USA

Technical Analysis of Oil, Natural Gas, and the US Dollar Under Pressure from the World Market
17Oct mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
Market, USA, World

Technical Analysis of Oil, Natural Gas, and the US Dollar Under Pressure from the World Market

continues to face downward pressure due to uncertainties stemming from tensions in the Middle East. These uncertainties revolve around the future of the Middle East conflict and the impact of the ongoing output cuts enforced by OPEC. OPEC and the IEA have lowered their global growth forecasts 2024, further affecting the oil market. These global pressures include geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, and central bank policies impacting energy and currency markets. The uncertainty in the oil market has also impacted natural gas (NG) prices, which remain under pressure. The escalation of the Middle East crisis on a global scale has also impacted the US dollar index (DXY), along with a basket of major currencies. The US dollar has strengthened as a safe-haven currency. T...
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The only source of labor force growth in America will be immigrants.
16Oct mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
Market, USA

The only source of labor force growth in America will be immigrants.

Immigrant workers will be the only source of U.S. labor force growth in the economy after 2052, according to new research by the National Foundation For American Policy. Long before then, this report states the number of Americans of prime working age will stagnate. The findings represent the latest evidence that U.S. economic growth and living standards will languish without immigrant workers entering the U.S. labor force. Economists like Pia Orrenius and Chloe Smith of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas noted in a public statement that a country achieves economic growth with “growth in the labor force and its productivity.” As such, businesses cannot expand without finding people to hire, and American consumers suffer when companies cannot provide goods and services ...
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10Oct mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
Market, USA, World

The Need for Reform and Presidential Tariff Powers

Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution grants Congress the power to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,” and to regulate commerce with foreign countries. From the founding of the republic through the early 1930s, Congress set tariff rates through legislative revisions to the US tariff schedule. Low tariffs were initially imposed to raise revenue for the federal government, but tariffs became a tool to protect domestic producers from foreign competition. Throughout this period, tariff rates fluctuated with the makeup of Congress, while the president was largely a bit player in setting international trade policy. This approach to US tariffs changed dramatically following the disastrous Trade Act of 1930, better known as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act after its sponsors...
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<strong><br>US lawmakers urge President Joe Biden to bring home Americans wrongfully detained in China</strong>
8Oct mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China, USA


US lawmakers urge President Joe Biden to bring home Americans wrongfully detained in China

In recent years, the troubling trend of wrongful detentions of US citizens abroad has drawn significant attention from human rights organizations and government officials.  Of particular concern is the rise in cases of Americans wrongfully detained in China, which now surpasses that of any other country.  The increasing number of US citizens held under dubious circumstances by Chinese authorities has heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, creating a serious diplomatic challenge.This disturbing trend not only highlights the risks faced by Americans in China but also reflects the broader geopolitical complexities between the two bickering global powers.  As China's government tightens its grip on dissent and continues to exert control over foreign in...
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Wall St ends higher on positive US economic data
28Sep By Online DeskNo Comments
Market, USA, World

Wall St ends higher on positive US economic data

A string of robust U.S. economic data eased concerns that the Federal Reserve may be cutting rates aggressively to curb any slowdown. Weekly jobless claims fell more than anticipated, signaling a steady labor market, while the final reading of gross domestic product confirmed that the economy grew 3% in the second quarter. "It (the GDP number) just kind of reinforces that strong economic growth backdrop that we have been seeing," said Mike Dickson, head of research at Horizon Investments in Charlotte, North Carolina. The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab closed up 23.11 points, or 0.40%, at 5,745.37, after rising to a record intraday high of 5,767.37. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 260.36 point...
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As per the government’s official estimate, the US economy grew at a pace of 3% last quarter.
27Sep By Online DeskNo Comments
Market, USA, World

As per the government’s official estimate, the US economy grew at a pace of 3% last quarter.

The American economy expanded at a healthy 3% annual pace from April through June, boosted by strong consumer spending and business investment, the government said Thursday, leaving its previous estimate unchanged. The Commerce Department reported that the nation's gross domestic product the nation's total output of goods and services growth picked up sharply in the second quarter from the tepid 1.6% annual rate in the first three months of the year. Consumer spending, the primary driver of the economy, grew last quarter at a 2.8% pace, down slightly from the 2.9% rate that the government had previously estimated. Business investment was also solid: It increased at a vigorous 8.3% annual pace last quarter, led by a 9.8% rise in investment in equipment. The U.S. economy, the world...
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Bargaining chips: Taiwan’s implications of the Vance Doctrine
26Sep By Online DeskNo Comments
Market, USA, World

Bargaining chips: Taiwan’s implications of the Vance Doctrine

Donald Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his 2024 running mate has disquieted America’s security partners in Europe and Asia. If America’s 45th president returns as its 47th and a Vice President Vance holds sway, the implications for Europe are clear. Vance argues that President Joe Biden’s arming of the Ukrainians has passed the point of diminishing returns and that it distracts from America’s challenge of greatest import: China’s rise. But while Vance has called for a focus on Asia, what exactly a Vance-inflected foreign policy would mean for the region is not obvious. Vance’s well-documented body of thought on American society, governance, and strategy offers some clues, however, on how he would approach China, Taiwan, and related questions. The theme that ru...
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Anti-China EV Laws Won’t Keep America Safe Indefinitely
26Sep By Online DeskNo Comments
Asia, China, USA, World

Anti-China EV Laws Won’t Keep America Safe Indefinitely

You may look at the auto industry's current chaos in Europe and think that those problems won't come to America. That this country is now taking aggressive steps to protect its auto market with 100% tariffs on Chinese-made EVs or a software ban that will effectively prohibit those cars from being sold here entirely. From that, you may think that it's all problem solved—the U.S. keeps new players from China out for good. But the truth is that these protectionist measures are temporary at best, and even the auto industry seems to get it. Or at least, the smart folks in the business do.  That leads off this midweek edition of Critical Materials, our morning roundup of tech and industry news. Also on tap today: Hyundai's online sales program with ...
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<strong>China is looking all set for a recession</strong>
24Sep mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China, USA, World

China is looking all set for a recession

Ray Dalio the owner of American investment management firm, Bridgewater Associates which helps top investors worldwide to grow their money, in a recent interview with Bloomberg television, said that he had sold most of the investments in China. He warned that China was facing serious economic problems. “You have an environment in China which is changing and becoming a more difficult environment,” Dalio said. The trouble is evident in the stock market. The Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index is on a free fall for more than two years. Investors both foreign and domestic are divesting investments to stop loss. Foreign investors are going to other emerging markets. Chinese nationals are holding on cash or buying gold coins and bars to prevent further erosion of personal wealth. “The...
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US Economic Projection
21Sep By Online DeskNo Comments
Market, USA

US Economic Projection

The Q3 2024 forecast indicates how robust consumer spending, high business investment, and lower interest rates have kept optimism about the US economy intact. However, risks like geopolitical tensions and persistently high inflation remain. Despite persistent concerns surrounding the durability of growth and interest rate policy, the US economy remains fundamentally strong. While real gross domestic product growth slowed in the first quarter of this year, growth rebounded to a strong 3.0% in the second quarter. All available evidence suggests policymakers may have managed to bring inflation under control without causing a recession. Deloitte’s baseline scenario remains relatively positive. The boom in factory construction will continue to boost the economy’s potential in the coming...
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