Total sales for the season are projected to be at $586 billion - a 4% increase over last year - and this year, mobile is going to make a big impact on just how that money gets spent. We've gathered a wealth of data relative to this year's holiday retailing season, specifically as it pertains to online and mobile behaviors, and you'll find that data in this infographic
Read More »Which Is the Best Buy Now – Gold or Gold Stocks?
You have probably read in multiple articles that mining stocks offer leverage to the movement of the underlying metal. This hasn’t been the case over the past several years, however, which has created some confusion in the precious metals investment community. While the gold price has more than doubled (+110%) in the past five years, the AMEX Gold Bugs Index (HUI) is up only 15% so why do people keep saying that mining stocks offer leverage? Well, because they do during certain periods of the bull market. [Let me explain the situation more fully and exactly where we are in the current bull market.] Words: 677
Read More »These 8 Other "Cliffs" (In Addition to the "Fiscal Cliff") Could Also Cause the Markets to Crater
In his effort to get lawmakers to mobilize, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke coined the term “fiscal cliff” in a testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on February 29, 2012. Investors consider it to be one of the biggest...risks that could cause markets to crater but since February, analysts have pointed to a host of other “cliffs” that threatened to destabilize the markets and the economy. Here are 8 others that people are talking about most. Words: 1140
Read More »The Preferred Way to Explain Gold Price Behaviour + 13 Alternatives
There is a substantial debate about what asset, if any, gold price relates to or responds to....We think the most logical factor in its price as a form of money would be the ratio of the currency in circulation versus the amount of gold that could be associated with that currency...We have heard some strong opinions to the contrary...that perhaps some other assets other than currency in circulation could be used to explain gold price behavior, and therefore provide some gauge of over and under valuation in the market price. [We look at 14 different assets below.] Words: 586
Read More »Richard Duncan: China Headed Into a Serious Crisis
China’s miracle is driven by one thing and one thing only: its trade surplus with the U.S., which went from zero in 1990 up to now more than $300 billion a year [but] since the darkest hours of the 2008 global economic meltdown, China has made little progress in shifting its reliance away from exports, and, as a result, the Chinese economy is dangerously exposed to a renewed downturn in global trade. Words: 500
Read More »IF These "Head & Shoulders" Patterns Are Correct Then Stock Markets Can Expect a 40% Haircut! Here's Why
The NYSE Composite and Wilshire 5000 index COULD BE forming one of the largest "Bearish Head & Shoulders" patterns in the past 100 years and IF they, in fact, are then we are about to see a 40% decline in those indices and the S&P 500 would most certainly follow suit. Take a look at the charts that tell the story. Words: 200
Read More »Forget About the Fiscal Cliff! Increased Taxes & Austerity Measures Are Coming to the U.S. Regardless! Here's Why
It's easy to find analysts and investors who are certain that a deal [to avoid the fiscal cliff] will be reached, or at least that the can will be kicked down the road to buy more time. It's also easy to find more pessimistic views that are based on the lack of cooperation in the past, and a deeply polarized country and political system. However, I think many are missing the point, which is that austerity is coming to America - taxes are going up and government spending will be reduced - [and. as such,] the United States is likely to face a recession and market correction in 2013, regardless of whether or not a compromise is reached over the Fiscal Cliff. Words: 970
Read More »Grappling With the Possible Impact of the Fiscal Cliff
If Congress addresses the issue by maintaining the current tax and spending policies we will get more of the same economy we have experienced for the past three years (all else being equal). [That being said,] what if Congress goes over the fiscal cliff hit? This blog post is designed to asses the impact. Words: 1362
Read More »Why You Should Now Invest in Silver vs. Gold (+2K Views)
The price of silver is going to go much, much higher - much higher - over the next decade [relative to gold according to Jim Rogers and I concur. Below are 5 solid reasons why I believe that is the case.] Words: 767
Read More »Impact of U.S. Fiscal Cliff on Canada, Mexico and Much of the Developed World Would be Major
The (relative) impact on economies around the world would be major but particularly on Canada, Mexico and to a lesser extent on some other economies in a precarious state –- the UK, Germany, China, and Japan. [The details are illustrated, country by country, in a map below. Take a look.]
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