Global Market Comments February 26, 2010 Featured Trades: (TOYOTA), (TM), (PALLADIUM), (PALL), (RESIDENTIAL HOUSING), (XHB) 1) Since I am probably the only person in the country who once worked for Toyota, speaks Japanese, and worked in the White House Press Corps, and am therefore fluent in the ways of Washington, I feel obliged to comment [...]

Global Market Comments February 25, 2010 Featured Trades: (‘EUREKA’), (SPX), (VIX), (USO), (FCX), (GLD), (TBT),(TBF), (CHK), (UNG), (COAL), (BTU), (LUMBER), (WY), (HEDGE FUND RADIO)   1) After speaking to a gaggle of economists, portfolio managers, and traders the last few days, I’ve had one of those ‘Eureka’ moments as the markets have shown their hands. [...]

Global Market Comments February 24, 2010 (SPECIAL JOSEPH STIGLITZ ISSUE) 1) The great thing about interviewing Joseph Stiglitz over dinner is that you don’t have to ask any questions.  You just turn him on and he spits out one zinger after another. And he does this in a kibitzing, wizened, grandfatherly manner like one would [...]

Global Market Comments February 19, 2010 Featured Trades: (GOLD), (GLD), (STIMULUS PACKAGE), (SQM), (ENS), (XIDE), (ZBB),   1) I took advantage of my membership in the World Gold Council to download their ‘Global Demand Trends’ report released today, a must read for avid followers of the barbaric relic (click here for the link at http://www.gold.org/ [...]

Global Market Comments February 18, 2010 Featured Trades: (USO), (CRUDE), (SILVER), (FOREIGN TREASURY HOLDINGS), (TBT), (TBF), (HEDGE FUND RADIO) 1) I’m not buying the $8 rally in crude (USO) this week because the contango which has been supporting prices in the face of lukewarm demand for the past year has been rapidly disappearing. Contango involves [...]

Global Market Comments February 16, 2010 Featured Trades: (CHINESE YUAN), (CYB), (PLATINUM), (PPLT), (EWT) 1) The Chinese Yuan is just begging for a home run. Any doubts that it is a huge screaming buy should have been dispelled last week when news came out that China had displaced Germany as the world's largest exporter. The [...]

Global Market Comments February 11, 2010 Featured Trades: (EUROYEN CROSS), (GOLD), (GLD), (CBS), (SISI), (HTZ), (RAD), (M), (LVS), (AMD), (AMR), (CAL), (S), (HEDGE FUND RADIO)   1) If you want to know how I was able to pick the exact date and time the bell would ring for a top in the S&P 500, take [...]

Global Market Comments February 10, 2010 Featured Trades: (SPX), (SDS), (BERNIE MADOFF), (CIA), (DBA), (MOO), (MON), (MOS), AGU), (POT) 1) Note to self. Don't do your midnight pee next to the bear box. They're called that for a reason. And I'm sorry that my shouting at the hungry, six foot tall black bear standing in [...]

February 9, 2010 Featured Trades: (THE MAD HEDGE FUND TRADER’S STRATEGY LUNCHEONS), (DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS), (CYB), (EEM), (USO), (GLD), (SHREVE’S), (‘SNOWMAGEDDON’) 1) Come join me for lunch at the Mad Hedge Fund Trader’s Global Strategy Update, which I will be conducting in a number of venues around the country this year. The first two will be [...]

Global Market Comments February 8, 2010Featured Trades: (JANUARY NONFARM PAYROLL), (TBF), (TBT), (ASML), (CSCO), (JDSU), (MU), (JNPR), (SNDK) 1) On your mark! Get set!…….nothing. The January nonfarm payroll report showing a further 20,000 job losses certainly left traders scratching their heads on Friday. (click here for the link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics release [...]

Global Market Comments February 4, 2010 Featured Trades: (AUSIE/EURO CROSS), (ELECTRIC CAR MATERIALS DEMAND), (ELLIOT SPITZER) 1) If you want to participate in the global carry trade in its purest form, take a look at the Australian dollar/Euro cross. This involves buying the Ausie, where the central bank has been the first and fastest to [...]

Global Market Comments February 3, 2010Featured Trades: (SPX), (QQQQ), (COPPER), (COPA), (TM), (WEEKLY JOBLESS CLAIMS) 1) Groundhog Punxutawney Phil poked his nose out of his hole and saw his shadow this morning, predicting six more weeks of winter. The Mad Hedge Fund Trader poked his reddened proboscis out the door this morning, saw a substantially [...]