Impact Of Fed Rate Hike: June vs. September

Lior Alkalay - INO.com Contributor - Forex


The Fed dropped a bomb this past Wednesday when it released the latest FOMC minutes—a rate hike in June is possible. Weak US growth in the first quarter of the year and a slowdown now, coupled with nonfarm growth below 200K jobs might have suggested a more tamed statement. Markets responded to the surprise with a selloff in Treasuries and equities and a surge in the Dollar. And yet, despite the explicit mention of June, a rate hike in September seems more likely.

Just like the December 2015 rate hike, the Fed softens the blow by throwing out the possibility of a rate hike before the conditions are actually ripe for one. By the time the Fed actually lifts rates, the money market and the bond markets have adjusted and the shock is minimal. Continue reading "Impact Of Fed Rate Hike: June vs. September"

Stocks Bounce Ahead Of Fed Minutes

The stock market has headed higher after a sluggish start this morning. All three major averages have bounced back into green territory late this morning, with financial shares leading the way as investors are awaiting the release of the Fed minutes this afternoon and looking for any clues of a June interest rate hike.

MarketClub's Mid-day Market Report

Gold (FOREX:XAUUSDO) has pulled back and is trading lower coming under pressure from a U.S. Dollar (NYBOT:DX.M16.E) rally that has pushed it to a new 2 week high.

Key levels to watch this week: Continue reading "Stocks Bounce Ahead Of Fed Minutes"

Three Industries And A Few ETF's That Will Benefit From A Fed Rate Hike

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


Based on economic data and what the Federal Reserve Committee members have been saying over the past few weeks, it would appear the US Central Bank is ready to increase interest rates for the first time since 2006. The Fed has held the benchmark rate near zero since 2008 to help spur economic growth. But with the US economy moving forward, the days of cheap money may be numbered.

I recently wrote about why I believe the Fed will raise rates at the December Fed meeting so today I would like to point out a few industries that could benefit from a rate increase and some ETF'S that focus on those industries. Continue reading "Three Industries And A Few ETF's That Will Benefit From A Fed Rate Hike"

Nobody Knows The Data We've Seen

That could well be the Fed's dilemma as it wrestles with the problems it sees with its data series. It's Wednesday and no one has a clue as to what the Fed is going to do. More importantly, no one knows what the market is going to do in reaction to what the Fed may or may not do.

So as traders, what should we be doing?

The important thing to remember is that you have many days to trade the markets and put on new positions, you don't have to do it today or just before the Fed's big announcement. No one is saying that you have to trade today.

The move yesterday in the markets was somewhat surprising, but did not change the overall direction of the Dow or the S&P 500. In the case of the NASDAQ, yesterday's move did change things in terms of the Trade Triangles. The NASDAQ is officially on the sidelines based the new weekly green Trade Triangle. In regards to the other two major indices, everything remains the same, you should either be short or out of the market on the Dow and the S&P 500. Continue reading "Nobody Knows The Data We've Seen"

Joe McAlinden Reverses View, Predicts Recovery for Gold, Oil and Housing

With the markets in whiplash mode, Joe McAlinden, founder of McAlinden Research Partners and former chief global strategist with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, believes volatility is going to stick around for a while, and we might see a correction double of what we've had so far. In this interview with The Gold Report, McAlinden bucks conventional wisdom to argue that an interest rate hike is good for gold and oil, and lays out his investing strategy for this period of market uncertainty.

The Gold Report: For more than a decade, you led Morgan Stanley Investment Management's global investment strategy; now you own your own research firm based on your observations of the industry for more than 50 years. How do you explain the volatility in the markets right now and how should investors position themselves to prepare for what is coming?

Joe McAlinden: It has been a wonderful bull market, a wild ride going all the way back to 2007 when the market made its top. That was followed by a horrendous plunge. We've not only made that back, but the market has reached highs that were 36% above the 2007 highs. I had been concerned recently, however, that price-earnings ratios have become elevated and we are seeing other spooky similarities to the conditions that prevailed prior to the 1987 crash, including the absence of a more than a 10% correction for three years and a breakdown of small-cap stocks. The market could be vulnerable to some kind of major shock. I believe that the big shock is only beginning to unfold and that as it does, this correction will get considerably worse, perhaps double what we've had so far and maybe even worse than that.

TGR: What do you think the market expects the Federal Reserve Board to do? Continue reading "Joe McAlinden Reverses View, Predicts Recovery for Gold, Oil and Housing"