Independent thinking for complex markets and current events
NEW: Feds arrest an Iranian woman last night at LAX right before she was about to get on a flight to Turkey. Shamim Mafi is accused of brokering Iranian bombs, weapons, drones and ammunition to Sedan. Mafi, who lives in LA, allegedly brokered "millions of rounds of… pic.twitter.com/MQtbwCmRl1 — Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) April 19, 2026 …
The Fed’s Reverse Repo Facility balance fell to just $78.1 billion on August 7, 2025. This shows banks are pulling money out of the Fed, holding onto cash instead of lending or investing. “The Fed’s Reverse Repo Facility (RRP) balance dropped to just $78.1 billion on August 7, 2025.” https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RRPONTSYD Meanwhile, foreign buyers sold $78 …
The United States is the biggest arms dealer on Earth, responsible for 43% of the world’s weapons exports from 2020 to 2024. The US transferred seven times more than China, and five times more than Russia. Ben Norton explains how the military-industrial complex profits from war.
Corporate bonds outstanding >$10T. Primary dealer inventory $33B -not a liquid market. When credit markets quiet & calm, it gives impression liquidity's fine, but if many want to sell, liquidity disappears. Even in quiet markets, finding a bond can take several days @apolloglobal pic.twitter.com/6tx1U6jNH6 — Danielle DiMartino Booth (@DiMartinoBooth) March 24, 2024 Up and to …
by Chris Black Last Friday the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), a repo rate serving as the Fed’s new target reference rate , jumped 6 basis points (6 bps, 0.06) to above the Fed’s target range. SOFR measures (https://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/reference-rates/sofr) the median cost of Treasury repo borrowing. The jump not only caught most people off guard, …
Ford spokesman Marty Gunsberg confirmed that the electric pickups are being returned to Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center for “additional quality checks.” “As a result, we have canceled some dealer stock orders not submitted as pre-sold” for model year 2023,” Gunsberg confirmed to Freep. The company is reassuring the public that none of this is …
The rising mismatch between electric vehicle supply and demand is showing up at car dealerships as unsold EVs stack up. Dealerships tell Bussiness Insider that EV supply from automakers has been turned away as demand cools. Rising EV inventories and a Tesla-fueled price war could signal the beginnings of a pause in growth for the …
by Chris Black The Treasury’s new buyback program will have a humble beginning, but tremendous potential to become an essential tool with far reaching impact. Treasury first hinted at a buyback program (https://fedguy.com/the-marginal-buyer/) last August amidst concerns over poor Treasury market liquidity and finally decided to launch it next year. The most recent details (https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/221/TreasurySupplementalQRQ32023.pdf) …
The consumer is showing signs of weakening: pic.twitter.com/lQrIAfC7CO — QE Infinity (@StealthQE4) July 30, 2023 JayPo said financial conditions tightening last week referring to this Credit is undoubtedly tightening as auto loan rejections hit highs and credit profile of borrowers deteriorate. Further tightening expected when student loan moratorium ends and excess savings dry up. https://t.co/Fgfujr4V6d …
A Cayuga County man was sentenced to prison Friday for having an unregistered and short-barreled AR-15-style rifle, federal prosecutors said. Duane Hollenbeck, 54, of Moravia, was charged in September after investigators found numerous ghost guns and large-capacity magazines at one of his properties. He was arrested along with Alec D. Hollenbeck, 19, of Lincklaen, Chenango County. Investigators …