Michael Ashton

E-PIPHANY

Contributor since: 26 Feb 2010

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• Gravity

  Published 07 April 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Is there anything different about the current downturn in stocks, already two whole days old? It is difficult to get terribly concerned about this latest…

• Tempest in a Microsecond

  Published 01 April 2014 | viewed 0 times

  News flash! High-frequency trading (HFT) is happening! The "60 Minutes" piece on HFT that aired this weekend ensured that now, finally, everyone has heard of…

• A Curve Ball

  Published 25 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  I saw a story on MarketWatch on Monday which declared that the "Treasurys most sensitive to rising interest rates" had been ditched by investors while…

• We're the Government, and We're Here to Help

  Published 24 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Today's article will be brief (some might say blessedly so). The topic is the publication of an article on the NY Fed's blog entitled "Convexity…

• Ex-Communication Policy

  Published 19 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Well, I guess it would be hard to have a clearer sign that investors are over their skis than to have the Fed drop the…

• Summary of My Post-CPI Tweets

  Published 18 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  The following is a summary of my post-CPI tweets. You can follow me @inflation_guy. Core CPI +0.12%, a bit lower than expected. Core 1.56% y/y…

• The China Syndrome

  Published 12 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  The last month or two has provided a wonderful illustration of why a diversified commodity index is a better investment than an investment in any…

• Summary of My Post-Employment Tweets - Growl of Displeasure

  Published 07 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  The following is a summary and extension of my post-Employment tweets. You can follow me @inflation_guy (and tell your friends!) 175k +25k revisions, nice jobs…

• Clap Along if You Feel that Happiness is the Truth

  Published 04 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  It might seem crazy what I'm 'bout to say Sunshine she's here, you can take a break I'm a hot air balloon that could go…

• A Growling Bear is Bad for Everyone

  Published 03 March 2014 | viewed 0 times

  I was convinced last week that the stock markets, as well as the inflation markets, were underestimating the importance of the Ukrainian conflict. I thought…

• Make Hay While the Sun Doesn't Shine

  Published 27 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Today new Fed Chairman Janet Yellen jumped on the bandwagon in blaming the recent growth slowdown on the weather. Here's what I have to say…

• Life is Like a Box of Bitcoin

  Published 25 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Whether the evaporation of popular Bitcoin marketplace Mt. Gox (which may have nothing to do with the Gox in Dr. Seuss's beloved One Fish, Two…

• Summary of My Post-CPI Tweets

  Published 20 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Here is a summary of my post-CPI tweets. You can follow me @inflation_guy: Well, that was boring. CPI exactly as expected. Although frankly, most big…

• What Do You Care What Other People Think?

  Published 18 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  In reflecting, over this weekend, about the markets of the last week, I wonder if we haven't seen a subtle - and subtly disturbing -…

• Don't Bank on it

  Published 17 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Here is a post from Sober Look that has some really good charts on the changing asset mix at US banks. I was a little…

• The Marie Antoinette Rule

  Published 11 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  The biggest surprise of the day on Tuesday did not come from new Fed Chairman Janet Yellen, nor from the fact that she didn't offer…

• Two Types of People?

  Published 10 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Investors have learned the same wrong lessons over the last couple of years that they learned in the run-up to 2000, evidently. I remember that…

• Inflation and Insurance Companies

  Published 05 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  On this site I almost never cross-reference posts that have been put up on the Enduring Investments blog, because access to that blog is only…

• Does Data Matter Again?

  Published 03 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  In normal times, by which I mean before actions of the Federal Reserve became the only data point that mattered, the monthly ISM report was…

• Do Floating-Rate Notes (FRNs) Protect Against Inflation?

  Published 02 February 2014 | viewed 0 times

  Since the Treasury this week auctioned floating-rate notes (FRNs) for the first time, it seems that it is probably the right time for a brief…