Business

Central Banks have FINALLY created inflation.

Starting in late 2016, Central Banks began actively rigging the stock market via a number of gimmicks.

They are:

1)   Slamming the VIX lower to force risk-parity funds to buy stocks.

2)   Selling the Japanese Yen and buying $USD to force stocks higher via the Yen carry trade.

3)   Outright buying stocks and ETFs directly.

All three of these strategies involve a Central Bank actively printing money and funneling directly into the financial markets.

And THAT is a game-changer.

Crude Oil has been moving sharply higher the past few weeks. Last week we shared with Sectors Extreme & Premium members that Crude Oil had created an important pattern to finish the week while hitting an important price point.

Below looks at the chart shared with members last Friday-

While central banks step away from the spotlight, as does Asian data and markets with China and South Korea both taking a weeklong break, there will be a bevy of central bank speakers to "explain" what is going on while it will be a busy week data wise, with the US employment trade balance report due this week, PMI and retail sales in Euro area, as well as PMI and house prices in UK. The key central bank events include the Australia RBA board meeting, ECB minutes,Yellen and Fed member speeches. In Emerging Markets, there are monetary policy meetings in India, Poland and Romania.

Russia Gold Rush Sees Record Reserves For Putin Era

by Yuliya Fedorinova of Bloomberg via Irish Indepedent

Vladimir Putin is doing his part to keep the upswing in gold alive.

Since the Russian president went on a geopolitical offensive in Ukraine in 2014, the haven asset had its first annual gain in four years in 2016 and is on track for another in 2017.