investment

North Dakota Builds The First New Refinery In The U.S. Since 1976

"The U.S. has not opened a new oil refinery since Gerald Ford was in the White House. But that will change next year. So where will the next facility be? In North Dakota, where the locals aren't afraid to drill. When the Dakota Prairie refinery west of Bismarck, N.D., starts turning crude into usable — and essential — products in 2014, it will be the first to open in America since 1976. While much of the country is mired in joblessness, oil-flush North Dakota has openings to fill. The unemployment rate is 3.2%, the lowest in the country. Average weekly wages in the Bakken region have risen 40% since 2009." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNorth Dakota Builds The First New Refinery In The U.S. Since 1976

The Global Status Quo Strategy: Do More of What Has Failed Spectacularly

"The only metrics that count are debt and the ability to service that debt. Households have this tiny little problem known as declining income that makes it impossible to service more debt unless interest rates fall to near-zero. Presto-magico, real interest rates (adjusted for inflation) are near-zero, and can't fall any lower. That means the Fed has run out of room to lower rates. From here on, households will only be able to service more debt if their income rises. Alas, with full-time employment back to 1980 levels, that is not even a remote possibility." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Global Status Quo Strategy: Do More of What Has Failed Spectacularly

Bill Bonner: Is the economy is weaker than we think?

"We don't like the looks of it. Advisors are too bullish. Investors are too complacent. The financial authorities are too confident. All up and down Wall Street, in central banks and in Washington, the stuff that goeth before the fall is thick, sticky, and stinky. The economy is recovering, they say. The Fed has the situation in hand, they add. Don't worry, we know what we're doing, they assure us. Barron's says the Dow is going to 16,000, illustrated with a picture of a bull on a pogo stick. Abe says he'll revive the Japanese economy with more money. And speculators take each hint from the Fed as though it were a whisper from God Himself." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: Is the economy is weaker than we think?

Again, Reuters Compares Central Bankers to Superheroes!

"Another day, another editorial in Reuters about central banking superheroes. Are you convinced yet that this is a dominant social theme? And how exactly does this work? Is it coincidence? Do all the Reuters columnists sit down in a room together and decide that they will write editorials, serially, comparing central bankers to Superman? Lord, help us. Good things come in threes, and since this is the second article in a week comparing bankers to superheroes, we expect at least one more." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAgain, Reuters Compares Central Bankers to Superheroes!

American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin Sales Suspended; U.S. Inventory Depleted

"The U.S. Mint said it has suspended sales of its one-tenth ounce American Eagle gold bullion coins as surging demand after bullion's plunge to two-year lows depleted the government's inventory. Bottom line: The selling in gold that has occurred isn't coming from the general public. So far in April, the U.S. Mint has sold 175,000 ounces of American Eagle gold coins, putting it on track to challenge a high of 231,500 ounces set in December 2009. The buying by individuals in the wake of the curious decline seems to be global." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerican Eagle Gold Bullion Coin Sales Suspended; U.S. Inventory Depleted

Gerald Celente: Sneak Peek At New Trends Journal & Boston Tragedy

"There was a recent article that came out about the amount of suicides and desperate moves people are making in desperation about what’s going on around the world. You know my saying, ‘When people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it.’ And people are starting to lose it. I believe the actions that were taken with police, military, and armored vehicles, 10,000 troops to go after a 19-year old kid in Boston, are the beginning of more to come. So as societies breakdown you are going to see more and more Martial Law put in place to keep the people in place." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGerald Celente: Sneak Peek At New Trends Journal & Boston Tragedy

Doug Casey Refutes Common Hesitations to Internationalize

"Tell a person that it's a big beautiful world, full of fresh opportunities and a sense of freedom that is just not available by staying put and you will inevitably be treated to a litany of reasons why expanding your life into more than one country just isn't practical. Let's consider some of those commonly stated reasons, and why they might be unjustified. While largely directed at Americans, these are also applicable to pretty much anyone from any country." Continue reading →

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Wall Street betting billions on single-family homes in distressed markets

"Drawn by the prospect of double-figure profit margins on rents and the resale of homes whose prices plummeted in the crash, hedge funds, Wall Street investors and other institutions are crowding out individual home buyers. Real estate executives say institutional investors — who in some cases are bidding on hundreds of homes a day — account for as much as 70 percent of sales in some Florida markets. Over the past two years, analysts say, they also have accounted for a majority of purchases in other parts of the country where housing prices are rebounding sharply." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWall Street betting billions on single-family homes in distressed markets

Goldman Sachs: Cover Your Gold Shorts

"This morning, Goldman Sachs has put out an advisory recommending that clients close out their short positions in gold. Just weeks ago on April 19, GS cut its short- and long-term gold forecasts. At the time, analysts Damien Courvalin and Jeffrey Currie told clients that 'should our expectation for lower gold prices continue to prove correct, the fall in prices could end up being faster and larger than our forecast.' On April 12, gold fell on its worst two-day plunge since futures first started trading in New York. Despite the advice to close out short positions, it appears GS wants to have its foot in both the bullish and bearish camp." Continue reading →

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Takedown Of Paper Gold Unleashes Global Run On Physical Gold And Silver

"Precious metals dealers now find themselves being overwhelmed with orders in the United States, in Canada, in Europe and over in Asia. Will this massive run on physical gold and silver soon lead to widespread shortages of those metals? Instead of frightening people away from gold and silver, the takedown of paper gold seems to have had just the opposite effect. People just can't seem to get enough physical gold and silver right now. Those that wish that they had gotten into gold when it was less than $1400 an ounce are able to do so now, and it is absolutely insane that silver is sitting at about $23 an ounce." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTakedown Of Paper Gold Unleashes Global Run On Physical Gold And Silver