ShareI had a feeling there was an energy component to the Berkshire Hathaway decision to buy Burlington Northern Santa Fe. And now comes the evidence via coal, a major freight on BNSF’s tracks. But, there is a lot more to this acquisition than just hauling coal.
Warren Buffett has been increasing his energy plays in recent [...]

ShareChristopher Wood, the well-noted market strategist at CLSA and writer of the classic Japan crash warning book “The Bubble Economy,” is now warning of a market correction in the West.  According to CNBC India, Wood believes that the markets’ extreme upward move is increasing the chances of a major correction.
Wood is still cautious. He says [...]

ShareWarren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has been making some very significant moves of late.  Selling of Moody’s shares is one.  But, the latest is sure to cause a stir amongst Buffett watchers because he is definitely making some “bets” on economic recovery with his purchase of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI). It is unclear as yet [...]

ShareIf one wants to see what happens when you use stimulus to help keep zombie companies alive and to resist reform efforts, look no further than Japan. 
For twenty years now, Japan has been dealing with the consequences of a burst asset bubble in shares and property. And for twenty years, the body politic has [...]

ShareIf you have been wondering whether a statistical recovery is at hand, today’s ISM manufacturing report should be the clincher.  The report was definitely bullish with the ISM index rising to 55.7 and sub-components supporting the understanding that the manufacturing sector is expanding. This is quite a contrast to last month’s weak data and demonstrates [...]

(H/T Prieur du Plessis)

ShareThis photo from Yves Smith’s antidote du jour was too good to pass up. You can think of the cat as the recovery stalking its prey and the bear as, well, a bear. The cat looks pretty tame though. Let’s hope this bear doesn’t come right back down and maul it.

ShareThere is an enormous dichotomy in foreign exchange markets that has wide-ranging implications for the global economy.  In Europe, most currencies float freely against the U.S. dollar. In Asia and the Mideast, most do not.
What this has meant in practice is two things. First, as the U.S. dollar has weakened, it has done so [...]

ShareLast year at this time I posted “The Economy’s Four Horsemen,” which described macro cause and effect leading into and out of recessions.  When looking at income, spending, output and employment, it is income which is the steer variable going into a downturn.  Year-on-year changes in income precede changes in spending, output, employment and recession. [...]

ShareThe Reserve Bank of Australia unexpectedly raised rates by 25 basis points to cool down its economy. It will “gradually reduce stimulus” in anticipation of sustained recovery. Australia has probably been the major economy least affected by the global economic slowdown, so one would expect the RBA to be the first major central bank to [...]