66GTO: backdoc, MM or anybody can reply. Backdoc has touched on this but I want to make sure I’m thinking the right way. Lets say our fiat dollar devalues %50 and you owe the back $100,000.00 would that take the value of that loan down to $50,000.00?
Thanks for any response Gitty up GTO
BACKDOC: IT DEPENDS WHAT CURRENCY YOU PAY OFF THAT DEBT WITH! HEE HEE
Mountainman: So What You are saying is The PRINCIPLE of The LOAN REMAINS…….But The “PURCHASING POWER” from The OLD FIAT to a NEW MERCEDES is The “BIG DEAL”…..???
NoKaOi: SOME ONE WROTE THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE S&P500 A DOUBLE BOTTOM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. THE MONTHLY CHART ON THE S&P 500
MAY ALSO GIVE A MONTHLY HAMMER BOTTOM. THEY ALSO SAY THE TOP WILL BE IN 2017 FOR THE STOCK MARKET.
PERSONALLY I AM WAITING FOR DOW 20,000 THIS YEAR. THAT IS ALL I AM WAITING FOR ACCORDING TO KIM CLEMENT AND THE DINAR.
WE MAY SEE DOW 20,000 THIS YEAR AND IF NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN DOW HITS 20,000 THEN WILL HAVE TO RE-EVALUATE.
THEY ARE 99% SURE THE BOTTOM IN THE STOCK MARKET HAS OCCURRED.
ALOHA, NO KA OI
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BACKDOC: OF COURSE EVERYONE HAS A VALID OPINION AND I THANK BROTHER FRANK FOR OUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEM AND BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS!
I APPRECIATE YOUR INFO FOR SURE!
AS TRADERS SAY THATS WHAT MAKES A MARKET! HEE HEE
I’M LOOKING AT FUNDAMENTAL INDICATORS THAT ARE CERTAINLY NOT IN FAVOR OF A BULLISH MARKET.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION THAT THE CHARTS DON’T CONSIDER IS : THE TRANSITION TO THE NEW REALITY WITH A HIGHER VALUED ASSET BACKED CURRENCY WHICH SHOULD CAUSE A REPRICING OF EQUITIES MUCH MUCH LOWER ONCE THE TRANSITION BEGINS!
TRADERS CAN’T RESPOND TO THIS YET BECAUSE THEY HAVENT BEEN INTRODUCED OFFICIALLY YET!
JUST SOME MORE THOUGHTS FOR US ALL TO CONSIDER. DOC IMO
Mountainman: Hey DOC…..Isn’t That WHY???…..We SEE CHINA and Other MARKETS….Devaluing Because “EVERYTHING” Must reflect it’s TRUE ASSET VALUES…..Thus THE NEW REALITY Will show As The MARKETS TRANSITION……. Which is WHY CHINA Lost 40%….IMO…..Meeting Out Their TRUE REALITY from THE Manipulated REALITY…..USA…same PROBLEM…..IMO
BACKDOC: WHAT WE SEE PRESENTLY IS THE OLD REALITY! FIAT!
WE NEED THE DIGITAL CURRENCIES TO BEGIN THEIR ENTRY, WHEN WE SEE THAT WE WILL ALSO SEE WHAT WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR! I’M DOUBTFUL THAT THIS WILL BE ANYTHING BUT SMOOTH.
THIS COULD EASILY TRIGGER A MASSIVE SELLOFF AS COMPANIES MOVE TO BECOME SECURITIZED!
AS COMPANIES ADJUST ASSET OR STOCK PRICES SHOULD BE 30 TO 50% LOWER BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ASSET BACKED!
HOPE THAT HELPS! RIGHT NOW WE ARE STILL FUNCTIONING IN THE NEW REALITY UNTIL THE GCR TRIGGER JUMPSTARTS THE GLOBAL NEW REALITY! DOC IMO
Mountainman: Sorry DOC……I wasn’t Very CLEAR w/ what I was saying……CHINA is still REPRICING to their NEW REALITY as EVERYONE Will as The NEW SYSTEM is UNVEILED=TRANSITION….RIGHT NOW they are Moving thru the “PHASES”….UNTIL Things HIT……So as to NOT Create A GLOBAL HEART ATTACK….So to speak….LOL….IMO
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BACKDOC: IT’S NO WONDER THE G-20 IS SUPPOSED TO COME UP WITH A STIMULUS PLAN FOR THE GLOBE!
MAYBE THERE WILL BE SOME NEWLY VALUED CURRENCIES THAT FIND THEIR WAY INTO INVESTMENTS AROUND THE GLOBE SOON! DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: Backdoc Alert
Recession sign is in play and has 81% accuracy
Since corporate profits turned negative in mid-2015, Wall Street has pondered whether it’s just a passing phase or a signal of something worse. History strongly suggests the latter.
Recessions have followed consecutive quarters of earnings declines 81 percent of the time, according to an analysis from JPMorgan Chase strategists, who said they combed through 115 years of records for their findings.
The news gets worse: Of the remaining 19 percent of the time, recession was only avoided through either monetary or fiscal stimulus. With the Federal Reserve holding limited easing options and a deeply dysfunctional Washington thwarting a fiscal boost, the prospects for help are not good.
The warning comes amid a stock market hovering around correction territory and a mixed economic picture. Citigroup this week warned of escalating risks for a global recession, though data Thursday on durable goods orders suggested the manufacturing sector may be shaking off a contraction phase. Fed officials in recent days have been talking down recession risks.
“Absent a pickup in consumption and further weakening in the U.S. dollar, we continue to see rising risk of earnings recession in the U.S.” JPMorgan’s equity strategy team said in a note to clients.
Corporate earnings began to weaken significantly in the third quarter of 2015. The drop became more pronounced in the nearly completed fourth quarter reporting season, which is likely to see a drop of 3.6 percent.
Worse, future estimates are declining, indicating the damage won’t end until at least the third quarter of 2016. First-quarter profits are likely to fall 6.5 percent, while the second quarter is expected to show a 1.1 percent drop, according to FactSet. Sales already are well into recession territory, with four consecutive quarterly declines.
Despite the mounting problems, JPMorgan still only assigns a one-third chance of recession this year, though the probability seems to be rising. The firm said its Qualitative Macro Index measuring business conditions shows “a cycle that remains in contraction (weak and decelerating) over the coming months.”
The index’s reading is consistent with a bear market 64 percent of the time and has been below the current level just four times since 1980, each occasion signaling a recession. Those cycles also featured the Fed raising rates in the face of inflation — the central bank is currently in the early stages of what is expected to be a gradual tightening cycle — though the target funds rate was much higher, averaging 2.7 percent compared with the current 0.38 percent.
For investors, the ramifications are substantial.
A QMI at current levels has signaled a bear market 34 percent of the time. The four readings below generated average peak-to-trough plunges of 35 percent in the S&P 500.
As such, JPMorgan is advising significant shifts in positioning.
In what it calls a “fairly unique” backdrop, the firm is advocating a move to a balance between momentum and value, with a focus on emerging market and commodity-linked stocks, as well as multinationals and dividends. It is advising limited exposure to discretionary, tech and health care or at least moving toward “reasonably priced sub-industries.”
“Absent a more material pickup in top-line growth or U.S. dollar weakening, margin compression is likely to intensify on sluggish productivity, tightening labor markets and rising wages, as well as increasing credit costs,” the firm said in the note. “More so, at 6.6 years old the current cycle appears to be suffering from age-related degeneration.”
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/25/recessio … uracy.html
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Mountainman: REMEMBER One THING….WHEN “THEY” Make Major Changes…..the 12 have to SELL it to The MASSES as Well….Which is WHY….IMO…ALL these G20 Meetings are a “WAY” for Them to COOPERATE and CREATE STRATEGY thru MEDIA/Rhetoric etc…..to “CONDITION” Your Mind to ACCEPT the CHANGES…Ie….The NEW GLOBAL REALITY!!!!!!!!
BACKDOC: DANGER! DANGER! WILL ROBINSON! HEE HEE
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN SAYING? A BREXIT COULD TRIGGER WHETHER THE EUROZONE WOULD CONTINUE TO EXIST OR NOT!
SCOTLAND SAYS THEY WILL LEAVE FOR SURE IF THE BRITS LEAVE!
THE NUCLEAR AND MOST OF THE NAVY IS BASED THERE! DOC
Thunderhawk: Backdoc Alert
UK’s Osborne pushes G20 to warn against Brexit: FT
British finance minister George Osborne is pushing the Group of 20 leading economies to warn about the dangers of Britain leaving the European Union, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Osborne said he hoped G20 support for Britain staying in the EU would be an important outcome of a meeting on Friday and Saturday in Shanghai of finance ministers, the FT said, citing people close to the finance minister. (on.ft.com/1Oyl320)
Britain’s finance ministry declined to comment.
Chinese officials expressed concerns about a “Brexit” in bilateral meetings with their British counterparts in Beijing on Wednesday, the FT said.
A G20 official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the prospect of Britain voting to leave the EU in a referendum on June 23 had been raised with Osborne by officials from other countries on the sidelines of the G20 meetings.
“We understand some countries are raising the issue with the Chancellor in bilateral meetings. If they are concerned, then it could end up in the communique, though this would be unusual and the British have not put it on the agenda,” the official said.
The possibility that Britain might leave the EU has led to a sharp fall in sterling in recent weeks. Some economists say an ‘out’ vote could deliver a shock to the global economy, which is already struggling to grow quickly, because it would raise questions about the future of the bloc as a whole.
Prime Minister David Cameron is campaigning to keep Britain in the EU and has the support of London’s financial district, major companies, much of the Labour Party, major trade unions, international allies and Scottish nationalists.
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, in an interview with CNN Money on Wednesday, warned Britain against Brexit. She said trade and financial ties, and migration between the UK and Europe have boosted growth.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-osbor … SKCN0VY2Y9
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BACKDOC: UNTIL WE LEAVE THE FIAT WORLD WHICH WE ALL BELIEVE WILL BE SOON CHINA IS A VERY HUGE RISK FACTOR SINCE THEIR COMPANIES HOLD THE HIGHEST DEBT LOAD IN THE WORLD.
JUST HOW THEY TRANSITION TO THE NEW ASSET BACKED SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BE HISTORICAL HOWEVER IT PLAYS OUT!
IT WILL BE LIKE A RIPPLE IN A POND ONCE IT BEGINS, OR WILL IT BE A SUNAMI? MMMM DOC IMO
Mountainman: OK…..So HINT…..As The NEW VALUES come Into PLAY=2016….IMO……..CHINA’S Economy will “GROW”…Not SHRINK….Ok Got It!!!!!!!!…..LOL
Thunderhawk: Backdoc Alert
China capital outflows pose risk to global growth: IMF chief
Large capital outflows from China pose risks to the global economy, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Friday, as Beijing grapples with the country’s slowest growth in 25 years.
Lagarde, speaking in Shanghai at the opening of a G20 meeting of central bank governors and finance ministers, also forecast economic growth of 6.3 percent for China in 2016.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-c … SKCN0VZ0A8
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BACKDOC: CLEARLY, CHINA IS NOT ON STABLE FOOTING.
THEY TALK HERE OF ECONOMIC AND STRUCTURAL IMBALANCES THAT EXIST!
IN ADDITION TO THOSE CHALLENGES THERE IS CONCERN OVER THEIR DEBT RIDDEN COMPANIES AS I TOLD YOU ABOUT! THEY REFER TO IT AS A DEBT FUELD INVESTMENT! I CALL IT AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN! DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: Backdoc Alert
China central bank head says country has more room to support economy
Chinese policymakers told global financial leaders on Friday the world’s second-largest economy remains on a sound footing, while also seeking to manage expectations around the pace of economic reforms in the country.
Speaking at the G20 meeting of central bank governors and finance ministers kicked off in Shanghai, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan sent a message of confidence and repeated earlier reassurances the country would not stage another devaluation of its currency to support the economy.
The latest economic data shows positive signs for China’s growth prospects in 2016, and the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) still has room and tools in its monetary policy to deal with potential downside risks to its economy, Zhou told a conference held by the Institute of International Finance in conjunction with the G20 meeting.
At the same time, policy makers need to strike a balance between growth, restructuring and managing risks to the economy.
“While the reform direction is clear, managing the reform pace will need windows (of opportunity) and conditions…The pace will vary, but the reform will be set to continue and the direction is not changed,” Zhou said in English.
Global financial policymakers gathered in Shanghai are watching closely for signs that China is ready to tackle economic imbalances they see standing in the way of getting China’s economy onto more sustainable footing.
Speaking at the opening of the G20 meeting, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said China faces an “overwhelming” agenda of structural reforms, reinforcing the large task ahead as its leaders seek to open up the financial sector and move the economy away from debt-fueled investment.
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei also called for G20 countries to work together more on economic policy and to further reduce barriers to cross-border trade and business.
The world’s financial leaders meeting in Shanghai will discuss ways to calm global markets and spur economic growth, and are likely to declare their readiness to take action if conditions worsen.
China’s central bank reiterated assurances made on Thursday that it will not use currency depreciation to boost exports, and that it intends to keep the yuan basically stable against a basket of currencies.
The statement followed an admonition from U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in an interview with the Wall Street Journal to refrain from another sharp devaluation to the exchange rate like the one engineered in August.
Lew also called on China to communicate its policy intentions “clearly publicly or it will be interpreted for you”.
Zhou said he was not worried about China’s external payments situations despite recent falls in its foreign exchange reserves, and that fluctuations in the reserves are normal. He added that China’s fiscal policy would be more proactive.
However, beyond the focus on China, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble struck a more pessimistic tone, saying room for monetary and fiscal policy in Europe has been exhausted.
Speaking at the conference, Schaeuble stressed it was necessary to continue with financial regulation, implement structural reforms, and to make markets less volatile.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is also scheduled to speak on Friday.
A report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday called for a coordinated stimulus program to support a slowing global economy.
An official with a European delegation to the G20 earlier in the week said policymakers recognize elevated risks and will express the need for coordinated action in their joint communique at the summit.
“There is general agreement that should the situation worsen considerably, there needs to be a discussion on what should we do collectively or in a coordinated manner, but this is not what we would do today,” the official said.
G20 financial leaders are likely to push for better implementation of the already agreed reforms and an assessment of where implementation is lacking and why.
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/25/china-cb … onomy.html
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Mountainman: RUSSIA says….No WORRIES…..The NEW SILK ROAD/GOLDEN TRIANGLE will Move Us FORWARD……IMO
BACKDOC: WITH THESE GOLD BACKED BONDS ABOUT TO SURFACE, NO DOUBT THEY WOULD BE LUCRATIVE!
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE (RUSSIA,CHINA,AND IRAN) WILL PUT A HURT ON THE DOLLAR HERE AS THEY LEAD THE WAY INTO THE SECURITIZED DIGITAL WORLD!
THE U.S. IS REALLY WORKING HARD FOR AMERICAN INVESTORS TO KEEP FROM INVESTING IN IRAN AND RUSSIA BY KEEPING THESE SANCTIONS ON!
INTERESTING THAT WE ARE THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT IS DOING SO!
IS THIS ABOUT SERIOUS REALITY OR IS THE US PROTECTING ITS CURRENCY? MMMM DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: U.S. Warns Banks Off Russian Bonds
The U.S. government has warned some top U.S. banks not to bid on a potentially lucrative but politically risky Russian bond deal, saying it would undermine international sanctions on Moscow, people familiar with the matter said.
The move, apparently the first of its kind since the sanctions went into effect, has sent Wall Street bankers scrambling to determine whether the opportunity for new business is worth the political downside of bucking the administration’s warning. The rules don’t explicitly prohibit banks from pursuing the business, but U.S. State Department officials hold the view that helping finance Russia would run counter to American foreign policy.
Russia plans to issue at least $3 billion of foreign bonds—its first international issue since the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions in 2014 following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.
So far, there is no consensus among the Wall Street firms about whether to move ahead. Some bank officials, including at Citigroup, say they won’t participate. Other banks, including Goldman and J.P. Morgan, continue to weigh their options.
Officials at the State Department and Treasury Department issued the caution in response to questions from some of the banks about whether they were permitted to arrange a bond sale for Russia.
U.S. government officials say helping Russia finance its debt would run counter to the objectives of the sanctions.
“It is essential that private companies—in the U.S., EU and around the world—understand that Russia will remain a high-risk market so long as its actions to destabilize Ukraine continue,” the State Department said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. The State Department also warned of “reputational” risks of returning “to business as usual with Russia.”
American banks had made inroads into the Russian market, setting up offices there and pitching for deals. Since 2002, U.S. banks have collectively captured roughly a quarter of annual Russian investment-banking revenue on average. In 2007, U.S. banks did nearly $630 million of more than $2 billion in investment-banking business in Russia, but that amount dropped to $26 million last year after the sanctions took effect.
J.P. Morgan has been among the more active U.S. banks in Russia, though its business in the country has always been a small part of the overall picture. In 2015, J.P. Morgan made more than any other U.S. bank in investment-banking revenue, though the amount was only $9 million, according to Dealogic.
Still, Russian business has mostly been at a standstill. Banks have cut the size of their staff in Moscow or closed operations in the past year.
Russia last issued foreign bonds in 2013, a record year with $11.4 billion in total, according to Dealogic data. Russian bonds have been strong performers. Last year, they delivered a total return of 21.1% for investors, making them one of the top performers among 65 emerging countries that J.P. Morgan tracks.
The Obama administration’s guidance comes at a particularly sensitive time in U.S.-Russia relations due to the continuing civil war in Syria. The White House and Kremlin have closely cooperated in fashioning a cease-fire in Syria that is supposed to go into effect Saturday.
But U.S. officials are skeptical Russia is serious about enforcing an end to hostilities. Moscow has intensified military operations in Syria in recent weeks in a bid to strengthen President Bashar al-Assad, Russia’s closest Middle East ally.
While the U.S. has applied sanctions against major Russian companies and individuals, it hasn’t taken the more radical step of imposing broader sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy such as energy and banking, or blocked the entire government.
Some U.S. officials are pressing for Washington to impose new sanctions on Russia if it doesn’t abide by the cease- fire agreement. The selective sanctions now in place have scared away Western investment banks anyway, as has the U.S. government’s behind-the-scenes lobbying against doing business in Russia.
Moscow has seen a sharp deterioration in its fiscal health due to the sanctions and plummeting oil prices. The country has also been hit by high inflation and rising unemployment. The Kremlin is already considering cuts to some areas of the federal budget, which relies on oil and gas for half of its revenue.
Any debt arranged between the Russian government and U.S. financial-services firms wouldn’t technically violate the U.S. sanctions. Executives at some of the banks, however, worry that if they participate in the current deal, Russia could then inject the funds into companies currently under sanctions. As a result, the banks could run the risk of inadvertently violating the sanctions in spirit.
Some bank officials believe they were invited to participate by the Russians partly because Moscow wanted to test this loophole, and it could turn into a foreign-policy debacle if Russia later says the sanctions are meaningless because Wall Street banks are still helping them indirectly.
The U.S. and European Union imposed sanctions on Russia in 2014 after it annexed Crimea and supported separatists in eastern Ukraine. U.S. and European investors are banned from buying new debt from several Russian companies that are under sanctions. Even for Russian companies that are free of sanctions, the cost of borrowing in foreign markets has been high.
The Russian bond deal will land at a time when fewer emerging-market countries are tapping international markets, given that the strong dollar and a sharp selloff in bonds from these countries have driven up borrowing costs. According to J.P. Morgan, developing countries are expected to raise $64.9 billion in 2016, a smaller funding need compared with the $82 billion raised by these countries last year.
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/us-warns- … 0224-01433
Mountainman: SOMEHOW….SOME WAY……..The BREXIT will Pass….After All You did ALLOW the REFUGEES to Enter Your Country On PURPOSE/W/PURPOSE….Right???…..IMO
BACKDOC: WELL THUNDER, THE DEAL THEY PASS IF THEY PASS IT IS HARDLY EVEN A DEAL SO WHY WOULD THE PEOPLE WANT TO STAY IN?
IT LOOKS LIKE MOST COUNTRIES ARE ELIMINATING THE PURPOSE FOR THE SHENZENG BY PUTTING UP BORDERS AGAIN!
MMMM I GUESS THE MIGRANTS DID THEIR JOB DESTROYING THE VERY AGREEMENT THAT SUPPORTS THE EURO SINCE ITS ONLY A TREATY THAT BACKS THE CURRENCY!
LOOK FOR EVERY COUNTRY IN THE EUROZONE TO SAY I’M NOT PAYING TO BAIL OUT THE EUROZONE! WHAT WILL BE LEFT TO SUPPORT IT? THEREFORE, WHAT WILL BE LEFT TO GIVE THE EURO ITS VALUE? DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: Britain registers EU reform deal with the United Nations
Britain has registered David Cameron’s reform deal to try to keep the UK in the European Union at the United Nations .
The world body’s British ambassador Matthew Rycroft said that under the UN Charter, member states had to register treaty-level decisions.
“That puts beyond doubt that the deal that the Prime Minister agreed is legally binding and irreversible in international law,” he said.
The agreement was key to Britain’s announcement of a referendum on June 23 on whether it should remain in the EU or leave the 28-nation bloc.
Mr Cameron said the deal with the EU would give Britain more control over its future, lessen welfare payments to migrants, and protect the country from being absorbed into a feared European “superstate”.
The referendum is expected to be hard-fought, especially because Mr Cameron’s Conservative Party is divided and the “out” campaign has the support of popular London mayor Boris Johnson, a Conservative and possible future prime minister.
EU president Donald Tusk, who oversaw the deal Mr Cameron brokered with the 27 other EU leaders, insisted that an “out” vote in the British referendum would “change Europe forever. And it will be a change for the worse”.
Mr Rycroft said there was an issue about when the agreement with the EU came into effect, because part of it applies only if Britain votes to remain in the EU.
“But officially it has entered into force now, and it has effect on June 23 if indeed the UK votes to remain in the EU,” he said.
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/br … 84492.html
BACKDOC: THE BIGGEST OIL PRODUCERS WILL ADJUST QUICKLY BUT THERE WILL BE PAIN!
MASSIVE LAYOFFS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY. BUDGETS WILL GET SLASHED!
THEY WILL SHRINK TO A MORE PROFITABLE MORE MANAGEABLE LEVEL! THEY WILL BEGIN TO MAKE THEIR REFINERIES MORE PROFITABLE!
THEY WILL JUST SHIFT TO THE AREA THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY. I GUESS THAT’S WHY WARREN BUFFET JUST BOUGHT A MASSIVE STAKE IN CONOCO PHILLIPS, A REFINER! DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: It’s Financial “WAR” – Position and Power. What say you DOC?
ExxonMobil, Chevron Facing Cash Flow Problems From Oil Glut
Moody’s Investors Service has placed the US energy corporation Chevron on review for downgrade, and changed the outlook for the oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil to negative.
….
Moody’s Investors Service has placed the US energy corporation Chevron on review for downgrade, and changed the outlook for the oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil to negative, the rating agency’s Senior Vice President Pete Speer said in a press release.
“Despite sizable reductions in its 2016 capital budget, we expect that Chevron will have substantial negative free cash flow in 2016 and 2017 because of low oil prices,” Speer stated on Thursday.
In a separate release, Speer pointed out that ExxonMobil is expected to experience cash flow difficulties too.
“While the company is cutting its capital spending and operating costs in response to lower commodity prices, this diminished level of capital reinvestment could adversely affect ExxonMobil’s reserve replacement and production profile in the latter part of this decade,” he explained.
Global oil prices plunged from $115 to less than $30 per barrel between June 2014 and January 2016, hitting their lowest levels since 2003, mostly because of prolonged global oversupply and sluggish demand.
Moody’s argued that low oil and natural gas prices will persist for several years.
http://peoplenetv.com/exxonmobil-chevro … -oil-glut/
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Mountainman: We are in a “TIME” in “HISTORY” where ALL Countries “NEED” Each Other….Which is WHY???….ALL The RUNNING to Make These “TRADE AGREEMENTS”……W/Out which….your Country is Eating TOP RAMEN and Drinking KOOL AID…..LOL…….IMO
Thunderhawk: Greece, Italy to Strengthen Relationship with ASEAN
AKARTA, 25 February 2016 – Greece will work to strengthen its relations with ASEAN to tap the vast potentials both sides have to offer, said the new Ambassador of Greece to ASEAN, H.E. Georgios Dogoritis, during his presentation of Letter of Credence to H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, at the latter’s office yesterday. Ambassador Dogoritis also said that Greece will promote cooperation with ASEAN within the ASEAN-EU dialogue framework.
Secretary-General Minh welcomed Ambassador Dogoritis and noted that ASEAN and Greece could further tap on each other’s potentials to promote substantial cooperation including in the fields of trade and investment. Secretary-General Minh and Ambassador Dogoritis discussed possible ways to further promote business-to-business cooperation. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concerns.
In a separate occasion, the new Ambassador of the Italian Republic to ASEAN, H.E. Vittorio Sandalli, who presented his Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Le Luong Minh, said that Italy seeks to strengthen its relationship with ASEAN and its Member States. Ambassador Sandalli added that Italy would also promote cooperation between ASEAN and the EU.
Secretary-General Minh welcomed Ambassador Sandalli and noted the substantial economic relations between ASEAN and Italy, and the potentials to be further tapped and promoted. They also exchanged views on ways and means to further promote private sector engagement between both sides. Ambassador Sandalli recalled the establishment of an Italy-ASEAN forum/association which would serve as a platform to provide greater awareness for Italian private sector and businesses on the trade and investment opportunities in ASEAN. The announcement on the establishment of an Italy-ASEAN forum/association was made by H.E. Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, who accompanied President Mattarella during the latter’s visit to the ASEAN Secretariat on 10 November 2015.
Secretary-General Minh told Ambassador Sandalli that the realisation of the ASEAN Community is significant as it signals to the rest of the world how far and how well the ASEAN Member States have achieved in coming together as one Community. It is a historic milestone for the region and a culmination of ASEAN’s resilience and dynamism throughout a journey that spans nearly half a century.
http://www.asean.org/greece-italy-to-st … ith-asean/
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Mountainman: “HUNGER GAMES”….DOC……Well Let The “COMPETITION BEGIN”…..Says AIIB and 56 other Countries………IMO
Thunderhawk: Poland to invest hundreds of millions into AIIB
The Sejm has completed the first reading of a bill ratifying the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). No MP declared any objections to the bill, paving the way for Poland to fully participate in its formation.
The Bank is a new Chinese initiative, designed to be an alternative for international financial institutions dominated by the USA, such as the IMF or the World Bank. It will simultaneously act as an engine for infrastructural investments and the economic development of China. Along with 56 other countries, Poland signed a deal on the June 29, 2015 declaring that it would engage in the bank’s creation.
Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs Katarzyna Kacprzyk told the members of the Sejm that “the decision to involve Poland in this undertaking was supported by a thorough analysis,” which showed that the deal would be beneficial for Poland. She also added that the establishment of the bank would help strengthen relations between China and Poland as well as other Asian countries, giving Polish businesses more opportunities to expand in those regions.
The AIIB’s capital is to amount to $100 billion; each individual country’s contribution will depend on its GDP and the purchasing power of its currency.
http://wbj.pl/poland-to-invest-hundreds … into-aiib/
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Mountainman: Well DOC….W/TRADE Windows TIGHTENING UP/TIMING…….The WORD(EXPEDITE)….Is SPEAKING VOLUMES……GET these DEALS In PLACE…..Something BIG is COMING and It’s “NOT” A CIRCUS…..LOL…….IMO
BACKDOC: IT’S NO WONDER THE WORLD WILL TURN THEIR EYES TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND BE IN AWE!
BUSINESS IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE THERE AND WE ARE BLESSED TO BE PART OF THAT EXPERIENCE!
DOC IMO
BACKDOC: Iran, EurAsia discuss bilateral trade ties
Iranian Ambassador to Russia met EurAsia economic alliance’s new trade minister discussed bilateral trade and economic ties.
Mehdi Sanayee and Veronica Nikishina underlined the need for broadening of bilateral ties between Iran and EurAsia.
Ms. Nikishina in a meeting with Sanayee pointed to Iran’s role and status in the region, and called for the expansion of trade and economic relations as well as expediting the trend of singing of free trade agreement between Iran and the EurAsia economic alliance.
The EurAsia economic alliance is comprised of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.
The commencement of EurAsia’s economic alliance will create a big market within the regulations framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which in turn will improve trade exchanges among its members and provide the member-states with a lot of facilities.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81979069/
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Mountainman: Yes W/PROBLEMS w/RUSSIA/CRIMEA……EUROPE “NEEDS” IRAN’S PETROLEUM like A BABY “NEEDS” it’s MOTHER’S MILK……Their “LIFE” Depends UPON It!!!!!!!!…….IMO……(8)……BTW…..Is GREECE Still BROKE…..Hmmm
BACKDOC: THIS SHOULD BE THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN AS TO IRAN, GREECE, AND ITALY WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE SILK ROAD AS WE HAVE BEEN TEACHING! DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: Iran may boost gas exports to Europe through Greece facilities
Greece is in preliminary talks with Iran to secure natural gas for local needs and provide a gateway for the Persian Gulf nation to supply fuel to other parts of Europe, Greek Energy Minister Panos Skourletis said on Thursday.
According to Bloomberg, Greece produces little oil and almost no gas, while Iran is a member of OPEC and holds gas reserves that BP Plc ranks as the world’s largest.
The countries agreed in January for Iran to supply crude to Hellenic Petroleum SA and buy oil products from the refiner.
That deal, possibly Iran’s first such agreement with a European company since the lifting of sanctions, opens the road to cooperation in the gas market too, Skourletis said in an interview in Athens.
“What’s sure is that Iran wants to start selling its natural gas in liquefied form using ships and is interested in Greece,” he said.
The Revythousa re-gasification terminal near Athens is one potential entry point for Iranian gas, and a planned facility at Alexandroupolis in the north of the country is another. Iran is interested in both sites “for exporting to Europe,” Skourletis said.
Iranian companies have expressed interest in participating with Depa, Greece’s state-run gas supplier, in a company that will build and run the planned floating LNG storage and re-gasification facility at Alexandroupolis, Skourletis said.
Expansion of the Revythousa gas-importing terminal will be completed in 2017, and with adequate investment, the plant could also send gas northward to other areas in Europe, he said.
Both facilities will be connected to two international pipeline systems, the planned Trans Adriatic Pipeline and Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria links, Skourletis said.
The market test for the Interconnector pipeline, which will link the Greek and Bulgarian gas systems, is due to be finished this month.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/services/162/
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BACKDOC: INTERESTING THAT INDIA JUST MAKES A BUNCH OF MONEY FROM A COUNTRY CURRENCIES REVALUING! HEE HEE
NO WONDER THEY WANT TO INVEST SOME OF THAT HARD EARNED, OR I MEAN REVALUED CURRENCY PROFIT INTO A SHIPPING GOLD MINE! WOW! DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: India to invest $150 million in Chabahar
Indian Prime Minister’s Office announced that cabinet has approved a credit of 150 million dollars for development of strategic Port of Chabahar in Iran.
In a statement which was released here on Thursday by the office, it said that investment in Chabahar will prepare opportunities for Indian companies for more presence in the area and consolidation of India’s stance in the region.
The statement added that the government cabinet has approved a credit line of $150 million for Iran to develop Chabahar Port.
Indian Minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari and Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi signed an investment agreement for 75 million dollars to develop Chabahar Port on April in Tehran, but after 8 months, there was no action by India in this concern.
Following nuclear deal and implementation of JCPOA more than 50 delegations and economic and trade groups from different countries had visited Chabahar and considered its capacities and potentials.
India by investment in Chabahar may access to markets of Central Asia, Caucasus and Europe through north-south corridor.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81979039/
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Mountainman: Sheesh HAWK……to Hear that WORD…..(NEGOTIATING)……and TRUMP wasn’t NEXT to it……WOW……LOL……EVERYONE GLOBALLY is Realizing HOW “IMPERATIVE” it is to MOVE w/IRAN for THEY Lead to A WALTZ down MEMORY LANE…..REAL SOON….IMO…..and ALL want to Make Sure they are “THERE” when The WEDDING CAKE is CUT…….LOL…….
Thunderhawk: Russia expresses readiness to grant financial facilities to Iran
Deputy Finance Minister of Russia Sergei Storchak expressed his country’s readiness to grant financial facilities to Iran.
He said that legal arrangement of signed agreements is among remaining issues in this concern.
Energy Minister of Russia Alexander Novak, who is head of joint Economic Cooperation Commission of Russia and Iran, had recently declared that the Russian Bank of Vancha Economy is setting an agreement to lend two-billion-euro financial facilities to Iran.
He added that also an agreement to lend a five-billion-dollar public export loan to Iran is to set.
Iran and Russia are negotiating since several months ago for a five-billion-dollar loan to Iran.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81979008/
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BACKDOC: NEGOTIATING THE INTERESTS OF THE U.S. WHILE THE U.S. IS THE ONLY ONE STANDING WITH SANCTIONS! MMMM
ARE THE SWISS NEGOTIATING WITH RUSSIA FOR THE U.S. TOO? HEE HEE
I SAY THIS IS ALL ABOUT CURRENCY PROTECTION FOR THE U.S.!
BY KEEPING UP THE BAD BOY STORY IT KEEPS THE MOST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WITH MONEY FROM INVESTING IN IRAN NOT TO MENTION RUSSIA!
REMEMBER THE SWISS WERE THE FIRST TO RELEASE SANCTIONS ON IRAN! DOC IMO
Thunderhawk: Hey DOC seems like they are playing both sides – Aren’t they? MMMMMM
The US and Iran enemies? Yeah Right – Who do They think there kidding.We know from the get it was a charade all along – Ya’ll better realize it too. Hawk IMO
Mountainman: Sheesh HAWK………..ALL I can say is……..(8)BALL CORNER POCKET!!!!!!!!……..You WIN……..LOL…….IMO
Thunderhawk: Iran and the Swiss connection – a guide
Switzerland, like much of the rest of the world, has an eye on deepening its trade relations and other opportunities emerging from Iran’s newly open marketplace; but that’s where many of the comparisons end, because of a decades-long special relationship between the two countries.
Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann’s visit to Tehran this weekend comes at a special time, just after the implementation of a nuclear deal by six world powers aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting some of the international sanctions that have crippled its economy.
Here, swissinfo.ch explains some of the new opportunities emerging from Iran’s domestic market of almost 80 million people, but also some of the potential pitfalls in a theocratic Islamic republic. Excerpts.
What is the purpose of Schneider-Ammann’s visit?
The Swiss president joins a growing line of world leaders who are making a visit to Iran to size up the opportunities and send a message that encourages new investment. In late January, the Chinese president was the first to visit Tehran since the nuclear deal took effect.
The lifting of sanctions against Iran, plus the release of up to $100 billion (CHF100.5 billion) in frozen Iranian assets as part of the nuclear agreement, will help revitalize the Iranian economy. Schneider-Ammann, whose delegation will include several dozen handpicked Swiss business and academic leaders, also represents Switzerland’s growing portfolio of diplomatic responsibilities involving Iran.
What are those new diplomatic responsibilities?
Only this month Switzerland announced it has agreed to represent Saudi Arabia’s interests in Iran so that Iranians can continue to visit the kingdom. Switzerland separately offered to represent Iranian interests in Saudi Arabia, once the Swiss representation of Saudi Arabia is clearly established.
Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in January after protesters outraged over the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and another diplomatic mission. The Swiss role would primarily be to facilitate visits by Iranian Muslims to Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimages.
How big are the opportunities for Switzerland?
Iran has what the World Bank calls the second-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa, after Saudi Arabia. Iran’s economic output was an estimated $406.3 billion and it had a population of 78.5 million in 2014.
Switzerland’s exports to Iran were worth CHF610 million ($630 million) in 2014 and could double or triple within a decade, says Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, or SECO. However, even a doubling or tripling would still only amount to about 1% of Swiss exports.
How big are the challenges?
Swiss direct investment in Iran has increased significantly in recent years; three Swiss-Iranian treaties already exist for investment protection, double taxation and aviation. The Swiss also play host to global governance in trade issues.
Partly because Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, Iran has used Switzerland as a hub – sometimes through hard-to-pin-down intermediaries – for procurement in oil and finance. Bureaucracy, money laundering and other corruption are widely cited obstacles. Switzerland’s financial centers and banks could run reputational risks trying to provide services in Iran.
Is there any “low-hanging fruit” to be found in Iran?
Manufacturers of Swiss watches and household goods, and some of Switzerland’s major industrial producers, such as Nestlé for food processing, Novartis and Roche for pharmaceuticals, and LafargeHolcim for construction materials, are global giants and could benefit from Iran’s consumers – which includes 55 million mobile phone subscribers, nearly the size of those in France or Britain.
Swiss companies that can provide improvements, high-tech or otherwise, in services, industry and agriculture are the most likely to benefit. More specifically, there are big possibilities in areas such as foods, sanitary products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, insurance, banking and aviation.
Iran’s economy is dominated by its hydrocarbon, small-scale agriculture and services sectors. The breakdown is 45% on service; 44.5% on industry; and 10.5% on agriculture, according to SECO.
What about the oil and gas sector? Iran ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth in proven crude oil reserves. There also is a notable government presence in manufacturing and financial services. And some of the world’s biggest oil traders, such as Vitol, Glencore and Trafigura, are headquartered in Switzerland.
Those traders mostly ended their dealings in Iranian oil and refined products in the past four years after US and EU sanctions were put in place that prohibited dealing in Iranian crude. But with the lifting of many sanctions, Iran plans to begin selling 300,000 barrels of oil per day to the European market, and Glencore has become the first Western company to deal again in Iranian crude.
How competitive are the Swiss?
At a time when the global economy shows high volatility, Switzerland gets top marks for innovation, business sophistication and labor market efficiency out of 140 countries surveyed for the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report. Singapore, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands are next. But that’s more an index of industry on Swiss soil.
The Lausanne-based IMD business school’s annual competitiveness report, in which countries were assessed by 6,000 global executives, also gives the Swiss high marks. In 2014, Iranian and Swiss business leaders launched a chamber of commerce between the two countries. It has sponsored seminars for prospective businesses, including talk from officials in Swiss government and others in the private sector on the hurdles they face.
What’s the status of Swiss sanctions?
In January, Switzerland lifted some of its economic sanctions against Iran in keeping with the United Nations and European Union. The remaining restrictions are based on UN and EU measures to limit the arms trade and other equipment that could be used to repress society.
Others target nuclear goods and nuclear-related dual-use goods. There also are financial and travel restrictions for a limited number of people and firms, along with some that affect Iranian cargo aircraft.
Why do the Swiss have a special relationship?
For decades, there has been a steady stream of Swiss diplomacy, business and other shared interests with Iran. Switzerland has served as a bridge to Iran, which has played a role in helping to bring the gas-rich Middle Eastern regional power back into the fold of the international community.
Switzerland has represented the interests of the US in Iran since 1980, when Washington broke off formal relations with Tehran after a group of revolutionary Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. Switzerland also has represented the interests of Iran in Egypt since the 1979 Iranian revolution against the country’s hereditary ruler, the shah.
What’s behind the recent tensions?
Despite the nuclear deal calming the waters, in recent months there have been more provocations between Iran and the West. They reflect huge stakes behind the balance of Middle East power. US-Iran relations remain up in the air. In the absence of a US diplomatic mission, the Swiss Embassy in Tehran continues to provide consular services to American citizens living in or travelling to Iran.
Iran detained ten American sailors and aired a Revolutionary Guard video of them kneeling on the decks of their boats with their hands on their heads, before releasing them a day later. A Swiss-facilitated prisoner swap between the US and Iran brought the release of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and three other Americans in exchange for seven Iranians in US prisons.
Nuclear deal
Swiss-Iran trade relations stand to deepen in the wake of a nuclear deal reached earlier this year between the Islamic Republic and the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.
The new deal seeks to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions imposed by the UN, US and European Union, which have seriously hindered the state’s economic development.
The agreement with Iran concluded 12 years of negotiations, a number of which were held in the Swiss cities of Geneva and Lausanne. The Swiss have a particular interest in the Islamic Republic, having represented the interests of the US there for more than 35 years.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81979159/
Mountainman: ??? KTFA FAMILY…….Are You SEEING HOW and WHY???……This is ALL About A NEW “GLOBAL” REVELATION/REBIRTH…….Not Just IRAQ Or IRAN…..But MANY…..
BACKDOC: I KNOW IT’S LATE BUT JUST STAY WITH ME THUNDER, THE MARKETS ARE OPEN IN THE EU!
SLAP! OK, NOW PAY ATTENTION. HEE HEE
DEFLATION FROM THE UNIVERSAL CURRENCY (OIL), IS NOW UNAVOIDABLE.
WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE CONCEPT OF VALUE WILL BE REDETERMINED!
SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND BROTHER.
THIS WILL BRING US THE GLOBAL REALITY VALUE THAT WE SEEK. ONCE WE GET THERE WE HAVE TO SEE HOW MUCH DAMAGE IS DONE TO THE BIG BANKS OR IF THEY ARE STILL STANDING? THE BAILINS ARE READY TO GO IF NEED BE!
JUST BE CAREFUL AND KNOW YOUR EXIT BEFORE YOUR ENTRANCE ON YOUR CURRENCY SWAP! DOC
Thunderhawk: Backdoc Alert
Opinion: ‘Smart-beta’ investing guru is now warning of a crash
Dump “quality” stocks and buy “value” stocks.
That’s the call from Rob Arnott, the legendary financial guru and chairman of Research Affiliates, an investment firm in Newport Beach, Calif.
He says stocks bearing high-quality characteristics — such as high profits, strong balance sheets and so on — have now become far too expensive in relation to the rest of the stock market.
Meanwhile, so-called “value” stocks — which generally mean boring companies that have low future growth prospects but are cheap in relation to current profits and dividends — are at one of their biggest discounts in modern history.
Arnott’s latest research is a salutary warning that smart beta, like anything, is subject to the laws of financial gravity, known in the trade as ‘mean reversion.’
Arnott’s call may be useful for investors looking to find the best bargains. But how he reaches this conclusion is equally fascinating.
The big trend in investing since the financial crisis has been the discovery of so-called “smart beta,” which means investing in stocks based on characteristics like low volatility, high quality and high momentum. A ton of academic research has found that such strategies would have earned you higher returns with lower risk over many decades if you had followed them.
As a result, there’s been a flood of mutual funds, exchange traded funds and institutional portfolios designed to help investors profit from the “alpha” of “smart beta” — which is Wall Street jargon for saying they hope to make you lots of money.
Arnott was among the pioneers of this research, and is one of the most respected names in finance. So why has he turned against it?
Simple. Smart beta has become so popular, it’s now dangerous, he says. Indeed, a “smart-beta crash” is now “reasonably likely,” he warns.
A stock is worth only the present value of its future cash flow, just as, say, investment property is worth only the present value of its future net rents.
The more you pay for the investment, the less a bargain it is. During a mania, a fad or a bubble, people end up paying too much. So even though the future cash flow (or net rents) flow through, the investor loses money.
Historically, you’ve done very well if you invested in the stocks of companies that had high business quality (such as high profits, low debts, stability and so on), and in stocks that had low volatility. You made more money, with less risk, over time. Hence the rise of “smart-beta” strategies that targeted such stocks.
But as more people discovered these phenomena, they joined in the demand for smart-beta stocks – and drove up the price. At some point, while the business remains one with high quality or low volatility, the stock itself ceases to be a bargain.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/story? … c6f280bdbe
Thunderhawk: Good Night Frank – Family – Friends ENJOYED IT
Thanks for all you do MM
Your on FIRE brother DOC….THE MARCH TOWARDS MARCH CONTINUES
BACKDOC: THANKS THUNDER! START SPREADING THE NEWS! HEE HEE
GOD BLESS! TOMORROW IS THE REST OF THE STORY! DOC
