I always love this post that Business Insider puts together on the best charts in the world. They gather great insights from many of Wall Street’s best analysts.
HFT, QE, OMFG….Does Anyone Know What’s Going on?
that’s really what our financial system is. It’s this crazy construct of the human mind. And it’s always evolving and adapting with the times. And our limited minds are constantly trying to keep up with it all. It kind of makes one wonder – does anyone really know what’s going on?
The History of US Banking and its Inherent Conflict of Interest
This is an interesting look at the history of banking in the USA. If you don’t already understand the MR framework this interview will help put some pieces of the puzzle together for you.
Three Things I Think I Think
A random Friday edition of three things….
Rail Traffic Bouncing Back Strongly
There was a good deal of skepticism earlier in the year about the impact of weather and a slow start to the economy in 2014, but if rail traffic is any guide then we’re starting to see a significant bounce back. Intermodal traffic just reached its highest weekly reading in 5 months and has recorded its strongest three consecutive weeks since 2010.
Bill Gross: The End of QE Could Cause Higher Interest Rates
Long time readers know that I think QE’s impacts have been vastly overstated….
Market Performance Before a Fed Tightening
Interesting chart/data here from Guggenheim showing the 12 month performance prior to a Fed tightening. There’s a fair bit of data mining in here, but the obvious takeaway is that Fed tightening or the anticipation of it doesn’t tend to scare off equity market participants:
More on High Frequency Trading….
Imagine walking into Wal-Mart with $10 in your pocket to buy a t-shirt, finding a shirt on sale for $9 only to find that as soon as you pick it up Wal-Mart lifts the price to $10 because they have technology that knows your offer might be $10….
To Control “Money” You Must Control the Payment Network
I read this piece by Andrew Ross Sorkin about the future of money with great interest. He discusses how the future of money will rest with digital innovations that allow us to transact more freely and conveniently. But much of the article surrounds the nebulous concept of “money”.