Europe

Just when you thought it was safe to stride safely through the forest of stock market investing (hey - banks, Trump, hope, reform, stimulus, earnings, and Trump again); the bears are coming out of hibernation...

The calm in stocks worldwide is giving way to concern, as Bloomberg reports investors in Europe and the U.S. are rushing to hedge against declines and a Credit Suisse index flashing a warning as the list of economic and political obstacles grows. As we detailed earlier,

Authored by Mint Partners' Bill Blain,

“For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?”

S&P futures extended their Wednesday decline, dropping in the overnight session with banking shares in focus ahead of results from JPMorgan and Citigroup. European stocks likewise retreated along with the dollar, while Asian shares were mixed.

Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble did everything in his power to infuriate three distinct groups of people today.

First, in a statement that may infuriate several million German immigrants, Schaeuble said that Muslims who migrate to Europe should understand that there are better places for them to live if they do not want to accept the European way of life.

Authored by Burak Bekdil via The Gatestone Institute,

• This is the first time that Erdogan is openly challenging a concerted European stand.

Turkey's foreign policy and the rhetoric that presumably went to support it, has, during the past several years, aimed less at achieving foreign policy goals and more at consolidating voters' support for the Ankara government.