05-09-2017, 10:54 PM
While it is accepted wisdom that energy is the most important commodity complex, representing more than 80% of the dollar volume of trading in commodity markets, there are dozens of important raw materials and soft commodities that also serve as important barometers of the global economy. Two of the major commodity indexes — the CRB Commodity Index and the S&P GSCI Commodity Index SPGSCI, +0.42% — seem to be performing a rather uncomfortable rollover after what seems to be a completed weak rebound off a climactic low in January 2016. The “rollover” effect is clearly illustrated at the right end of this chart.
The commodity conundrum — why are prices so weak? - MarketWatch
Legendary bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach, founder of Double Line Capital, told a group of investors to be very afraid of the US stock market. He was speaking at the Sohn Investment conference. Specifically, he told attendees to go long the iShares Emerging Markets ETF and short the S&P 500. He argued the outperformance of passive investors in the S&P 500 and the underperformance of Emerging Markets are both cyclical — and both of those cycles are about to change.
Jeff Gundlach Sohn short SPY long EM - Business Insider
Shopping for stock market insights is poised to become as seamless as buying a purse on eBay Inc. Or so hopes a slew of startups. As asset managers prepare for new European rules that will put more distance between analysts and investment banks, online research marketplaces are emerging as a way to price and sell investment ideas. The so-called ORMs may be looking at a $2.4 billion opportunity by 2025, making up 30 percent of global research spending, according to Quinlan & Associates’ Benjamin Quinlan.
New Startups Aim to Be the EBays for Market Research - Bloomberg
Two top Fed officials, speaking at a Hoover Institution conference panel, argued that because estimates for the "neutral" interest rate are now around 3%, the central bank is likely to need to bring rates down to zero more frequently than in the past. This means the Fed will find itself reaching for other policy tools to add stimulus to growth and employment, namely large-scale purchases of government bonds like the ones undertaken during and after the financial crisis. "I think it is inevitable that we’re going to be talking about the balance sheet expanding during recessions," said Eric Rosengren, president of the Boston Fed.
FED OFFICIAL: QE is 'inevitable' when the next recession hits - Business Insider
Consuming cheese, milk and yoghurt – even full-fat versions – does not increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to research that challenges the widely held belief that dairy products can damage health. The findings, from an international team of experts, contradict the view that dairy products can be harmful because of their high saturated fat content. The experts dismiss that fear as “a misconception [and] mistaken belief”. The results come from a new meta-analysis of 29 previous studies of whether dairy products increase the risk of death from any cause and from either serious heart problems or cardiovascular disease. The study concluded that such foodstuffs did not raise the risk of any of those events and had a “neutral” impact on human health.
Eating cheese does not raise risk of heart attack or stroke, study finds | Society | The Guardian