Big Buffett bet In 2002 Buffett made a very public $12 billion bet against the dollar. He raised the amount to $20 billion as of January 2005, but cut back to $16.5 billion in June 2005 after losing nearly $1 billion in the first half. He closed the account in August 2008. Since Buffett…
Yield curves are snapshots of bonds yield with similar asset class and credit quality, the review ranges from a month’s maturities to about 30 years. Yield to maturity, unlike coupon interest rates, is used in the measurement of the total return received by investors as a result of holding bonds up to maturity without the…
Syndicated article from article base Currency trading is a very involved process requiring in-depth analysis of numerous factors and strategies that influence the market conditions. To help a trader through the jungle of tactics and management techniques, Forex tools like a broker account, trading charts, and MT4 EA are employed. The MT4 EA is…
Using VIX in Exposing Complacency While much has been said about the efficacy of the VIX to expose rising fear in the market, the index also deserves at least the same amount of ink spilled for its ability to expose rising risk appetite, sometimes also known as rising complacency. The chart illustrates how…
Syndicated article from article base Today, in the market there are many automated tools available which makes the trading easier, faster and more importantly the deals are carried out by keeping into account the strategies formulated by the experts from the all over the world. While some forex tools are really good and stand up…
The volatility index (VIX) measures the volatility of a wide range of options on the S&P 500 Index and is used to gauge the markets’ expectations for volatility over the next 30 days. Quoted as a percentage, a VIX figure greater than 30 is associated with high volatility resulting from investors’ fear of uncertainty,…
Due to structurally low interest rates in Japan and Switzerland, the yen and the franc often served as funding currencies, used by speculators to borrow in lower rates and invest the proceeds in higher-yielding currencies and other assets such as gold, oil, and equities. Both the yen and franc have commanded interest rates lower than…
Borrowing money at low interest rates to fund higher-yielding loans has been the conventional source of revenue for banks for as long as credit currency carry trades, whereby hedge funds, asset managers, or individuals borrow funds in low-yielding currencies (funding currencies) to convert and deposit the proceeds in bonds or certificates of deposit in higher…
2003: DOLLAR EXTENDS DAMAGE, COMMODITY CURRENCIES SOAR The major differences distinguishing the global economic/market environment surrounding the 2003 dollar sell-off from that of 2002 were (1) the breadth of the commodity rally; (2) increased geopolitical uncertainty weighing on the U.S. dollar and U.S. assets after the outbreak of the Iraq war; and (3) deteriorating budget…
WORLD INTERVENES AGAINST STRONG DOLLAR (1985–1987) The excessive strength of the U.S. dollar proved detrimental to the world economy. The U.S. trade gap moved sharply into a deficit and millions of manufacturing jobs were lost. Sharp depreciations in the currencies of the United States’ trading partners triggered surging inflation that required central banks to…