, 2008
Los Angeles Finance Examiner: One Economic Indicator Worth Tracking

Economists and Traders will find that most market indicators relying on forecasts are worthless in our present environment. Unemployment, inflation, consumer confidence, GDP… the data of traditional economic indicators are lagging.
One of many flaws is that the information is aged by weeks, sometimes even months, by the time reporting is done.
A better gauge used to monitor Global Markets is the Baltic Dry Index (BDI). The BDI is involved with the cost of shipping major raw materials and tracks brokered price quotes for moving goods from around the world.
A move up on the index means global trade is increasing and vice versa. Global economic activity ultimately influences the equity markets so heavy moves in the BDI often predict and precede like moves in the equity markets.
economic principles of supply and demand…
1.)The supply of cargo ships is limited. It takes years to build a new cargo ship and the high costs prohibit docking during periodic downturns.
2.) The index tracks the cost of shipping raw materials instead of intermediate or finished goods thus providing a precise measurement on the volume of global trade at its earliest stages.
3.) The number of ships in operation is not affected by changes in cargo rates…so even the slightest variance in demand results in changes to the index.
Plus
If you’re looking for clear indication of a market bottom keep an eye on the BDI for a reversing trend.
*The following is to be taken as market commentary and general observation. It is in no way to be taken as advice or personal recommendation.
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
November 26, 2008
Los Angeles Finance Examiner: Bull/Bear Ratio: A Contrarian Indicator
The Bull/Bear ratio, a market indicator popular with insiders, is a poll of investment professionals that gauges whether they are bullish, bearish, or neutral on the stock market. The weekly publication by Investor’s Intelligence is considered the most relevant measure of market sentiment as participants have daily dealings within the financial markets.
The ratio shows the relationship between bullish and bearish advisers and is interpreted to be a contrarian indicator, since extremes in either direction are signals of a reversing market trend.
High readings of the Bull/Bear Ratio are bearish and low readings are bullish.
The theory behind using this indicator is that people tend to be bullish after they buy, and bearish when they sell. So if the BB ratio were to register an extreme bullish reading it would be considered a reflection of an unhealthy level of buyers over sellers and would make for a biased and uneven market place, which by contrarian views would be set for a correction.
A rising trendline means bullish sentiment is outpacing bearish sentiment. The 2.00 area is associated with bullish extremes and market tops, and the 0.60 area with bearish extremes and market bottoms.
According to Investors Intelligence, “Historically, bulls are 55%-60% when indexes achieve record highs, and those extreme levels of optimism often prove negative. They reflect fully invested positions. High levels of bearishness are usually positive because they most often occur after a major market decline, and reflect that there is plenty of cash on the sidelines.”
*The following is to be taken as market commentary and general observation. It is in no way to be taken as advice or personal recommendation.
chart source: Investors Intelligence
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
December 18, 2008
LA Personal Finance Examiner: Commercial Real Estate…the next bust?

In the last year we have bore witness to economic corrections resulting in the folding of a housing market, a credit lockup, a failing financial sector, a recent oil pop, insurance and rating agency scandals, forced redemptions, unseen VIX levels…..etc. etc. etc.
In light of the Holiday season it seems newest data being watched is that of the retail sector . With knowingly weak, and worsening, consumer spending numbers one would expectedly be led to question the stability of an already weakening Commercial Real Estate Market.
With dropping sales, and corporate restructuring, many stores, restaurants, cafes, etc. are closing up shop. This has already been seen on a wide scale, be it from the cafe downsizing announcement by Star-bucks or the bankruptcy filings from such large lot stores as Linens ‘n’ Things.
The instability of Commercial Real Estate has already begun its downtrend as commercial vacancies rise dramatically leaving some regions with vacancy rates of 15-20%.
A main danger inherent in Commercial Real Estate is that closing businesses are sometimes “Anchor” stores; those who are a main pulse and attraction of an individual center. Thus the closing of a store in some cases will seal the fate for an entire shopping complex.
It is also common for newer retailers to have ‘anchor’ clauses built into the lease stating that if a designated ‘anchor’ store closes then they may choose to terminate their lease as well. This can be an expected multiplier to the down-trending market as it compounds the speed at which retailers vacate the complex
The National Association of Realtors official CROE report is summarized by saying: “The fundamentals in commercial real estate are feeling the stress of a slowing economy and troubled credit markets. Job growth, particularly in office-using industries, has been declining. Vacancy rates are expected to rise in all sectors due to decreased demand. The financial decline is squeezing credit availability for commercial projects. As a result, transaction activity is down over 50 percent compared with last year.”
Chart Source:globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Disclosure: Frequent positions in SRS, URE, IGR
*The following is to be taken as market commentary and general observation. It is in no way to be taken as advice or personal recommendation.
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
January 28, 2009
LA Finance Examiner: ‘Money for Nothing’ – Financial Humor
“The recent collapse of some of the most venerable names on Wall Street has wreaked havoc on shareholders. On CEO’s….not so much. Hoofy and Boo take a look at how today’s golden parachutes are looking shinier than ever”
Source: www.minyanville.com
Posted using ShareThis
January 12, 2009
In recent months all walks of investor life , ‘those of the world’ and those outside – looking in, have been astonished at the latest mess to come forth from a dismantled banking sector.
The Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme: 
…So what is a Ponzi Scheme?
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
Related Article: CBS Video: How Much Did Madoff Family Know?
January 23, 2009
Below is a visualization depicting the recent Market Value evaporation of our banking institutions.

source: Bloomberg
| Market Value, $Bn | ||||
| INSTITUTION | 07 MV | 09 MV | % LOST |
|
| Morgan Stanley | 49 | 13.7 | 72% | |
| Credit Agricole | 67 | 20 | 70% | |
| Credit Suisse | 75 | 22 | 71% | |
| Deutsche Bank | 76 | 12 | 84% | |
| Societe Generale | 80 | 19 | 76% | |
| Barclays | 91 | 7 | 92% | |
| Unicredit | 93 | 24 | 74% | |
| Goldman Sachs | 100 | 28 | 72% | |
| BNP Paribas | 108 | 26 | 76% | |
| Santander | 116 | 53 | 54% | |
| UBS | 116 | 29 | 75% | |
| RBS | 120 | 6 | 95% | |
| HSBC | 215 | 82 | 62% | |
| JP Morgan | 165 | 68 | 59% | |
| Bank of America | 228 | 33 | 86% | |
| Citigroup | 255 | 15 | 94% |
February 5, 2009
Disclosure: Author frequently holds both long and short positions in the S&P
*The following is to be taken as market commentary and general observation. It is in no way to be taken as advice or personal recommendation.
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
Related Article: ‘Where are the Markets Headed?…You be the Judge’
September 25, 2008
Based off S&P data.
If History is to repeat itself this is what we can expect.
Click above picture to view detailed analytic chart demonstrating Market Trends
*The following is to be taken as market commentary and general observations on historical trends. It is in no way to be taken as advice or personal recommendation.
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
February 12, 2009
Via Bespoke Group:
“The New York Times published an article this weekend highlighting that the current 10-year stretch that ended last month was the worst for the S&P 500 in at least the last 82 years. The Times looked at total returns for the S&P 500, and below we provide a similar analysis of the 10-year rolling price change of the Dow Jones Industrial Average going back to 1910. As shown, there have only been four other periods where the 10-year return has been negative, and three of the four periods saw returns float around the negative to flat line for quite some time. While it may have taken ”buy-and-holders” a few years to end up making money if they got in early when the 10-year returns went negative, they did end up making money.”
“When looking at 10-year returns, however, where the market was 10 years ago is just as big of a factor as where it is now. Ten years ago, the market was just about to hit the peak of the Internet bubble, and once it burst, the 10-year return was destined to take a big hit right about now.”
“Below we highlight a hypothetical 10-year return chart going out to 2012 if the Dow were to stay right at its current level. As shown, the return would continue to get negative and drop all the way to -29.49% in January 2010 before finally starting to head higher. And even if the Dow stayed the same, it would end up turning positive again by late 2011, since the market had fallen so much by late 2001. If the market gets worse in the next couple of years, the 10-year returns are going to get worse. But even if the market heads sharply higher from here, the 10-year returns will still be negative to flat until we get past 2010.”
February 21, 2009
via: crisisofcredit.com
February 23, 2009
Whether discussing corporate greed, rampant government spending, rising unemployment, regulatory systems, or any of the other recent headlining debates it all leads to the divided discussion on today’s resulting Government involvement.
…are they doing to much?….to little?
…should they stay out of the way and let the markets correct themselves or quit with the side stepping politics and take real action before further irreparable damage is done?
etc. etc. etc.
These days the debates are endless.
The most recent discussions to fill our airwaves and coffee shops is that of the new administrations handling of our global economic collapse and the unprecedented actions in spending, control, and involvement they have taken.
Stimulus or Bailout?…Perception is Everything
…presented below are illustrations of opposing views on the recent rise in Gov.’t spending
Stimulus: Illustration of Economic Impact.
Bailout: Illustration of Individual Cost. (data uses family of 2 making 65k annually)
…whether you view these actions from the side of cost or product (implied impact); the money has been allocated, and will be spent. We can now only monitor and examine the ‘Bang for our Buck’ and look forward with the hope that our monetary sacrifice will serve its intended purpose.
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
image sources: recovery.org , right.org
March 26, 2009
LA Finance Examiner: What is the State of the Economy?
“Leading indicators — As in January, two of the three leading indicators are outside of the typical range, indicating unstable markets. However, it’s important to note that the three-month trend of all three indicators are pointing towards the typical long-term range. February readings for TED Spread and OAS were slightly higher than in January, suggesting a slight tightening in the credit markets.
Lagging indicators — All four lagging indicators – including Mortgage Delinquencies, which reached a new high in December – are trending away from the typical range, confirming the challenging economic state. As their name implies, these indicators tend to lag behind the leading indicators.”
>
source: Russell Investments
May 7, 2009
via : ritholtz.com
The following is a chart of TARP/Bailout receivers recent lobbying activity:
| Bailout Recipient | Lobbied | Spent on Lobbying 1Q | Bailout Funds Received |
| American Express (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card, Exec Comp | $875,000 | $3.4 billion |
| Bank of America (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card, Exec Comp | $750,000 | $52.5 billion 4.5 billion |
| Bank of NY Mellon (PDF)* | Credit Card, no response | $497,000 | $3 billion |
| Barclays PLC & US Affiliates (PDF)* | Cramdown, Credit Card | $1,435,916 | $7.0 billion |
| Capital One Financial Corp (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card, Exec Comp | $469,000 | $3.6 billion |
| Citigroup | Credit Card, Exec Comp | $1,680,000 | $50 billion |
| Credit Suisse (PDF)* | Cramdown | $580,000 | $.4 billion |
| Deutsche Bank* | Cramdown | $220,000 | $6.4 billion |
| Discover Financial Services (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card | $257,500 | $1.2 billion |
| Fifth Third Bancorp (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card | $31,000 | $3.4 billion |
| GMAC (PDF) | Cramdown | $410,000 | $5 billion |
| Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card, Exec Comp | $1,105,000 | $10 billion $12.9 billion |
| HSBC GR-Corp (PDF)* | Cramdown, Credit Card | $1,176,573 | $3.3 billion |
| ING North America (PDF)* | Cramdown | $720,000 | $1.5 billion |
| JP Morgan (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card, Exec Comp | $1,386,000 | $25 billion |
| Morgan Stanley & Co (PDF) | Cramdown, Exec Comp | $645,000 | $10 billion $1 billion |
| PNC Bank (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card | $150,000 | $7.6 billion |
| UBS Americas, Inc (PDF)* | Cramdown | $70,000 | $1.7 bilion |
| U.S. Bancorp (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card, Exec Comp | $255,000 | $6.6 billion |
| Wells Fargo & Company (PDF) | Cramdown, Credit Card, Exec Comp | $810,000 | $25 billion |
| TOTAL | $13,522,989 | $220 billion |
Source:
Bailout Recipients Spent $13 Million Lobbying Against Consumers in 1Q 2009 – Jane Hamsher
via : ritholtz.com
May 10, 2009
“With consumer confidence at its lowest levels since the sixties, retailers’ registers just aren’t ringing. Join Hoofy and Boo as they take a look at the current state of retail.”
Source: www.minyanville.com
May 29, 2009
source: TheBusinessInsider
May 30, 2009
BRIC Markets (Brazil, Russia, India, China) continue to out pace ‘developed markets’ in 2009
Source: Bespoke
June 2, 2009
August 27, 2009
On Wall St. we like to spout on about our analytic insights when giving our economic forecasts; we point to correlating markets, ratios, data reports, and more theories than than there are days in the year. Like most things, some of these data points are worth their weight in gold while others aren’t worth the paper they are printed on, but in the end it all comes back to fundamental principals; the solid bedrock which our Economic Structure is built upon…and in its rawest form, Supply & Demand!
This principle properly practiced and properly understood can lay a diagnosis and prescription for anything from ailing consumer confidence to product longevity and innovation.
So the questions I entertain, within the scope of the ‘Supply/Demand’ principle and with regards to a legitimate improvement to our economic system, are focused towards two groups: Financials and Consumers; Those who delegate the money and those who spend/save the money. These two groups are the foundation of all points in our economic cycle and are representative of the Supply & Demand motion that churns our system. But what happens when the two weights which keep a system functioning become out of balance and are each distracted by narrow, short sided, and self benefiting interests. Former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson stated that “from 1973 to 1985, the financial sector never earned more than 16 percent of domestic corporate profits…this decade, it reached 41 percent.”
For the past decade or so our nation has had a negative savings rate, over extended credit, and a continuous erosion of the middle class, while our financial services sector accounts for almost half of corporate earnings. This is not an appropriate recipe for an Economic system based on progressiveness , innovation, and growth. Our system is completely out of whack as Felix Salmon at Reuters points out stating “financial services companies are meant to be intermediaries, middlemen, and any time that the middleman is taking 41 percent of the total profits in what’s meant to be a highly competitive industry, there’s something very wrong.”
We must get back to basics. In our nature we have taken a progressive and inclusive economic practice like capitalism and corrupted it into a self serving ideology. We have traded in Progression for Profits and Dreams for Dollars.
An equilibrium can not be sustained when an entire monetary system is based on quick money, false value, and borrowed assets… and a recovery will not be sustainable until our core problems are exposed and addressed.
-Walid N. Nasserdeen
July 25, 2009
…reference to my September 2008 article

Current comparison on 08-09 vs 01-02 cycles

chart courtesy of Gluskin Sheff
via: ritholtz.com
*The following is to be taken as market commentary and general observation. It is in no way to be taken as advice or personal recommendation.
August 7, 2009
“Some analysts say that the worst is over and the end of the recession is in sight, while others are predicting that we haven’t seen the half of it.”
click to enlarge graphic
source: CreditLoan’s Infographics
September 1, 2009
Charts depicting Personal Savings Rates.
PSR numbers: Gov’t – calculated vs Cash
Debt Growth Relative to Economic Growth
via: ritholtz.com
September 18, 2009
“Gold’s move above $1,000 earlier this month grabbed headlines, but its precious metal counterparts have been the real performers this year.”
GOLD - 14.2% PLATINUM - 42.5% SILVER - 51.3%
via: Bespoke
September 28, 2009
picture via: ritzholtz.com
…”the questions I entertain, within the scope of the ‘Supply/Demand’ principle and with regards to a legitimate improvement to our economic system, are focused towards two groups: Financials and Consumers; Those who delegate the money and those who spend/save the money. These two groups are the foundation of all points in our economic cycle and are representative of the Supply & Demand motion that churns our system. But what happens when the two weights which keep a system functioning become out of balance and are each distracted by”…cont’d @ Recovery! … ?
Related Article: Recovery! … ?
November 7, 2009
October 25, 2009
“Given that Technology has the largest weighting in the S&P 500, it comes as little surprise that four of the ten largest companies in the index are from that sector.”
via: Bespoke
October 23, 2009
October 22, 2009