Asia stocks, currencies gain after Australian jobs report; gold at record.Australian employers unexpectedly hire 24,500; currency jumps on rate bets.Brazil economy to grow 9 percent in 4th quarter as domestic demand surges, top official says.Brazil government defends reliability of power grid after blackout leaves 60M in dark.Dollar falls to 15-month low on bets Fed rate to stay near zero.Euro up to $1.500 in European morning trade, Asian equity gains slow.Fed officials say recovery will be slow as unemployment hampers spending.Global confidence drops as central banks begin to exit emergency stimulus.Gold hits record high of $1,121.90/oz, driven by speculation of dollar weakness.Oil hovers above $79 in Asia amid sluggish US crude[More...]

Asian stocks, currencies rise on Japan, China economic data; gold advances.China's industrial production output grew 16.1% in October, its fastest pace in more than a year.Job openings in U.S. remain close to record-lowsOil prices fell $79 a barrel in Asia amid rising U.S. oil inventories and a weaker dollarSwiss rules to tie bonuses to profit will apply only to the nation’s 12 largest banksUnfilled positions climb to most since June as US companies delay hiring.USDA trimmed its production forecast and raised its price outlook for crops.Adobe to cut about 680 full-time positions or about 9% of its total work force.AIG’s CEO Robert Benmosche, after just 3 months, is ready to quit over pay constraintsArvinMeritor[More...]

The Glide Path Option November 6, 2009 By John Mauldin The Present Contains All Possible Futures The Ugly Unemployment Numbers Argentinian Disease The Austrian Solution The Eastern European Solution Japanese Disease The Glide Path Option Philadelphia, Orlando, and Phoenix The present contains all possible futures. But not all futures are good ones. Some can be quite cruel. The one we actually get is dictated by the [...]

The Glide Path Option November 6, 2009 By John Mauldin The Present Contains All Possible Futures The Ugly Unemployment Numbers Argentinian Disease The Austrian Solution The Eastern European Solution Japanese Disease The Glide Path Option Philadelphia, Orlando, and Phoenix The present contains all possible futures. But not all futures are good ones. Some can be quite cruel. The one we actually get is dictated by the [...]

October 2, 2009 By John Mauldin Fingers of Instability Ubiquity, Complexity Theory, and Sandpiles Stability Leads to Instability A Stable Disequilibrium 3 Billion and Counting The Texas Senate Race – A Game Changer 60 Years and Counting “To trace something unknown back to something known is alleviating, soothing, gratifying and gives moreover a feeling of power. Danger, disquiet, anxiety attend the unknown – the [...]