Category Archives: Not Categorized

Is Quantitative Easing Alive and Well? Evidence Mounts Suggesting the Answer Is Yes

Today, I’d like to address a curious phenomenon developing in the Treasury market. March 31st supposedly marked the end of the Fed’s quantitative easing (Q.E.) phase. We were told the Fed would no longer print money and buy mortgage backed securities. There was, of course, no discussion about the Fed printing money and buying other assets. However, ‘ending Q.E.’ carries […]

100 Women in Hedge Funds: La Parisienne Race in Support of Breast Cancer Research

Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 10 AM, Paris (via 100 Women In Hedge Funds) Registration is 35 Euros and this includes access to several optional training sessions, our team logo and the chance to run with your friends in finance. Part of the registration fee will be donated by the Race organizers to Breast Cancer Research (Fondation Recherche Médicale, Action […]

GDP Less Than Expected, Inventory Build Coming to an End, Goldman/Paulson Issue Heating Up

I expressed my belief last week via twitter that this GDP number could be interesting. I suggested the number may be less than expected as the inventory build is coming to an end. Now real intrinsic growth will need to surge in order to satiate the appetite of the GDP prognosticators and I believed that would be a tall order.  Well […]

Equity Markets Drop Over 2%, Gold and The US$ rally Together

Yesterday, the equity markets sold off over 2% while the US$ and GOLD moved sharply higher. That’s right, you read correctly, Gold and the US$ moved up together. This action comes as no surprise to the partners of RCM. Over the last year or so, I have explained to anyone willing to listen that the real move higher in Gold […]

IDC & Gartner Confirm Business PC Upgrade Cycle Gains Momentum

Finally, some positive economic news worth highlighting. Below are two independent reports on the computer industry.  Q1, typically a slow period for the industry, has exhibited strong year-over-year growth. This alone would not be surprising as last year was a disaster so comparables were easy. However, Q1 growth added to a strong Q4 suggests a trend is building . This […]

Stalking The Bear – Part 2: A History Lesson: When Equity Prices Ignore Treasury Weakness Trouble Brews

Before I begin, I’d like to make clear the purpose of this post. I am not attempting to call the top of the equity market nor am I suggesting a portfolio should be aggressively short at this time.  Take a good look at the mission statement above. These posts are designed to make you think, stay aware and avoid the […]

Stalking a Bear or a Windmill? Commodity Prices Surge, Inflation Trade Gains Steam

Is it a bear or a windmill we’re stalking? You may find yourself asking that question as the equity markets drift higher seemingly oblivious to a myriad of negative news.  Classic commentary such as “the market climbs a wall of worry” or “the trend is your friend” are being bandied about with increased regularity.  Of course, these sayings are useless […]

Fundamental vs. Traditional Risk Management

When people mention “Risk Management” in investing the traditional metrics of volatility, correlation, Value at Risk, Beta, Sharpe ratio, etc. come to mind. But for fundamental shops (stock pickers) it is difficult to utilize risk management statistics to manage a portfolio. In fact, at my old shop, we would fire up the risk management software on the 30th of every […]

Gary Dorsch of GMT Explains the Jobs Report, Commercial Bankruptcies Increase, Office Vacancy 16-Year High

Gary Dorsch, editor of Global Money Trends magazine, sums up the “important” jobs news released last Friday…. …And 14-months after losing 763,000-jobs in January 2009, US-payrolls, a key driver for the bond and stock markets, rose in March for only the third time since recession struck in late 2007 as the private sector stepped up hiring at the fastest pace in almost […]

Stalking the Bear – Part 1: Interest Rates on the Rise a Negative for Real Estate and Equity Prices

March comes to an end and the “celebration” of the year-long market rally remains in full swing.  Complacency among investors seems to reach new heights with each passing week as financial news outlets continue to serve up government grog as if it were Cristal. True, we at RCM have participated in this rally. We remain committed to our precious metals […]