By SIMON CONSTABLE
A key economic indicator continues to show weakness in China
Steel production in the second largest economy was down 6.5% in the first six months of the year versus the same period a year earlier, according to World Steel Association data. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
It’s more likely than not that the stock market has hit bottom.
In fact, it may have happened a few weeks ago, new research states.
“Odds that the S&P 500 put in a low on June 17th continue to stand at 60%,” according to a recent report from New York-based Macro Risk Advisors (MRA.) Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Europe’s largest economy continues to have economic problems. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Exchange-traded fund investors seem to be going soft on gold. On the face of it that doesn’t augur well for a rally in bullion prices anytime soon. But the truth is more complicated and there is still hope for the gold bulls. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Some much-needed relief from surging inflation may be at hand.
If true, it couldn’t be more welcome as consumers wince from surging fuel and food prices. The recent inflation rate hit a four-decade high of 9.1% in June, according to government data. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Over the past three years, employers across the U.S. have become increasingly concerned about substance misuse by their employees. For good reason: the numbers continue to climb.
More than 40 million Americans 12 and older have a substance use disorder, which is defined by an uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequences, including alcohol, tobacco, prescription medications or other drugs.1 A staggering 107,600 people died from drug overdoses in 2021, the highest death toll on record, according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
A handful of American consumers–especially tourists visiting Europe–stand to benefit from the U.S. dollar’s recent strengthening against the euro, but the wider impact on the U.S. economy may not be as positive.
The euro, the single currency of much of the European Union, has been tumbling over the last year-and-a-half. Following a 20% decline in the European currency against the greenback since the beginning of last year, one dollar buys roughly one euro for the first time in two decades. Read more here.
From Defence Connect:
More recent opinion research from the Levada-Center has demonstrated that those in Russia who hold the US responsible for the war in Ukraine jumped from 50 per cent to 60 per cent in the three months leading to the invasion.
Perhaps Simon Constable in Time put the sanctions dilemma most carefully under the microscope, noting that “sanctions often prompt a country’s population to rally around the flag”.
“A siege mentality takes over with people banding together to weather the storm.”
Beyond the growth of Russian nationalism, US-led sanctions have forced the Kremlin to build new shadow economic, military and political architectures outside of the US-led international order.
Read more here.
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}