This year through June 5, 7,561 M&A deals were announced, the lowest count since 2013, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
While M&A volume reached a record $2.055 trillion 2013, the volume has slipped in 2016 to just $1.7 trillion.
With traders realizing that the "Thursday Turmoil Trifecta" looms, world stocks dropped and safe-haven assets rose as investors focused on the growing tension in the Middle East, while caution spread across markets in a week full of risk events including James Comey’s congressional testimony to the ECB’s policy meeting and Britain’s increasingly uncertain election, all in the span of 24 hours. As a result, European and Asian stocks as well as S&P futures all fell, while gold, yen and Treasuries gained.
Back in 2011, after making a killing off of his infamous mortgage short, John Paulson found himself running one of the largest hedge funds on wall street with $38 billion in total capital under management, including roughly $19 billion in outside capital. But, after gaining instant fame with his massive subprime bet, Paulson can't seem to buy a clue in recent years which has left many investors wondering whether he may have been nothing more than a "one-trick pony".
Certainly returns in his Paulson Advantage fund would indicate some difficultly replicating historical success:
S&P futures point to a slightly lower open ahead of today's US non-mfg ISM and Service PMI data. European shares fall, while Asian shares are little changed. Several European countries, including Germany, are closed for Whit Monday leading to subdued trading. Crude futures have reversed overnight gains following the latest unexpected Gulf Crisis overnight, in which Gulf nations cut all diplomatic relations with Qatar amid striking allegations of funding terrorism, as reported overnight.
Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,