Today's Video Update: Cyprus puts lipstick on a pig

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Monday, the 25th of March.

CYPRUS PUTS LIPSTICK ON A PIG
As the world waited with baited breath this past weekend, the powers that be put together an agreement so Cyprus would not fall out of the Euro and off the face of the earth. I say, it's like putting lipstick on a pig, it still doesn't change the fact that it's a pig. The banks have serious problems in Cyprus and potentially in other countries and "putting lipstick" on the situation may look pretty, but it does not alter the real core problems with the banks. Continue reading "Today's Video Update: Cyprus puts lipstick on a pig"

Today's Video Update: March Madness may not be about basketball this year

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Thursday, the 21st of March.

March Madness, May Really Be, March Madness
The NCAA basketball "March Madness" season starts today at noon, ET, however the March madness I am referring to has nothing to do with basketball.

The events in Cyprus and the ramifications it could have for the rest of the EU could be chaotic. Suddenly, there are no adults in the room, and once again we are seeing Russia jump into the fray with all kinds of loan deals, gas deals and donkey deals. How does all this Russian input complicate Cyprus? In my opinion, it presents a massive complication as Russia is not part of the EU and yet they are in the thick of things meddling in what is majorly an EU problem. The Russian interest is from all the money that's deposited from Russia in the banks of Cyprus. This saga has a lot more room to play out and if it is not contained, it has the potential to create a real ripple effect through Europe. Continue reading "Today's Video Update: March Madness may not be about basketball this year"

Today's Video Update: Cyprus, the mouse that roared

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Wednesday, the 20th of March.

Cyprus, The Mouse That Roared
On Monday, I appeared on CNBC Asia's "Cash Flow" program and discussed Cyprus as being the "mouse that roared." Cyprus geographically is a very small country and represents only .5% of GDP for the EU. However, the ramifications and the notoriety of what this small island country is/was trying to do by seizing savers bank accounts is a psychological bombshell that was heard around the world, especially in Europe. That leads us to Russia, which has a great deal of its money on deposit in Cyprus. It is also rumored that some of the largest deposited funds belong to the Russian mafia. If that is the case, we would not expect to see the proposed disastrous idea of stealing savings from individuals and companies get passed. Continue reading "Today's Video Update: Cyprus, the mouse that roared"

Today's Video Newsletter: Et tu, Cyprus?

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Monday, the 18th of March.

Et Tu, Cyprus?
"Et tu, Cyprus?", meaning "Even you, Cyprus?" (or 'You too, Cyprus?') is Latin, often used poetically as "Et tu, Brute?" to represent the last words of Roman dictator Julius Caesar to his friend Marcus Brutus at the moment of his assassination.

Once again, the problems in Europe resurface not with Greece this time, but with Cyprus, the largest inhabited island in the Mediterranean. Is Cyprus the tip of the iceberg? Cyprus is a very small part of the EU economy, representing only about .5% of total EU output. What is really going on here is not so much what percentage Cyprus represents, but rather the seizure of bank funds and breaking the law to get them. According to law, every bank account in Cyprus is guaranteed or insured for €100,000. Here is the risk as I see it in the Euro equation, Continue reading "Today's Video Newsletter: Et tu, Cyprus?"

Today's Video Newsletter: The Whale That Swallowed J.P. Morgan

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Friday, the 15th of March.

The Whale Trade That Won't Die
I'm sure by now you've heard of the disastrous whale trade that was made by J.P. Morgan (JPM) that came out of their London office. This trade cost J.P. Morgan a cool $6 billion. Well, the folks responsible for this trade are getting grilled on Capitol Hill today and I doubt seriously if anything will ever come of the "kabuki theater." Today's hearings allow Senators to pontificate and look very serious, as it plays well in their voting districts. Normally these type of Washington theatrics have very little effect on what's going on in the real world and in the marketplace. Today we will be looking at J.P. Morgan to see how this stock has performed so far this year. Continue reading "Today's Video Newsletter: The Whale That Swallowed J.P. Morgan"