Trump Admin Announces Criminal Charges Against Former Cuba President Raul Castro

The Market's Biggest Buyer May Be Disappearing Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance Yesterday, as part of laying out the two paths I can see the economy taking, I wrote that beneath the surface, the American consumer is tapped out. The average consumer - AKA the "retail investor" - has been a key in driving the stock market higher the past half decade. This morning, I noticed two reports that came out yesterday that add to the conclusion that this "retail investor" looks increasingly broke.  Yesterday The Wall Street Journal highlighted how rising prices and the highest...

Three Fed Officials Explain Why They Dissented, Blasting Fed's "Easing Bias" This morning, three Fed officials said they dissented over this week’s policy statement because it was no longer appropriate to signal the Fed’s next move was still likely to be an interest-rate cut. “I believe the FOMC should offer a policy outlook that signals that the next rate change could be either a cut or a hike, depending on how the economy evolves,” Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari said in an essay released on Friday morning. “This could tighten financial conditions somewhat today,...

An Overheating Feedback Loop Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance Congratulations, you made it through the panic…and now the market has decided none of it ever mattered and things are 5% better than they’ve ever been in history. Prices have not only recovered from the Iran war scare, they’ve pushed comfortably beyond where they were before it even started. The NASDAQ is logging a batshit insane 13-day winning streak, marking its longest consecutive green run since July 2009. That’s impressive, if your definition of impressive includes a complete disregard for unresolved risk and/or any type of...