Michael Ashton

E-PIPHANY

Contributor since: 26 Feb 2010

Contact Contributor

• Run, Indy, Run!

  Published 23 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  It is hard to feel very sorry for investors who were surprised over the weekend by "signs Europe's government-debt crisis is worsening and the economic…

• Food Fight!

  Published 19 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  The maxim goes that victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan. The solidarity in official Europe that accompanied the original Greek bailout…

• When In Doubt, Create More Choices

  Published 18 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  Nowadays, the FOMC minutes never cease to amaze and amuse. "The first key issue was the extent to which the Committee would want to tighten…

• A Tenth-Floor Rescue With An Eight-Floor Ladder

  Published 17 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  Rotten economic data caused equities and energy to penetrate key levels this morning. In an utterly shocking news flash, Housing Starts were miserable at only…

• Soggy

  Published 16 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  I am sure it is just pure chance, but sometimes it seems as if the market action matches the weather. Today in New York it…

• No Coup, No Grace

  Published 13 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  The economic data failed to give an excuse to administer the coup de grace to the commodity bulls, the equity bulls, and the bond bears.…

• Dicey (And Slicey!) Markets

  Published 11 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  If you like trading, as opposed to investing, then these are markets for you. Commodities markets dropped sharply last week, recovered, and then a number…

• Royally Skewed

  Published 09 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  Although commodities do occasionally crash, in general commodity prices are positively kurtotic (fat-tailed) and positively skewed. This is in contradistinction to equity prices, which are…

• Three-Theme Monty

  Published 08 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  Friday saw development of all three major themes the markets are struggling with: domestic economic conditions, the commodity rally/rout, and the Euro sovereign crisis. In…

• Pinata Markets

  Published 05 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  The fast money giveth, and the fast money taketh away. A surprisingly weak Initial Claims figure today - although partially explained by the Labor Department…

• Banks For The Memories

  Published 04 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  Trading continues to be lethargic. This isn't just true of this week - Employment weeks can be notoriously quiet - but of markets generally over…

• Frank, Further

  Published 03 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  As if the Federal Reserve didn't have enough problems, what with a mandate which conflicts with itself and an army of academics trying to wrestle…

• One Less Thing To Worry About, And One More

  Published 03 May 2011 | viewed 0 times

  News overnight that terrorist idol Osama bin Laden had been slain by American soldiers triggered a rare Presidential press conference outside of normal business hours…

• A Hint - Just A Hint - Of A Breather

  Published 21 April 2011 | viewed 0 times

  It may have been predominantly the 'bots trading today (or, equivalently, the junior traders), because the market mostly ignored information that was mostly bad. Here…

• Clock (Still) Ticking, But Now Faster

  Published 20 April 2011 | viewed 0 times

  The clock is clearly ticking on Greece and Portugal's default or severe restructuring, and the clock seems to be speeding up. Today Greek 10-year yields…

• Hogs + Corn + Silver = Diversification!

  Published 19 April 2011 | viewed 0 times

  The dollar's rally against the Euro lasted all of one day. On Tuesday, the greenback reversed most of its Monday gains, providing a boost for…

• Anything You Can Do I Can Do Worse

  Published 18 April 2011 | viewed 0 times

  The tragic comedy continues to disgust and delight, depending on your position and demeanor. Today S&P revised its long-term sovereign outlook for the U.S. to…

• In-credibility

  Published 14 April 2011 | viewed 0 times

  In Europe, it appears that today was unofficially "beat up periphery bonds day." Greek 10y yields shot up 30bps to a new high of 13.15%…

• Got Gasoline?

  Published 13 April 2011 | viewed 0 times

  JP Morgan's earnings were strong, as I suggested yesterday they probably would be (the stock fell, though, on news that they, and BofA, and a…

• Oily To Bed?

  Published 12 April 2011 | viewed 0 times

  Suddenly, it seems like a growth scare is in the air. Sometimes it isn't clear where these things come from, but the seeming decision of…